Chapter Eighteen

Lavender was rather pleased with herself and had been since her walk through Hyde Park. How could she not be after she'd convinced one of the most difficult of men she'd ever met into attending the tailor with her and her brother? It was like wrangling a raging bull into a pen.

So pleased was she that she had not been able to wipe that smile off her face all throughout breakfast. Thankfully her brother had an early morning meeting to attend to and was not around to question her on why she was in such a good mood. What would she have said?

I am excited to purchase new clothing for Lord Derby so that he will look more like a proper earl while we carry out my plan for revenge?

It sounded odd even to her. But she couldn't help the mounting excitement as soon as she was done with breakfast and headed up to her chambers to fetch her reticule and her bonnet. She told herself that she had many lovely dresses and she hadn't put on this beautiful blue morning gown because she knew she would be seeing Austin today.

By the time she made it back downstairs, she saw Vincent in the foyer, returning home from his meeting.

"Vincent," she greeted happily. "I hope you are not too tired because it will soon be time for us to leave for the tailor's. Lord Derby will be arriving at any moment."

"While we wait for him, why don't we have a talk in the parlour?" Vincent suggested in a serious tone. He didn't wait for her to respond, heading to the parlor instead.

Lavender frowned at the back of his head but said nothing as she trailed after him. She kept her question at bay until they were safely behind closed doors. Then she asked, "What is the matter, Vincent? Did something bad happen?"

"No, no nothing of the sort," he assured her.

She ventured over to an armchair and sat, still frowning. "What do you want to talk about then? "

"You, Lav," he said. He chose the chair directly across from her, looking concerned. "Do you truly want to be betrothed to the Earl of Derby?"

"Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

"Because I understand that I might have sprung this decision on you a little too quickly, without giving you much say in the matter. I have never been the type to control your life, Lav, so if this is not what you truly want then you should tell me."

"You know I want to be married. I was the one who pressured you into enforcing Father's old promise in the first place."

"You did," Vincent agreed. "But I chose the man for you. I did not even think that perhaps there might be other options. Like a love match, for example."

"A love match?" she echoed. "Pardon me but I am quite confused by all of this. Where is this coming from?"

Vincent propped one leg over the other. "You should know that another gentleman has asked me for your hand in marriage. And this gentleman claims to be truly in love with you."

"Surely you jest!"

Vincent chuckled, clearly taken aback by her surprise. Lavender couldn't even smile back. She watched as her brother nodded. "I was quite shocked as well. And then I began to wonder if perhaps it would have been better if you married someone who actually loved you, even if you do not feel the same way about them."

"Who is it?" she asked. "Who told you that they loved me?"

"I would rather not say. Only because he swore me to secrecy."

"But I am your sister!"

"And because I know you, I want you to truly think about whether you want to be betrothed to the earl before I tell you who it is, lest it cloud your judgment."

"My judgment won't be clouded, I assure you. Tell me who it is."

Vincent laughed again. "I should have known better than to think you would let this go easily. Promise me you will think about what I am saying, Lav? "

Lavender let out a frustrated breath. If Vincent was determined to do something, there was no changing his mind. She supposed that was another thing they had in common. "Very well. I shall think about it."

"Good."

"But I must say," she went on. "That it isn't as if I have not already given my situation some thought. And, after spending some time with Lord Derby, I've come to realise that he is not as bad as I first thought. Perhaps what we have is not love but I believe we have something akin to friendship. With time, he just may show me the sort of man he is deep inside."

"Hm." Vincent took that all in with a simple nod. "Let us hope whatever decision you decide to make is for the best. Again, you are in control here."

"Thank you, Vincent." Lavender stood and made her way over to him, bending to plant a kiss on his cheek. Just as she straightened, Henry appeared to announce the arrival of the Earl of Derby. She thanked God Vincent was not looking when a bright smile stretched across her face in response.

She managed to tuck that smile away as they both went out to greet Austin. The moment she laid eyes on him, her steps faltered. He'd shaven and styled his hair again. How could this man get any more handsome? Not to mention the fact that the bruises were nearly all gone.

"My lord," Vincent greeted, sticking out a hand to Austin. "It is good to see you again."

"Likewise," Austin muttered, accepting the hand. Lavender's heart skipped a beat when he looked at her. "Lavender."

"Austin," she said, her voice softer than she'd like. It was hard breathing when he looked at her so directly. Did he notice the dress? She hoped he did.

"Shall we?" Vincent asked, cutting in the moment. He gestured for Austin to take the lead. Austin did just that, giving Lavender the chance to get her breathing under control.

She trailed behind the two men as they made their way to the carriage. Vincent attempted to engage Austin in conversation about the weather—a shoddy attempt, she thought—and then gave up after Austin's third unintelligible grunt. Lavender hid her amusement as she climbed into the carriage behind them and they set off for the tailor.

Austin wasn't happy about this. He didn't have to say as much because his face told it all. His usual displeased demeanor seemed more sour than usual and it was a wonder he wasn't complaining the entire way there. Instead, silence filled the carriage as they made their way to Bond Street. Despite the discomfort in the air, Lavender was at peace. A part of her hadn't expected to make it this far.

"I told the tailor that we would be coming," she informed Austin when they arrived. "So we should have the shop to ourselves."

"Wonderful," he drawled sarcastically. "I was worried about that."

Lavender rolled her eyes. "I knew you would be."

He did the same then shook his head as he made for the door. Vincent lingered behind, staring after him.

"Don't worry, Vincent," Lavender told him, patting him on the shoulder. "Austin simply doesn't like mornings."

