Chapter 17

"She threw the brush at me – I had to duck," Aurelia's mother exclaimed, shaking her head and tutting.

Aurelia smiled. It was the night of the Cutler ball, and Aurelia, Reuben, and their parents were travelling by carriage to the home of Lady Helen Cutler at Bankside Grange. Letitia had demanded to accompany them, but the baroness had told her she was still too young for such occasions, and thus had ensued the argument now being described.

"She's getting more and more out of hand," Aurelia's father said, shaking his head.

"She's just at that age. It'll pass," Aurelia said, though she, too, had been on the receiving end of her sister's wrath that afternoon.

"You always get everything, and I'm the one left behind," Letitia had complained after Aurelia had asked her to help her choose a dress for the evening.

Aurelia had patiently explained how it was a matter of age, and it would not be long before Letitia was allowed to do all those things currently denied her. But Letitia had been spoiling for a fight, and doors had been slammed, and servants scolded in her furious return to her bedroom.

"She's just got to learn – she can't behave like this. Not anymore," the baroness said, tutting and shaking her head.

"Perhaps she should be sent away. Isn't there a finishing school in London she could go to? Or Switzerland?" Reuben said.

Their mother made a face.

"She'd hate us even more. No. I couldn't do that to her. As Aurelia says, she's just at that difficult age. It happens to every child who thinks they should be grown up before their time. She looks at you, Aurelia, and wishes she could be the one in the ballgown," their mother said.

Aurelia smiled. She was looking forward to the Cutler ball, hoping to see Dawson. But her father's words were still foremost in her mind. She was too quick to allow her feelings to get the better of her. It had happened with Silas, and it could happen with Dawson, too. As for Silas, she had heard nothing from him and was hoping he might let the matter go, realizing he had made a mistake by making such a bold and inappropriate request of her.

"Will Roxanna be there tonight?" Reuben asked as the carriage pulled up outside Bankside Grange.

It was a handsome house, built during the reign of Queen Anne, with a redbrick fa?ade and wisteria covering much of the front. Steps led up to a large open door, where liveried footmen flanked the entrance.

"Dawson should be here," Aurelia replied, for she'd had his assurances he intended to be so, and she hoped the occasion might be the moment of his acceptance by the wider ton – a chance for him to prove all he had learned in the previous weeks under her tutelage.

Her father looked at her pointedly.

"And will he be the one to fill your dance card, Aurelia?" he asked, and Aurelia blushed.

"If he asks me to dance, I won't refuse," she said, as now the carriage door was opened for them by a liveried footman.

They stepped down – Reuben helping Aurelia and their mother – and Aurelia looked around, hoping for a glimpse of Dawson. But he was not among the other arrivals outside, and it was with a sense of disappointment Aurelia entered the house, fearing she would be forced to endure a less-than-enjoyable evening without Dawson's company.

"Good evening, My Lord, and welcome. How lovely to see you all," Lady Cutler exclaimed as she greeted them in the hallway.

Lady Cutler was an elderly woman and widow, who, as Aurelia had described to Dawson, made a habit of collecting aristocrats. She involved herself in the social life of the district and wider county, making it her business to know who was who and who was nothing.

The Cutler ball was a rite of passage for anyone who believed themselves to be something and an endurance for those whom Lady Cutler herself believed should be there but had little wish to be so. Aurelia had assumed Dawson to be among the latter, and now she wondered if she dared ask her host if the earl had yet arrived.

"Lady Cutler, thank you for your kind invitation. It's always such a pleasure to come to Bankside Grange. It's such a beautiful house," Aurelia's mother said, taking Lady Cutler's proffered hand in hers.

"I've just greeted your neighbour – the new earl," Lady Cutler said, and Aurelia's heart skipped a beat.

"It was kind of you to invite him," Aurelia's father replied.

"Well … one might question his manners, but one can't question his right to the title," Lady Cutler said.

"I find his manners perfectly adequate," Aurelia said, and Lady Cutler looked at her in surprise.

"Do you, Aurelia?" she said, her tone changing as Aurelia's mother glared at her.

It was not the done thing to question one's host, but Aurelia had no intention of hearing Dawson spoken badly of.

"I do, yes," Aurelia replied.

