Chapter Nine

In Which Ashe runs Afoul of Scandalous Gossip, but Redeems himself in a Not Entirely Unexpected Way, and Florinda takes up the Cudgel on his Behalf, only to Find she didn't really Need it, since an Annoyed Moth proves the Perfect Substitute.

Ashe was finding the evening to be quite confusing, and not the least a tad annoying.

The glances he found himself receiving were a combination of interest, shock, a sort of odd curiosity, and some flat-out rudeness. And that had been from just a few of the attendees.

North stuck bravely by his side as they moved slowly down one grassy path after another, doing their best to avoid too many nosy guests.

"I should leave," muttered Ashe, growing more and more irritated.

"No, you absolutely should not," stated North firmly. "You know they're wrong in what they're thinking, Ashe. Do not give in to their lurid fantasies. You've done nothing to deserve these whispers."

Ashe stopped by a tall cement urn overflowing with ferns. "Well, actually…"

North nearly bumped into him. And blinked. "What? What ? If you're going to tell me that it's true…"

"Of course it's not. Not exactly, that is. It's just that…" He took a breath. He had to reveal the truth to his friend, and perhaps between the two of them, they could work their way out of this mess.

"I was on the riverbank," he confessed.

"Oh God, Ashe…"

"Wait. I was on the bank, but not with Lady Delphine."

"What?"

North slumped against the urn, ignoring the ferns that were crushed against his elegant superfine jacket. "I cannot believe what I'm hearing."

"It was a series of coincidences," muttered Ashe. "I was in the right place at the right time to help out—"

"Miss Boothe," finished North. "Don't tell me. I saw stars in your eyes the first time you met."

Ashe frowned. "You did?"

"Of course I did. We've known each other too long to be able to hide something like that, my friend."

He straightened and paced for a minute while Ashe struggled to deal with the shock of realising this man was not just a jolly good chap, but someone with surprising intelligence and insight.

"So how did this…incident lead to all the gossip about Lady Haverling?"

"Not a clue," replied Ashe. "The only thing I know is that I was not anywhere near Delphine Haverling, nor have I ever been." He paused. "And wouldn't be, either. She is not my type at all."

"Hmm." North paced again.

"What do I do, North? How do I resolve this situation?" Troubled even more now, Ashe struggled to think of a solution. "I'll be damned if I'm going to be forced into requesting the hand of a woman I don't know just because a crowd of gossiping women thinks I should."

"Some might expect it, Ashe," cautioned North. "And don't think that Lady Delphine won't have anything to say about it. She will, without a doubt, turn the situation to her own advantage if she possibly can."

"And what the devil is Florinda going think when she arrives? Is it possible she won't hear any of this?"

The look he received from his friend was answer enough.

"All right, that was a stupid thing to say."

"Ashe, answer me this." North put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. You're in a situation here which involves two women, both indirectly caught in a sort of scandal." North frowned. "And since I'm having difficulty finding the right words to describe it, it is really rather unusual as well."

"I can't argue that."

"So, my friend, what do you want? Do you want to become entangled with Delphine Haverling, because I'll wager my new boots she'll see if she can twist this to her advantage, or do you want Miss Boothe? Because if you do, we're talking marriage here."

Ashe was surprised to find himself opening his mouth with his answer immediately. He didn't even need to think about it.

"Oh, here you are, you naughty boy. I've been looking everywhere for you."

And before he could say the words he so desperately wanted to say, he was confronted by an elegantly clad Lady Delphine Haverling, and two of her friends, all smiling and chuckling as the lady herself daringly raised her hand and stroked his cheek.

"We've been discovered, dear Mr Trease. What shall we do about it, eh?"

*~~*~~*

While Ashe stared aghast at Lady Haverling, Florinda and Susan were hurrying through the assembled guests to where murmurs and exclamations were clearly audible.

"We're too late," panted Susan, desperately trying not to snag the lace on the hem of her gown on any rose bushes.

"I don't care if that dratted woman has found him or not. She's not having him."

Florinda's firm declaration brought a gasp and then a brief laugh from Susan. "I knew it. You are absolutely over the moon for Mr Trease, aren't you?"

"Nonsense," Florinda threw the word over her shoulder. "I am…well, I don't know what I am, actually."

"Except determined to keep him away from Lady Delphine?"

"Of course. Who wouldn't be? That woman is an indecorous leech where men are concerned." Florinda paused to catch her breath. "Where the devil is he?"

"Wait," Susan grabbed her arm. "There. Look. By that big urn with the ferns…" She pointed through a gap to a spot where several people had gathered.

"All right then." Florinda took off, heedless of the grass staining her slippers. No delicate mincing steps for her, but as close to a gallop as she could manage in an evening gown.

Arriving at the back of the gathering crowd, she was just in time to hear Lady Delphine's satisfied voice, obviously pitched so that everyone around her could hear.

"So, Mr Trease. I ask you again, is there something you'd like to say to me? I am just a woman and would most dislike to be the subject of such gossip. Only you can rescue me…"

Florinda barrelled her way through the onlookers. "Excuse me, sorry, oh dear, please let me through…" She pushed and shoved, earning some cross frowns and a muttered expletive or two.

Ready to shriek a couple of expletives of her own, she finally burst through into the space in front of Ashe and Lady Delphine. Susan had followed and barely managed to avoid mowing them all down as she erupted in a whoosh right behind Florinda.

A woman grunted as a flying elbow caught her in the ribs.

"Oh goodness. So sorry. I tripped." Susan waved vaguely at her feet.

