Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“I wish you wouldn’t keep fidgeting with your cravat and collar, Edmund,” the Duchess of Blackwood admonished as they climbed out of the carriage. “You’re going to make it come undone, and then you won’t be able to fix it properly.”

“I feel like I’m being hanged,” Edmund grumbled. “Why do we need to feel as if we’re being strangled while dressed up like this?”

“Then you should have a word with your valet about doing it up that tightly. It’s not our fault.” The Duke of Blackwood shook his head and clapped his hand on Edmund’s shoulder. “Just go and fix it somewhere else. Nobody’s going to notice if you sneak off to sort your clothing out.”

His wife frowned at him.

“People are going to notice the duke’s son leaving the room and coming back with a loose cravat. They’ll think he snuck off to see a woman!”

Edmund rolled his eyes. Their bickering made him feel like he was still a child at times.

“I’ll see you inside the house at some point this evening,” he muttered, heading up the steps and into the house.

After greeting the host and hostess and having his coat and hat taken away by a servant, Edmund entered the ballroom. It was busy already with so many people walking around, the din of voices was at the level where it was just about bearable.

Edmund could cope with gatherings like this, but he was always relieved when he left. There always seemed to be too many people. Why couldn’t there be a stricter guest list so there would be fewer ladies and gentlemen coming through the doors?

“Edmund!”

John Sutton and Harold Cartwright were by the open terrace windows, waving at him. Relieved that they were there already, Edmund made his way to them. He clasped their hands in handshakes.

“I’m glad to see you here.” He let out a sigh as a breeze washed past him. “And that feels like heaven. I’ve only just arrived, and it feels far too warm.”

“That’s what happens when you have too many people in one place,” Harold grunted. “Which is why I opened the windows and hovered here as soon as I arrived.”

“Good idea.” Edmund adjusted his cravat and managed to loosen it. “I’m going to need it. With my strangled neck, I might get even more hot and bothered.”

“Here, let me.” John reached up, and his thick fingers managed to undo the knot in the cravat, loosening it until Edmund could breathe better. “There we go. Better? And you don’t look like you’ve been caught in a tussle.”

“Thank you.” Edmund smoothed his clothes down. “Although you’re not the first person to make that comment tonight. Mother was worried that someone might think that if I disappeared for a few minutes to sort myself out.”

Harold laughed.

“She really doesn’t have any faith in you, does she?”

“She’s got faith in me. It’s everyone else spreading false rumors that she’s worried about.”

“She has a point. Do you remember the problems I had last year?” Harold shuddered. “That took a while for things to die down.”

Edmund did remember. Harold was, by all accounts, a very good-looking man. Tall, dark-haired, and green-eyed, he was taller than Edmund. It was mostly his height that got people’s attention. The ladies wanted to be around him, but Harold was incredibly shy. It was a surprise that he knew how to talk to a woman without getting himself embarrassed with what he said or blushing furiously. Somehow, the ladies thought it was rather sweet.

John and Edmund joked it was because he was the son of the Duke of Marchwood, and that was enticing to anyone. Harold ignored them when they said that.

“So, what do you think of the ladies here?” John asked, running his fingers through his dark blond curls, scratching his scalp. “Anyone catch your eye, Edmund?”

“I’ve only just arrived, John. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Well, how about you look now? Maybe there might be someone who does catch your eye.”

Edmund rolled his eyes.

“You’re still going on with that bet we started up a few months ago, are you?”

“Of course! I have some money to win, and I need to get it sooner rather than later.”

“He only knows he’s going to win because nobody wants to marry him,” Harold said with a sly smile at his friend.

He and Edmund laughed as John glared at them.

“I have less chance than you two, yes, but the fact that I have a stake in it means…”

“Means that you can manipulate the odds in your favor and push ladies onto us,” Harold quipped.

“Sounds like it to me,” Edmund agreed.

John huffed.

“You two take the fun out of my life, don’t you?”

“Well, you started it.”

A movement near the door caught Edmund’s eye, and then his attention was snared by the sight of Amelia Everly. From where he was, he could see through the door and into the foyer. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were visible, and so was Amelia, along with a couple who looked like her parents. Amelia was wearing a pale yellow gown that shimmered in the candlelight. She looked stunning, her hair also glowing as if it was on fire.

Edmund watched as she approached the duke and duchess, only to trip over her skirt and stumble forward. The duke caught her, and Edmund could see his mouth moving.