"I have a feeling he isn't happy at any time of the day," Vincent said under his breath. "Are you certain about this, Lav?"

She didn't respond, not entirely sure how to. Her excitement earlier was beginning to falter in the face of Austin's obvious reluctance to be here. They'd had such a nice time for the past couple of days that she'd forgotten just how cantankerous he was. What if this was a mistake?

She didn't say any of that, gesturing to her brother to go inside the tailor's shop instead. Mr. Young, the tailor, was already fussing over Austin in his usual overzealous manner that many of his patrons adored. Austin seemed to hate every second of it.

"What a strapping man!" Mr. Young exclaimed. "I will have to use twice my fabric for this one!"

He barked a laugh at his own joke and Vincent and Lavender joined in. Austin sneered. "Let us get this over with," he grumbled.

"Oh, no, we cannot rush perfection," Mr. Young said, unperturbed by Austin's attitude. "Miss Latrice asked me to dedicate my entire day to this project and I shan't let her down. "

"The entire day?" Austin repeated in shock, giving Lavender a betrayed look.

"Yes, the entire day," Mr. Young reiterated. "Now stand still so that I may take your measurements."

Austin looked just about ready to punch something. Lavender might have been amused by the sight if she wasn't a little afraid that he actually would. She would hate for poor Mr. Young to get caught in the crossfire.

She approached him, grateful that her brother had wandered off to take in one of Mr. Young's bespoke options of waistcoats. "You are scowling," she whispered to Austin.

"How odd. One would think that I do not want to be here."

"Need I remind you that you agreed to this yourself?" Lavender told him. "I did not force you to be here."

He paused for a moment before pushing through gritted teeth, "I am well aware."

"Then I suggest you act like it." He looked sharply at her and Lavender gave him a sweet smile. "You should shave more often. I like it."

Surprise softened his expression. He regarded her for a moment before asking, "How did it go yesterday? I hope you were not in too much trouble with your brother?"

"Vincent cannot stay angry at me for too long, even though he tries his hardest. He was far too preoccupied in a meeting with Colin to scold me much further."

"Colin?" Austin's scowl was back with full force. "Asher?"

"Yes, you met him at the tea party," Lavender reminded him. "When I arrived home, Alice and he were there waiting for me. Apparently, Vincent was so worried that he went to Alice's home to ask her if I had been there and she followed him back to our house to wait for me. Colin was already there to meet with my brother, I believe."

"How convenient," Austin grunted.

Lavender waved it off dismissively. "I'm sure it was about business matters, in which I have no interest. I do not even know when he left. I was too preoccupied talking with Alice about—"

She broke off before she could go any further. Embarrassment washed over her, warming her cheeks, so she pretended to be interested in something else and walked off, leaving Austin in the hands of Mr. Young and his measuring tape.

She approached her brother, looking back at Austin and his uncomfortable stiffness. "Won't you tell me who this mysterious man who claims to be in love with me is?" Lavender asked him.

"I shall not," Vincent answered easily. "But you have very few friends, Lavender. Surely you should be able to figure out who it is."

"None of my friends would ever make such a confession," she said. "You are only saying that to throw me off the scent. It is likely someone I do not know very well."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

Lavender sighed. She knew it was foolish hope to try to get that information. But she was only curious. She had no intention of ending this engagement with Austin.

But what would happen if she did? The thought of marrying someone she could care for sounded appealing, even if her quest for revenge had put that thought out of her mind a long time ago. What would happen to Austin if she did? She knew he depended on her family's money to do the repairs of his homes. Would the well run dry if she turned her back on him?

It was none of her concern, she told herself, watching as he reluctantly followed Mr. Youngs's instructions to turn this way and that. He was a grown man, an earl. She was but a young woman who truly did want to start a family after she'd gotten her revenge on Lady Lively. It may be in her best interest to consider what her brother was suggesting.

The thought of doing that left a hole in her chest. The more she thought of it, the bigger the hole grew. Her gaze trailed after Austin as he was led to the changing room with some new waistcoats and breeches given to him by Mr. Young. He was a handsome man, she thought. Even with his reputation, he would fare far better at finding a new match than she did. After all, Lavender knew she was neither pretty nor funny. She was only smart and no man cared to stay long enough to admire such a thing. If there truly was a man out there who loved her, it would be a good idea to give it a chance, wouldn't it ?

She'd nearly convinced herself of it, despite how badly it made her feel, when Austin reemerged from the changing room. The moment he did, she forgot about her fears and confusion. She could only see him.

"What do you think?" Mr. Young exclaimed. "Dashing, isn't he? Oh, he could be the Prince Regent himself! It is one of my best works, I assure you."

Lavender said nothing as she studied Austin. He went to a nearby full-length mirror to look at himself. Even she could see that he was a little impressed by what he saw.

"Is this it?" he asked. "Are we done here?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like that?" Mr. Young laughed, clearly unperturbed by Austin's demeanor. "Come now. I have a few more for you to try on and then we are on to picking fabrics!"

"Oh dear God," Austin groaned and it finally broke Lavender out of her haze. She laughed a little louder than she'd planned to, earning the attention of the males in the shop.

"You find this funny, do you?" Austin growled.

She met his eyes unflinchingly, not bothering to grace his words with a response. She only grinned broadly and gestured to the changing room. Mr. Young caught the hint and got into action, ushering Austin inside and telling him to wait there while he fetched a few more things for him to try on.

There was something about the way Austin rolled his eyes to the ceiling, as if calling on God for help, that made her smile widen and all thoughts of ending this engagement left her mind.