Chapter Eight

Abigail's heart leapt as she caught sight of Lady Chesterton and, ignoring the restraining hand of her mother on her arm, rushed across the room and slipped her arm through her friend's. "How glad I am to see you here this evening."

"As I am you. I have been concerned for you." Lady Chesterton searched Abigail's face, her face a little pale. "What has happened as regards your father and Lord Crestwood?"

With a small sigh, Abigail shook her head. "I am engaged."

"What do you mean, you are engaged?" Lady Chesterton turned and grasped both of Abigail's hands in her own. "You are engaged to Lord Crestwood?"

"A little more quietly, if you will," Abigail begged, pulling her hand away from Lady Chesterton's so they might walk arm in arm again. "Yes, I am engaged to Lord Crestwood."

Lady Chesterton shuddered. "To the Beast of Crestwood Hall."

Abigail closed her eyes briefly and let out a slow breath. "Yes. Though I do very much hope he is not as dark tempered as he seems. Do you know that he spoke with me not two days ago and stated that I was not to expect any sort of tenderness from him? That he views this as nothing more than a transactional relationship?"

"I see." The concern that blossomed in Lady Chesterton's eyes made Abigail's heart squeeze, though some of the pain and sadness she carried within it began to fade. "But you are still to marry him?"

Abigail nodded. "Do you know that he asked me such a thing himself?"

Lady Chesterton frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He said he would not continue on with our engagement if I did not wish it," Abigail said, still a little surprised that Lord Crestwood had been considerate enough to do such a thing. "I do admit to being a little surprised that he thought to speak to me about it all. I thought him akin to my father, making decision without once considering me."

"That is good," Lady Chesterton agreed, quietly, "though did you not tell him the truth? I would have thought that, had you done so, you would not now find yourself engaged."

The heaviness in Abigail's heart grew as she sighed and shook her head. "I had no choice, Harriet," she admitted, as the ball began in earnest, with the first dance bringing both gentlemen and ladies to the center of the room. "My father is in debt and it seems now that this engagement is only coming about so that my father can be free of that burden." Seeing her friend's confusion, Abigail gave her a small, wry smile. "Lord Crestwood will pay my father's debts and in exchange, I will be given as his wife, expected to produce both the heir and the spare."

"But that is truly dreadful!" Lady Chesterton exclaimed, though Abigail could not help but agree with her. "You are not merely an object to be bartered and sold! How could your father suggest such a thing?"

"Evidently, it was my mother," Abigail answered, softly. "But I have not told Charlotte the truth so please, do not say a word to her."

Lady Chesterton's eyes rounded in understanding. "That is why you have agreed to this, is it not? So that Charlotte can be spared from the embarrassment of having a father heavily laden with debts?"

"It is so that she can have a successful Season that will lead to a happy match," Abigail conceded. "However, I do recognise that my future is a little better being married than remaining as a spinster. At least there is the hope of having children. And his mother and sister are very pleasing."

Lady Chesterton sighed and pressed Abigail's hand again. "I would have much preferred you to have found a gentleman who considered you to be the most wonderful, most beautiful, most brilliant of creatures for that, my dear friend, is what you are."

Abigail smiled. "Thank you, my friend. I do very much value our friendship and the support you offer me. It is my only joy at the present moment!"

"I can hardly believe that!" Lady Chesterton exclaimed, only for a lady to step directly into their path, forcing them both to come to a sudden stop. Abigail looked back into the face of an older lady who she did not recognize, though Lady Chesterton seemed to, given the way she inclined her head.

"Good evening. How nice to see you this evening."

The lady did not look to Lady Chesterton, however, but turned her attention solely to Abigail who looked back into two narrowed eyes and cheeks which burned red.

"Are you Miss Abigail Townsend?"

"I am." A little confused, Abigail darted a glance to Harriet, who quickly obliged.

"Miss Abigail Townsend, might I introduce Lady Templeton?"

"Good evening." With a smile, Abigail dropped into a curtsy, still confused as to why the lady had not only walked into their path but had also practically gritted out those words towards her. "I am always glad to make a new acquaintance."

"You are engaged to the Earl of Crestwood?" Lady Templeton's face had flushed all the hotter, her eyes narrowing as though Abigail had done some great evil .

"Yes," Abigail answered, speaking carefully for fear that the lady would grow angrier with her still though she still could not understand the reason for her wrath. "This news has only just been announced which may be – "

"My daughter, Lady Clara, was engaged to him."

Abigail blinked, a little confused as to what the lady meant.

"There was every intention of them returning together, as they had done before," Lady Templeton continued, her voice a harsh whisper as she shook one finger in Abigail's face. "And yet you have usurped her! You have taken her place without so much as a single consideration as to what she was expecting to gain from Lord Crestwood. How can you do such a thing?"

Looking helplessly to Lady Chesterton, Abigail turned her attention to the furious lady in front of her. "Lady Templeton, I am afraid that I have very little idea as to what you mean. Lord Crestwood has not spoken of your daughter and – "

"Well he wouldn't, would he, since the ending of their engagement came about so abruptly! Clara was a little overwhelmed by his injuries, that was all. I am sure that any gentleman, any lady could understand that! They were to return together to their engagement, however, and you have put yourself in the way of that."

"Mother!"

An exclamation caught not only Abigail's attention but the attention of many others near them. Lady Templeton turned, only for a young lady to move forward and grasp her arm.

