Page 50 of Seducing a Frigid Lady
It was likely just paranoia. After all, most of the rumours she ever heard regarding herself were of her ice-queen nature and her lack of giving even an inch of leniency towards any man who approached her. She only hoped that nobody had witnessed her failure to do that with Lord Sinclair.
When they arrived in Mr. Parr’s parlour, separated from the drawing room only by an archway that had had the heavy drapes pulled over to make the room more cosy, Priscilla was surprised to find the resident alone. Disappointment at not seeing Lord Sinclair with him took her by surprise.
“Mrs. Lyttleton, Miss Lyttleton, Miss Lloyd, how wonderful it is for you all to visit me on such a fine day,” Mr. Parr welcomed them warmly with a bow, even as the three women entered the room behind the butler, curtseying in return. “Had I known that you were coming, I would have had the room opened up.”
He gestured at the heavy drape that Priscilla had seen open many times from previous visits with her friend, Sophie, who so liked Mr. Parr’s company.
“Forgive us for dropping in unannounced,” Mrs. Lyttleton stated, “But as you said, it is such a fine day and we were wondering whether you and your house guest might join us for a walk?”
As though she had not already noticed, Mrs. Lyttleton glanced around the room and added, “Might I ask, where is Lord Sinclair on this beautiful morning? I do hope he is not wasting the fine weather we are having today.”
“Mama,” Sophie exclaimed scoldingly, “I am sure Lord Sinclair is likely tending to important business.”
Or perhaps off being his usual roguish self,Priscilla thought, remembering again how he had vaulted over the brick wall at the very end of her guard, right into the woods where she had been pacing up and down to try and regain control of herself after the ordeal at the gallery.
Though she knew that such a thought should annoy or even repulse her about him, she found the nobleman’s character more than a little endearing, and she could not deny her attraction towards him, especially not since he had come to find her. Now that she had stopped to think about his actions towards Mr. Kenyon, she was not nearly so angry at him for it and she had begun to forgive him.
Though she was slightly concerned at the thought of allowing him to get close to her, she had agreed to at least try to stop worrying over such things, and so she was far more excited than she would have imagined when Mr. Parr announced, “My cousin is away on business in town though I do expect him to return shortly and I am sure that he shall be happy to escort you all for a walk, as am I.”
Gesturing them all into the room, he said, “Until then, please come and sit. I shall have tea brought up from the kitchen.”
With just a glance in his direction, the butler quickly bowed and disappeared from the room.
Priscilla had barely sat down beside Sophie, across from Mr. Parr and Sophie’s mother who had taken to the armchairs opposite, when the raucous sound of the front door being burst open caused them all to jump.
“I can assure you, Lord Montgomery, I have no inkling as to what you are talking about.” Lord Sinclair’s voice hit Priscilla’s ears, resonating loudly throughout the house even as the sound of footsteps started to march towards them.
“Do not walk away from me, young man!” Lord Montgomery’s snarling tone sounded after him and Priscilla’s spine tingled with interest. From the looks on both Sophie and her mother’s faces, she could guess that they, too, were just as intrigued by what was going on beyond the walls of the parlour.
“Ladies, please excuse me a moment!” Mr. Parr insisted, hurrying from his armchair with an embarrassed expression burning upon his face. He raced for the drapes that separated the parlour from the drawing room, where it appeared that Lord Sinclair had led his seemingly frustrated house guest.
Further footsteps sounded in the hallway, though whoever the newcomers were, they did not utter a peep.
“I wonder what has gotten under Lord Montgomery’s skin,” Sophie whispered into Priscilla’s ear and at a hushing from her mother, they all fell utterly silent. Though Priscilla was not one for gossip and eavesdropping, there was little that she could do but listen to the angry tones coming from the drawing room beyond.
“Lord Montgomery,” Mr. Parr greeted the nobleman, his voice rather fraught. “How nice it is to see you this morning.”
“Nice! Nice! There is nothing about this morning that is nice! Not after what I have learned your… your cousin has been doing with my Caroline!” Lord Montgomery declared, his voice booming throughout the house.
“As I have already stated,” Lord Sinclair’s voice sounded much calmer than the voices of his cousin and the other nobleman, though Priscilla could imagine the tension that must be solidifying his entire body in order to help him remain that way. “I do not know what you have heard, but I do know that you must be mistaken, my lord.”
“Perhaps we might keep our voices down?” Mr. Parr suggested, sounding more than a little upset. “One never knows who might be listening.”
The distinct hint in his tone suggested to Priscilla that he was rather attempting to warn his cousin of the presence of the three women sitting within the parlour beyond them. Though his hinting appeared entirely lost on the two noblemen.
“I have it on good authority that my Caroline has been sneaking out to meet some… some vagabond, and I have come to learn exactly who that miscreant is this very morning!” Lord Montgomery announced.
Priscilla barely had time to hear Mrs. Lyttleton’s astonished gasp before Lord Sinclair retorted, “Lord Montgomery, I would urge you not to make such accusations in my cousin’s home without any proof. I can assure you that save for at public events, I have had no dealings with your daughter.”
“I can attest to…” Mr. Parr began, as if to defend his cousin.
But then, one of the silent newcomers spoke up. “Miss Kendall has assured me that she has seen you both with her own eyes, Lord Sinclair!”
Bile immediately rose in the back of Priscilla’s throat. Just hearing Mr. Kenyon’s voice made her cringe, but to hear what he was suggesting made the hair on the back of her neck stand right on end.
“Do they mean to say that there is a scandal between Sinclair and Lady Caroline?” Sophie hissed into Priscilla’s ear while her mother continued to look absolutely horrified, her hand now covering her mouth to prevent her gasps from being overheard.
I should make our presence known,Priscilla thought, unsure as to whether she should feel angry or maybe even piteous towards Lord Sinclair. On the one hand, if what Lord Montgomery was suggesting were true, she had been foolish enough to let Lord Sinclair pull the wool over her eyes, but on the other, if it were a misguided lie, poor Lord Sinclair was being humiliated before twice as many people without even knowing it.
