Chapter 4

"Well?" She asked, "Do not make me repeat myself."

William didn't know what to say to that. This was his house, and here she was with not so much as an apology for her previous behavior. In fact, she seemed to be continuing with it.

"What are you doing here?" William finally managed to ask.

He had wanted to sound strong and threatening, but it came out more surprised than anything.

The young woman"s expression remained unreadable for a moment, her gaze steady as she assessed him. Then, without uttering a word in response, she simply turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving William standing there, his mind racing.

As he watched her retreating figure, a thousand questions raced through his mind, but before he could ponder the matter any further, a servant approached.

"Is everything all right, Your Grace?" The servant asked, and William sighed.

At least this one seemed to know who he was.

William shook his head, his thoughts still reeling from the unexpected encounter.

"I"m not sure," he replied honestly, too confused to give it any more seriousness, "But I intend to find out."

There was one person in the household that would be able to give him an explanation as to the girl, and he found her in the drawing room.

"Mother, we need to talk," he said firmly.

"I know. That is why I have been waiting for you to return from the study."

"I am serious, Mother."

Virginia turned to face him, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"William, darling, whatever is the matter?"

"I insist you come with me," he replied, his tone leaving no room for negotiation, "There are matters that require our immediate attention and I do not wish to discuss them here."

With a resigned sigh, Virginia set down her tea and rose from her seat, following William out of the drawing room and into the quiet solitude of the study.

As William and his mother sat in the study, a heavy silence settled between them. But it was a silence fraught with tension, as William"s mind raced with questions and suspicions.

"Who is that girl," he said firmly, "And why is she in our house?"

"William, my dear, I assure you, I have no idea what you"re talking about," she replied, "It is as you said, I have taken on a lot of staff. It is difficult to know who you are referring to."

"Don"t play coy with me, Mother," he snapped, his frustration bubbling to the surface, "That awful and defiant girl. The disheveled one with green eyes and a terrible attitude. I saw her with my own eyes just outside of this very room. She"s the same girl who caused the carriage accident on the road."

Virginia"s eyes widened in realization, a flicker of guilt passing across her features before she laughed softly.

"Ah, that girl," she said, "Yes, well, she"s... a friend of one of the servants. I thought it would be charitable to offer her some hospitality."

But William was not convinced. He could see through his mother"s thinly veiled excuses, and he knew there was more to the story than she was letting on.

"A friend of one of the servants?" He repeated incredulously.

Virginia"s expression faltered for a moment, her eyes darting away from his accusing gaze. It was clear that she had been caught off guard by her son"s sudden outburst.

"Mother, are you aware that you have endangered us all with your reckless actions?" He continued, "Lord Coatsworth warned me about you, and now I see that his concerns were justified."

"And why might that be?"

"You do not know this girl!"

"I understand your concerns, but you must believe me when I say that she means no harm. There is not one malicious part of her, I assure you."

"Mother, I cannot simply overlook this because you think she is nice," he replied, his tone firm, "You"ve endangered our family doing this, and I cannot stand idly by while you put our family"s reputation at risk. Truly, do you not see the issue here?"

"But William, darling, why are you so against me having a companion?" she asked, "You don"t even know her. How can you judge her so harshly?"

"I know her kind," he spat, "A secret social climber, looking to bring others down to their level with brazenness and impropriety, if they cannot be used to propel her that is."

Virginia"s eyes widened in shock at his accusation, hurt flashing across her features before she quickly composed herself.

"William, please," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper, "Do not speak of her in such a manner. It is not how I raised you to be."

"Mother, if this girl causes any more trouble, I will have no choice but to throw her out," he declared, his voice firm and resolute, "It is not how I wish to be, but I cannot have such risks be taken."

"You cannot simply turn her out onto the street. She is a guest in our home, and we must show her compassion."

"Compassion, Mother? What about our family"s reputation? What about the consequences of her actions?" He retorted, his tone edged with frustration. "We cannot afford to be seen as soft on impropriety."

"And what has she done that is improper?"

"The way she speaks to me," he said firmly, "The way she acts in public."

"William, I understand your concerns, but we cannot simply cast her aside like yesterday"s news," she argued, her voice tinged with desperation, "She is a human being, with feelings and emotions just like you and me. We must show her kindness and understanding."

"Kindness and understanding will only get us so far, Mother," he replied, his tone growing increasingly impatient, "We must be firm in our resolve to uphold the standards of our family, no matter the cost, especially if said cost is some girl off the streets."

"William," she implored, her voice barely above a whisper, "I cannot bear to see another soul cast aside because of your stubborn pride. She has been with me throughout your absence, and I refuse to lose her in exchange for a mere few days with you before you leave again."

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air between them, the weight of their argument pressing down upon them like a suffocating blanket. But then, slowly, William"s expression softened, a flicker of understanding dawning in his eyes.

