Page 24 of A Lady's Stardust Passion
“You're too kind, my lord,” her aunt replied with a curtsy.
Edward then stepped forward to Jane. He did look rather dapper in a dark coat, his jaw freshly shaven and the handsome smile on his face. She was certain there would be more than one interested young lady looking at him that evening.
“And you, Jane,” he said, and taking her gloved hand, he squeezed it and bowed low, his gaze not leaving her face. “Youare beautiful.” He paused, and Jane blinked at him, wondering if he was expecting her reply. “I know this was all a bit haphazardly done, but I hope you are not displeased by my arrival.”
“Oh, no, not at all. Of course you must join us,” Jane hurried to say, knowing there was no other way to reply to such a request, although she was uncomfortable with the idea of appearing with Edward when Nathaniel would be there.
But Nathaniel might be speaking to Lady Delilah Stanhope, she thought childishly.
“I have brought my carriage to take us all.”
Jane glanced at her uncle, who gave her an encouraging nod. She and Edward led the way to the carriage. On the way to Lady Constance's townhome, Edward shared his current enjoyment of London.
“There is ever so much to do, he said. In France, there too is a lot to do, but there is always such focus on shopping. I much prefer these gentlemen's clubs. One could sit all day with the newspaper and whisky and not once be disturbed.”
He laughed, seeming to take enormous pleasure out of his statements. Jane looked down. That description was exactly the kind of man Margaret had described that Nathaniel could choose to be because of his status. Edward also had a high status,but Jane couldn’t help but compare him to Nathaniel, who chose instead to sharpen his mind through constant study.
Edward continued to speak, but she hardly listened the closer they got to Lady Constance’s home. Uncle Hamish was the one who replied mostly, and Jane was determined to speak to her aunt once they arrived at the party. Why was she so quiet and suddenly wary of Edward?
Once they arrived, and the carriage door was opened by a footman, Edward helped the ladies out of the carriage, and then he offered Jane his arm.
“I wonder, Jane, if you might allow me to take your first dance this evening. Knowing how many suitors you must have this Season, I wanted to take this opportunity to stake my claim as it were.”
Trying to hide her disappointment with the polite smile, she nodded. “Why, yes, of course,” she replied.
She allowed him to lead her into the house, and she hoped that after the first dance, Edward would decide to leave her alone. Thankfully, the dancing was a bit later, for there was music and refreshment first, and with a reminder of their dance, Edward left her with her aunt as he spotted an old acquaintance.
He and Uncle Hamish went to speak to him, and her aunt pulled on Jane's arm, leading her to the side of the room.
“What is it, Aunt Sarah?” Jane asked. “You were so excited about Edward's arrival, and now you seem as if you've changed your mind.”
Her aunt’s brows pinched. She shook her head and lowered her voice, glancing around before she leaned in. “You’re right. I was rather excited for his arrival. He's a handsome, charming young man. I thought you might enjoy also having some more family about, for he is your blood relative, not ours. However...” she let out a long sigh.
“It was only something I overheard in passing at the dressmakers. I don't believe the people speaking knew that I was there. If they did, they did not know that he had a connection to me. One of the society ladies, Lady Townsend, spoke of her time in France to an old friend. She and Lord Townsend lived there for a time. She told a friend that she'd heard that the new Lord Claridge had returned eighteen months after receiving the earldom, but that he does not have a good reputation in France.”
“What sort of bad reputation does he have?” Jane asked with a frown.
While she had felt uncertain about him, he had only treated her and her relatives with kindness and charming. She felt guilty about her suspicions, and she was starting to attribute her odd feelings about him to the fact that she was wishing to be courted by Nathaniel, and he was getting in the way.
“Well, you see, I don't know. That was when the dressmaker came to speak to me, and I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. Of course we will be kind and polite to him. I just wish to warn you to be on your guard around him to see if there is any truth to Lady Townsend’s words. I have never considered her to be a gossip, and I am certain her judgment can be trusted, but of course, she and I do not know one another well.”
Her aunt opened her fan and starting waving it in front of her face. “Well, he does have a title, and he seems a fashionable young man. It is true we do not know his financial state. There are always sharks about whenever money is involved regarding an unmarried young woman. Your uncle and I only want to keep you safe, Jane. But I have not told him yet about what I heard. I fear he would dismiss it right away. So, we shall bide our time, I think.”
Her aunt patted her cheek. “And I think you should try to have another dance with Lord Balwood with this evening.”
“Aunt!” Jane cried, grateful that the music began, making her aunt chuckle.
“It will happen, I'm sure. Do not overly think about what I said of Edward for the moment. No, tonight, let's just enjoy ourselves. You are a young woman, and this is your first season. It should always be enjoyable.”
They found their seats. Jane searched the crowd for Nathaniel, but couldn’t find him. The evening had not started off well, and while she had wanted to try her best to rid herself of those strange feelings she got whenever Edward was around, Aunt Sarah’s warning had done little to assist.
Chapter 20
Nathaniel was eager for the music to be over. He sipped at his wine. Thomas and Emily were on one side of him, and his mother on the other as they sat listening to the music. Surreptitiously, he tried to look around to seek out Jane, but he hadn't yet found her.
Seeing Lady Delilah the day before had ruined his confidence, and he feared that he would be unable to be normal around Jane that evening, knowing what his past held and the strange, determined look in Delilah’s eye when she’d looked at him.
“She’s here. I spotted her earlier,” Thomas said, whispering into his ear.
