Chapter 13

It wasa simple fact of the profession Bernadette had chosen for herself that some balls and events were as easy as tying a bow to arrange and execute, and others were like attempting to extract a stump from the ground. They required constant effort, a great deal of strain, and the end results brought a great deal of mess once the task was completed.

Alden's ball weekend was quickly turning into a stubborn stump.

"That is quite lovely," Bernadette commented to Lady Alyce with a tight smile as she led a group of young ladies in a flower-arranging activity after luncheon had been served in the garden. "You've captured the spirit of spring entirely."

In fact, Lady Alyce had listlessly stabbed several mismatched stems into the ugliest vase Mrs. Pettigrew had found for the afternoon activity. She showed no interest in what she was doing, and she spent the entire period during which Bernadette had been instructing the group gazing mournfully at footmen who scurried around the garden, trying madly to fulfill the demands of each and every guest.

"I think I have just about managed it," Lady Bianca said, working to fit what must have been her twentieth rose into a vase that was far too small for the eccentric arrangement the young woman seemed intent on.

"Brilliant work, Lady Bianca," Bernadette praised the woman nonetheless.

Bernadette wasn't entirely certain how she'd ended up tucked away on one side of the garden with the wallflowers. Or rather, she was not entirely certain how Lady Gladys had managed to wedge her all the way into a corner, far from the center of the afternoon's activities, and far from Alden. As soon as luncheon had ended, Lady Gladys had sunk her claws into Alden and dragged him off to make more introductions.

As Bernadette finished assisting Lady Bianca with her overflowing and clumsy bouquet, then shifted to help Lady Ursula with hers, she glanced across the crowded lawn to see Lady Gladys gesturing between Alden and yet another of the eligible maidens Bernadette had invited.

These are wounds you inflicted on yourself, a voice in her head whispered. She had been the one to send invitations to the loveliest and most amiable young ladies she knew throughout Britannia. The entire purpose was so that one of them might catch Alden's eye and replace her.

But no, in her heart of hearts, she was certain that her parents had done this to her. They were the ones who had given her hand away, and for no other reason than so that her father could improve his own standing in society and business through association with Hethersett. They had caused the insurmountable chasm between her and the man she now loved as surely as they used her connection to Hethersett to obtain invitations to the grandest parties in East Anglia.

Bernadette bit her lip and did her best to attend to the young ladies arranging flowers. The morning post had come and gone, and still there was no correspondence from Hethersett. She would have gone to Christiana herself to discuss what could be done to ensure her happiness, but that was now out of the question. The ball was to take place the following night.

"What is that sniveling hag doing now?" Kat asked, approaching the table where Bernadette and the other young ladies were at work on their flowers, pulling Bernadette out of her increasingly desperate thoughts.

Bernadette turned, then smiled when she saw that Kat had somehow found a basket for Napoleon. Napoleon seemed deliciously content to sit on the cushion that had been placed in the basket and look out at all the guests with utter disdain.

"I believe she is introducing Lord Alden to his guests," Bernadette said, trying to keep her voice light and cheery, since the impressionable young ladies around her were listening.

Kat humphed and reached into the basket to stroke Napoleon. "She's doing more than that. Have you noticed what she does after each introduction?"

Bernadette frowned and turned to watch Alden and Lady Gladys again. Kat was right. After whatever small conversation between Alden and the young woman he'd just greeted ended, Lady Gladys tugged him away, whispering something to him. They were just close enough for Bernadette to gauge Lady Gladys's expression. She knew conniving when she saw it.

"Do you suppose she is giving Alden her opinion about which of the ladies would be most suitable for him?" Bernadette asked, despising the idea that her rival was helping Alden to choose someone other than her.

Kat frowned and hummed. "I do not for a moment believe that Lady Gladys Minstead is the sort to aid or assist anyone, unless it is for some advantage of her own."

That was very true. It did not, however, ease Bernadette's mind in the least.

What surprised Bernadette further was that within moments of Lady Gladys leading Alden away from the young woman he'd just been in conversation with, one of the handsome young bucks who Bernadette was certain Lady Gladys had invited swept in to introduce himself to the woman.

"Do you suppose that Lady Gladys invited a slew of eligible young gentlemen to transform this ball into an entire matchmaking weekend?" Bernadette asked, standing close to Kat and keeping her voice down.