The distraction had given Florinda time to catch her breath and she closed the distance between herself and Ashe without coming into contact with Lady Delphine, who was now regarding her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

Florinda took Ashe's free hand. "Ashe, darling. I am sorry I'm a bit late. There was a frightful crush outside and our carriage was delayed."

"Um, oh…" He blinked.

"Lovely to see you, Miss Boothe." Mr Barlow, standing on the other side of his friend, smiled broadly. "And Miss Finchley. How charming you look this evening."

Susan, to Florinda's surprise, blushed and dropped a small curtsey. "You are very kind, Mr Barlow."

"Not at all," he replied. "Just being truthful."

Lady Delphine, not at all pleased with these developments, stared at Florinda. "Excuse me, whoever you are, but dear Mr Ashe and I have an important matter to settle between us." She moved to his other side, inserted herself between him and North, and twined her arm through his. "Don't we, darling?"

Before Ashe could answer, Florinda leaned forward and spoke across him.

"Oh you're Lady Delphine Haverling aren't you? I'm Florinda Boothe, and I'm sure you're as upset as I am about that terrible mistake our modiste made on those gowns."

The woman blinked. "Gowns? What gowns?"

"You didn't hear?" Florinda's gaze was all wide-eyed innocence. "Two gowns were made…" she took a dramatic breath, "of the very same fabric ."

There was a muted gasp from the women onlookers, of whom there were many—with more coming every minute. The gentlemen merely looked puzzled.

"Wait a minute," Lady Delphine frowned. "Two gowns the same?"

Florinda nodded. "Yes, isn't that terrible ? One is yours, and I'm sure it looks magnificent on you, and the other…" She hung her head and stared at her toes, "the other is mine."

"But…"

Florinda raised her head. "I know. Unpardonable. It was the pink muslin with the blue and green embroidered flowers and green lace trim?"

Lady Delphine's eyes widened. "I just got that dress last week."

"As did I."

"I wore it this week, at the Exhibition."

"I wore mine on Monday," replied Florinda. Then she turned and smiled at Ashe. "It was the perfect gown for a day alongside the Thames. Mr Trease might recognise it, since that was the day he and I met under the willows."

Ashe disengaged his arm from Lady Delphine and turned away from her, keeping Florinda's hand in his as he smiled at her. "I do indeed, Miss Boothe."

A murmur rippled through the assembled guests, and a few whispers toward the rear of "what did she say? I can't hear…"

"Oh, Florinda." Susan rose to the occasion. "What a good thing you were both in different places. It would have been quite easy for anyone to confuse the two of you, don't you think?"

North, never one to miss an opportunity, walked to Susan's side and gave her a slight bow. "A very acute observation, Miss Finchley." He smiled at her and Florinda, briefly distracted at their byplay, couldn't miss the tiny wink he gave her, or the blush that coloured her cheeks as she smiled back.

"Now wait a minute," Lady Delphine struggled.

"For what, my Lady?" Ashe glanced at her. "Clearly you have made a mistake. We were not in each other's company at all on the occasion you have mentioned. As you now know, I was with Miss Boothe here."

"But I heard…"

"And people said," added the woman standing next to her. "Why I heard it from Lady Filwarde's own lips." She nodded firmly.

"Oh dear," said Florinda, shaking her head. "Lady Filwarde is certainly someone who is au courant with everything that is acceptable." A lie, but necessary to avoid any furth issues. "However, perhaps she was not wearing her spectacles? I understand she uses them when necessary. Now, given the circumstances," she glanced at Lady Delphine, "which I recall quite clearly, Mr Trease and I were—um—engaged in conversation on the bank of the Thames, beneath some willows. It was a lovely morning, lots of sunshine too."

"I—"

"Let me finish, if you please, Lady Delphine." Florinda's voice hardened as she cut the other woman off at the knees. "Wearing the same gown does not mean we are similar women. I would never assume that I could prey on unsuspecting friends…" her gaze roamed the assembled crowd, "and ask them to believe a ridiculous story, simply for my own amusement."

"I didn't—"

"You just did," retorted Florinda, who was getting angrier every minute at what Lady Delphine had tried to do. "I distinctly heard you asking Mr Trease what he was going to do about the situation you created in your own mind. That, my Lady, was a completely horrible thing to do, and were I in your shoes I would be utterly ashamed of myself."

"Now listen here…"

" Enough ." Ashe finally spoke. "This is an absurd situation which should never have occurred." He froze Lady Delphine with a look that shocked even Florinda. "Your assumptions, my Lady, were so far from the truth as to be both absurd and, as Miss Boothe has stated, ridiculous . And you know it." He glanced down at Florinda, her hand still tucked in his. "Miss Boothe has been forced to step forward and discuss a moment in our lives that should have been both private and precious."

He smiled at her, a look of warmth and affection that made her blush and gulp back her emotions.

"It was a moment," he continued, "that some of you probably recall with pleasure from your own lives. It was the very moment I asked Miss Florinda to marry me."

The gasp of surprise was so loud and massive, it caused many of the flowers to lean toward it, disturbing a large moth which, cross at having its evening repose interrupted, took flight and landed on the nearest smooth surface, which happened to be Lady Delphine's expansive and revealingly displayed bosom.

She looked down, let out a horrified squawk, and promptly fainted into the fuchsias.

North shot an amused look at Susan. "Would you care to stroll, Miss Finchley?"

Susan stared at him for a moment, then smiled. "I think I would like that very much, Mr Barlow."