Page 10 of The Missing Book
“Anna,” Lord Broughton stated, turning to look at his sister now. “We are to take our leave. Do you understand? You are to dance with Lord Cumbernauld for the next dance and he will be looking for you.”
“Then is it not better that I stay here?” Lady Anna asked as Amelia hid a smile, thinking to herself that Lady Anna was just as tenacious as she and delighting in it. “To go searching for Lord Cumbernauld instead of waiting for him to come and find me would not be proper, would it? A lady does not go searching for a gentleman for their dance, does she?” Shooting a quick look towards Amelia, she smiled briefly and blinked up at her brother.
“No, I do not think I would advise any young lady to go searching for a gentleman when it came time for their dance,” Amelia said, seeing how Lord Broughton dropped his head, hisframe taut. “We may be bluestockings, Lord Broughton but we are still very well aware of all that propriety asks of us.”
“It is a great pity, then, that you do not seek to fulfill all the requirements of society, then,” Lord Broughton gritted out, lifting his head to look straight into Amelia’s eyes. “Bluestockings are not welcomed into thetonfor good reason. Now if you will excuse me,my sisterand I must take our leave.”
For a moment, it looked as though Lady Anna was about to protest but with a nod from Lady Gwendline, she sighed and then stepped away. As she passed Amelia, however, she leaned close for just a moment, pausing in her steps.
“I do hope we can speak again, Lady Amelia.”
“I will make sure of it,” Amelia answered with a smile, watching Lady Anna being half pulled away by Lady Gwendonline.
Miss Trentworth snorted. “That gentleman was just as dreadful as Lord Trafalgar, was he not?”
“He was not quite as bad,” Amelia admitted, with a wry smile as the other bluestockings came to join them both. “Though yes, I did find very disagreeable.”
Lady Isobella let out a small sigh. “I did feel a little sorry for Lady Anna, I must say. To have such a gentleman for a brother must be very trying.”
“Though she certainly has some persistence!” Miss Sherwood laughed, as Amelia smiled. “She was quite determined not to let her brother take her away, was she not?”
“And she did ask if she might speak with me – and us – again,” Amelia told them all. “I am more than inclined to find a way to do so, for she certainly is an interesting young lady!” With a wry smile, she looked back at her friends. “My heart did feel some sympathy for her also, I will admit.”
“As did mine,” Miss Trentworth agreed, with a smile. “But come, let us go and see if you are to have your dance card filledas we promenade around the ballroom. Surely everyone in the ballroom tonight will be eager to see you and mayhap even speak with you!”
Amelia rolled her eyes as her other friends laughed softly, making her smile. “I do not have any desire to dance,” she admitted, “but if I am asked, I shall have to agree, for it will certainly keep my father contented and happy.”
Lady Rosalyn slipped her arm through Amelia’s. “And it will prevent him from complaining about your bluestocking habits,” she reminded her. “All in all, Amelia, I think this has turned out very well indeed.”
“Mayhap it has,” Amelia admitted, putting Lord Broughton and his ill manner far behind her. “I shall have to simply wait and see.”
4
Fury burned through Leopold’s chest as he took Anna away from the bluestockings. His anger was not directed at Anna, though he was frustrated with her, but more towards Lady Amelia who had spoken to him in such a teasing manner – one that was most improper for any young lady!
“He did not need to take me away from the bluestockings,” he heard Anna say to Lady Gwendoline. “My brother is always much too concerned about such things whereas I think it good to have all manner of acquaintances!”
“Let us discuss something else. I heard you were on the arm of Lord Jedburgh recently,” Lady Gwendoline said, as Leopold gritted his teeth. “He is an excellent gentleman, is he not?”
Leopold did not let himself listen to the answer his sister gave. He was already furious with her for what she had done and how she had spoken to him in front of the other ladies and certainly did not need to be reminded of her previous foolishness! Lord Jedburgh might be an excellent gentleman but that did not mean that she ought to have gone off on his arm with him as she had done! Though reminding Anna of that would not produce any sort of favorable results, Leopold knew.
“Good evening, Lord Broughton! I have just come looking for your sister, since it is time for our dance.”
“Take her,” Leopold muttered, throwing out one hand behind him to where she stood. “And be quick about it before I forbid her from any further dancing this evening and return her to the carriage!”
Lord Cumbernauld’s smile disappeared in an instant. He nodded and then made his way hastily towards Anna, though Leopold followed him with his eyes to make sure that Anna would not either refuse him or do something else equally foolish. To his relief, he saw her accept Lord Cumbernauld’s arm, leaving Lady Gwendoline to stand alone.
He frowned.
“Lady Gwendoline, do you not have a chaperone?” he asked, coming closer to her. “I was sure that your brother was nearby.”
“He is dancing with Lady Petunia,” came the reply, a slightly shy smile on the lady’s lips. “Though I am quite contented to stand here and watch. That way, he will know precisely where I am, for he has seen me already.”
“I see.” Leopold cleared his throat, feeling a twinge of awkwardness growing between them. Any good gentleman would offer to stand up with the lady given that she did not have someone to stand up with already but he did not want to dance! He was much too overwhelmed, much too frustrated to be able to concentrate on the steps and yet, at the very same time, a niggling voice in the back of his mind told him that it was expected of him to do such a thing. It was proper, was it not? It was genteel and considerate and he did not, in truth, have much of a choice. “Lady Gwendoline, would you like to dance?”
She looked at him. “Dance?”
“Yes, this dance. I assume you have no gentleman coming to find you for it?” He gestured to the couples in front of him. “Come now, I cannot have you standing here alone. I – ” Thewords dried on his lips as he saw Lady Amelia being led out the dance floor by a tall, fair-haired gentleman. He scowled, knowing that, at some point, she would have to be his partner given the nature of the dance. It would only be for a brief moment but he did not want to be in her company for even a second or two!
