Chapter 25

CHAPTER25

William was never one to enjoy the company of his peers. He found most of them to be rather supercilious without much substance to back up their claims of greatness.

However, since he had gotten married to Selina, he found that he had to suffer these fools a bit more regularly and that he was even finding the patience to not antagonize them as much as he used to. There were still some instances, though, that he felt as if these esteemed gentlemen seriously needed to be put in their place.

“I say, Trowbridge has been getting rather busy ever since we got here to Colman Park,” Sir Manning remarked with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile.

“I know,” Sir Thatcher replied with a shake of his head. “Poor Lord Cosby. I suppose he was looking forward to making progress with his lady this weekend. Perhaps he never thought that Trowbridge would sweep Lady Julia off her feet so quickly.”

“Who is to say that she has been swept off her feet?” Lord Morton guffawed. “Have you ever met a woman more difficult than Lady Julia Lewis? If she did not have such excellent looks and a great wit, I doubt she would have garnered as much attention as any other young lady.”

William pinned him with a glare. “And by difficult, do you mean that you had a hard time getting her to pay attention to your inane rambling?”

“Good God, man!” Lord Montgomery chuckled in discomfort. “There is no need to be so savage about it.”

“Yes,” Lord Morton replied acidly. “After all, not everyone can be a duke and have the ladies falling for you the moment you walk into a room.”

William could just as easily say that the man simply lacked the ability to be able to attract a possible mate in a sea of young women angling for a husband, but he found that he lacked the wherewithal to expend his efforts in dealing with a man who was not only lacking in looks but in intellect as well. It was ironic that he was so bitter towards Lady Julia Lewis for possessing both in abundance.

William never thought he would see the day when he would even be trying to defend the eldest daughter of the Earl of Powell, but Lady Julia was his wife’s closest friend, and an insult to her was an insult to Selina, and that was something he could never forgive.

“Well, you can just blame yourself for the circumstances of your birth, Morton.” One of the other gentlemen laughed.

Or you can simply blame your lack of ingenuity. Or your lack of wit. Most definitely, it is not for your lack of wealth or title.

If Selina had not insisted on spending time with Mary, and if Andrew had not insisted on going out for a turn about the gardens with Lady Julia, he would not have had to suffer the company of such fools. As it turned out, he was actually more magnanimous than he initially gave himself credit for.

Lord Montgomery suddenly frowned. “We know that Lord Trowbridge has taken Lady Julia out for a walk, but has anybody noticed Lord Cosby?”

Indeed, the Viscount was nowhere to be found although William did not find himself disappointed at the loss of his company. Lord Cosby had the most unfortunate habit of droning on and on about himself to anyone he felt the compunction to impress. William had always believed that a man’s capability was proven by action and evidence of the fact and not how loudly he trumpeted his accomplishments.

“What about you, Your Grace?” Lord Mosley turned towards William with the air of a man seeking the approval of his superiors. “Do you think Lord Trowbridge intends to court Lady Julia Lewis?”

William smiled coldly. “Now, why should I bother myself with such trivialities?”

“Come now, Your Grace.” Lord Morton grinned. “You should know better than any of us what is afoot…”

William had always known that human beings liked to hear of the downfall of others, if only so that they might elevate themselves in their minds. He had not thought, however, that “gentlemen” like Lord Morton could gossip more than a gaggle of dowagers with nothing better to do.

“Like I said, I do not bother myself with things that I do not consider to be of great importance,” William remarked dryly.

Lord Morton looked as if he might open his mouth to retort but was cut off when they saw Andrew walking into the room with his cheeks slightly flushed.

William glanced at his friend, and the ghost of a smile flickered on his face. It looked like Andrew enjoyed his time outdoors rather well which was more than he could say for himself, having had to babysit men with the intellectual capacities of toddlers.

“Lord Trowbridge!” Lord Morton called out jovially. “I see you have returned.”

William watched as his friend returned that greeting with a coolly raised eyebrow and a smile that seemed friendly enough.

“I was not aware that my company was so sorely missed, gentlemen,” Andrew remarked cheerfully as he strode over to them.

“You and Lord Cosby both.”

It would seem that Lord Morton intended to take control of this particular group, seeing as he hardly let the others talk. William, however, decided that he had had enough of their company.

He caught his best friend’s eye, and Andrew nodded subtly. It was time for them to make their exit.