"Aurelia's been helping the Earl with etiquette lessons," the baroness said, and now, Aurelia caught sight of Dawson through the doors leading from the hallway into the drawing room.

He was talking to Eliza Beresford, and the sight of her doing so brought with it an unexpected surge of jealousy. It took Aurelia entirely by surprise, even as she reminded herself she had no right to feel that way. Dawson could speak with whoever he wanted to – even Eliza Beresford.

But in Aurelia's eyes, Eliza represented a threat. There was no doubting her attraction towards Dawson – an attraction she was making all too obvious now, and as Lady Cutler turned to greet the next arrivals, Aurelia wondered what she should do.

"Do you have your dance card, Aurelia?" her mother asked, and Aurelia nodded, holding up the blank card as the musicians began to tune their instruments.

Again, she glanced towards Dawson and Eliza. She was laughing at something he had said, leaning forward and placing her hand on his arm. Aurelia could not take it any longer, and now she excused herself from her mother's side, throwing caution to the wind and hurrying towards Dawson and Eliza, who both looked up in surprise as she approached. Eliza's face fell as though she had been expecting to have Dawson to herself for the entirety of the evening, but to Aurelia's delight, Dawson's face broke into a wide smile.

"Aurelia – I'm so glad to see you. I was just telling Eliza how we've been practicing for the dance," he said, and Eliza grimaced.

"Yes. His Lordship tells me you're quite the expert in such matters, Aurelia. Is Silas not joining you?" she asked, and Aurelia blushed.

Eliza knew precisely what she was doing, and the look on her face said it all.

"I wouldn't know, Eliza," she replied, for she had no intention of allowing Eliza to get the better of her – or the first dance with Dawson.

Her dance card was tucked into her sleeve, and now she allowed it to fall to the floor, knowing Dawson would do the gentlemanly thing and retrieve it. He did so, smiling at her as he rose to give it back.

"I should mark this, shouldn't I?" he said, ignoring the card Eliza was holding in her hand.

Aurelia smiled.

"I … think you should," she said, and Dawson took a pencil from his pocket and scored out the first two dances on the card before turning back to Eliza and nodding.

"If you'll excuse us, Miss Beresford," he said, offering Aurelia his arm.

It was a minor victory, and while Aurelia knew it would be wrong to boast about it, she could not help feeling triumphant at now having Dawson to herself.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting something," Aurelia said, but Dawson shook his head.

"Not at all, no. It was … well … Eliza and I were just talking. That's all," he said, and Aurelia nodded.

"What do you think of her?" she asked, and Dawson laughed.

"It's what she thinks of me, I suppose. I'm still being treated as something of an oddity in these parts. Everyone's looking at me," he said, oblivious, it seemed, to Eliza's attempts at seduction.

"They're not looking at you – not really. You've done so well, I mean … I'm sorry, that sounded terribly patronizing," Aurelia said, blushing with embarrassment.

She imagined what it would be like to find herself the unexpected owner of a ranch in Kentucky. She would no doubt be laughed at there, too – riding side-saddle and choosing the wrong clothes for every occasion. Had the situation been reversed, Aurelia would have needed a man like Dawson to teach her how to behave. As it stood, he had done everything perfectly, and Aurelia could only applaud him for how he now comported himself.

"I've tried, I suppose. But do I really want to fit in? I'm not so sure. Anyway, it doesn't matter, does it? Aren't we going to dance?" Dawson asked, as now the musicians struck up their tune.

It was the first dance of the evening – a waltz – and following what Aurelia had taught him, Dawson offered her his hand and bowed. Aurelia curtsied, and the two joined hands and entered the throng. Aurelia noticed Reuben dancing with Roxanna, and never one to be left on the wall, Eliza had found herself a partner, too.

"You're a wonderful dancer," Aurelia exclaimed as they whirled and twirled together across the dance floor.

Dawson smiled.

"I've had a good teacher, haven't I?" he replied, and Aurelia blushed.

"Well … I've tried my best. But you really didn't need me to teach you to be a gentleman, Dawson. You were one already," she said, as now he twirled her around, the pair gazing into one another's eyes as though this really was the first throes of a romance.