"What have you been saying to Miss Townsend?" she hissed, her face white as she looked to Abigail. "Miss Townsend, I must apologise. My mother is simply desperate for me to wed and is quite determined that I should return to what I have already chosen to give up." Dropping into a curtsy, she offered a smile which, Abigail noticed, wobbled violently. "My hearty congratulations."

"I thank you," Abigail murmured, still heartily confused by what had taken place. The young lady began to pull her mother away but Lady Templeton refused to be led. Wrenching her arm from her daughter's grip, she came close to Abigail again, though this time, her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"If you have any decency within you, if you have even the smallest hint of consideration and sympathy, then you will step away from Lord Crestwood and permit my daughter to take her place by his side. I can only hope you have a kind heart, Miss Townsend."

With that, she stepped away, keeping her head high as she marched across the floor away from them. Abigail watched, her heart aching as Lady Chesterton slipped her arm through hers and then walked in the opposite direction, taking Abigail with her.

"Everyone is looking so do keep a smile fixed in place until we can reach the corner of the ballroom," Lady Chesterton murmured, as Abigail's heart began to sink lower and lower. "Did you know about Lady Templeton's intentions as regarded her daughter's return to the Earl of Crestwood?"

Hearing the lack of surprise in Lady Chesterton's voice, Abigail looked at her quickly. "No I did not. Did you?"

Her friend nodded and drew her to sit down at a table in a quieter corner of the room. One or two ladies turned to look at them both but Abigail merely smiled at them and then waited until they turned their heads away and left her to converse with Lady Chesterton in peace.

"Yes, I did." Lady Chesterton shook her head and sighed. "I mayhap ought to have shared this with you but I did not for I did not think it was particularly important. It was only whispered about between a few young ladies of late and I perchance overheard one of the conversations. Lady Templeton appears to want her daughter to return to her engagement and Lady Clara was, from what I understood, amenable to the idea – although now I believe that last part to be false."

"It certainly did appear as though Lady Templeton was not pleased by Lady Clara's decision."

"And Lady Clara was not pleased by her mother's interruptions," Abigail added, with Lady Chesterton nodding her agreement. "I do wonder if Lord Crestwood knows of this."

Lady Chesterton hesitated. "I suspect that he might. I do know there was a visit from Lady Templeton and Lady Clara to his residence lately.

"I see." Abigail let out a small sigh. "I would have preferred to hear about this from him rather than being caught in the middle of the ballroom by a visibly angry lady."

"Then you should tell him that."

Abigail frowned, her heart beginning to settle now that the moment had passed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you should tell Lord Crestwood what you have just told me," her friend explained. "There is nothing wrong with stating that very same thing to him as you have said to me. Husband and wife need to be able to share everything with each other and if Lady Templeton has suggested this to him then it is only fair for him to inform you of it."

Abigail smiled ruefully. "We have not had much opportunity for conversation," she murmured, looking back out at the crowd. "There is a contract to be signed very soon and he has already informed me that our marriage is nothing more than a business arrangement and that, to his mind, very little will change in his life." Her shoulders lifted and then fell, a slight heaviness about her eyes. "There is not to be any intimacy between us in that regard, Harriet. I do not think he will be at all interested in what I have to say."

"Tell him nonetheless," her friend insisted. "You must get to know Lord Crestwood, even if it is only a little better than you know him at present. And that begins by being entirely honest."

Abigail considered this, aware of the knot in her stomach as she thought of what it would be like to talk directly and honestly to Lord Crestwood. Already, she could picture the way his gaze would drift from hers, how his mouth would pull tight as she spoke of her upset and how his jaw might set with frustration over her insistence on speaking with him. It was to be expected, she told herself, given that he did not think much of taking her as his bride but would that stop her from doing so?

"I do wish he might have let himself be open to even the smallest affection," she found herself saying, her heart pulling low with all the weight which now stacked upon it. "Even a friendship would suit me very well but the Earl does not appear to be at all inclined towards pursuing that with me."

"Then he is a fool."

Abigail jumped violently, her head twisting around as a gentleman, his hands clasped behind his back and his back itself a little stooped grinned at her.

"Forgive me for eavesdropping," he said, standing up tall now, his thick brown hair bouncing gently as he pushed it to one side of his head, his dark eyes gleaming. "I am acquainted with Lord Crestwood and was a dear friend of his for some time. I came in the hope of greeting you, Miss Townsend, and congratulating you on your engagement." Bowing low, he put one hand to his heart. "Though I shall say nothing of what I accidentally overheard, I assure you."

"I – I thank you." A little uncertain as to what she ought to do or say, Abigail made to rise from her chair only for the gentleman to gesture for her to remain where she was.

"Please, do not trouble yourself. I shall say nothing more other than to pray blessing upon your marriage, whenever it should come." Inclining his head, he made to turn away, only for Abigail to call out after him.

"Your name, good sir? You did not give it and I should be glad to know who I am to thank for such kind words."

The gentleman smiled but Abigail found herself shivering lightly, for it was not a pleasant smile. Rather, it was the smile of a gentleman who had something more behind such kind words and Abigail did not like to see it .

"Earl Drover," he answered, rising from his bow. "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Townsend." With a nod to Lady Chesterton – no doubt someone he was already acquainted with, Lord Drover turned his attention back to Abigail, his smile lingering still. "Might I wish you both a very pleasant evening."

With that, he walked away and though Lady Chesterton smiled and cooed over Lord Chesterton's manners and kindness, Abigail kept her thoughts to herself. There was something about him which troubled her, something about that greeting that said there was more to his intentions than he had shown.

And Abigail remained entirely wary of him.