Amelia smiled and straightened up, curtsying to him before they spoke. She laughed and held up a hand, indicating that she was all right. Her parents didn’t look thrilled with the faux pas, but Amelia didn’t seem to have noticed or cared. She was happily talking away to the duke and duchess.

She seemed to have charmed the hosts despite what had just happened. How could she be considered a pariah when she could cope after such an embarrassment of tripping and falling into her host? Edmund knew that he would be ashamed of himself if he was in that position. Things would be very awkward.

Why would anyone say anything bad about such a lovely-looking woman?

“Don’t tell me you’re finding that woman attractive,” John snapped, making Edmund jump.

“What?”

“You’re staring at Lady Amelia Everly.” John scowled. “Of all the women to get your attention, it had to be her?”

“It wasn’t intentional, but…” Edmund frowned at his friend. “You seem to have an opinion on Lady Amelia already. What’s going on there?”

John’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

“How do you know who she is? You haven’t been in London that long.”

“Just tell me what you have against her. What did she do to you, John?”

John huffed and folded his arms with a grimace.

“She entered Society earlier this year, and I thought she was stunning, and I wanted to get to know her. So I started spending time around her, only to notice that she barely made any friends.

People would talk to her, realize that she had odd opinions and wasn’t afraid to show them, and then when others attempted to get close to get to know her more, they are met with disinterest. The only person who’s gotten close is Miss Thompson. I don’t know how that happened when they seem to be complete opposites, but Miss Thompson can get through to her. It’s a strange pairing.”

Edmund listened to this with surprise. Then he remembered how they had talked in the park all those years ago and knew that Amelia was one of those people who wouldn’t be for everyone. He found her exciting and interesting, a breath of fresh air because she was so different, but there were plenty of others who wouldn’t think the same as he did. John clearly didn’t.

“Ignore him,” Harold laughed. “He’s just mad that he asked to court her a few months ago, and she rejected him.”

“Oh, really?” Edmund was surprised at that. “I didn’t think she would be your type, John.”

“Well, I thought she could be, but certainly not after how she turned me down. And so coldly as well.” John looked more upset. “I couldn’t believe that she would do that so confidently.”

“He had built himself up to the rest of our friends, saying that he would be courting the prettiest girl in the room,” Harold said, still laughing. “Then she turned him down, and John became a bit of a laughingstock in our group for a while.”

John glared at Harold, who just laughed harder, loud enough that the people nearby gave them strange looks. Edmund couldn’t stop himself from smiling, mostly because Harold’s laughter was infectious but also because John’s expression was comical. John was a good-looking man, and he was very confident. To have someone turn him down would have hurt his ego.

“Maybe it’s a good thing that you didn’t court her, John. She would give you a run for your money. You’re not compatible at all, so you would have been rejected sooner or later.”

“No woman rejects me,” John grumbled.

“Well, this one did,” Harold said with a smirk. “You need to put that aside and forget about it. You had no chance with her, and we both knew it.”

“Besides,” Edmund added, glancing around to see that Amelia was still talking to the duke while her parents were speaking to the duchess. “Maybe she’s just not interested in any of that. She is just starting her first Season, isn’t she? Who wants to jump into courtship immediately before she’s done anything.”

John didn’t look convinced about that.

“Well, she can go and have her opinions to herself. She was really rude to me as well when we talked. Wouldn’t agree with what I was saying at all. She was just insulting.”

“If she was supposedly insulting to your ‘opinions’, why did you ask her if she wanted to see you romantically?” Edmund asked.

“I thought her beauty would make up for it.”

“Now that is just shallow.”

John shrugged.

“We’re all shallow in some way, so there shouldn’t be any problem with that, right?”

“I don’t know about that. Besides, there is more to Lady Amelia than her beauty. You just have to get to know her properly and be patient.”

Harold arched an eyebrow.

“Sounds like you fancy for her yourself, Edmund.”

“Me? No, of course not,” Edmund said quickly, resisting the urge to tug at his collar. Hadn’t John loosened the cravat? “I just know her a bit better, and I know she’s not everyone’s ideal partner, but she’s still an interesting person.”

“Well, I’m not interested in that,” John declared. “If she’s going to be insulting, then I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“You mean you didn’t like it when she voiced her own opinions and didn’t nod her head, agreeing with whatever you said?”

“That’s not fair!”

