Page 26 of The Earl's Demure Spinster
Lady Sylvia laughed softly, a sound that seemed to lift the very air around them. “Neither did I. But it was fun. I have not enjoyed a card game so much in a very long time. Lady Harriet and Lord Edward were a lot of fun.”
“I could not help but notice,” Wesley began cautiously, approaching the topic that he was anxious about, “that you seemed a bit... distant earlier. Is something bothering you?”
Lady Sylvia’s gaze dropped to her tea cup, her fingers tracing the delicate rim. “I suppose I was feeling a bit overwhelmed,” she admitted. “These gatherings can be so demanding. Sometimes it is hard to keep up the facade of constant cheerfulness.”
He was sure that she was hiding something from him, that there was a lot more to this, but he also sensed that it would not be a good idea to push her too much. He did not want Lady Sylvia to pull away from him.
“Everyone feels that way,” he assured her instead. “Just know that you always have friends if you need them. I will always be there for you, and Harriet too.”
She smiled and nodded, but did not open up to him in the way that he hoped.
That was unfortunate, but there was really nothing that Wesley could do about it.
Not now anyway.
As the evening drew to a close and the guests began to take their leave, Wesley found himself lingering near the door, exchanging polite goodbyes with everyone else who had been in attendance at the party. He could not help but feel a pang of disappointment as he watched Lady Sylvia move towards the door, wishing that he could spend more time with her. She made everything so much better. He really could spend all his time with her, and not get bored.
“Lady Sylvia,” he said softly as she prepared to leave, “it was truly a pleasure. I hope we have more opportunities to talk in the future.”
Lady Sylvia turned to him, her eyes warm and genuine. “I hope so too, Lord Wesley. Thank you for helping me to get through this night.”
They shared a brief, meaningful smile before she stepped outside and into her carriage, and Wesley watched as it rolled away into the night, his heart sinking as it went. With a sigh, Wesley turned to join his mother, who stood a little distance away from everyone else, frowning with displeasure. Wesley knew that he was going to be yelled at once they were alone and he tried his absolute hardest to brace himself for it.
But shockingly, that was not what happened.
The ride home was marked by an intense silence. Wesley sat across from his mother and sister in the carriage, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the cobblestones the only sound breaking the stillness. He had been waiting for her to express her displeasure with him. But she remained silent, staring out the window, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere.
This uncharacteristic quietness unsettled Wesley. He cast a few glances her way, waiting for a word, a sigh, any indication of her thoughts. But none came. Every time he caught Harriet’s eyes, she seemed surprised as well.
Choosing not to dwell on his mother’s unusual demeanor because there was nothing that he could do to change it anyway, Wesley allowed his mind to drift back to the more pleasant moments of the evening. His thoughts returned to Lady Sylvia: her laughter, her quick wit, the way her eyes sparkled when they shared a victory in the game. She really was fun, and he had never connected with anyone the way that he did with her. It really was a shame that she was not the sort of Lady that his mother deemed appropriate for him.
If that were the case, then all of his problems would be solved.
As the carriage continued its journey through the quiet streets, Wesley found himself looking forward to their next meeting. The prospect of seeing Lady Sylvia again filled him with a sense of anticipation and hope. He wondered what their future conversations might hold, what other layers of her personality he might uncover. He knew that there was so much more to her, so much he could learn, and he could not wait for it to happen.
When the carriage finally arrived at their home, Lady Victoria stirred from her reverie. She stepped out gracefully, her silence still unbroken. Wesley and Harriet followed, feeling a mixture of curiosity and unease about her unusual quietness. He was even too nervous to even ask his sister what was happening, although Harriet did not look like she had any idea what was going on either.
As they entered the house, Lady Victoria paused in the hallway, turning to her children with an inscrutable expression, one which made his heart skip a few anxious beats “Good night, Wesley, Harriet,” she said simply, her voice soft but firm. “I shall see you both in the morning.”
“Good night, Mother,” he replied, watching as she ascended the stairs, her thoughts still a mystery. Wesley turned to his sister, but Harriet looked far too exhausted to engage in a conversation with him. So, he said nothing, and let her wander off to her room.
Wesley made his way to his own room, the events of the evening playing over in his mind. His mother’s silence, though unsettling, could wait for another time. For now, he chose to focus on the memories of his time with Lady Sylvia, allowing the warmth of those moments to guide him into a restful sleep. He hoped to only dream of Lady Sylvia and the way that she madehim feel. Because that was the lightest he had felt in a very long time.
