Page 6 of The Earl's Error
“Forgive me, my lady, but the mistress –”
“It is quite all right.” Joceline waved the young girl into the room. “I was reading and did not even hear your knock.” She smiled and the young girl appeared to be relieved, given the way her eyes no longer were wide with concern and color slowly touched back into her cheeks.
“Thank you, my lady. It is just to say that your mother desires for you to join her in the dining room just as soon as possible.”
Joceline frowned. “The dining room?”
The maid nodded. “Yes, my lady. She broke her fast later today and has not yet risen from the table.”
Joceline glanced at the clock on the mantlepiece but did her best to keep her surprise to herself. She had presumed that, by this hour, her mother had already risen, broken her fast, and was busy with some other matters in the house but to hear that she had still been abed all this time was more than a little surprising!With an inward sigh, she set the book down and then got to her feet, promising herself silently that she would return to it just as soon as she could.
Making her way to the dining room, Joceline forced a smile as she stepped inside. “Good afternoon, Mother. I hear that you wish to see me?”
“Yes, I do.” Lady Melford set her teacup down on the China plate with a gentle rattle. “We are to go to the fashionable hour in Hyde Park this afternoon.”
Joceline blinked, her stomach dropping low. “I see.”
“And you are to stay away from those friends of yours,” Lady Melford continued, with a somewhat icy glare. “Do you understand me, Joceline? I am not having you waste your time with ladies who are not focused on the same thing you are this Season.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Joceline said, her hands curling as she fought upset. “Mother, I am here to enjoy the London Season and being with my friends permits me to do so.”
“But you are hereprimarilyto make a match,” came the firm reply. “Do you not understand? You are hereonlyto find a suitable husband, and enjoyment is, to my mind, a secondary consideration. Therefore, you are not to spend time with these young ladies, or –”
“I shall spend time with them, just as I please,” Joceline interrupted, aware that she was being rude though she felt no upset at speaking so. “That is not what father wanted for me.”
Lady Melford’s eyes flashed. “And how, might I ask, would you know what it is that your father desired for you? Did you hear him speak? Did you hear him say that he wanted your happiness?”
Joceline drew herself up, determined now not to let her mother push her aside. “Yes, in fact. I did.”
This made Lady Melford’s brow furrow. “I hardly think that is true.” The heavy weight on her forehead pulled all the lower. “Indeed, I am sure that you are lying to me.”
“I am not.” The fear that she would be pulled away from her friends was a great one and Joceline fought against it with all she had. “I heard father stating that my happiness was of greater importance than simply marrying for marrying’s sake, Mother.” She lifted an eyebrow when her mother’s eyes widened. “I know very well that father is eager for me to find happiness and contentment and I have no interest in simply going to any and every gentleman until I find someone who is able to tolerate me.”
Lady Melford looked away.
“I will come to the fashionable hour and, of course, I will speak to many and smile just as I ought. I danced at the ball, did I not? It is not as though I am refusing to do as you expect.”
“You ought not to be spending time with other bluestockings,” came the quick reply, her mother’s eyes sharp and glinting. “They make you all the worse!”
Joceline shook her head, pain lancing through her heart. “Mother, I am already very well aware of just how little you think of me when it comes to my desire to read and to learn. I cannot help that, I am afraid, but I willnotpermit you to take me away from my new acquaintances. I have already told you that I will do just as you expect in conversing with various gentlemen and ladies during the fashionable hour but I willnotspend my every waking moment in pursuit of a husband! I am here to enjoy my time in London and that means I shall be with those who I consider my friends. Those who have the same interests as I, those who understand the same things as I do. Yes, you may find it a little embarrassing to have a daughter who is so determined to show herself to be a bluestocking , but I know thatI have father’s blessing. Your lack of support, I am afraid, will do nothing to prevent me from being just as I am.”
Lady Melford’s hand tightened into a fist and slammed down, hard, on the table. “Do you not understand the shame you are bringing on yourself?” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. “Do you not see just how much upset you bring upon me? This is greatly distressing, to have to step into society with the awareness that there are many in thetonwho will laugh at me for having a bluestocking for a daughter!”
“I am afraid that is not something that I can help,” Joceline answered, aware of the tears now burning in her eyes but refusing to let herself cry in front of her mother. “Now do excuse me, so that I might go and prepare for the fashionable hour.”
Without waiting for her mother to state that yes, she was permitted to take her leave or no, she had to remain, Joceline turned on her heel and hurried out of the room. She heard her mother’s voice come after her but she did not so much as glance behind, the ache in her chest beginning to burn hot as a single tear fell to her cheek. Walking quickly, she decided to return to the parlor to collect her book in the hope that she might find a little solace there, only to come face to face with two unexpected visitors being led towards the parlor by the butler. The butler, upon seeing her, inclined his head and came quickly towards her, though Joceline was all too aware of the gaze of the gentleman fixing upon her no-doubt tear-stained face.
“My lady, there is a lady and a gentleman come to call,” the butler said, in a quiet voice so that the visitors would not overhear. “I apologize for bringing them to the parlor without your awareness nor the awareness of your mother, but the lady walked into the house as though it was her own and I could not prevent her from doing so.”
“Oh.” The ache in Joceline’s chest began to burn again as she glanced to the two visitors and saw the gentleman frowning.“Introduce me, if you please, then send someone to fetch my mother.”
The butler nodded, turned, and then gestured to the lady. “Might I present Miss Joceline Trentworth, daughter to Lord Melford. Miss Trentworth, this is the Earl of Albury and his mother, Lady Albury.”
Joceline dropped into a curtsy, aware that she had not had the opportunity to dash the tears from her cheeks, feeling the moisture sink into her skin. “Good afternoon.”
“I am acquainted with your mother,” Lady Albury said, crisply. “I do hope that she is at home. I very much wish to speak with her.”
Joceline threw a look at the butler, who quickly scurried away. “She will join us in a few moments.” Thinking silently to herself that her mother would require more than a few minutes in which to prepare herself for this meeting given that she had risen too late, Joceline walked towards the visitors. “Please come and join me in the parlor. I will have the maid bring us some tea if you would like.” Opening the door, she stepped inside and then waited until both guests had sat down before she, after ringing the bell, sat down with them. With a small smile, Joceline let her gaze drift from one of the guests to the other, rather surprised that both had thought to simply appear at their door without prior arrangement. The lady had sharp, dark eyes that flitted from place to place, seeming to take everything in and, at the very same time, with an air that was somewhat critical, given the slight curl of her lip. She was looking around the room unabashedly, showing no caution whatsoever, and Joceline, in truth, found herself instantly disliking the lady. The gentleman, on the other hand, sat tall, a good deal higher than his mother given his height, though his hands were settled in his lap and he was not looking about anywhere. Rather, his gaze was directed to the fireplace, as empty as it was, makingher wonder what it was he found so interesting there. With very dark hair that sat like a shadow over his forehead and a seemingly somewhat staid expression, he did not give any hint of enthusiasm or even delight to be present. For a moment, his blue eyes met hers and a light shiver ran through Joceline’s frame. She did not know why but pulled her own gaze away as quickly as she could, surprised at how much she disliked his gaze fixing to hers.