Again, Kat hummed. She leaned toward Bernadette as well and narrowed her eyes as she watched the young buck and the suddenly bright-eyed young lady laugh together. "I think it is entirely possible," she said. She stood straighter, nodded, then said, "I shall investigate."

As glad as Bernadette was to have a friend who was determined to get to the bottom of things, Bernadette felt a bit abandoned as Kat left her. She had nothing to do but to turn back to the timid young ladies who had decided they would rather play with flowers than attempt to win a husband.

She caught them whispering to each other as she did.

"Mama is ever so insistent that I smile and preen and catch Lord Alden's eye," Lady Bianca said. "She wants me settled somewhere with a good fortune."

"My mama wishes me to marry someone within a day's journey of home," Lady Ursula said cutting the end of the flower stem she'd just selected particularly viciously. "She does not trust me to live my own life."

Lady Bianca made a sound of sympathy.

"My mama just wants to be rid of me in whatever way she can," Lady Alyce sighed, shoulders sagging. "Rupert always said…."

She did not finish her sentence.

"I would so much rather live on my own or with a friend or two," Lady Bianca sighed, glancing over to where Lady Gladys had just escorted Alden to a group of young women. "Women are so far superior to men when it comes to amiable companionship."

"I heartily agree with that."

Bernadette turned to find Minerva, who had spoken, striding toward them. She looked utterly out of place in the assemblage of brightly colored young women with her sleek, black gown and severely styled hair. The other young ladies looked instantly terrified of her.

"See if you cannot convince your mamas to allow you to enroll at Oxford University," Minerva instructed the young ladies, even as she grabbed Bernadette's arm and started to lead her away. "Independence is the only safe choice for a woman."

The young ladies gasped and stared at Minerva in shock. Lady Alyce looked like she agreed with Minerva. As Minerva walked Bernadette away from the table, she got up, searched around, likely for her mother, then slipped off around the corner of the house.

"Whatever do you need, Minnie?" Bernadette asked her friend. "I am meant to be leading Lord Alden's guests in activities that will enhance tomorrow evening's ball."

Minerva shook her head tightly. "You're meant to be convincing the love of your life to break with that odious Lady Gladys and to rescue you from your fate."

Bernadette tugged Minerva to a stop once they'd climbed the steps to the terrace. Several young ladies were engaged in painting the vista of Lyndhurst Grove, as led by the painting instructor Bernadette had suggested Alden hire for the weekend. They had stopped before approaching so closely that any of the ladies might overhear what the two of them said.

"I've written to Hethersett, confessing all and begging him to release me," Bernadette said, quietly and insistently. "But that does not change the fact that I am married. I do not have the power to change those circumstances on my own, and Hethersett has been completely silent since I wrote to him over three weeks ago. I could give Alden my entire heart, but that would neither help his need to find a wife or my need to continue on with an unsullied reputation."

Minerva scoffed. "What good is an unsullied reputation if you are not happy?"

"A great deal when your livelihood depends upon organizing parties for the ton," Bernadette answered at once, her eyes wide.

"And why is Hethersett not providing you with an income and a place, as I hear husbands are supposed to do?" Minerva demanded.

Bernadette flushed. She'd wondered the same thing herself on more than one occasion. "Father says that Hethersett needs his entire income to maintain his place abroad."

Minerva arched one eyebrow. "Have you investigated your father's own finances to see whether Hethersett has sent you money that you have not seen?"

"I do not want to know," Bernadette said, lowering her head. "I am content to make my own way in the world."

A pause followed. Minerva still did not look convinced. "I will concede that you have painted yourself into something of a corner," she said, glancing to the painters standing near them. "I still say, as I have always said, that there must be a way for you to extract yourself from a marriage you did not enter into willingly to a man you have not seen in nearly ten years."

"But I did enter it willingly," Bernadette said, lowering her head. "I wish I could go back and stomp my foot or shout with outrage about my fate, but young ladies are constantly being given away in marriage, whether they want to be or not, in East Anglia. I would have had no recourse."

Minerva made an impatient sound. "Very well. If you will not stand up and fight for yourself, I will?—"

"Ladies." Alden's voice from the steps leading to the terrace cut Minerva's declaration short.

