Chapter 3

Chapter Three

As Bennett made his way down to the drawing room, he realized that he was smiling. He rather enjoyed conversing with Lady Dunrobin, and not just because he helped her regain her memories, but because she had been vulnerable with him. Unlike many women he knew, who hid behind carefully constructed facades, she had shown him glimpses of her true self. It was a refreshing change from the tiresome game of pretense he had grown weary of.

In his youth, he had relished playing the game. It was fun. Exciting, even. Until it wasn't. He had lost the game when he had fallen for a young woman that didn't return his affection. Now, he harbored a deep aversion to the charade.

Entering the drawing room, he found his mother and sisters sitting on the settees, engaging in conversation.

His mother acknowledged him as he walked further into the room. "How did your visit with Miss Delphine go?" she asked, lowering her needlework to her lap.

"It went well," he admitted, a hint of pride evident as he straightened in his posture. "I, Bennett Lockwood, the Earl of Dunsby, helped her regain most of her memories. "

"You did?" his mother asked. "How did you accomplish such a feat?"

"I suppose I charmed her into remembering," Bennett replied with a cocky grin.

Elodie rolled her eyes. "Oh, dear. You are delusional, Brother."

"Then how else can you explain what happened?" Bennett inquired.

"Maybe your conversation was so dull that her mind wandered, bringing her memories back with it," Elodie proposed.

Bennett's grin widened. "No lady has ever complained about my conversational skills before."

"Or are they too busy trying to snag an earl?" Elodie retorted.

Leaning forward, his mother looked less than amused as she placed her needlework onto the table. "Can we focus on what is truly important here?" she asked.

"Yes, Mother," Bennett and Elodie said in unison.

His mother gave him an expectant look. "What can you tell us about this mysterious Miss Delphine?"

Bennett sat on a chair before revealing, "She is actually a countess in her own right, the Countess of Dunrobin."

"That is rare," his mother remarked.

"It is an old Scottish title, but it sounded as if she spent most of her time in Skidbrooke where her country estate is," Bennett revealed.

Melody spoke up. "Did Lady Dunrobin say why she was in the woodlands?"

Bennett shook his head. "I'm afraid those memories have not returned," he said. "Despite this, she has an immense desire to go home."

His mother didn't look surprised by what he had revealed. "I do not fault her for that, but it is much too soon for her to travel. She needs time to recover," she insisted .

"I agree wholeheartedly," Bennett said. "I invited her to dine with us this evening, assuming she can borrow a gown."

Elodie jumped up from her seat. "She can borrow one of mine. I will take it to her now," she said eagerly.

Bennett eyed his sister with curiosity, knowing she was not one to do things out of the goodness of her heart. "Why are you so eager to see Lady Dunrobin?"

Placing a hand on her hip, Elodie replied, "She is a countess in her own right. I have never met someone like her before. I bet she is intriguing."

"She is in a rather vulnerable position, and you need to be compassionate about her plight," Bennett stated.

Elodie dropped her hand to her side, looking put out. "I can behave like a lady when I choose to," she defended.

Melody nodded in agreement. "It is a rare sighting, but it is true. I have seen it on an occasion or two." She rose. "Perhaps I will accompany Elodie to visit Lady Dunrobin."

Bennett went to object, but his mother spoke first. "That is a fine idea," she said. "I think Lady Dunrobin would look especially lovely in Elodie's pink gown with the flowers. Off you go, girls."

Turning a questioning glance to his mother, he waited until his sisters left the room before asking, "Why are you so eager for them to visit with Lady Dunrobin?"

His mother reached forward and grabbed her needlework. "I would imagine that Lady Dunrobin would enjoy the company, seeing as she is cooped up in her bedchamber."

"It isn't as if she is alone, considering you sent your lady's maid to read to her," Bennett pointed out.

"Yes, but it would be beneficial for Elodie and Melody to be associated with Lady Dunrobin when we arrive for the Season," his mother said. "I have no doubt that Lady Dunrobin will create quite a stir amongst the other debutantes."

Bennett settled back into his seat. "As will Elodie and Melody," he remarked. "I am not sure if the ton is ready for them."

"They will rise to the occasion."

With a glance over his shoulder, Bennett said, "I did discover something rather disconcerting this morning." He paused. "Melody was reading an article about Lord Willowbrook in the newssheets and mentioned he was handsome."

His mother gave him a blank stare. "And?"

"There is nothing else, but is that not sufficient?" Bennett asked. "I don't want Melody anywhere near rakes or fortune hunters."

"You have nothing to worry about. Melody is smart enough to stay away from rakes. Besides, you cannot go a day without reading something in the newssheets about Lord Willowbrook. The ton seems to adore him."

"I just do not like it."

With an understanding look, his mother said, "Your sisters are growing up. They are going to forge their own paths, and we must give them the room to do so."

