Page 17 of The Earl's Demure Spinster
CHAPTER 8
Wesley had hardly slept all night long. His thoughts and dreams had been all consumed with the beautiful and lovely lady that he had met the night before. Lady Sylvia, with her sweet laugh and her pretty face. That was what kept a bright smile on his face as the scent of freshly baked bread and brewed coffee wafted through the hallways, drawing him into the inviting warmth of the room where breakfast was already laid out.
There he found his mother and Harriet, already enjoying their food.
“Good morning,” Wesley greeted, sliding into his seat across from his mother.
“Good morning, dear,” his mother replied absently, her eyes never leaving the paper in her hands. Harriet offered him a small smile and a nod.
Curiosity piqued by his mother’s unusual preoccupation; Wesley reached for the discarded sections of the scandal sheet to see what he could find. He scanned the pages, the bold head lines catching his eye. It did not take long for him to find the source of his mother’s fascination. The sheets were brimming with gossip from Lady Grace’s ball, which of course was going to intrigue his mother. She adored to know what was going on with other people, and to chat about them as well. Even if it made Wesley uncomfortable.
All of a sudden, a particular article caught Wesley’s attention, and he leaned closer, his interest sharpening. The column was dedicated to the mysterious Lady Sylvia, who of course everyone was interested in. She was the new lady in town, so it made sense that she might feature here. What Wesley did not understand was the tone of the article. The writer speculatedwildly about Sylvia’s background, hinting at a sordid past and dubious origins. They painted her as a figure shrouded in intrigue, her presence at the ball causing quite a stir among the ton.
Wesley felt a twinge of discomfort as he read the exaggerated and sensationalized accounts. The words seemed to leap off the page, each sentence more outrageous than the last. He frowned, his gaze shifting from the printed scandal to his mother’s intent face.
“Mother,” he began cautiously, “what do you make of this? Lady Grace must be really upset that these things are being written about her niece.”
His mother looked up, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. “It is rather shocking, but Lady Grace must have been expecting it. Bringing a woman of that age to a Season and debuting her as if she were one of us. It is madness.”
Harriet looked up from her toast, her eyes wide. “Who are you talking about?”
“Lady Sylvia,” Wesley replied, the name feeling strange on his tongue. “The papers are full of gossip about her.”
He handed her the paper and she scanned over it rapidly.
Harriet’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “But she seemed so lovely at the ball. Why would they write such awful things?”
“Because scandal sells,” Wesley’s mother said matter of factly, folding the paper and setting it aside. “People love a mystery, and the more salacious, the better. And it seems like this woman truly is a mystery, and not in a good way. Entering society in such a way is utter madness. I can not believe it happened.”
She shot Wesley a warning look, clearly unhappy that he had spent so much time with Lady Sylvia the previous night, instead of Lady Arabella. It was written all over her face. Wesley couldnot help it, he shrunk in on himself a little under his mother’s glare.
“Well?” she continued with a raised eyebrow. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
“About what?” Wesley demanded, deciding to play dumb. If he did not have to explain himself, then he would not.
“Your choice to dance with Lady Sylvia,” she said, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of warning. “It was... unexpected. I thought that you were going to dance with Lady Arabella again!”
Wesley shook his head slowly, setting his tea cup down on the table beside him. “I did not think it would cause such a stir for me to dance with Lady Sylvia. But it most certainly would have got tongues wagging if I had another dance with Lady Arabella.”
Victoria’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You may not have intended to cause a stir, but it has. People are talking, Wesley. The scandal sheets are already buzzing with rumours about her, and that by extension, will affect us. You know I do not want anything to affect us.”
Wesley absorbed her words, feeling the weight of her concern. He knew his mother well enough to understand that her caution was driven by a deep sense of familial duty. Especially with his father not being around, it left everything to her, and it was a job that she took very seriously. Yet, he could not ignore the nagging sense of injustice that rose within him at the thought of Lady Sylvia being maligned so unfairly. Especially by his mother. She should not be talking about Lady Sylvia like this.
“Lady Sylvia was introduced to society yesterday by the host of the ball,” he snapped. “I do not think it scandalous to dance with her. We have to welcome new people in.”
Victoria sighed, her expression softening ever so slightly. “I understand that, but society is quick to judge, and even quicker to spread rumours. Our family’s reputation is at stake here. You must be more careful. You do not wish to ruin your chance with Lady Arabella. I am sure she was most upset by your behaviour last night. She is the diamond of the Season, you can not forget that. She is going to have a lot of people interested in her. Do not ruin this for us.”
Wesley felt the sting of his mother’s words but maintained his composure. “Lady Arabella is perfectly capable of understanding the nuances of society. One dance with Lady Sylvia does not signify anything more than a simple gesture of courtesy. I am sure she knows that.”
Plus, he did not want to get caught up with Lady Arabella. Why was his mother not understanding that? She truly could not see it. For a moment, he tried to think of ways that he could make her understand things from his point of view, but he knew that his mother was unlikely to even give him a chance to talk. She did not usually want to hear anything that he had to say, unless he was in agreement with her.
His mother’s expression hardened. “Courtesy? Wesley, you know how these things work. Appearances are everything. Your actions, however innocent you may perceive them to be, can be interpreted in ways you can not control. You have to be careful all the time.”
Harriet, who had been listening quietly, interjected softly, “But, Mother, is it not our duty to extend kindness to those who are new to our circles, especially if they are being unjustly targeted?”
Wesley glanced at Harriet, appreciating her support. “Exactly. Lady Sylvia has done nothing to warrant such cruel speculation. If anything, she needs allies, not attackers.”
His mother’s eyes hardened once more as she looked at Harriet, then back to Wesley. “While I admire your sense of justice, you must understand the precarious position we are in. Lady Arabella’s family is influential. A connection with her could be beneficial for us all. Do not jeopardize it.”
