Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Christopher felt sick to his stomach as he heard the click of the front door after she left. For a second time he had let the most mesmerizing women leave without a goodbye. He knew he should be returning to the other party guests, but his body wanted to follow her out the door.

"Were you thinking of stopping her?"

His mother appeared in the foyer, and Christopher realized he had been standing there far longer than intended.

"I felt bad that she was leaving under such distress. The emergency must be dire."

"I suspect the distress is not coming from the theatre."

Christopher looked at his mother, who had a concerned expression.

"Do you think it might have been something I did?" He let his own guilt show for a moment.

"I think it was something someone else said."

"What do you mean?"

His mother opened her mouth but was interrupted before she could speak.

"What are you two doing out here? "

Matilde joined them, her eyes darting back and forth between the two.

"We were just saying our farewell to my Aunt Kitty and her friend, Miss Whitten," he told her. That sounded like a reasonable explanation.

"I'm not disappointed they are leaving," said Matilde, her expression going cold.

"They are good family friends," Christopher told her. "We are very close."

"I know exactly how close you are to Miss Whitten."

Christopher felt his heart beat skip. He looked at his mother who was narrowing her eyes at Matilde. He didn't want her to be upset by something she heard.

"I don't think this is the time to discuss…"

His mother swiped her hand through the air. "Let her speak. I am prepared for anything."

"Pardon, my lady. I mean no disrespect, but I'm afraid that Miss Whitten has been trying to seduce your son this weekend. I caught her in the act of compromising herself with him last night."

That left him speechless, because it was so far from the truth. His mother only gave a little smile.

"My son has plenty of experience avoiding a woman's schemes. I don't think he would have been fool enough to get trapped by a woman into marriage. Not any woman."

He could see the tension between them as they stared at each other. He wondered if it had always been there and he just never noticed.

"He will always be a target of such women until he chooses a wife of good breeding."

"Good breeding is not always an indication of a good woman."

That statement was made in a sweet tone but with an underlying edge. Christopher felt his eyebrows lift as he felt like he was seeing his mother differently.

"Once we are married, only women of good breeding will be welcome in our house. "

"Once you are married?"

This was not how he had wanted to tell his mother about his intentions and Matilde knew that but now it was too late.

"I had planned to announce my intentions to marry Miss Sampson today."

Matilde was looking smug, which was not unusual for her but seemed distasteful at the moment. His mother wasn't as surprised as he thought she would be.

"I'm going to do my best to help Christopher reach his potential. That means keeping him away from people such as Miss Whitten."

"And Mrs Randall? She is the owner of the theatre. If you plan to bar actresses from the house that will also include her."

"We would never deny Aunt Kitty entrance," Christopher said quickly, as she was one of his favorite people.

"Not in private, but we wouldn't invite her to public parties. At some point you have to start thinking about your reputation."

"My reputation would not be harmed by having my aunt in my company in public."

The look of disgust twisted her expression. Suddenly Christopher saw how her beauty was superficial. The truth of who she was could be described as ugly, and he felt himself grow cold to her. He must avoid making a terrible mistake.

"Clearly my reputation means more to you than it does to me. I would hate to force you into a life of disappointment. Consider yourself free from any future engagement to me."

"You can't do that. You were going to announce it today!"

Matilde stomped her foot.

"I have changed my mind," Christopher said. "Perhaps it's my breeding."

She clenched her fists at her sides and let her cheeks turn red as they puffed out. She looked as if she were on the verge of violence. Christopher struggled to maintain a serious expression, but his mother couldn't. He heard a giggle from her direction.

"This is your fault!" Matilde turned her venom in his mother direction now .

"How can this be my fault? I have simply been a guest here this weekend."

His mother was breathing heavy from the laughter.

"You invited that woman who seduced him and forced me to make her leave."

Matilde looked on the verge of tears, but full of anger still. As she looked at him it was with pure loathing in her expression.

"You didn't have to force her. You could have left it alone."

"If she didn't leave, I would have made sure everyone knew what kind of woman she was. That she was looking for someone to be her protector."

"That she was a mistress?"

"I would imply that she would be open to such an arrangement."

"That would be a lie!" Now Christopher was the one on the verge of doing violence. Only his mother's hand on his arm kept him from moving towards the vile woman.

"I would only tell them that I found her in the arms of a gentlemen at a party. I wouldn't have to say more. I would have done what I must to protect my future."

Now he realized that it wasn't his fault Minnie left, but it was his fault for not stopping her. He should have protected her. He should have offered to save her. He should have offered to marry her if she wanted to, after almost ruining her. Instead, she had saved him.

"Matilde… Miss Sampson." He wanted it to be very clear they were no longer on such intimate terms. "I am going to be on my way to London shortly and I expect you will be leaving soon, so I wish you safe travels. I imagine my mother will be happy to help you with anything you need to depart."

The grin his mother had expressed that she would be thrilled. He didn't bother to tell the rest of the guests he was leaving; he didn't have time to bother with that. He had to save his future and his past.