Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

“ P ercival Hardy,” Madeleine’s mother laughed as she said his name, shaking her head in disbelief. “You know I had always hoped this for you, but I never thought the two of you would actually want to court one another.”

Madeleine pulled her eyes away from the back of Percy’s head, who was walking just a couple of paces away with her brother and father, and she let out a small laugh as she looked at her mother. The three men looked comically similar as they strolled in step with one another, their hands clasped behind their backs as they talked quietly amongst themselves. It was a portrait she had seen many times, what with Percy being their close family friend, but today she found it more amusing than the others.

After their somewhat odd, if not stressful interaction in the library, Madeline had been concerned that he would not join them for promenade after all. She had found his behavior strange, especially for someone normally so confidant and bullish. Her fears were put to bed, however, when he greeted her as warmly as any courter would, and they resumed their ruse.

“You did, Mama?” she asked, surprised at her mother’s confession. “I had no idea.”

Her Mother’s smile grew wider, and she lifted a single shoulder in a somewhat sassy shrug.

“I did not want to push you, darling,” she replied sincerely. “I knew your father would do that soon enough, so I kept my opinion to myself. I will tell you now, though, that when your father came to deliver the news to me, I was positively elated.”

Madeleine forced another smile as a sliver of guilt slid through her heart. She knew by taking on this ruse that she would be fooling the ton, and she felt no remorse for that. Fooling her mother, though… she had not thought of how it would affect her. She would be genuinely heartbroken when this was all over. Not just for Madeleine but for the boy she’d always loved as a second son.

“I am so very glad we have your blessing, Mama,” she forced herself to say sweetly.

“You must tell me everything,” her mother insisted, her excitement growing as she looped her arm through Madeleine’s and pressed her close.

“How did this come about? What did he say? Did you know you had feelings for him all this time? Or did they come about just the other night at the ball?”

Madeleine’s mind scrambled to formulate an answer, but all she was rewarded with was memories of her kiss last night with Percy. Her lips burned even now as she thought of how he had had wholly taken possession of her—how she had handed herself so willingly over to him.

As she floundered for a story to tell that would not raise any questions, her father, unknowingly and blessedly, came to her rescue.

“Darling,” he called back to his wife, stopping their small party, “I see Corrin and Brimsworth. We’re going to cut off for a moment. Would you wait for us?”

“Of course, my love,” she replied warmly, bringing herself and Madeleine to a stop.

“Greyhall, Cecil.” The Earl motioned for Percy and Cecil to join him, and all three men left the ladies so they could discuss business.

Panicked that her mother might resume her questioning, Madeleine took a quick look around and nearly sighed aloud when she spotted her older sister, Emily, standing close by with a group of other ladies cloistered by her father’s associates.

“Oh, Mama, look!” she said excitedly. “There is Emily. Let us go say hello, yes?”

Madeleine’s mother spotted Emily, the elder of the Gillett daughters, in a group of ladies, mostly the wives of the Earl’s business associates. The Countess smiled as she agreed, and she and Madeleine ventured over to join them. Madeleine recognized most of the women in the group, and they all exchanged warm pleasantries, but there was one blonde haired, blue eyed young woman that she did not know.

“Miss Madeleine Gillett, daughter to the Earl of Stonefield, is it not?” the young woman asked approaching her with a kind smile.

“I am indeed,” Madeleine agreed with surprise. It was not often she was recognized by strangers. “Though I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage,” she continued, returning the woman’s smile.

“Lady Laura Knight, daughter of the Earl of Barglens.” Lady Laura and Madeleine exchanged curtsies. “I thought since we were both the daughters of earls that we ought to get to know one another. I am honestly surprised that we have not met before now.”

“As am I, but it is a splendid idea all the same,” Madeleine agreed. “My family and I spend most of our time at our country estate in Oxfordshire. It is entirely possible that we have never had the opportunity to meet before last season.”

Laura nodded, as if that was surely the reason.

“I am considering purchasing some iced cream to soothe this dreadful heat from that vendor over there,” Laura explained, pointing to the small cart just on the other side of the nearby canal bridge. “Would you join me? It would be my treat.”

Liking the woman already, Madeleine’s smile grew brighter, and she nodded.

“I would be delighted,” she replied then whispered quickly to her mother to explain.

A moment later, the two women fell in step beside one another as they walked away from their group. As they walked along the edge of the canal, Madeleine took the opportunity to study her new friend’s face. She was beautiful. Almost breathtaking so with her spun gold hair and nearly turquoise eyes. She then glanced down at Laura’s left hand, feeling surprised once again that she did not see a ring on her finger. How was someone so elegantly beautiful still unmarried?

“Did I see you earlier with the Duke of Greyhall?” Lady Laura asked.

Her question broke through their pleasant silence, the subject and suddenness of it startling Madeleine almost to the point that she nearly jumped.

“Indeed,” Madeleine replied, quickly recovering. “It is… new, but we have begun courting.”