Bernadette nearly jumped as her heart lifted, then began to pound with anxiety, at the sight of Alden climbing the stairs with his cousin, Lord Lawrence. Lady Gladys was not with them. A quick search showed Bernadette that Kat had waylaid Lady Gladys on the other side of the garden. Lady Gladys looked like she wished to escape whatever conversation the two were involved in and to return to Alden, but Kat clearly would not let her.

"Lord Alden, what a brilliant and interesting entertainment you have provided for us all this weekend," Minerva said, drawing Bernadette's attention back to where it should have been.

"Thank you, Lady Minerva," Alden said. He bowed to Minerva, but when he rose, his gaze fell on Bernadette, filled with wistful longing.

The expression nearly broke Bernadette's heart. She wanted to throw her arms around Alden, shield him from both of their fates, and insist that all would be well for them if they could just suffer through the indignities of the ball.

Instead, Bernadette smiled graciously and addressed Lord Lawrence. "My lord, have you been introduced to my dear friend, Lady Minerva Llewellyn of Wales, yet?"

"I do not believe I have been granted that honor, no," Lord Lawrence said, his smile bright and cheery as he turned to Minerva.

"This is my cousin, Lord Lawrence Godwin," Alden made the introduction. "You will not find a better man or more cheerful company than him."

"Is that so?" Minerva asked, putting on her most severe expression and lowering her voice to a dusky and cool alto.

Bernadette wanted to roll her eyes. Minerva was prone to theatrics when introduced to new people.

"It is an outstanding pleasure to meet you, Lady Minerva," Lord Lawrence said, reaching for Minerva's hand so that he might bow over it. "My cousin has told me everything he knows about the delightful raven-haired beauty I singled out from across the garden?—"

"That cannot have been much, as he does not know me from a fig," Minerva said in a low, dry voice.

"—and I decided right then and there that I must learn more about you," Lord Lawrence continued, his enthusiasm undimmed. "Would you care to take a turn about the garden with me, Lady Minerva?"

"Why?" Minerva asked, one eyebrow raised. "Is the garden planning to put on some sort of a show?"

"Only once your loveliness is added to it," Lord Lawrence said.

Bernadette could not determine if he was genuinely enthusiastic about all things or if he was having a go at Minerva. Judging by the way Alden was having difficulty concealing a smile, it was the latter.

Seeing Alden even passingly happy with something had Bernadette's heart aching. "Why do you not go with Lord Lawrence and explore the garden," she said, nudging her friend a bit.

Minerva glanced to her with a look of mutiny.

Bernadette returned that look with a desperate one and nodded her head slightly to Alden.

Minerva peeked at Alden, then sighed and gave in. "I will allow you to show me the garden, Lord Lawrence," she said stepping away with him. "But I will not allow you to tease and flirt with me as if I am an empty-headed miss of no consequence."

"I would never dream of it, Lady Minerva," Lord Lawrence said as the two walked off. "I am fascinated with the small bit I have learned about you, and I would not ever wish to dampen the light that clearly shines from you."

Bernadette nearly snorted at the compliment. It most likely had Minerva red with irritation.

"Does your cousin know what he has taken on?" Bernadette asked.

She turned to Alden, but rather than answering her, Alden reached for her hand as subtly as he could and led her over to the far end of the terrace, where none of the guests were gathered.

"Thank God I have you alone for a moment," he said with a quiet rush of emotion once they were far from anyone who might overhear them.

"Is something amiss?" Bernadette asked, alarmed. She glanced out over the terrace and the garden, all too aware that they were being observed, if only casually, by several of the guests.

"What is amiss is that I am miserable without you," Alden whispered, outwardly calm, but in a voice filled with passion. "Not one of these reasonable and interesting women come close to your sweetness, your bravery, or your tenderness."

As carefully as he could, making certain their hands were hidden from view, he brushed his fingers over hers, threading their hands together.

"I do not want any of these ladies," he whispered. "I want them all to go away so that it is just the two of us again. I want you."

There was nothing more in heaven or on earth that Bernadette wanted, but she could not have what she wanted.