“I just saw Lord Cosby on my way back,” Andrew replied easily. “Lady Amanda Thornton insisted on playing the pianoforte for him, and so did the other young ladies. They mentioned that it would have been much better if there were more who could listen to their music.”

He knew that piece of information would be irresistible to someone like Lord Morton and his group.

“Well, why did you not say so!” Sir Thatcher shot up to his feet. “Music does make everything less dreary!”

William watched in amusement as they agreed amongst themselves and left the room en masse to attend the impromptu concert that Lady Amanda Thornton and her friends were holding for Lord Cosby.

Somehow, they never failed to find more ways to embarrass themselves in front of the fairer sex.

* * *

Andrew grinned to himself as he watched the last of the gentlemen leave the room until there was only he and William left.

“So… did the ladies actually want a bigger audience?” his best friend asked him with a raised eyebrow.

Andrew just grinned sheepishly in reply. “They would never dare to say something so outrageous, but you know they would appreciate it. Otherwise, they would not have been so loud about it.”

“Young ladies would never be so ill-bred as to be loud about anything.”

“You are right. I stand corrected.”

William smiled and stood up to help himself to the liquor cabinet that Lord Colman had so generously provided for his male guests. “Brandy?”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

He nodded and poured them both a drink, handing one to Andrew. “Was Lord Cosby really with Lady Amanda?”

“He was.” Andrew nodded.

William’s lips pressed into a line. “Do not trust him.”

“What makes you think I would trust him? I do not even like the man.” He shrugged. “His sister, though, seemed nice enough.”

“You always think the ladies are nice enough,” William pointed out. “But we know very well that they have a vicious streak a mile wide.”

Andrew nodded and sipped at his brandy. “Perhaps. But what about Lord Cosby?”

“That man thinks too highly of himself. He will not appreciate you trying to court Lady Julia—even if it is nothing more than a farce.”

Andrew knew men like the Viscount—men who could not tolerate others being better than them. It would have been much better if Lord Cosby sought to put more effort into wooing Lady Julia, but alas, he knew all too well how his mind ran.

Lady Julia might disdain the Viscount for his drab conversations, but he was not to be underestimated. Men like him would sow chaos to obtain what they desired. He would not take kindly to Andrew courting the young lady he had his eyes on.

“I will keep an eye out for him,” he assured his best friend and then frowned. “You do not think he might try to hurt her, do you?”

William raised an eyebrow. “You seem to be rather concerned for the young lady you are only pretending to be courting.”

Andrew felt the heat creep up his neck. “If we are to make a convincing enough show, then I should at least show more than just the basic modicum of concern for her.”

“Most gentlemen would not be so gallant.”

Indeed, he had known of a great many who would call a grinding halt to their courtship at the slightest whiff of a scandal or disappointment.

“I am not most gentlemen,” he burst out, feeling rather affronted at the insinuation. “Besides, Lady Julia is a close friend of Selina’s. One would think that even you would be concerned as well.”

William shrugged. “Which is why I am warning you. I am hardly in the position to act on my suspicions.”

“If he so much as lays a hand on her…” Andrew trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Unable to even think it.

He felt his normally cheerful demeanor replaced by cold ruthlessness, and he stopped. Whatever it was between him and Julia, whether it had started out as a farce or not, it had shifted and become something more.

That much he could not deny.

If someone dared to even think of harming Lady Julia, Andrew only knew he would unleash hell upon that one person.

I hope Lord Cosby is not so stupid as to tempt my ire. Because I do not think that I will be capable of holding myself back should any of it involve Julia.

The Viscount might fancy himself as someone cunning and brilliant, but therein lay the downfall of most men—that they should think themselves exceedingly capable when there were others who were more so.

“On that note,” William remarked with a half-smile, “I do hope that the lady will stop taunting you so much. You already look like you are wound up so tight only the slightest bit more would cause you to snap.”

Andrew shot his best friend a glare as he downed the rest of his brandy.

“Are you speaking from experience?” he asked him.

But William merely shook his head. “Maybe. But then, the path to true love never ran smoothly, my friend. You might have to find out the exact same way I did—which is the hardway.”

Andrew merely smiled. “Fantastic. Because I would enjoy a good challenge.”

He watched as his best friend shook his head again, muttering something about folly and whatnot.

Instead, he just poured himself another glass. If the Viscount ever attempted to do something to Julia, Andrew swore he would bring the wrath of hell upon his head.

And that was only the beginning of it.