"I do not intend to let them out of my sight in London," Bennett stated firmly.

"Nor I, but we can't very well keep them prisoners in our townhouse."

Bennett shrugged. "I could keep Elodie on a very long leash."

His mother looked displeased at his attempt at humor. "That is awful of you to even say."

"We both know that if anyone will cause trouble it will be Elodie," Bennett argued. "She is a hoyden of the highest order."

"She is still young," his mother defended.

Leaning forward in his seat, he snatched a biscuit off the tray. "Why can't Elodie be more like Melody?"

"Melody may not be as loud as Elodie, but she has a quiet strength about her. "

"She is much more agreeable."

His mother smiled. "Do not mistake her agreeableness for obedience. Melody has a voice, but unlike Elodie, she holds it in."

Bennett took a bite of his biscuit before saying, "As long as Melody stays away from rakes, I will be pleased."

"What of Lord Byron?"

He shot up in his seat, outraged by the mere insinuation of such a thing. "Absolutely not!" he shouted. "I do not want her to associate with him either. He may be a celebrated poet, but if the rumors are to be believed, he is a scoundrel that seduces young girls."

His mother did not appear the least bit concerned by his admission. "My point being that there are worse people that you should be concerned with."

"You would be all right with Melody marrying a rake?" Bennett asked in disbelief.

"No, I would not, and do not mistake that," his mother quickly replied. "I just propose we let Melody come to the same conclusion that we have on her own."

Bennett didn't quite like that idea. He wished that his sisters would do as they were told. It would be much simpler. "I am not looking forward to this Season," he muttered.

"I do hope that you will take advantage of this Season- more so than in the past," his mother remarked.

"What are you implying?"

His mother grew solemn. "I know that I have joked about it, but it is time for you to take a wife. You are nearing thirty and are an earl. You should have no issues with selecting a bride," she said.

He sighed, knowing that he should have seen this conversation coming. Again. If his mother wasn't talking about him getting married, it was his father. It seemed that they both had little else to talk to him about .

Bennett rose, having an immense desire to leave and end this conversation. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

"When would you care to talk about it?"

He tossed his hands up in the air. "I don't know. Maybe never."

"Do be serious."

"I am," he replied. "Why is me taking a wife so important to you?"

Rising, his mother eyed him with a look that could only be construed as sympathy. "I want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

"Are you?"

Bennett gave her a resolute nod. "I am," he said firmly, hoping to end this line of questioning. He was happy. So why couldn't he convince his mother otherwise?

His mother considered him for a long moment before putting her hands up in surrender. "All right. I shall drop it… for now."

"Thank you," he said. "I think I shall go on a ride now."

"Enjoy your ride, Dear."

Turning on his heel, he departed from the study and headed towards the stables. He probably should have been more patient with his mother since he knew she just wanted him to be happy. But a wife would not guarantee his happiness.

As he opened the door to the stables, he stepped inside and saw his late uncle's black stallion in the back stall. Hercules was an ornery thing, refusing to let anyone ride him, despite his many attempts at doing so.

Bennett reached for an apple in the bucket and held it up to the horse. "How are you, Hercules?"

The horse refused the offering and moved away from him.

He chuckled. "Not quite in the mood to talk, are we?"

The groom approached him and asked, "Do you want to have another go at riding Hercules? "

"No, Jack," Bennett replied. "I think I have learned my lesson. Perhaps it is time that we sold him."

Jack looked displeased. "Your uncle loved this horse. He would be mighty sad if you got rid of him."

"I know, but what choice do we have?" Bennett asked. "Hercules barely seems to tolerate any of us."

"Just give him more time, my lord," Jack attempted.

Bennett nodded. "I am not sure if time is what is needed, but I am not in a rush to get rid of Hercules."

Jack gestured towards his stallion in the stall over. "Would you care for me to saddle your horse?"

"No, I will do it," he replied.

As he went about saddling his horse, Bennett knew this was a menial task, far below what an earl should do, but he enjoyed doing some things for himself. It was a refreshing change of pace.

Delphine sat propped up in her bed as the lady's maid read from a book. She should be listening, but she found her mind was wandering. Now that she had her memories back, she was anxious to return home.

It had been such an unnerving experience to forget who she was, even for a short period of time. Her past, her memories, were what made her who she was. But the events of the last few days still eluded her, despite trying her best to remember. Why had she left the safety of her country home to go traipsing through the woodlands many miles away?

It would come back to her. She was sure of that.

A knock came at the door before it was pushed open, revealing two identical blonde-haired young women.

The lady's maid stopped reading and rose. "My ladies," she said with a brief curtsy before exiting the room .

The young women approached the bed with smiles on their faces.

"Good morning," the first one greeted. "My name is Lady Melody."

