Chapter Six

“I thought you said you would not often be in society.”

Samuel smiled briefly, though his shoulders lifted just a little in tension. “Yes, Crawley, but as you can see, I have decided to attend this one.”

“Indeed.” Lord Crawley eyed Samuel suspiciously, in a way that Samuel did not much like. “And that even after you discovered that Lady Florentina would be present this evening.”

“And this surprises you?” Samuel arched an eyebrow, hoping that this, as well as the slight dryness of his tone, might prevent Lord Crawley from asking any further questions but, to his frustration, it did not.

His friend nodded. “It does indeed. I was present when you announced your engagement at the dinner table and I believe the shock is still with me!”

Samuel sniffed. “Your point is…?”

“My point is, during that dinner, you made it very clear that not only were Lady Florentina, her sisters or her mother not to speak of your engagement to anyone—something I find a little strange—but you also stated you were not often going to be present in society. I think you declared that hardly anyone would know of your presence. And yet, here you are, at one of the most prestigious—and crowded—balls of the Season, where nearly everyone will be aware of your presence!”

With a shrug, Samuel tried to find a reason to offer his friend for his actions but he could find nothing to say. The truth was too dark for him to express to Lord Crawley for, though it did not concern Samuel in the least what he was intending to do, he had every expectation that Lord Crawley would protest—and protest vehemently.

“You are doing what you can to get out of this betrothal, are you not?”

Samuel turned to his friend quickly, his heart thudding. “I beg your pardon?”

Lord Crawley shrugged. “It is quite clear to me that you have no intention of actually marrying the young lady, Dartmoor. You have cursed your own foolishness enough in my presence for me to be well aware of that!”

Samuel scowled. “Be that as it may, I have not any intention of escaping this betrothal.”

“No?” This time, it was Lord Crawley who lifted an eyebrow.

Sniffing, Samuel shrugged. “I will admit that I was foolish but that does not mean that I intend to renege on my agreement.”

“You cannot,” Lord Crawley interrupted with a snort. “I was one of the witnesses who saw you sign the agreement, if you recall? I saw that, even if you were to break the betrothal, the house would still return to Lord Haddington and yet, something within me says that you are going to do all that you can to free yourself.” He studied Samuel closely, only for his eyes to flare wide. “Wait a moment! If you cannot escape the marriage, then does that mean you will encourage Lady Florentina to do so?”

The response that Samuel gave by way of silence was all that Lord Crawley evidently needed. His eyes rounded all the more, only for him to chuckle, shake his head and roll his eyes—much to Samuel’s irritation.

“Whatever as you laughing for?” he demanded to know, his face heating. “Is it not understandable that I should try to escape from this ridiculous betrothal? Surely you can understand my reasons for—”

“Oh, I can see why you would wish to be rid of the betrothal, Dartmoor,” Lord Crawley interrupted, still chuckling, “but you must be something of a dunderhead if you think that Lady Florentina will release herself from it!”

Irritated at being spoken to in such a way, Samuel scowled but his friend ignored him.

“I know Lady Florentina a little better than you and already, I can see just how loyal she is to her family,” Lord Crawley reminded him, as the scowl on Samuel’s face deepened further. “You have underestimated her once already by offering your hand in marriage, believing that her hatred of you meant she would not sacrifice herself—and then look what happened! She did accept, she did give up all of her desires, her hopes for the future and the like and is now soon to be married to you! Do you really believe that she would be foolish enough to step back from all that she has agreed to? That she would surrender, knowing that her family would then be left without a manor house? I think you underestimate her, my friend.”

Samuel’s jaw jutted forward, hating that Lord Crawley had been able to see so clearly all that he intended to do.

“By what means do you expect to turn her away?” his friend continued, still clearly mocking Samuel’s idea. “Do you think to be cruel to her? My dear friend, I believe you have already shown her enough of that and yet still, she has resolved to marry you.”

Again, Samuel’s expression drew into a scowl. His friend was laughing at his idea and yet Samuel had every intention of doing just as Lord Crawley had suggested.

“Oh, you do?” Lord Crawley’s expression changed in an instant, his eyes widening, his brows lifting. “You think to do something more, then? To make it even clearer to her just how much of a dislikeable, obtuse and stubborn fellow you are?”

“I am not as bad as all that,” Samuel retorted, a little irritated by his friend’s description of him. “But I will let her think that I am, certainly.” He lifted his chin, ignoring the way Lord Crawley rolled his eyes. “And I have other intentions.”

“Intentions?”

Samuel smirked. “Indeed. Intentions that will prove to the lady herself—by her own doing—that she is not in the least bit as determined as she believes.”

Lord Crawley opened his mouth but before he could speak, another gentleman drew near, and Samuel grinned.

