Page 50 of Vanquished By A Viscount
They were given only a few minutes of loving silence before arriving at a neighbor’s house. Charlie had half a mind to tell the driver to continue on so that he could enjoy a few more moments of peace, but Barbara was eager to alight and speak to her neighbors.
They spent the better part of the midday visiting and issuing invitations to the night’s lecture. The outing did a great deal to ease Charlie’s mind about every situation he had before him. Yes, Bradford was a stunningly perfect specimen of masculinity that even he would have gone silly over, but that did not mean Grayson was suddenly out of his reach.
It did not mean he was necessarily inferior either, though it was difficult to keep himself convinced of that as Bradford stood before the rather large assembly of guests in the conservatory that night, delivering a brilliant lecture about railroads and steam power.
“That man is magnificent,” Barbara’s neighbor, Lady Farleigh, whispered to him as Bradford finished his lecture and the guests applauded.
Charlie only had to grit his teeth a little as he answered, “Yes, he is, rather.”
Nearly every eye in the conservatory was on Bradford as he received congratulations for his lecture. Charlie had eyes only for Gray, though. He had been unable to speak with Gray since returning to Hawthorne House after his outing with Barbara,both because he had needed to change for supper and because Grayson had been busy spearheading the day’s entertainments. They were on opposite sides of the room now, but as Bradford received his accolades, Gray happened to look across the room and meet Charlie’s eyes.
Gray’s expression was one of desperate hope and question. The man truly did wear his heart on his sleeve, which was not necessarily a good thing where the focus of his affections was concerned.
“Have a care around Mr. Grayson Hawthorne, my lord,” Lady Farleigh told Charlie as the two of them stood and stepped aside so the footmen could rush in and clear the chairs that had been set up for the lecture.
“I beg your pardon?” Charlie asked as he escorted Lady Farleigh to the side of the room.
The woman looked very serious indeed as she said, “He is a lost soul and in violation of God’s natural order.”
Charlie feigned ignorance, but inwardly, his heart sank to his stomach. “Surely not,” he said with a light laugh.
“Why do you think the young man fled to the Continent?” Lady Farleigh asked. “It is because his vile nature was exposed, bringing shame on the entire Hawthorne family. If I were you, I would advise your sister to banish the man at once so that her good reputation might be preserved.”
Charlie opened his mouth but remained speechless. That very sort of gossip was the entire reason he had ended things with Gray seven years ago. Lady Farleigh was proof that they were not out of danger yet and that they would likely never be out of danger, despite the protection afforded by title, wealth, and, indeed, The Brotherhood.
“I shall take that into consideration and advise my sister,” Charlie said.
He parted company with Lady Farleigh as swiftly as possible. Their conversation had left a bad taste in his mouth that even one of the excellent bonbons Greene had prepared as light refreshments for the evening’s guests couldn’t remove from his mouth.
Someone raised the suggestion of an impromptu dance once the chairs were moved away, and in no time, one of the neighbors who was regarded as an excellent musician was seated at the piano, playing music appropriate for a country dance. Several couples formed, including Lady Eudora and Pettigrew, who was not fast enough to get away from her.
Charlie kept to the side of the room, observing everything, though his desire to become a part of it had been thoroughly dampened by Lady Farleigh. At one point Gray met his eyes again and started toward him, but with the advice to keep his distance from him, and the reasons why, Charlie moved to intercept Miss Kennedy and Lady Sandridge to engage in conversation with them.
“Whoever suggested dancing was inspired,” Miss Kennedy said, shifting to bring Charlie into the small circle. “While I have enjoyed everything Hawthorne House has had to offer thus far, there has been a shocking lack of coupling at this party.”
Charlie nearly choked on his own tongue. For his part, he and Gray had been engaged in quite a bit of coupling, but that could not be what the older spinster meant.
“Perhaps the addition of these neighbors will encourage more interaction between the ladies and gentlemen,” Lady Sandridge agreed. “Although my Eudora has already made her mind up about her future happiness.”
“And has Dr. Pettigrew agreed to this happiness?” Charlie asked, knowing the answer before asking the question.
“Oh, he will,” Lady Sandridge said, a sly look coming over her. “He will if he knows what is good for him.” She nodded toMiss Kennedy and said, “The man may be a doctor, but he has recently inherited a small fortune and quite a bit of property with it. He will need someone to manage it all, and my Eudora has been educated for just such a thing.”
Charlie fought not to wince at the women’s machinations. He glanced across the room to where Pettigrew was moving through the steps of the dance with the young conniver in question. He did not look happy at all.
Everything would have been so much easier if the world could simply let men who fancied other men pursue what they wanted. He sought out Gray again and found him dancing with one of the neighbors’ daughters. The world would be a much happier place if he could dance with Gray in a public setting instead of having to hide most of their interactions and the way they felt about each other. He would not have needed to fear a better man coming along and snatching Gray out from under him if he could publicly declare his feelings.
At least the house party guests seemed to be enjoying themselves for once. But that all changed when word began to spread throughout the conservatory that a storm was blowing in. The neighbors rushed back to their carriages, and although the house party guests remained downstairs for a while longer, the excitement of new company had gone, and most of them made their way up to their beds for the night.
“I must rush to my cottage sanctuary while I still can,” Barbara told Charlie as they left the conservatory for the hall. “If I run, I know I can beat the rain.”
“You still wish to maintain your separate residence instead of reconciling with Robert?” Charlie asked. Indeed, Robert had been gazing longingly across the room at his wife all evening. Charlie did not know the man well, but he sensed Robert was ready to let bygones be bygones so that he might repair things with Barbara.
“I rather like my garden paradise,” Barbara said with a tired smile. She glanced over her shoulder at Robert, who was just coming out of the conservatory with Bradford, the two of them deep in discussion, then grinned at Charlie. “I think one more night of allowing him to stew will be just the thing.”
Charlie grinned and shook his head. “Minx,” he said, then kissed his sister’s cheek.
They parted ways in the front hall, and Charlie continued up to the first floor, veering toward the family wing. He hoped that Barbara truly was serious about ending her rift with Robert on the morrow. After their conversation earlier, he believed she had come to a new understanding of her own feelings, as he had of his, but there was no telling with Barbara.