The other one spoke up. "And I am Lady Elodie." She held up a pink dress that was draped over her arm. "We brought you a gown to wear tonight for dinner."

Delphine returned their smiles, finding their kindness to be infectious. "That is kind of you. Thank you."

A maid stepped forward to retrieve the dress from Elodie and she relinquished her hold on it.

"We came to see how you are faring," Melody said.

"I am as well as can be expected," Delphine remarked. "I want to leave my bed but the maids have discouraged me from doing so. At least, for now."

Melody gave her an understanding look. "I am sure that they are just following the doctor's orders."

Delphine nodded her agreement. "Now that my memories have returned, I remember that patience is not one of my virtues," she admitted.

Elodie giggled. "Mine either," she said. "I am often getting in trouble because I want to do things for myself."

"It is true," Melody agreed.

Taking a step back, Elodie gestured towards the window and addressed Delphine. "Why don't you try walking to the window and back?"

Melody looked unsure. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

Elodie shrugged. "If Lady Dunrobin wishes to dine with us, then she will need to walk to the dining room this evening on the main floor. That is much further than the window in her bedchamber."

Delphine had to admit that Elodie did have a point. "You are right," she said as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She put her feet onto the ground and stood. At first, she wobbled on them as she tried to gain her footing, taking a long moment before she stood upright.

She took a deep breath before she slowly began to walk towards the window with Elodie remaining close by her side.

Once she arrived, she placed her hand on the windowsill and smiled triumphantly. "I did it," she said in between breaths. It had been harder than she had anticipated but the most important thing was that she had accomplished what she had set out to do.

Elodie gestured towards the bed and encouraged, "Do you want to walk back?"

With a glance at the settee, she replied, "I think I would rather sit for a moment before returning to the bed."

"Very well," Elodie acknowledged.

Delphine moved towards the settee and sat down, feeling her heart race in her chest. Why did the simplest movements cause her such trouble?

Elodie came to sit down next to her. "You did well," she praised.

"You are much too kind. I just walked to the window and back and now I am out of breath," Delphine said, feeling slightly discouraged. If she could hardly walk to the window, how was she going to make her way to the dining room?

"The only thing that matters is that you took the first step," Elodie declared.

Turning her attention towards Melody, Delphine asked, "Is your sister always so optimistic?"

Melody gave her an amused look. "This is out of character for her. Normally, she is quite the naysayer."

"There is no shame in speaking one's mind," Elodie defended. "If you two aren't nice, I will start speaking in Russian."

"You speak Russian?" Delphine asked incredulously.

"Я немного говорю по-русски," Elodie responded.

Delphine lifted her brow. "What did you just say? "

"I merely said that I speak a little Russian," Elodie shared. "One of the maids at our boarding school was born in Russia and she helped me learn some of the words. I even acquired a few books for her and she would read them to me."

Delphine sat back in the settee as she started to feel much better. "I speak French, Italian and Latin, but I never learned Russian."

"Most genteel women don't, but I dabbled in learning Russian as well. It is the most fascinating language," Melody said, coming closer to the settee.

"You both speak Russian?" Delphine asked. For some reason, that seemed rather extraordinary to her.

Elodie bobbed her head in agreement. "I simply adore Russian literature. I especially enjoyed Nal and Damayanti by Gavriil Derzhavin. It has such lyrical beauty and emotional depth." She offered a sheepish smile. "At least the parts I understood, which was very little."

"You better not let Father hear you say that. He is insistent that we always behave like proper ladies," Melody remarked. "He would not be impressed that we learned some Russian."

With a sigh, Elodie said, "Do not remind me. Ever since Father inherited his title, he has become a stickler for propriety."

"He just wants what is best for us," Melody stated.

"Or what is best for him," Elodie muttered. "I just miss when Father was quick to smile and not quick to criticize."

Melody shifted her gaze to Delphine to explain. "My father became the Marquess of Dallington a little over four months ago when my uncle passed away. He is still adjusting to the pressures that are associated with his title."

"I understand," Delphine said. "I inherited my title when I was four and ten years old, forcing me to grow up faster than I would have liked."

Elodie reached for a pillow and placed it behind Delphine's back. "What is it like being a countess in your own right?"

"I suppose I don't know any differently," Delphine replied. "I have been given a great responsibility and I hope I prove myself worthy in time."

With a curious look, Elodie asked, "If you are from Scotland, why do you not speak with a Scottish brogue?"

Delphine found the question to be fair. "My father was Scottish, but my mother was not, and she ensured I was educated by an English governess after my father died. But I sound plenty Scottish when Ah'm at oor country estate there."

"Do you live in a castle?" Elodie pressed.

"I do, at least when I am in Scotland," Delphine replied. "It was built in the late sixteenth century but underwent significant renovations before I was born."

