Page 7 of The Wallflower's Choice
“I have not even thought about such things,” she admitted, eventually. “When I first thought about finding a suitable husband, I considered only title and fortune. Even now, that is all that I think about.”
“Oh?” Miss Rockwell tilted her head so that she could look at Prudence a little better, her fair curls pushed back by the wind. “Do you believe that you would be truly contented with a husband who had no genuine consideration for you?”
Prudence nodded.
“Yes, I believe that I would.”
“Well, I certainly wouldnotbe,” came the reply. “I want nothing more than to have a husband who cares for me, who adores me, and who I can love in return. And with Lord Yates, it seems that I am to have it! It is such a blessing, I can hardly believe it!”
“I am glad for you,” Prudence answered, honestly. “For myself, however, I believe that I will be glad for any match that I can get!” Her brow furrowed, and she cast a quick glance at a group of gentlemen whom they had just walked past. “Though even now, none of them so much as glance at me.”
“No doubt that is because they are talking of nothing but gambling and horses, and are paying no attention toanyonewho walks past here,” Miss Rockwell said, making Prudence smile rather ruefully. “It is not simply because you are a wallflower, I assure you.”
“Ho, there!”
Hearing something behind her, Prudence glanced over her shoulder, only for her heart to quicken in astonishment. A gentleman was hurrying after them, waving one hand as though he were attempting to catch their attention. Turning her head back to the path and presuming that whoever this gentleman was waving at was ahead of them, Prudence found herself all the more confused, given that there was nobody there.
“If you would but give me a few moments of your time?”
Prudence glanced at Miss Rockwell.
“Is this fellow speaking to us?”
Miss Rockwell glanced over her shoulder and then, after a moment, nodded.
“I believe so.”
“Are you acquainted with him?”
“No,” came the answer, “but from his broad smile, it seems that we soon shall be!”
Prudence hesitated, aware that they had not been formally introduced. Having no desire to bring any sort of further shame upon herself, she took Miss Rockwell’s arm.
“Might we be cautious, Miss Rockwell? I do not want society to think worse of me than they do already!”
Miss Rockwell nodded and, unable to ignore the calls of the gentleman any longer, Prudence turned around directly, keeping her chin lifted as the gentleman approached. He smiled and inclined his head, beaming at her as though they had already been introduced and he was now delighted to see her again. Prudence did not recognize his face – handsome though he was – and, with another curious glance towards Miss Rockwell, she waited for the gentleman to introduce himself.
Much to her astonishment, he did not.
“Might I ask if I heard you correctly?”
Caught all the more by astonishment, it took Prudence a moment to answer. Instead of answering his question, however, she arched one eyebrow and kept her head held high.
“Might I ask if we have been introduced?”
The gentleman paused for a moment and then, much to Prudence’s surprise, laughed jovially as though she had said something mirthful, his brown eyes twinkling.
“Very good, very good,” he said, then wiggling his finger at her as if she were still a child who was being lectured by her schoolmistress. “But I must beg to know whether you were speaking honestly or not.”
“Whether we were or not, it does not give you the right to simply demand to know such things from us!” Miss Rockwell broke in, her eyes flashing with clear anger. “Goodness, I do not think that I have ever come across a gentleman who would speak in such a manner!”
The gentleman looked at Miss Rockwell for a moment before, much to her surprise, he dropped into a bow and, upon rising, kept his head lowered as his dark hair fell forward over his forehead.
“I am truly sorry,” he said, sounding rather contrite though Prudence was still quite uncertain of him, not sure what he was about. “There is a situation which I am doing my best to resolve and, hearing what was said between you has filled me with all manner of hope and expectation!”
Prudence looked at Miss Rockwell, who merely offered her a slight shrug, telling her silently that it was up to her whether they stayed to listen to him or not. A little afraid that this gentleman would call after her and embarrass her all the more if she walked away, Prudence chose to remain where she was, looking back at the fellow as he finally met her gaze.
Something rippled over her, but she ignored it, giving herself a slight shake to remove it from herself. This gentleman, whoever he was, had a handsomeness about him; a small, lilting smile that was a little coy, brown eyes that were warm and hopeful, and a strength to his frame which was obvious simply in the way that he moved. Prudence pushed such thoughts aside, however, and with what she hoped was an obvious sigh, put out her hands to either side in question.