Then Edmund saw a tall, dark-haired woman with a willowy figure in a dark green dress walk toward him, joined by a couple of ladies in similar gowns. They were all equally pretty and looked like they could have been sisters. The tall woman gave him a smile as she approached and curtsied.

“Lord Silverton. I didn’t realize you were back in London.”

“Lady Colette.” Edmund bowed to her. “Good evening. I trust that you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Even more so now that I know you’re here.” Lady Colette Reed’s smile widened. “I love dancing, certainly. Although everyone’s so busy talking, and I haven’t had a chance yet.”

Edmund knew exactly what she was asking for. She wanted him to ask her to dance. Ladies did not ask the gentlemen to dance; that was not the done thing. Edmund wasn’t keen on dancing, but he did it out of politeness. And from what he knew of Lady Colette, she wouldn’t let it go until he did dance with her.

He hadn’t known her for that long, but there was history. Her mother and Edmund’s mother were friends from their childhood, and they had gotten reacquainted again after more than two decades had passed. Edmund had spoken to Lady Colette quite a few times, mostly at her insistence.

She seemed to be quite taken with him, and while Edmund was flattered—she was very beautiful—he wasn’t that interested. There was something about the girl he couldn’t put his finger on, but it didn’t sit right with him.

It was best not to entertain it. Not beyond the pleasantries. Biting back a sigh, Edmund smiled at her.

“Shall we set that right, then?”

Lady Colette beamed.

“Perfect. Just perfect.”

***

“You must come by at some point, Lady Amelia,” the Duke of Sussex said with a smile. “I would like to show you everything, and we could go through the history of the place.”

“I would love that, Your Grace,” Amelia said emphatically. “I do love history, and the Greek period is fascinating.”

“It’s a shame that we have a ball to tend to. My wife will get upset if I forget to greet the other guests, and we have been talking for quite a while.” The duke chuckled and patted her hand. “But how can I resist? I’m honored that I get the attention of a lovely lady at my age.”

“Your grace!” Amelia laughed. “You shouldn’t say something like that. What would your wife say about that?”

“She would say I’ve still got the ability to be charming.” The duke bowed to her and stepped back. “Enjoy the evening, my lady. And I’m glad you decided to come. It’s refreshing to see some young, bright faces nowadays.”

Amelia didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t exactly say to the man that she didn’t want to be there, and she would rather be at home while her parents were present. But the Duke of Sussex was a really kind old man, very generous, and he didn’t mind that she was a little different to everyone else. In fact, he seemed delighted to know that there was someone for him to talk to about his love of history. Amelia had an interest in it as well. She would love to spend a day here learning about everything. It was like paradise for a historian.

If the ball wasn’t in full swing, it would be perfect.

“Amelia, dear.” Lady Downe caught her arm and steered her toward the ballroom. “You’d better get in there and start dancing.”

“What?” Amelia managed to pull her arm away. “I’m not asking anyone to dance! You know that it’s rude for a woman to ask the gentleman, don’t you? And I’m not going to start dancing randomly in the middle of the room!”

Lady Downe rolled her eyes.

“What are you even talking about? You have a dance with the Earl of Reading in a moment.”

“But how? He has not asked me.”

“He’s on your dance card.” Lady Downe held up the slim piece of paper in her hand. “I’ve gone around and gotten names for dance partners for you. The mothers here are very obliging, so it didn’t take long.”

Amelia groaned. She had forgotten that this could happen as well. It wasn’t the first time her mother had done it for her. And it hadn’t gone well that time, either.

“Do you remember the last time you did that for me, Mother? It didn’t end well, and you were embarrassed. Why would you do it again?”

“Because you need to get out there and find yourself a potential suitor,” Lady Downe shot back.

“And how am I going to do that when you force me?” Amelia hissed.

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. Then she put her hands on Amelia’s shoulders and turned her in the direction of where the guests were lining up to dance.

“Just be quiet and go to find the Earl of Reading. He’s waiting for you.”

She gave her daughter a push, and Amelia managed to stop herself from falling over again. Catching her balance, she tried to let everything sink in. She couldn’t believe this. How had she walked into a nightmare as soon as she crossed the threshold? Amelia wanted to go back to the Duke of Sussex and ask more about the history of the house, but she couldn’t do that now.

She could see the earl, a man in his thirties with a round face and a thick red mustache, his bald head shining, waiting at the end of the line. She had met Reading before, and while he seemed nice enough, he was too boring. Amelia knew that they wouldn’t be a good match regardless of what anyone thought.

