Chapter Eleven

"Good evening, Lord Drover." Arthur drew himself up to his full height as his one-time friend turned to see him, though he noted how the man started in obvious surprise upon seeing him at the ball they were both attending that night. "I hear that you have been greeting my new bride to be." He tilted his head. "As well as my sister."

"And why should I not?" Lord Drover's eyes gleamed, his surprise fading to vehemence. "There is nothing wrong with a gentleman greeting a lady."

"You know very well that it is no mere lady that you greet," Arthur replied, harshly. "Stay away from both Lady Isabella and Miss Townsend."

Lord Drover shrugged. "I have no difficulty in doing as you ask."

Arthur, making to move away given that their conversation was now over, paused for a moment. "You have never informed me as to why you changed towards me with such severity," he said, as Lord Drover's brows knotted. "We were good friends were we not? Why then did you alter? Why did you attempt to spread such gossip about me?"

There came a tightening around Lord Drover's lips. "I do not know what it is you are speaking of."

"Yes, you do." Growing frustrated, Arthur made to turn away. "Though if you are not even going to admit it openly then I see little point in continuing our conversation."

"Oh, Lord Drover, Lord Crestwood!"

Arthur's frustration grew to even greater heights as none other than Lady Templeton came near to them both. "How very good to see you both conversing again! It gives me the greatest pleasure to see it."

"We are not conversing," he said, stiffly. "I was just taking my leave, in fact."

"Oh." Lady Templeton's eyebrows lifted. "Is there any particular reason that you do not desire to speak with my cousin's son?"

Arthur looked back into Lady Templeton's wide eyed, rather cold expression and understood precisely what it was she was trying to do. "Merely that I have no wish to."

"Mother, have you heard about Lord Crestwood's house party? I… oh, do excuse me."

A long breath escaped from Arthur as none other than Lady Clara staggered back from where she had swung into her mother, her face turning a color of pink as she realized exactly who it was Lady Templeton had been speaking with. This was the worst possible situation he could find himself in, stuck in conversation with both Lord Drover and Lady Templeton, with now Lady Clara come to join them. Surely Lady Templeton and Lady Clara already knew that he had no inclination to speak with them given the last time she had come to call upon him? So why was she lingering next to him now?

"You are having a house party?"

Arthur cleared his throat. "Yes, to celebrate my engagement." Seeing one or two others from the ton come to join them, extending the small group, Arthur quickly realized that his chances of escaping the conversation were now entirely taken away from him. His frustration bloomed to anger, though he kept his expression and his voice tightly under control. "It is only a small gathering and only for a few short days."

"I do hope you are to have a ball." Lord Drover lifted one eyebrow and tipped his head as though he was thinking. "Your estate is not too far away from London so mayhap – "

"And so many of us have not visited your estate these last few years," Lady Templeton put in, though Arthur noticed how she slipped her arm through her daughter's as she spoke, clearly interested in pushing Lady Clara back into his field of view. "I am certain that your estate is not the prison that so many of society believe it now to be."

A cold hand gripped Arthur's heart. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, did you not know?" Lady Templeton's innocent tone did not fool Arthur for a moment, though there were others in the group who quickly averted their eyes, perhaps all too aware of what it was Lady Templeton was saying. "You were given the most unfortunate name and many thought your estate had become a prison for you, holding you captive in your darkness and discontent."

The cold, unconcerned manner with which she spoke sent Arthur's already heated blood into a burning fury. He had no understanding as to why Lady Templeton spoke as she did other than to injure him but that injury was quick and severe and he did not like it in the least.

"I hardly think that Crestwood Hall is a prison."

A quiet yet mirthful voice caught Arthur's attention before he could even think about what to say to Lady Templeton.

"If it were, I should be rather afraid going to visit it but instead, I find myself very excited indeed to be visiting."

A hand slipped through Arthur's arm just as Miss Townsend stepped beside him, her eyes going to his for a moment and a small smile on her face. Arthur was well able to see the shards of anger flickering in her green eyes, however, and understood that she felt just he did – though why she felt such defensiveness, he could not fully understand. After all, she had only just become engaged to him and had not yet even visited Crestwood Hall, so why was she so irritated?

"That is to be my home," Miss Townsend continued sweetly, answering his silent questions in her response. "I am to be the Mistress of Crestwood Hall." Smiling brightly though the hand on his arm tightened considerably, she looked around the group. "I should not like it to hold onto the supposed dark reputation it has, just as I am glad to see that the whispers about my betrothed have already taken flight! Crestwood Hall is no prison, just as Lord Crestwood is no beast!"

"Of course he is not and I know that my daughter is deeply sorry for her part in that." Lady Templeton nudged Lady Clara who quickly dropped her head, her face flushing hot as she murmured a quiet apology. "I am sure that you can understand why a young woman might have been overwhelmed – but it does not mean that she thinks of you in such a way now."

Arthur cleared his throat, aware of the many members of the ton who were now listening to this conversation, no doubt enthralled by what they heard. They would have heard all that Lady Clara would have said of him when their engagement had ended and this would only add fodder for their gossiping tongues. "I do not think this needs to be spoken of again, Lady Templeton."