Now was as good as time as any to start spreading the rumor herself, and if she was in luck, her new friend would take the morsel of gossip and spread it around with vehemence.

“Do you know him?” she asked, hoping to further the conversation.

Thought it fled as quickly as it came, Madeleine caught the look of sadness in Laura’s eyes.

“Our fathers were friends,” Lady Laura explained. “I was saddened to hear of the elder duke’s passing.”

Madeleine patted the young woman’s hand in sympathy, now understanding the brief look.

“The current Duke of Greyhall has lost much,” she agreed solemnly. “I pray you have not been as equally unlucky as him. Your father is still with us, I hope?”

“My father, yes,” was her only reply.

It seemed as if Laura was not finished with what she was trying to say, but Madeleine saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Percy walking towards them. She smiled and turned back to speak with Lady Laura to alert her of their incoming company, only to find that the young woman had left her side and had doubled back to the group of ladies.

“Monkey,” Percy greeted, his brow creased with concern. “I thought I saw you walking with Lady Laura Knight, the Earl of Barglens’ daughter. Do you know her?”

Madeleine shook her head then turned her gaze to where Laura now stood.

“We only just met. She was just saying how sad she was to hear of your father’s passing, and then she was gone. Most peculiar behavior to simply walk away without bidding me farewell. I only turned away for but a moment.”

“She is a peculiar woman,” Percy stated, his tone tense.

“Peculiar or not, she raised my hopes for an iced cream only to dash them,” she muttered in displeasure. “I was looking forward to that.”

At this, Percy let out a loud laugh then made a motion to her brother and father, as if signaling his intentions.

“I shall get you your iced cream, Monkey,” he promised, leading her toward the bridge. “Did she say anything else to you?”

“Not really,” she replied as they reached the vendor. “It is just she seemed so set on making friends with me. I thought that we were having a perfectly lovely discussion up until the moment she disappeared. Perhaps she disagreed.”

Percy did not answer her for a brief moment as he pulled out some coins and ordered two cups of vanilla ice.

“Or perhaps you and your reputation scared her away,” she offered in jest.

“Perhaps,” Percy murmured, the joke falling between them in an awkward way.

He offered Madeleine her treat, she took it, and they walked together for a time in companionable silence as they enjoyed the small bit of coolness amid the afternoon heat. From where they stood, Madeleine caught her mother and sister looking at them, smiles wide on their faces.

“I believe that your father is convinced of our ruse,” he said next, speaking matter-of-factly. “Your brother has even settled from his earlier bout of doubt.”

Madeleine smiled in relief then slipped the tiny wooden spoon laden with melting ice cream into her mouth. She savored the taste, letting it settle in her mouth for a moment before swallowing and cleaning her lower lip with her tongue.

Percy’s gaze flashed there immediately, his eyes growing dark as he seemed to focus in on the movement. It caused heat to rise from her core, and she was sure that the iced cream in her small wooden bowl began to melt faster.

“That is good, is it not?” she asked, suddenly unsure of the look he was given her. Had she said something wrong earlier?

“It is a good start,” he agreed with a single nod, turning his face forward again. “But we are far from being completely believable. His associates appeared dubious, I fear, and I worry they might shake your father and brother’s belief in our ruse.”

Madeleine looked down at her nearly melted iced cream, as if it had an answer for her.

“We should solidify their beliefs then,” she said softly, letting the small spoon glide through the sweet cream in a slow, winding motion. At her side, Percy let out a low laugh and popped a large scoop of his own ice cream into his mouth.

Spotting a smudge of the white cream still clinging to his bottom lip, Madeleine stepped a little ahead of him without a thought as she reached for her kerchief. Percy gave her a strange look and stopped as she raised the kerchief to his lips, and she gently wiped away the bit of cream still there.

Percy studied her suspiciously for a moment longer before he answered. Perhaps the gesture had been too intimate. Perhaps she had broken his rules. Though, they still had not discussed exactly what they were.

“My apologies,” she murmured, tucking her kerchief into her sleeve. “I- I do not know what came over me. I–”

“No,” Percy said quickly, taking a moment to take a look around.

She did as well and noticed the many sets of eyes of watching them. Her cheeks grew hot under their visage, and she began to panic that she had made a grave error.

“That was good,” he murmured, leaning toward her slightly as he nodded his head to a group of nobles watching them. “They all saw it. See their faces? Their grins? They are talking of us, just as we hoped.”

Madeleine let out a small huff of a laugh as she relaxed.

“I thought I had upset you,” she confessed.

Percy smirked by her side.

“Admittedly, it would have looked a better if it was I that was wiping cream from your lips and not the other way around, but I cannot annoyed that you were able to think of it first. Tell me, Monkey, what other little ideas do you having forming in that mind of yours?”

“We could talk to one another,” she suggested softly, ignoring how intimate the small gesture felt. “We have known each other since childhood, but I know very little of you as a man grown.”

At her side, she felt Percy grow rigid, and his step nearly faltered.

She was about to apologize for asking when he said, “That is fair. What would you know of me?”