She would have to get through this and brace herself for the impending conversation afterward. Reading was boring, but so eager to talk. Amelia hoped that someone would come and rescue her, and then she remembered that Margaret wasn’t here. She was on her own.

As she lined up across from the earl, who gave her a sheepish smile and a nod, Amelia noticed that she was next to a beautiful girl her age with dark hair, standing far taller than her. She gave Amelia a tiny glance, sniffed, and then looked away. Amelia didn’t pay her any heed. Someone like that didn’t deserve her attention, not when they were clearly so rude.

But the man standing across her did catch her eye. It was Edmund, looking very handsome and proud in black. He was head and shoulders above everyone else on his side of the line, but at Amelia’s short stature, everyone looked really tall. Amelia’s heart leaped at seeing him. At least there was a friendly face here.

Their eyes met, and Amelia gave him a smile and a nod of her head. Edmund just stared at her as if he was looking at a stranger. Then he gave her a brief nod before turning to his dance partner. A moment later, the dance started, and Amelia had to recall what the dance was to get her feet to move.

All the dance lessons she had taken didn’t help with the actual thing; it took forever for her to know what she was doing. Reading didn’t seem to mind too much, though, being patient with her until Amelia joined in with everyone else, keeping in time.

As she danced, Amelia kept glancing over at Edmund, but he was focused on his dancing partner. She was annoyed at his reaction. Why would he treat her like that? They were friends, surely. And they were meant to be seeing each other in a few days. Why would he suddenly behave like he didn’t know her?

Perhaps it was because it was a public setting. People acted differently with their friends, depending on the situation. Maybe Edmund didn’t want to be too comfortable with her. She was still upset about it.

If only Mathilda was old enough to be here, then Amelia would feel a little better.

Maybe it was just that. She needed to find out, though. It was bad enough that most people treated her like an outcast because she chose to be different. The last thing she needed was to have someone she had become reacquainted with treating her the same as everyone else. It was so annoying.

As soon as the music stopped and people began clapping for the small stringed orchestra that had been playing, Amelia stepped around the Earl of Reading and sidled up to Edmund.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she said.

Edmund looked down at her, his expression blank.

“I’m the son of a duke. I have to be at social gatherings like this. It’s one of those things that I have to do as my duty to the title.”

Amelia frowned. What was going on?

“Why are you being so cold with me? Did something happen between now and the last time we met?”

“Why would you think that, my lady?”

A movement out of the corner of Amelia’s eye got her attention, and she saw Lord John Sutton standing off to the side with another young man who looked as tall as Edmund. They were smirking at her.

“Excuse me.” Amelia barely had time to figure out who was behind her before she felt an elbow in her shoulder, knocking her aside. Then Edmund’s beautiful dance partner reappeared and touched his arm. “Shall we go and get something to drink, my lord? I’m thirsty after that.”

“I think that sounds like a good idea.”

Edmund barely gave Amelia another glance before he walked away with the woman, leaving Amelia staring after them. She then heard someone laughing and looked around to see the two men sniggering at her.

That’s when it hit her. They had to be friends of Edmund’s. Sutton had probably told Edmund about how she was a social outcast, bitter about her turning him down. Sutton might be good-looking, but he was too arrogant for her liking. Amelia didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

And now it looked like Edmund had been listening to him, as if he was treating her like a stranger.

Amelia was angry about that. How could someone change their mind so quickly? Where was his backbone?

It wasn’t going to stop her from going to visit Mathilda. She was a sweet girl, and it wasn’t her fault that her brother was easily swayed. Amelia wasn’t going to punish her for Edmund’s actions. She would keep the date to visit for tea and spend time with the girl.

But as far as Edmund was concerned, Amelia was not going to have anything to do with him. She would treat him as she did everyone else. Nobody deserved her kindness if they were willing to behave as they did. She might not be conventional, but she had her pride.

In any case, her father’s ultimatum was enough to keep her occupied. Amelia had to find a way around it before she got stuck in a marriage she didn’t want.

“Amelia!” Her mother appeared next to her. “Stop staring into the distance. You have another dance right now. And look like you’re actually enjoying it.”

Normally, Amelia would snap back at her and argue, but she was still upset about Edmund’s obvious snub. Pressing her lips together, she squeezed her shoulders together.

“Yes, Mother.”