"Alden," she whispered, lowering her head and glancing up at him sadly. "You know that if it were possible?—"

"I know," he interrupted, stepping back a bit, since the painting master had shifted to their side of the terrace and seemed more interested in the possibility of learning interesting gossip than instructing the guests.

"Has Lady Gladys introduced you to all of the young ladies?" Bernadette asked, raising her voice and pretending the inquiry was part of an effort to consult with her employer about the course of the weekend thus far.

Alden blew out a breath through his nose. "She has," he said. "Or nearly all of them. And she's found fault with each and every one."

Bernadette bit her lip. "I have observed that the gentlemen she invited are swooping in to converse with the young ladies the moment Lady Gladys moves you on."

Alden looked surprised, but only for a moment. "It is clear what she is doing, then," he said. "She invited the gentlemen to provide better alternatives than me for each lady."

Bernadette was glad she would not have to spell things out for Alden. She couldn't help but smile, despite Lady Gladys's conniving. "Do you know, you might just be hosting the premier matchmaking party of the season," she said, giving Alden's hand a small squeeze. "Mamas from all across the Kingdom of Wessex may end up thanking you for helping their daughters settle in happy situations."

"If you trust the caliber of gentlemen that Lady Gladys would invite to a party hosted by her rival," Alden said, almost as if speaking a thought aloud.

Bernadette's smile faltered. She had not thought of that. She would have to put Kat to work at once, investigating the background of each of Lady Gladys's?—

Bernadette's thoughts were cut short by a flurry of alarm from one of the ladies sitting at the back of the terrace, close to the house. The young woman leapt up from her painting, dropping her brush and suddenly shaking her skirts as she danced around her chair.

"I suppose there is no need to wonder what that is about," Alden said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Bernadette sent him a look of apology, though she certainly wasn't apologizing for herself, then rushed across to assist the young lady. Several of the others near her had begun to panic as well.

"It was black and red," the unfortunate lady wept, still dancing around. "It had a long tail and legs and pointy claws. Oh, it is going to bite me and I shall die," she wept.

Bernadette spotted the lizard under the woman's easel. It was as long as her forearm, yes, but it was thin and entirely harmless.

"Allow me," she said, bending to pick the lizard up.

That set off a round of squeals and clamoring to get away among the ladies painting near her.

"It's horrible!" one of them shouted, clinging to her friend and smearing paint across her bodice without being aware.

"They're such wretched things," one of the others wept.

"Keep it away from me," the lady who had believed the lizard would bite her said, then wailed, "I want to go home!"

"So do I," the one who was weeping said. "I cannot marry a man with snakes."

Bernadette huffed an impatient sigh and searched around for an answer to calm the impending storm.

She caught sight of Alden as he strode forward, saying, "Do not worry, ladies. This magnificent species is called a fire skink, and they are completely harmless."

The ladies paid no mind at all to Alden's insistence that the lizard was harmless. They clustered to the side, clutching each other, as if for safety, as Alden came to take the skink away from Bernadette.

Bernadette caught her breath at the slip of Alden's hands against hers as the skink was transferred. If it meant she could touch the man she loved openly and without censure, she would find and retrieve all the reptiles Alden owned.

"Fire skinks are natives of West Africa, but I acquired this feisty boy from a colleague of mine who could not house him any longer. Would you like to pet him? He is actually quite sweet."

The ladies all squeaked and shuddered as Alden tried to approach them, holding out the skink.

It was then that Bernadette was struck by the perfect idea to both entertain and alleviate the fears of Alden's guests, and perhaps make some of them more open to sharing Lyndhurst Grove and their lives with Alden.

"Why do you not offer the instructional tour of the terrarium that you had in mind now?" she asked, resting a hand on Alden's arm. She turned to the ladies. "Would you not like to learn more about Lord Alden's daring exploits in South America and the Caribbean and discover interesting things about the species he has brought back with him?"

The ladies all shook their heads emphatically, but Bernadette knew the idea was sound.

"Yes," Alden said, turning to smile at Bernadette. "I think that would be an ideal afternoon activity. A tour of the terrarium would be just the thing."

"I shall arrange it at once," Bernadette said, her organizational mind going to work.

She stepped away from Alden, intent on making the ladies of the party less wary of Alden's creatures, but even as she did, she wondered if doing so would spell the beginning of the end for whatever connection the two of them might have.