Chapter Seven

H er eyes hardened for the briefest moment then they were simply emotionless. Cold.

“I miss the person I thought I once knew.” Frances stood. “You are not him so therefore, there is no reason for you to call.”

“It is still me,” he whispered.

“No, you are not,” Frances argued. “You had me believing you were one person and even though you tried to warn me, I did not learn the truth until I came to London.”

That blasted reputation, that he did not bother to correct, had damned him in her eyes and polite Society. “I was young and foolish.”

“Perhaps in the beginning but when you walked away from what we shared, you were five and twenty, mature enough to know who you were or wanted to be and you chose to be a rogue.”

“I most certainly did not,” Seth argued.

“Then perhaps you should have altered your behavior.”

She was correct, but back then he had no desire to do so because it kept the matchmaking mamas and misses seeking a husband away from him until he was no longer forced to endure Society.

“Let me call on you so that we can discuss this matter in private.”

Frances glanced around, which made Seth do as well. They were surrounded by people but none of them were paying them any mind. Then again, they could be pretending to watch the horses and riders while listening to every word they shared.

“It is not necessary, Lord Seth,” she whispered. “You made a choice five years ago. If you miss me…well, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

“I know.”

Frances tilted her head and studied him. “Tell me Lord Seth, do you enjoy breaking hearts?”

“No, of course not and that was never my intention.”

“Your actions speak otherwise.”

The audience erupted in applause as the entertainers took their bows.

“Good day, Lord Seth.” Frances then stood and marched away. He attempted to go after her but a crowd came between them.

Blythe grasped his elbow. “Was that not enjoyable?”

He'd not seen his sister this happy since the day she married.

“Yes, it was.”

“Did you enjoy your conversation with Miss Hawthorn?”

“We spoke little.”

“I cannot recall. Were the two of you acquainted when we all lived in Laswell?”

“We were, but she is also two years younger than me.” He still marveled that nobody ever learned of their decade long friendship, and grateful that nobody had or they would have been intrusive, much like gossiping matrons in a ballroom.

Blythe studied him for a moment. “For some reason I was under the impression that you had at one time been close.”

It is not possible that Blythe knew of the past he shared with Frances. “Why would you think so?” he asked slowly.

“Because she does not seem to like you.” Blythe laughed.

“Spoken from the heart of a sister.” He chuckled.

After Seth escorted his sister home, he went on to The Emerald Garter to oversee the establishment, except his mind wasn’t on the books in his back office, or the players. It was on Frances. He was more determined than ever to renew their acquaintance and the return of their friendship, if it was at all possible.

Her eyes burned from lack of sleep. Not just last night, but the two nights before and all because of Seth. Frances had not seen him for five years and then encountered him three days in a row.

She also needed to put him from her mind and eradicate him from the one small place where he still lingered in her heart or she might never sleep again.

Stifling a yawn, Frances entered the dining room seeking a strong cup of tea. “I thought you would never wake up,” Bethany complained from the end of the table where she sipped tea.

“I did not get to sleep until the early morning hours.” She had a recollection of the sun rising before sleep finally claimed her. But even that had been fitful and when she woke again, she had simply lain in bed wondering what to do and what she would say if she happened to see Seth again. “What time is it?”

“Noon.”

Her eyes widened. “Noon?”

“Yes, noon.”

This needed to stop. She could not continue to lose sleep. It did not matter if he wanted to call on her or not because she would not allow it. Frances knew that she could not trust him, but was more afraid that she could not trust herself.

“I will ask Cook to prepare something for you to eat, but we need to hurry,” Bethany said, pulling Frances from her thoughts.

“Why?”

“We have an astronomy lecture to attend.”

Frances blinked at her. “Astronomy? You wish to attend an astronomy lecture this afternoon?”

“Yes,” Bethany answered brightly.

“Why? Is that not the reason for hosting salons? Those are discussions that can be held here.”

“Yes, but this lecture is on the discoveries made by Caroline Herschel.”

“Who is she?” Frances enjoyed reading but was not as knowledgeable in the sciences as Bethany, or the arts like Tessa.

“Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and detected three nebulae. She was the world’s first professional female astronomer and has presented to the Royal Society.”

“Is she giving the lecture?” Frances asked. While astronomy was not an interest of hers, Caroline Herschel certainly sounded fascinating.

“Someone else is giving the lecture,” Bethany answered.

“I have little interest in attending.” In fact, Frances would be happy to just enjoy an afternoon at home. “You and Tessa can go without me.”

“You must go,” Bethany insisted. “People who attend lectures about a female astronomer are the very people who would be interested in attending our salons.”

“Several people already attend,” she reminded Bethany. Sometimes the ground floor of the house was nearly overflowing.

“Mostly women. We need more gentlemen, especially ones who are willing to gamble.”

Without money being lost at the tables, the salon could not remain open.

“What if there are only women at this lecture?” Frances asked.

“Tessa and I have attended similar lectures previously and they are mostly attended by men.” Bethany grinned. “Now that Tessa has married and convinced her husband to join us, we will attract attention.”

“I still do not think it is necessary that I go as well.”

“It is,” Bethany said. “Consider it as part of your duties.”

“I was hired to manage the gambling room.”

“Which we will no longer need if we do not have gamblers.”

They did have gamblers, but there could be more. They had yet to have all tables filled on any night. “Very well, but I am not promising to enjoy it.”

“You do not need to, just simply be available for discussion and to talk about Athena’s Salon whenever given the chance.”

“Very well, but only if you promise that I can spend the afternoon tomorrow in my set of rooms. I have barely been given time to become accustomed to them.”

Bethany blinked. “Why remain at home when there is so much to see and do?”

“Some of us require more rest.”

“We will see what tomorrow brings.” She grinned again. “Now, go change and by the time you are ready, Cook will have prepared something for you.”

Frances glanced down at her simple day dress, perfectly appropriate if one was not leaving home or receiving callers, not for attending a lecture. With a sigh, Frances returned to her chamber. At least she knew that an astronomy lecture was one place she could count on Seth not being.