Elodie let out a wistful sigh. "I want to live in a castle and be a countess without a husband telling me what to do."

Melody shook her head. "You must pardon my sister. She has seemingly developed an aversion to marriage."

"I do not want a man controlling me," Elodie said with a slight lift of her chin.

"Father doesn't do that to Mother," Melody contended. "And Uncle Richard loved his wife so much that he never even so much as looked at another woman."

Elodie met Delphine's gaze. "What are your thoughts on marriage?"

Delphine considered her next words carefully. "I have no intention of marrying, at least right now. Though I understand the necessity of securing an heir in due course, I see no urgency in hastening such matters."

"I do not fault you for that," Melody responded.

As she played with the strings of her dressing gown, Delphine shared, "I have had many gentlemen that have tried to woo me over the years, but I am not interested. I have too much at stake to throw it all away for a chance at love. "

"And if you fall in love?" Melody asked.

"My mother always told me that there is no room for love in marriage," Delphine replied. "Marriage is a simple transaction between two people and emotions would just complicate that."

Melody exchanged a look with her sister before saying, "I take it that there was no love lost between your mother and father."

Delphine shook her head. "No. My father married my mother for the sole purpose of producing a male heir. And she failed. Instead of a boy, she conceived me and my father never let her live that down."

"I'm sorry," Elodie murmured.

"There is no reason to be sorry," Delphine said. "My father was cantankerous and only seemed to get worse as he got older. I fully understood the reality of my situation. I was born a disappointment to my father, and nothing could change that."

Elodie turned towards her sister. "Father does not look so bad anymore," she said lightly, no doubt in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Delphine offered them a weak smile. "It is my turn to apologize. I do not wish to turn anyone away from marriage. To most women, it is of vital importance."

"My cousin just married for love so I know it is possible to acquire a love match," Melody shared.

"Yes, Edwina and Lord Hilgrove are madly in love," Elodie confirmed. "I thought my brother, Winston, was going to escort them himself to Gretna Green to get married. He got tired of the blatant affection between them."

There was a firm knock at the door, followed by the graceful entrance of Lady Dallington into the room. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of Delphine sitting on the settee. "What is Lady Dunrobin doing out of bed?" she asked. "She shouldn't be walking about just yet. "

Elodie rose from her seat. "It was my idea. I thought a walk to the windows would do her some good."

Delphine wasn't about to let Elodie take the blame for her actions. "Elodie may have suggested such a thing, but I made the decision to do so."

Lady Dallington's eyes softened. "I understand that you intend to join us for dinner," she said. "Are you sure you are up to it?"

"Oh, yes!" Delphine exclaimed. "I need to experience life out of these four walls. I daresay that I might go mad if I remain cooped up in here."

"Very well, but we should let you rest so you can regain your strength," Lady Dallington responded.

Delphine tipped her head. "Thank you, my lady."

Lady Dallington gestured towards the door. "Girls, shall we?" she asked. "The dressmaker is coming for the final fitting of your ballgowns."

Elodie groaned in response. "How many fittings does Mrs. Harper need to do?"

"As many as it takes," Lady Dallington said.

Melody went to stand by her mother and explained, "You must excuse Elodie. She refuses to stand still and gets poked by the needles."

"I think Mrs. Harper does it on purpose," Elodie muttered.

Lady Dallington laughed. "Poor child. What a burden you must endure," she joked.

As Delphine listened to them banter back and forth, she felt a smile on her lips. It had been some time since she had been around a family that so clearly loved one another. She felt a twinge of jealousy at that thought. Her parents had hardly spoken to one another, and when they did so, it had just been in passing.

Growing up was a lonely existence since her father was insistent that she learn of his ways. It wasn't until he died that she was able to spend time with her mother.

"Dear?" Lady Dallington asked, her expression filled with concern. "Are you all right?"

Delphine straightened in her seat, embarrassed she had been caught woolgathering. "I am well. Just lost in my own thoughts."

Lady Dallington hesitated. "If the thought of dinner is too taxing for you, we can send a tray up. No one would blame you for that."

"No, I want to join you for dinner," Delphine assured her. "I will be fine."

"If you are sure," Lady Dallington said before departing from the bedchamber.

After Melody followed her mother out, Elodie turned back to face Delphine. "For what it is worth, I think you are quite brave."

"Thank you," Delphine said. "I don't feel brave." Which was the truth. She felt like a burden to this kind family that had taken her in.

Elodie gave her an encouraging smile. "Be patient. You will be home in your magnificent castle in no time."

As Elodie left, closing the door behind her, Delphine settled back into her seat. What a wonderful twist of fate that she was found by a handsome earl who brought her home to a loving family.

Perhaps someone should write a book about that. It would be far more interesting than Colonel Jack .