Aurelia could not believe how she was feeling – her thoughts of Silas replaced by those of Dawson – thoughts of what could be, even as she remembered her father's words. But compared to Silas, she knew Dawson far better. She had learned so much about him these past days and weeks, and the more she learned, the more she liked. He was the perfect gentleman, and the pair had found so many things in common as to make Aurelia feel as though they belonged together. But a barrier remained – the question of Dawson's feelings for her …

"You're flattering me now," he said, but Aurelia shook her head.

"No, not at all – I mean it. It doesn't matter how you hold a fork or address a duchess. Not really. What matters is who you are inside," she said, and Dawson smiled.

"Well, that's very kind of you to say so, Aurelia. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. You've been so kind. I … I couldn't have done any of this without you," he said, and Aurelia blushed.

She was about to reply when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something that made her heart skip a beat, and she let out a gasp, almost tripping over as Silas and his mother entered the room. His presence should not have come as a surprise. Aurelia knew his mother and Lady Cutler were friends. But she had been so caught up in the pleasure of Dawson's company as to have quite forgotten about Silas and what he might say at the sight of her and the earl together.

"Oh … it's Silas," Aurelia exclaimed, and Dawson looked at her in surprise.

"Is that a problem? We're only dancing," he said, and Aurelia blushed.

"Yes, but … I don't think he'll like the sight of us doing so," she said as Silas now caught sight of them from across the ballroom.

"Let him think what he wants. Let's get a drink – some punch?" Dawson asked.

He seemed entirely unperturbed by the sight of Silas seething with anger across the room, and Aurelia felt torn between desire and sense. She knew the proper thing would be to go and talk to Silas. She had promised herself to him – as far as she could – yet her heart said something very different. Aurelia did not want to go over to him. She wanted to stay with Dawson, and now she allowed him to lead her to the refreshment table, where he helped them both to a glass of punch.

"How are your experiments proceeding?" Aurelia asked, trying to distract herself from the growing dread she now felt at what Silas would do if Aurelia persisted in devoting her attention to Dawson.

"Very well, yes. I've decided to give half the gardens at Wimbourne Hall over to crop growing – new strains and varieties. The tenants are happy – they'll farm the land and keep half the produce for themselves. We'll sell the rest and invest it back into the estate," Dawson said before taking a sip of punch.

Aurelia nodded. He was such a driven man, filled with ambition and entrepreneurship. But there was no arrogance in him – no tone to suggest self-aggrandizement. He wanted to help others – particularly those less fortunate than himself – and for that, Aurelia admired him.

"That's wonderful. You'll have to speak to my father – he was saying only this morning how he'd like to work with you," Aurelia said.

The baron admired Dawson, and for this reason, Aurelia was curious as to why her father should be hesitant in her allowing her feelings for Dawson to grow. His words had served as a caution – but, she hoped, not a warning. Aurelia could not imagine there was anything in Dawson's past she should worry about.

He had proved himself the perfect gentleman, though Aurelia now worried what would happen should Silas approach them. But she did not need to wait long, for as she looked up from her punch glass, she saw Silas advancing towards them, and he did not look happy.

"Aurelia – I've been waiting for you. You haven't answered my letter, either," he said, without even bothering to greet them with anything resembling warmth or friendliness.

"Silas … I … well, you weren't here for the first dance, and I wanted to refresh myself afterwards. It's so warm in here now. And as for the letter, well, surely you knew it was impropriety to ask me to meet you alone like that," Aurelia replied.

She hoped to brush the matter aside – to make it seem like a mere coincidence she happened to be dancing with Dawson, though there was no reason for her not to do so. Aurelia was not formally tied to Silas. They were not betrothed. Her father had not given his permission. If anything, he had forbidden the match entirely. But Silas clearly did not think the same way, and now – much to her surprise – he grabbed her by the arm.

"You'll dance the next dance with me," he said.

Aurelia might have capitulated for the sake of peace, but Dawson's reaction was as might be expected. He was a gentleman, and a gentleman would not allow a lady to be treated in this way. As Aurelia pulled her hand away in fear, Dawson stepped between them, drawing himself up and facing Silas defiantly.

"I think Miss Banks will dance with whoever she wishes," he said.

Silas looked at him in surprise as though not having expected to be challenged in this way, and now he glared at Dawson, then glancing at Aurelia as though trying to reassert his authority.

"And you, sir, should realize it's rude to take the promise of another man's betrothed," he said.

