Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

T he Lord Chancellor's home was an imposing edifice of Tudor architecture, with tall, grand columns framing the entrance and expansive windows that glowed warmly with the light from within. The driveway was lined with meticulously trimmed hedges and ornate lampposts, leading up to a large, elaborately carved front door.

As Aaron and Judith approached, the door opened to reveal Lord Eldridge, the Lord Chancellor himself. He was a tall, dignified man with a stern but welcoming countenance. His powdered wig and formal attire gave him an air of authority and gravitas.

Aaron paused, for it was unusual for a peer to wear this attire to a ball, but Lord Eldridge had always had a reputation for being rather eccentric. A man beside him whispered something in his ear, no doubt their names, and he quickly greeted them.

"Your Grace, Lady Judith," Lord Eldridge greeted, bowing slightly. "Welcome to my home. I trust you will have a delightful evening."

"Thank you, Lord Eldridge," Aaron replied, returning the bow. "It is an honor to be here."

Judith curtsied gracefully. "Thank you for having us, Lord Eldridge."

Lord Eldridge nodded, motioning for them to enter. "Please, make yourselves at home. The ballroom is just through those doors."

Aaron escorted Judith inside, the opulent interior of the house capturing their attention. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a brilliant light over the marble floors. The walls were adorned with rich tapestries and portraits of notable figures, giving the space an air of elegance and refinement.

As they moved through the throng of guests, Aaron spotted Graham standing near the grand staircase, deep in conversation with a group of gentlemen.

"There is my friend. Would you excuse me?" he asked.

"Of course," Judith said and then made her way toward her friend, Joanna, who was standing by the window.

"Graham!" Aaron called out, a genuine smile on his face.

Graham turned, his eyes lighting up. "Aaron, there you are! I wasn't certain you'd come. You indicated in the negative. Well, it is good to see you."

They exchanged a firm handshake and the customary pleasantries before Aaron got to the point.

"I'd like to introduce you to someone," he began. "That is why I am here. Otherwise, I would not have come this evening."

Graham raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? And who might that be? She must be quite special, for you to change your plans."

Aaron took a deep breath. "The woman you spoke to at Green Park."

Graham's eyes widened with recognition. "You found her? How did you manage that?"

Aaron cleared his throat, bracing himself to lie to his dear friend. "Well, as it turns out, I know her quite well. She is Lady Judith Birks, the daughter of the late Lord Worcester. The current Lord Worcester is my friend, Oliver."

"Oliver's sister? I had no idea. I know Oliver well but have never met his sister." Graham cleared his throat and looked around the room eagerly. "And how did you figure out that it was her I spoke to?"

"Well, I was actually at the park with her," Aaron said, glancing back toward Judith. "Oliver has entrusted me with the task of finding her a suitable husband. I took her to the park to promenade that day and lost sight of her. As it turns out, when I told her I had a friend I wanted to introduce her to, she informed me she'd already had the pleasure, and thus I put two and two together."

The lie rolled off his lips easily, to his great relief and shame.

Graham's intrigue turned into a delighted smile. "What good fortune, indeed! I had no idea she was Oliver's sister, and such a charming lady at that."

Aaron forced a smile, feeling a pang of guilt. "When you mentioned you'd spoken to a lady at the park, I didn't realize it was her. I apologize for not making the connection sooner."

Graham waved off the apology. "No harm done. I'm just glad to have the opportunity now. Shall we?"

Aaron nodded and led him through the crowd, his mind racing. Despite his misgivings, he knew this was the right thing to do. Introducing Judith to a good man like Graham was what she needed.

As they approached her, he hoped fervently that she would find happiness, even if it meant his own heart would shatter under the weight of his unspoken feelings.

"Judith," Aaron said as they reached her. "May I present to you Graham Baxter, the Earl of Leeds."

Graham bowed deeply. "Lady Judith, it is a pleasure to meet you again. Our last meeting was so suddenly interrupted."

Judith curtsied, a warm smile on her face. "The pleasure is mine, Lord Leeds. Again. How fortunate that we both know His Grace here."

"Indeed," Graham said and looked at Aaron with genuine gratitude in his eyes.

However, he then turned slightly so that he was standing between Judith and Aaron, and Aaron recognized the sign that his assistance was no longer needed.

Slowly, he stepped back, knowing it was now time for fate to play its part. All he could do was stand and watch from a distance while the woman he loved fell for one of his best friends.

Judith felt a twinge of sadness as Aaron stepped back, his presence a comforting but elusive shadow in her peripheral vision. Graham's voice brought her back to the present.

"Lady Judith, it is truly a delight to see you again," Lord Leeds said warmly, his bright blue eyes sparkling with genuine pleasure. "I feared I had lost my chance to speak with you further when I couldn't catch your name at the park. What good fortune that Aaron knows you."

Judith smiled politely, though her heart ached a little. "Yes, it is fortunate, indeed."

Lord Leeds' expression grew more serious. "May I ask what happened that day? You hastened away so quickly, I was quite concerned."

Judith took a deep breath, pushing thoughts of Aaron to the back of her mind. "My brother, John, had an accident at Eton. He broke his leg, and we had to rush to fetch him from school."

Lord Leeds' expression softened with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he is doing well now."

"He is, thank you," Judith replied, genuinely touched by his concern.

Lord Leeds gave a charming, boyish grin. "You know, I once broke my foot when I was a boy. I was attempting to climb a tree that was far too high for me."

Judith chuckled softly. "And how did you manage that?"

