Chapter Ten

"Mother? Are you going to be ready to take our leave within the hour?" Doubts filled James' mind as he saw his mother press her brush back into the paints.

"Yes, yes. There is nothing much for me to do. I am already prepared and – "

"You have paint on your arm," James pointed out, coming closer to her as his mother looked down to see where he gestured. She then let out a breath of frustration before smiling rather ruefully. "It is only a little and the yellow goes with my gown, does it not?"

James let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head. "No, Mother, it does not go with your gown. It is clearly a daub of paint on the sleeve of your otherwise dark blue gown."

Much to his surprise, his mother only shrugged. "That does not matter to me very much. We are to be amongst friends and I do not think that they will have anything to say about it. Now," she continued, before he could protest, "what do you think of my painting?" She stepped back and permitted James to survey it and the landscape on the canvas quickly caught his breath.

It was a glorious sunset, with pink and orange streaks billowing across the sky. The dark greens and brown of the moorland were in sharp contrast but he could still see the red and yellow of the tiny little meadow flowers which she had painted into the scene. "Mother," he murmured, coming a little closer to it. "It is magnificent! You have a true skill."

His mother quickly shook her head. "No, I am not at all skillful. It has simply been practicing and practicing and practicing until I am happy with the result!"

James smiled softly and then, after a moment, kissed his mother's cheek. "I am delighted to see you painting again. You appear to be very happy indeed and that is a wonderful thing for me to see."

Lady Calverton looked up at him. "I do find it a blessing to be able to do such a thing as this. Though," she continued, her voice growing a little wistful, "the most beautiful stories are not painted on canvas but are written in the lines of our own lives." She tilted her head. "My life has known a great deal of pain and yet I find beauty and happiness in it still."

"That is because you are a remarkable lady," James answered her, stepping back so he could admire her artwork from a farther distance. "Now, as much as I should like to stand here and gaze at your painting for a little longer, I must go and prepare for this evening. You will be ready, will you not?"

His mother laughed and nodded. "Yes, of course I shall be. I am already looking forward to it."

His mind immediately went to Lady Temperance and James found himself smiling. "As am I, Mother. As am I."

***

"Billiards, my friend?"

James, who had been doing nothing other than watching Lady Thurston, Lady Temperance, Lady Hartford and his own mother playing cards for the last half an hour, smiled and rose to his feet. "Yes, of course." There came a slight reluctance to leave the ladies, to step away and to leave them behind, but he went there anyway. "I suppose I am doing nothing else!"

"Aside from watching the ladies, no, you are not." Lord Thurston grinned at him as they made their way into the billiards room. His smile faded as he turned his attention back towards James who was already picking up one of the cues. "Did you tell Lady Temperance about Lord Barlington's arrival?"

James nodded. "I did."

"And?"

"And she was stunned," James answered, approaching the table. "Horrified, in fact. I do not think I have ever seen anyone so utterly overwhelmed."

Lord Thurston clicked his tongue. "It is most displeasing to hear that he is forcing his return upon her."

"It is a little worse than that," James answered, shaking his head as his friend picked up the other cue. "Her mother appears to be in favour of it."

"In favour?" Lord Thurston's astonishment was evident in his wide eyes. "Goodness, whatever would she be in favour of it for? That gentleman caused her daughter a great deal of pain. "

James shook his head. "I do not pretend to understand, my friend."

"That must pain the lady a great deal."

"I presume it does. You should have seen her expression when I told her that Lord Barlington had returned."

Lord Thurston tutted at the thought and then went to pour them both a snifter of brandy. "Here."

James accepted it with gladness. "I thank you."

"Might I ask you something?" Lord Thruston tilted his head as a cry of laughter rang through to them from the drawing room. "When it comes to Lady Temperance, might it be that there is a slight… interest there?"

James' eyebrows lifted. "Interest?"

"She intrigues you, does she not?"

"Intrigues me is perhaps not the right word for it," James answered, finding there to be no difficulty in telling his friend the truth. "I find her… remarkable."

Lord Thurston smiled. "My wife would agree with you there. She has endured such a great deal and yet she has not shied away entirely. Yes, she is a little reserved and it did take some time for her to trust Penelope and myself, but since that bond has been formed, Lady Temperance has spoken honestly to Penelope about a great many things. I know that her heart has been shattered not only by the accident but also by Lord Barlington's rejection of her. I also know – and I do not think that this is betraying a confidence – that her sisters showed her very little sympathy and her mother was quite insistent that she return to society once she was recovered."

James scowled "That speaks of a lack of understanding."

"Indeed. If it had not been for her aunt and her insistence that Lady Temperance should move here, I do not know what else the lady would have been forced to endure. To know now that Lord Barlington hopes that they will be able to resume their engagement does make me worry for the lady even more."

"As do I," James agreed, quietly. "She is happy this evening, but I fear that the happiness will not last long."

"Unless she finds another means of happiness," Lord Thurston suggested, a slight glint in his eye as he looked to James, one eyebrow arching. "If you truly find her remarkable then mayhap… "

James shook his head. "I do not know the lady very well as yet," he said, firmly. "For the moment, I am glad simply to be an acquaintance and though that is all I might ever be, I am still determined to do whatever I can to defend her – to protect her, if I must – from the likes of Lord Barlington and his no-doubt dark intentions."

Someone cleared their throat and James turned sharply, seeing none other than Lady Temperance standing there. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes darting from one side of the room to the other as she clasped her hands in front of her, clearly a little embarrassed.

James closed his eyes and, after a moment, took a sip of his brandy simply so that he would not have to speak. How much had she overheard? How long had she been standing there?

"Lord Thurston, your wife begged me to tell you that we are quite ready for supper," she said, her voice very quiet indeed. "She would have come herself but it is her turn at whist."

"Of course," Lord Thurston answered, his gaze going to James who simply shrugged and then flushed hot as he caught Lady Temperance's glance. "We will be there in a trice. Thank you, Lady Temperance."

She smiled. "Of course." Her eyes slid towards James, the softness of her smile spreading a warmth across his heart and chasing away some of his embarrassment. "And thank you also, Lord Calverton."

He inclined his head though it was only when she left that he let out a long, slow breath, squeezing his eyes closed and shaking his head.

"I think she overheard the last of what you said, if that is what you are wondering," Lord Thurston said cheerfully, making James scowl. "But you did not say anything terrible and I am sure that she would have been rather pleased with what was said."

"Mayhap." James threw back the rest of his brandy and, picking up his cue, made towards the table. "I fully intend to beat you at billiards now, however, so that my confidence might be a little bolstered after such an embarrassment."

Lord Thurston chuckled and picked up his cue. "Very well, let us see if you can prove that… or if you will only add to your mortification. "

Letting out a bark of laughter, James took his first shot and then grinned broadly at his friend. Lord Thurston rolled his eyes and then stepped forward, and the game commenced. All the same, however, James could not quite forget Lady Temperance's expression as she had looked back at him, as she had murmured that quiet, ‘thank you'. Had she been pleased with what she had heard? Did she know just how strongly he felt in his desire to protect her? And more than that, was he truly aware of just how strong his own feelings were when it came to the lady?