Relieved that was his answer, Madeleine stepped back to his side. He took her melted iced creamand his own and disposed of them before offering her his arm. She took it and noted how comfortable she felt at his side.

“Tell me of your travels,” she requested.

“I myself have always wanted to traverse the continent.”

“You have?” He chuckled, raising a surprised brow.

Madeleine smirked.

“That surprises you? Well, when you and Cecil would be off planning your next dirty trick on me, I would often play that I was a boy about to set go off on my first grand adventure. I would pack a small kerchief of food, pocket some of Papa’s coins, and off I would go.”

“Why a boy?” he asked.

“Boys do not get told to behave nearly as much as girls do,” she said simply, “and even when I would pretend, I could still hear my mother’s warnings of what a girl should and should not do.”

Percy said nothing to this, but he got a faraway look in his eyes.

“You have taken me off the subject,” she said quickly. “Come, it is your turn. Tell me of your real travels, so we may cease this talk of my pretend ones.”

Percy shook his head. “There is too much to tell of in one brief walk in the park.”

“Tell me a little?” Madeleine encouraged, giving him a hopeful look.

Sighing, Percy nodded in acquiescence. “What do you wish to know?”

“Everything,” Madeleine answered excitedly, causing Percy to laugh at the contradiction.

“In the beginning, there was not much to tell. I was mourning the loss of my father.” Here he paused, but Madeleine squeezed his arm in encouragement, and he continued, “I left from Dover and proceeded to Paris…” They spoke of his time in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Swiss Alps, and every place in between. It was a wonderful distraction for them both. “I thought of you sometimes,” he admitted.

“Me?” she asked, caught off guard at the admission. “But… when? Why?”

“When I would see a young girl who reminded me of you, I could not help it,” he said with a small smile. “You were the most adorable child, you know, despite your whining disposition.”

Madeleine smirked, happy they were back to their banter.

“Now, I know that you are lying. I was not at all worthy of adoration as a child, and well you know it.”

“I disagree. I think back fondly on our days together as children.”

“I do not,” Madeleine retorted sharply.

Percy frowned in confusion. “Why not?”

Not wanting to let him know how much his and Cecil’s teasing had hurt her, Madeleine refused to answer. Instead, she feigned fatigue. “It is nothing. I am tired and wish to return to the carriage.”

“As am I,” her mother stated, startling them both.

Together, they turned and found her smiling parents and a somewhat amused Cecil a few paces behind them.

“Worry not,” her mother said charmingly, giving her daughter a knowing smile, “we stayed far back enough to let you talk privately.”

Madeleine managed a smile back at her mother. For a moment, she had completely forgotten that they were among company, and she blushed as she realized how comfortable she had grown with Percy.

Tipping his hat toward the Countess then turning head to Madeleine to give her a quick wink, Percy navigated their group to entrance to the park.

“My apologies for keeping you all out this long,” Percy stated as they reached the carriage. “I simply lost myself in the joy of our little reunion.”

“No apology necessary, my lad,” the Earl said jovially, walking between Percy and Madeleine to get to the carriage. “It was indeed like old times.”

“You may have a few moments to say your goodbyes,” her mother said as she took her husband’s hand. “Cecil, come along. Give your sister and her new beau a moment.”

Cecil gave a solemn nod toward Percy as he passed between them, but as he went to set his foot upon the carriage’s little step, he turned and clapped a hand on Percy’s shoulder—a symbol that they were at peace—before he climbed into the carriage.

“I truly do apologize for keeping you out so late, but I believe in doing so, it has allowed our ruse to take root among the ton ,” Percy noted, his tone barely audible for privacy.

“Do not worry yourself on my account,” she replied. “I am simply elated that it all went well. You were right in your thinking. I do believe that it has manifested its purpose.”

She curtsied to him, ready to say her goodbyes, but Percy reached out, his right pointer finger knuckle raised slightly, and he stroked it along her arm. She paused immediately, feeling the light brush as if it were against her bare skin.

“A morsel for a morsel,” he mused. “Tell me something of you though let it be quick.”

Madeleine was surprised that he was asking for such a thing as she and her family were about to depart, but she nodded and asked, “What is it that you want to know?”

“Tell me of your first season,” he suggested. “How did you keep your father from marrying you off then? Did you convince some other young lord to save you?”

Madeleine frowned at him, shaking her head. “This will be a very quick answer indeed. No, I did not. I avoided any and all attempts at a proposal with alacrity on my own; however, Father became wise to my endeavors, and that is what has caused him to be so insistent now.”

“I see.” Percy mused.

Madeleine tried to measure his expression but could not tell if it was relief, smugness, or indifference that etched across his handsome features.

“Then, for your sake, I pray that we are more successful together,” he said, taking her hand and bowing to kiss it. “Until we meet again.”

Madeleine curtseyed toward him and allowed him to help her into the carriage where she was quickly greeted by her parents’ brights smiles and Cecil’s reluctant grin.