"Then allow us to make amends in another way or at least, show us that there is a healing between our families." Speaking a little louder, no doubt so that the audience around them might grow a little more, Lady Templeton put one hand to her heart as if in entreaty. "There must be some way to soften the pain and difficulty which lingers between us. My daughter has apologised and has apologised sincerely."

"I am well aware of that," Arthur replied, firmly, "but I choose my acquaintances with great care now, Lady Templeton. It is not that I do not accept Lady Clara's apology but more than – "

"Might we attend your house party? Or the ball?"

Arthur blinked furiously, beginning to stutter. Did Lady Templeton know no bounds when it came to her bold way of speaking? One did not invite oneself to another's house party! It was not the done thing and considered very rude indeed… though given the way that everyone was looking at him, it was clear that the only thing they were interested in was hearing what he had to say about Lady Templeton's request.

"I… I am not… that is to say – "

"We shall send out many invitations to Lord Crestwood's ball, I assure you." Again, Miss Townsend spoke before Arthur could even think of an answer, only for her then to draw him away. "Do excuse us, it is the waltz I think and we are to dance it together."

Arthur, who had not thought about dancing with anyone, not even his betrothed, frowned with confusion, only to then find himself relieved when Miss Townsend led him away from the assembled crowd. They walked in silence towards the center of the room and as the music for the waltz began, Arthur bowed low and then stepped forward, ready to take his betrothed in his arms for what would be their first dance together since this scheme had been put together. Taking her hand in his, he settled his other at her waist and, at that very moment, his heart threw itself hard against his ribs and he was forced to catch his breath.

"I do apologise, Lord Crestwood."

His eyebrows lifted. "Apologise? To what end?"

"For interrupting you." Her eyes tugged to the right and she caught her lip for a moment. "I spoke twice before you had opportunity to do so and I am sorry for that."

Astounded that she thought there was need to apologise, Arthur smiled gently and pressed her hand a little more. "My dear Miss Townsend, you saved me from speaking foolishly. Indeed, I did not know what to say in response to Lady Templeton's suggestion that my estate is a prison nor whether I might think to invite them to the house party! It is just as well you spoke as you did, else I would have said something dreadful, I am sure."

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Then I am relieved. Though I am sorry that you shall have to invite them all to the ball now."

Arthur chuckled ruefully. "It is better than having to invite them to the house party!"

At this, Miss Townsend laughed aloud and as Arthur twirled her around the dance floor, he could not help but smile. There was a warmth in being in her company, he decided. A satisfaction which came from simply having her in his life. That was an exceptional thing and he suddenly found himself very glad that Lord Townsend had approached him in the way he had, even though it had been most untoward.

Wait a moment.

His heart thudded violently as his smile shattered.

I cannot be finding myself with an affection for the lady, can I?

The awareness brought with it a sudden dread and he shuddered so violently, Miss Townsend looked at him with wide eyes, clearly being able to feel what had happened.

"Forgive me." He made no explanation other than that and instead, simply looked across the dance floor behind her as they continued on with the dance. He had already told Miss Townsend that he was not about to permit his heart free when it came to their acquaintance. He was not going to let himself feel, not after Lady Clara and certainly not after how he appeared. The ton had already made it clear that he looked more like a beast than a man and he was not about to let himself fall in love with a young lady who could never, truly, think of him in the same way. There was no sense in hoping, not even for a moment, that Miss Townsend might ever look at him with love. The scars on his face were too great for him to ever truly be considered in that regard, he was sure of it. After all, that was what Lady Clara had stated, what she had given as her reason for ending their engagement. Miss Townsend would marry him, he was sure, but he could not dare risk his heart.

"If you are displeased with me, then you need only say." Miss Townsend's eyes caught him, her gaze searching. "I do not mean to upset you."

"I am not at all displeased," he reassured her, knowing he could not tell her the truth of his thoughts at present. "Though I should like to make quite clear that what I am displeased with is the thought of having to invite Lady Clara and Lady Templeton to the ball, though I do not hold you at all accountable for that. The way Lady Templeton spoke meant that it was either to be the ball or the entire house party!"

The waltz continued and Miss Townsend danced for a few minutes in silence before she spoke again, albeit with a similar amount of hesitancy. "Might I ask why you think she is so very eager for her daughter to join the ball?"

"I do not know." Arthur scowled. "And I shall have to invite Lord Drover also. I think it all an exceedingly frustrating situation and I can assure you that, whatever end Lady Templeton hopes to be making as regards either myself or her daughter, she will not find success."

The quick smile on Miss Townsend's face had Arthur smiling back at her, the tense moment fading. The waltz continued on and though Arthur's heart began to soften all the more, though his desire to pull Miss Townsend a little closer began to burn through him, he ignored both without too much difficulty. Though when the dance came to an end and she smiled, he suddenly found it more difficult than he had anticipated to release her. Clearing his throat, he bowed his head and brought a stern, severe expression back to his face again – the one he usually wore. And by the time he had brought Miss Townsend back to Lady Townsend, he had all of his strange feelings back entirely under control.