"Well," Lord Leeds said, his tone light as he recounted the tale, "I was convinced there was a bird's nest at the top, and I wanted to see if there were any eggs. Of course, I didn't get very far before I lost my footing and tumbled down. The next few weeks were spent with my foot elevated, being pampered by my mother and sisters. They didn't let me forget my folly for a long time, however. My sister took to calling me egghead because I had only eggs on my mind, according to her."

Judith laughed, genuinely amused. "It seems boys are the same everywhere, always finding ways to worry their mothers. John broke his during a riding lesson."

Lord Leeds laughed with her, and for a moment, she felt a warmth toward him. He was charming and kind, his demeanor pleasant and easy. But from the corner of her eye, she kept watching Aaron, who stood a little distance away, his expression unreadable.

As Lord Leeds continued talking, Judith found herself torn. The Earl was undoubtedly a good man, and any woman would be fortunate to have his attention. Yet, her heart kept yearning for Aaron, the man who had been there for her in her moments of need, the man who made her feel a flutter of emotions she couldn't quite understand or control.

She tried to focus on Lord Leeds, to give him the attention he deserved, but a part of her couldn't help but wish that it was Aaron standing before her, speaking with her, making her laugh.

She sighed inwardly, knowing that she was in a complicated position, caught between duty and desire, between what was expected of her and what her heart longed for.

As the music swelled, Lord Leeds extended his hand to her. "Would you do me the honor of this dance, Lady Judith?"

She nodded, grateful it wasn't the waltz. "Of course, My Lord."

She took his hand, and they lined up with the other dancers. When it came time to step onto the dance floor, he easily took her hands, and they moved gracefully across the dance floor, joining the others in a lively quadrille.

"You are a divine dancer," he remarked.

"I thank you. Aaron—His Grace helped me, for I had been quite rusty, given my father's passing."

"Ah, I had heard. My condolences for your loss," Lord Leeds offered. His face reflected his words, showing her they were not empty as such words often were. "One can never know when life will come to a sudden end. My father's passing made me realize that. I hadn't planned on being Earl so soon."

"Is that why you are looking to start a family soon?" Judith asked, knowing it was blunt, but they both knew why they had been introduced.

Lord Leeds' light conversation floated over the music. "Indeed, I decided it was time. I recently purchased a new house in Mayfair. It's a beautiful property, and I hope to start a family there soon."

Judith smiled politely, trying to engage. "That sounds lovely. Mayfair is such a charming place. May I ask where exactly the house is?"

Lord Leeds described the house and its location in detail, but Judith found her thoughts wandering. She knew she should be more interested, should be more engaged, but her mind kept drifting back to Aaron. She longed to be with him, to hear his voice, to feel the comfort of his presence.

"Lady Judith, are you quite alright?" Lord Leeds' concerned voice broke through her reverie. "You seem a bit quiet, perhaps even sad."

She sighed softly. "No, it's just… lingering upset over the incident at my brother John's school."

He tilted his head to the side. "Pray, what happened?"

She sighed deeply with frustration. "When we tried to remove him from school, the headmaster refused us on account of our gender. Women cannot remove a child from school without a man's presence, even if they are his family. Aaron—His Grace had to step in."

Lord Leeds frowned, clearly displeased. "That's outrageous. Women should be treated far better than they are. I might be considered a bit too forward-thinking for my time, but I believe women should even have equal rights. Aaron feels the same way, you know. I wish there were more of us."

Judith's heart swelled at this revelation. "Does he? I'm pleased to hear it."

At that moment, the music signaled a partner change, and Judith found herself face-to-face with Lord Pembroke. His enthusiasm was immediate and overwhelming.

"Lady Judith!" he exclaimed, his eyes sweeping over her in a way that made her uncomfortable. "You look absolutely stunning this evening. I missed you at Almack's."

Not wanting to repeat the ordeal they had undergone with John, she simply smiled at him.

"Thank you, Lord Pembroke," she replied politely, though she found his gaze unsettling.

"I had hoped to see you. I have had much good fortune recently and found myself the winner of not one, not two, but three curricle races," he said.

"Is that so?" she uttered.

There was little she disliked more than curricle races. A reckless undertaking that served no purpose but to bolster the ego of those partaking—she thought it a useless activity. Of course, she knew better than to say that. Instead, she did what Aaron had taught her to do—she encouraged her partner's interests.

However, as they danced, Lord Pembroke talked incessantly about himself, his wealth, and his connections. Judith nodded politely but felt a growing sense of unease. His conversation was self-centered, his demeanor arrogant. She couldn't wait for the dance to end.

When the partners changed again, she was back with Lord Leeds. Relief washed over her as she returned to his familiar and kind presence.

"Are you alright?" he asked, noticing her discomfort.

"Yes, thank you," she said, more sincerely this time.

She realized then that Graham was indeed a very decent man. His kindness and forward-thinking nature were admirable. Indeed, if she hadn't met Aaron, Lord Leeds was exactly the sort of man she would have hoped for. She didn't feel any romantic attachment to him, but she could imagine this might change in time. Even if it did not, he was pleasant. And that was more than many wives could ask for.

Determined to push thoughts of Aaron away, she focused on Lord Leeds, allowing herself to be more outgoing. She focused on each word he said, and when he made a witty remark about the Lord Chancellor's penchant for overly grandiose decorations, she chuckled almost naturally.

When the music ended, he escorted her off the dance floor as their conversation continued. Still, even then, when she caught Aaron's eyes across the room, she felt a pang of longing.

No. Lord Leeds is the type of man I need. He wants a family. He offers stability and kindness. Aaron offers nothing, he'd made that clear.

She focused on the man before her, who might be her future. But even as she laughed with Lord Leeds, she couldn't shake the feeling that her heart was elsewhere, with the man who had always been there for her, silently supporting her.