"But you're not her betrothed, are you? There's no official match between you. Her parents don't want it, and I can certainly see why," he said.

Silas' face turned red with anger.

"How dare you. You're nothing but an uncouth American masquerading as a gentleman. Why don't you go back to Kentucky and round up some cattle?" Silas said.

Dawson took a deep breath, his fists clenched, and Aurelia feared a fight was about to break out.

"If we were in Kentucky, I'd step outside and ask you to join me – then we could settle this as gentlemen do in Kentucky. It's fortunate for you I'm in England, and as I understand it, things are done differently here," Dawson said, still with his gaze fixed on Silas, who snarled at him.

"You haven't heard the last of this, I assure you," he said, and Dawson smiled.

"No. I'm sure I haven't," he replied.

"No, and if you don't think again about your dalliance with Aurelia, you might find your very ungentlemanly secret revealed. And you wouldn't want that, would you, Mr Murphy," Silas said, as a smile spread across his face.

Dawson's expression turned to surprise, though he continued to face Silas defiantly. Aurelia felt confused. What did Silas mean? And how did he know anything about Dawson, let alone a secret to reveal.

"What are you talking about, Silas? Why are you threatening Dawson? It's none of your business who I dance with," Aurelia said, but Silas now turned to her angrily, his eyes flashing as he seized her by the arm.

"I told you I love you," he snarled.

"You've got a strange way of showing it if you do," Dawson replied, and it seemed he had regained his composure as Silas now turned to him and shook his head.

"And what do you know about it? You don't know Aurelia. You've barely been here a few weeks. You know nothing of her," Silas said, but Dawson shook his head.

"I know she's a free spirit. I know she wants to make her own choices and travel her own path. I know she loves to paint and draw, to feel the wind in her hair as she rides out on an adventure. I know she's thoughtful and kind, witty and loyal. I know she's got an intellect to rival the finest of minds and an infectious curiosity. I know she's a woman like no other I've ever met," he said, and Aurelia gasped.

His words had such a strength of feeling – a sincerity, a passion, even. It took her completely by surprise to hear him say these things, and it seemed Silas was surprised, too, for he was speechless for a moment, staring at Dawson as though he feared he could never match the eloquence with which he had spoken.

"I … you don't know her. I know she paints … I know she likes to ride horses," he said, but Dawson only shook his head.

"Her maid knows that. But do you really know her?" he asked, shaking his head.

At that moment, Aurelia saw through Silas' mere empty words – the things he had written, how he had made her believe his sincerity. It had all been false, designed for one end and one end only – control. Seeing his prize slip away, his mannerisms had changed – he had changed – and now he was revealing his true colours. He did not know her, and it had astonished Aurelia to discover just how well Dawson had come to do so.

"How dare you? Aurelia … tell him. Tell him at once – you're being taken in by a charlatan. He's nothing but an American …" Silas began, but Aurelia interrupted him.

"He's nothing but an American gentleman, and an English lord. Yes, that about sums Mr Murphy up perfectly. I'm sorry things haven't worked out between us, Silas. But I think it would be best if we went our separate ways. Don't you?" Aurelia said.

Her mind was made up, and the thought of allowing herself to be manipulated in this way was almost too much. She hated to admit it, but her parents had been right, and now she had finally come to see Silas as he truly was – a man interested only in what Aurelia could offer him and with no interest in offering her anything in return. Slipping her arm through Dawson's, Aurelia led him away, knowing she was doing the right thing, even as questions remained.

"Aurelia, I …" Dawson began, but Aurelia interrupted him.

"I'm sorry about that. He shouldn't have spoken to you like that," she said.

Dawson shook his head.

"He shouldn't have spoken to you like that, Aurelia. No man should treat a woman like that. I don't know how he thinks things are in Kentucky, but he'd find himself outside the saloon with a pair of pistols pointing at him if he behaved like that there," Dawson said, shaking his head and sighing.

Aurelia smiled, but Dawson was right – Silas should not have spoken to her as he had done, and now his true colours were revealed. But what of his words about a secret Dawson was keeping? It was a strange thing indeed, though not something Aurelia felt able to ask about. She was curious, though, and as they danced again, she kept returning to the question in her mind and wondering if her father was right about silhouettes and true images …