Page 8 of The Truth about the Viscount
“Eleanor! Good evening, how wonderful it is to see you!” Embracing her cousin and dear friend, she grasped Eleanor’s hands. “I did not think that you would be at the ball this evening. Is not your come out tomorrow?”
Eleanor shook her head.
“When last I wrote to you, I thought it was to be tomorrow, but I was quite wrong.” She laughed, a little ruefully. “You know as well as I that I am often inclined towards forgetfulness and confusion, am I not?”
“You should have written to me again and I would have attended.”
“I would have liked that, but there was no time. Mama wasverydetermined to have me do nothing other than sit and wait in silence until my gown arrived, I think for fear that I might wander off and do something quite ridiculous.”
Patience giggled, her arm slipping through Eleanor’s.
“Well, you have been inclined towards such things, have you not?”
Her own mother and Eleanor’s mother, the Countess of Pearson, were sisters and were, also, of the same inclinations as regarded their characters. Both could be rather anxious and fretted a good deal about their daughters. Patience and Christina had done what they could to quieten their mother’s concerns, whereas Eleanor had done quite the opposite. Shunning her mother’s stranglehold, she had often been found riding wildly across the estate grounds, climbing trees, or swimming in the lake – and Patience, when she had visited, had been inclined to join her. Now, however, she could quite understand why Lady Pearson wished Eleanor to do nothing other than sit quietly in a place where she might be not only seen but contained. That way, she could be quite certain that her daughter would not ruin her gown, or damage herself in some way or another before her come out.
“And as I was saying, you are watching Lord Hastings?” Eleanor’s eyes twinkled. “Yes, you must wonder how I am acquainted with him but, alas, I am not. Though I do think himveryhandsome.”
Patience giggled again, seeing how Eleanor grinned at her, clearly waiting for her to agree.
“I shall admit that he is handsome, yes, though there are many handsome gentlemen here this evening, are there not?”
“There are.” Eleanor gestured to the gentleman in question, though Patience pulled her hand down quickly for fear the action would be noticed. “He is brother to Miss Spearton, you understand? And Lord Milthorpe is Lord Hastings’ very dear friend, so it is not too great a surprise to thetonthat they are now betrothed.”
Her eyebrows lifting, Patience gave her cousin a long look and Eleanor laughed immediately.
“I have been eavesdropping,” she confessed, as Patience laughed aloud. “I stood near three young ladies when Lord Milthorpe made his announcement and found out all that I have just said to you, merely by listening! And then I saw you watching him and thought that I would take advantage of my newfound knowledge by sharing it with you.” Her eyes twinkled brightly. “Might I ask if you intend to draw Lord Hastings? He would make a good subject, I am sure.”
Patience smiled.
“I thought I would draw Lord Milthorpe and Miss Spearton first,” she answered. “Thereafter, I might consider Lord Hastings. I am not yet sure.”
“Well, do promise me that you shall let me see the works when you have completed them?”
With a nod, Patience promised that she would do so, her fingers suddenly itching to put pencil to paper once more.
Chapter Three
“Isabella?” There was something like relief in Daniel’s heart as his sister offered him a welcoming smile as he came into the room. It had been three days since the incident with his sister and Lord Newforth, and Daniel had not wanted to approach her to speak about anything until he was quite sure she was ready. Today, however, looked to be the day, given the slight color in her cheeks and the warmth in her expression. “Isabella, I did wonder if we might speak together?”
“You wish to talk about my betrothal?”
Daniel nodded and came to sit down, only to then rise again to ring the bell so that they both might enjoy a little refreshment.
“Mama will soon come to join us, I am sure, though I would like to have a few moments alone with you first.”
“I am not distressed if that is your concern.”
Daniel shook his head.
“It is not that, Isabella, though I am glad to hear you say it. The reason I wanted to speak with you is so that I might apologize for my lack of consideration, and my failure in my responsibility to you.” Isabella’s eyebrows lifted. “I – I should have made certain to find you once that dance was at an end,”Daniel began, the heaviness that had been in his heart since that evening now beginning to weigh him down all the more. “I did not. I was enjoying my brandy and to be truthful, Isabella, I quite forgot that our mother was not with us and that I had the sole responsibility for you.” Isabella pressed her lips tight together and then turned her head away, as though there was something she wished to say but could not quite be sure how to go about it. “I was wrong to do such a thing,” Daniel continued his breath tight in his chest now. “I have only myself to blame but, what troubles me the most, is thatyouhave suffered the consequences of my failure.”
“Oh, Hastings.” Isabella shook her head, then looked back at him, her eyes damp. “I will not disagree with you, but I willalsosay that Lord Newforth surprised me utterly. He took my arm and led me from the ballroom so quickly, and in such a crowd of people also, that I quite lost myself in astonishment – to the point that I did not even cry out! When he marched me through the gardens, I did begin to exclaim, but he hissed in my ear that if I were to make a single sound of protest, then all of the other guests would hear me, and would, thereafter, wonder what I was doing in the arms of a gentleman without my brother’s company. I did not know what to do, nor what his intentions were, and thus, I remained silent.”
“I think that was the best thing for you to do, given the circumstances,” Daniel answered, his heart still filled with a great deal of pain and regret over what he had done. “I should have been more watchful, Isabella. I should have stayed near to the dance floor and never once taken my eyes from you.”
Isabella reached out one hand and settled it over his, just as the tea tray was brought in. She said nothing until the maid had left the room, though tears still burned in her eyes and Daniel’s heart tore with what he had done to her.
“You are not to break yourself apart over this, Hastings.” Isabella squeezed his hand lightly and then rose to her feet, going to pour the tea. “I can see that you are deeply sorrowful over what has happened, but I want now to focus on my future, and on what is to take place.”