He had left her. It was his own fault that she had had no choice but to befriend this girl, however such a companionship came to be.

"Very well, Mother," he relented, "She can stay until she finds somewhere else to go. But there will be rules."

The evening descended upon Bolton Manor, and soon enough the dinner he had been looking forward to was upon him and he no longer wished to be present. Seated beside him was the same terrible girl he wished to be rid of, and he couldn't fathom why she was dining with them if she were a maid.

It seemed to be completely normal for the two ladies, however, and they talked as if William was not even there, which he certainly took a dislike to.

"Shall we go to the market this week?" Virginia asked her, "Last week's was certainly… eventful."

"Oh goodness, don't remind me!" Olivia replied, her laughter bright, "It was such a lovely day, though. I should very much like to go again, though perhaps we should behave more appropriately this time."

William swore they were doing it on purpose.

"Indeed, but it was quite the adventure," she nodded, "Especially when we stumbled upon that charming little bakery and indulged in far too many pastries. Well, that and other things…"

"Ah, yes, I must admit, I may have overindulged a bit," she confessed, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, "But rest assured, I learned my lesson well enough the following morning."

"Oh, nonsense, my dear," she replied, her tone reassuring, "There was no lesson to be learned. It was a delightful treat, and we both deserved a little indulgence."

"Enough," William commanded, "There will be rules now that I am here. There shall be no more of these improprieties at all."

He had hoped to have some effect over the girl, but she fixed her gaze on him and was undeterred. He would have respected her debetrothed if it didn't vex him so thoroughly.

"First and foremost, there will be no more disruptions," he declared, "I will not tolerate any further incidents that jeopardize the reputation of this household."

"Dearest," the dowager duchess sighed, "Nothing untoward happened. We were only having some fun together, and-"

"Make no mistake," he continued, looking directly at their guest, "I will be watching closely, and any further transgressions will be met with swift and severe consequences."

The girl didn't say a word, but she continued to look at him as if waiting for his rules.

"No one bothers me while I am in my study," he began, "Noise is to be kept to a minimum at all times, and no social gatherings are to be held under any circumstances unless I specifically agree to it."

"William, perhaps we can find a compromise," his mother suggested gently, "After all, this is still a home. We cannot simply become silent at all times."

"Mother, I appreciate your concern, but these rules are non-negotiable," he replied, "I will not compromise when it comes to the reputation of our family."

"But, dearest-"

"No, Mother."

"Perhaps," the girl nodded, "We should listen to the duke, Virginia. It is his home, after all."

William hated that she called his mother by her first name, but she was agreeing with him and he did not wish to change that.

"If you are sure," his mother nodded, seeming to smile apologetically to her.

"Now, are you quite finished, Your Grace?" She asked.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Wonderful. Now, Virginia, back to our conversation…"

William was stunned. She was supposed to be threatened by him; he was the person that decided whether or not she could stay, and yet she did not care whether he was there or not.

"Ah, that reminds me that we have been invited to a ball!" The dowager duchess said suddenly, "Do you remember the ball at Lord Harrington"s estate? He is to hold another next week."

"Of course I remember! It was such a magical evening," she replied, "The ballroom adorned with candles, the music filling the air. It was like something out of a fairy tale."

"Indeed, it was a night to remember," she remarked, a hint of whimsy in her voice, "The gowns, the dances, the scandal! I thought my days of attending such events were over, but oh how wrong I was!"

"It was my first ball, and I truly thought it was because of that that I enjoyed myself so thoroughly. I had no idea that they could be so wonderful at all!"

"Then we must see to it that it is not your last."

"You will not be attending a ball," William said firmly, "I suspect that the invitation was extended to my mother, and it is improper to bring those that have not received an invitation themselves."

"Actually," his mother explained, "The invitation is indeed for her, too. It is for the both of us. Olivia has made herself somewhat known in the county, and she is very much well liked."

What luck, he thought.

"Be that as it may, it is against my rules."

"Actually," Olivia pointed out, "It isn't. No noise would be made here, the social gathering would not be held here, and if anything it would make it impossible for the two of us to bother you. None of your rules would be broken, and you said yourself that those are your only requirements."

She was right, and he hated her for it.

"Very well," he nodded begrudgingly, "But there shall be no indulging, as you put it, and you will return at a reasonable hour, and should I hear even a whisper of gossip you shall be out. Is that clear?"

"As clear as crystal," she smiled at him.

She was almost pretty, he thought, and had it not been for her foul personality she may well have been married off by now rather than tormenting him in his own home.

Frankly, he couldn't stand her, and the less he saw of her, the more bearable his stay there would be. In fact, if she wished to be out of the household with his mother each and every day it would be wonderful. She was the ‘wrong sort' that he had been warned about, and he knew that he had to pay a visit to Coatsworth soon.

He had to thank him for the warning.