Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

“ N ow, today while we ride, I want you to think about posture,” Seth said, keeping his voice low so the people walking down toward the stables on either side of them wouldn’t overhear their conversation. “Keep your back straight. Keep your chin up. Don’t slouch, and don’t cast your eyes downward. Remember that you are a beautiful young lady, and everyone should see that when they look at you. If they don’t, it’s their own fault.”

“I’m not very good on horseback,” Lady Lavinia confided.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Plenty of people aren’t very good on horseback, and many of them are here. You’re not trying to impress all these people. What we’re hoping for is that there is one gentleman out among the crowd who will see you and become enamored of you.”

“And you think seeing me on horseback will lead someone to become enamored of me?”

“One never knows what will do it. Come into the stable, I’ll help you find a good horse.”

“Good morning, Lady Lavinia,” a voice spoke up.

They both turned. The voice belonged to Duncan Ellis, Viscount of Hennington, a gentleman Seth knew casually. They had interacted on several occasions, and he had always been pleasant and easy to talk to, though Seth wouldn’t have called him a close friend.

“I wasn’t aware you had been introduced to Lady Lavinia, Lord Hennington,” he said.

“Oh, I haven’t had that pleasure,” Lord Hennington said. “I asked a friend for your name, my lady, and plucked up the courage to come and speak to you.”

That was laying it on a bit thick, Seth thought. Lady Lavinia was lovely, to be sure, but she wasn’t intimidating. How much courage could it possibly have taken to come and talk to her?

But then, maybe it had. Maybe Lord Hennington didn’t feel confident in his ability to charm ladies. There was no denying that he looked a bit shy right now. Seth had the feeling he was wishing he could be alone with Lady Lavinia, but Seth wasn’t going to simply walk away and leave them together. That wouldn’t be right…would it?

But then, what would be wrong with it? It wasn’t as if they were alone . There were dozens of people all around. They didn’t require him as a chaperone right now to keep things proper. And Lord Hennington was no Lord Routhecamp. He was a perfectly decent man, more than capable of showing Lady Lavinia a good time.

She’s trying to gain the attention and interest of eligible gentlemen, and now one is speaking to her. I ought to allow that to happen.

Why couldn’t he bring himself to do it?

He looked at Lady Lavinia. She wasn’t looking back at him. Her attention had turned to Lord Hennington, and she looked pleased and happy. Her cheeks were pink. As he watched, she raised her hands as if to fidget with the gown she was wearing. Then she seemed to think better of it and lowered her hands again.

Seth felt a twinge of frustration. He was the one who had taught her to keep her hands at her sides while socializing with people. Now she was using his advice to impress another gentleman.

But wait a moment—that had always been the plan. She was supposed to be trying to impress other gentlemen. Seth shook his head. What was he thinking? Why was he allowing this situation to bother him? This was what they had planned and hoped for—it was what was supposed to happen. It was proof that his lessons were working.

He did want them to work, didn’t he?

“It’s very nice to meet you, Lord Hennington,” Lady Lavinia said with a smile. “I’m honored that you decided to come over.”

It was a little awkward, but nowhere near as awkward as he’d seen her be in the past—in fact, there was something charming in that awkwardness. Lord Hennington seemed to think so too, for he moved closer to her instead of pulling away.

“I wondered if you might like to ride together today,” he said. “If you agree, my horse is ready. I could help you mount your own, and I’m more than happy to ride at whatever pace is comfortable for you. We could spend the morning getting to know one another a little better.”

Then he seemed to remember that Seth was standing there. “Unless you’re already spoken for, of course,” he added hastily.

“Oh, no, I’m not,” Lady Lavinia said. She said it a little too quickly, a little too eagerly, in Seth’s opinion. Hadn’t he just been offering to help her onto her horse?

“You’re not planning on riding with the duke?”

“He was only helping me find a horse,” Lady Lavinia said. “Isn’t that right, Your Grace? I think he has other plans for the ride itself.”

That was pure fiction. Seth had no other plans. In fact, he had been planning on riding with her, and she knew that—if only to instruct her further on how to show herself off.

But she was right. She wasn’t spoken for. He had intended to spend this ride teaching her more about how to act appropriately in social settings, that was all. Their lessons couldn’t be expected to take precedence over an opportunity to actually socialize with a gentleman, especially someone who seemed to have a genuine interest in her.

Yet Seth found himself racking his brains, trying to come up with a reason to stop them.

There was nothing to say. “You’re quite right, Lady Lavinia,” he said. “I’m very glad you’ve found someone who has the time to assist you. That will allow me to turn my attention back to more important things.”

She looked wounded. Seth felt a little surprised at himself—had he said something wrong? He knew that had been rude. He’d implied she wasn’t important to him. But hadn’t she been trying to imply the same thing? Didn’t she want Lord Hennington to think there was nothing between them?

It had been so much easier with Lord Routhecamp. He had known he was justified, then, in his desire to intervene, because Lord Routhecamp was a scoundrel. But everything he knew about Lord Hennington was favorable. There was no reason—no legitimate reason, that was—to try to stand between him and Lady Lavinia.

Seth couldn’t understand why that made him feel so angry.

He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you two will have a pleasant day together,” he said. “Lady Lavinia—we’ll finish our conversation later.”

“Oh—all right, Your Grace,” she said, blushing even more deeply.

He shouldn’t have said that last part, he reflected as he walked away. He shouldn’t have suggested that there was a conversation taking place between the two of them, much less one so important that it would need to be finished. Now Lord Hennington would wonder whether he had interrupted something meaningful. He might even ask Lady Lavinia what it had all been about, forcing her to come up with an answer—and, of course, she couldn’t tell the truth.

Seth wondered whether, on some level, he had done that on purpose.

Perhaps it had been his way of laying claim to Lady Lavinia—who, of course, did not belong to him in any sense. Of course, if that had been his intent—whether he’d thought of it consciously or not—it was inexcusable. He was supposed to be helping her to find love, not standing between her and any interested parties.

But he couldn’t deny the fact that it made him feel just a little reassured to think that Lord Hennington might even now be wondering if he had stepped into something he couldn’t compete with—if Lady Lavinia might have something going on with Seth. A duke. Lord Hennington was perfectly pleasant, but he was only a viscount.

Oh, what a mess this was. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking of things in this way!

He turned to look back at Lady Lavinia. She had been helped up onto her horse and was smiling down at Lord Hennington. Seth felt an odd mixture of pride in her and something that was almost jealousy. The two emotions curdled together in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea what to make of the way he was feeling right now.

He sighed and turned away, returning to his own horse. He had agreed to go along for this ride. It would look too conspicuous if he went back inside now. He was just going to have to go through with it and watch Lady Lavinia and Lord Hennington together, and try not to think too hard about why that was bothering him so much.

Maddeningly, her posture was perfect as they set out from the stables. It made him think of the day—a day that might not be too far off now—when she wouldn’t need him anymore.

I’ve gotten used to helping her, he realized.

But when she found love—and at the moment, it seemed more like when rather than if —she wouldn’t have a place for him in her life any longer. It wasn’t as if the two of them were friends. What existed between them was temporary and always had been—he was helping her find a suitor. She wouldn’t need him anymore once she’d found one.

He had only taken this on as a way of settling the score between the two of them, so he should be glad of the possibility that things would reach their natural conclusion. Instead, he felt sad about it, and he couldn’t understand why.

Anyway, he didn’t want to watch the two of them talking and laughing together for the remainder of this ride. He urged his horse to move faster and overtook them, pulling to the front of the group so he wouldn’t have to think about what was going on behind him.

But he couldn’t get it out of his mind.