“Lord Allington, good evening.” He inclined his head as the gentleman nodded, noting how the fellow glanced to Lord Crawley. “Are you acquainted with Lord Crawley?”

“I am.” Lord Allington smiled briefly, then looked at Samuel. “Is she here, then?”

Samuel rubbed his hands together, a broad smile spreading across his face as he tucked himself a little further back into the shadows. “She is,” he murmured, aware that Lord Crawley had no knowledge of what they were speaking of. “Come now, let me show you her.”

Letting his gaze rove around the room, he caught sight of Lady Florentina, a little perturbed by how his stomach lurched suddenly. Why ever was he reacting in such a way? Clearing his throat, he dismissed the sensation, telling himself that it came from the hope and expectation that came from putting his plan into action.

“The lady has dark brown curls which are pulled to the back of her head. See how the ringlets are now cast over her shoulder? There is a gentle smile on her face at present as she speaks to her sister, and the light green of her gown will, no doubt, brighten the colour of her emerald eyes all the more.”

He stopped as Lord Allington tipped his head, one eyebrow lifting. “Is there something the matter?”

“You are describing her very well, I must say,” Lord Allington replied, sounding somewhat surprised. “You clearly must think her beautiful, yes?”

A little taken aback at the question, Samuel hesitated, then shrugged, trying to ignore the sudden tug in his heart. “I think many young ladies beautiful,” he replied, as nonchalantly as he could. “Yes, Lady Florentina has a beauty about her, as you will soon see for yourself!”

At this, Lord Allington chuckled, an easy smile on his face now. “That is no bad thing! I am always delighted to be in the company of beautiful young ladies, particularly if they are unattached. There’s a certain ease to them, a freedom that I find appealing.”

Samuel tried to smile but there was something in the gentleman’s tone that put him slightly on edge. He paused. Was this truly something he wished to do? He need not proceed, of course. This was entirely a plan of his own making, an intention which he himself had devised. That meant all he had to do was state that it would not proceed as he had intended, and it would come to an end.

“Shall I go to her?”

Samuel took in a deep breath, setting his shoulders and ignoring the niggle of concern which pressed against him. “Yes, I thank you. You know what you must do.”

“Something I shall greatly enjoy, I assure you.” With a grin and a twinkle in his eye, Lord Allington stepped away, and Lord Crawley immediately put a hand to Samuel’s shoulder, tugging him around to face him.

“What did you do?”

“What I had to in order to make sure that Lady Florentina ends the betrothal by her own hand,” Samuel replied, calmly, ignoring the dark frown which pulled at Lord Crawley’s expression. “As I have said, I have intentions and I shall see them through to fulfilment. Lady Florentina will prove to herself and to me that she is not as determined as she believes… and then all will be well.” Reminding himself of what he would gain, Samuel pushed away the flickering worry that lingered in his heart. “I will be unattached as I was before and I will have Haddington House, just as I should. Then all will be well.”

“Wait a moment!” Lord Crawley exclaimed, dropping his hand from Samuel’s shoulder and staring at him for some moments. “Do you mean to say that you have asked Lord Allington to do what he can to convince Lady Florentina that he is interested in an intimate connection with her?”

Samuel tried to smile but his lips would not pull into such an expression given the ferocity in his friend’s eyes. “Yes, that is it precisely. Lord Allington is a gentleman who much enjoys flirtations and the like and when I explained my dilemma, he suggested that he might assist me in this.”

“He is going to flirt, tease and coerce Lady Florentina into a connection with him?” Lord Crawley looked away, then rubbed one hand down his face. “And she is to believe that he is half in love with her, end your betrothal, only to discover that Lord Allington is not as he has claimed?”

Seeing no reason to hide the truth from his friend, Samuel nodded. “You have understood my plan in its entirety.”

Lord Crawley said nothing for some moments, only to then explode with such an obvious anger that Samuel drew back, stepping all the more into the shadows as his friend made it quite clear what he thought of such a plan.

“Do you give even the smallest consideration to Lady Florentina in all of this?” Lord Crawley exclaimed, then dropped his voice to a low, hissing whisper as he stepped closer to Samuel, anger burning in his eyes. “I have tried to understand when it comes to Haddington House, tried to see things from your perspective but I have seen nothing but selfishness and arrogance instead! You were foolish enough to think that Lady Florentina would not sacrifice herself for the sake of her family but you were proven wrong, and now you resort to manipulation and trickery in order to garner what you want for yourself!”

“I do not see why you have such concern about that.”

“Because you are entirely inconsiderate of what will happen to Lady Florentina!” Lord Crawley hissed, throwing up his hands, his eyes narrowed. “She will be broken-hearted and if news of her connection with Lord Allington—and then quick dismissal from his company—is made known, then the ton will drop her in their estimation and her reputation could be damaged. What then for her future? Will you truly do such a thing without even considering what your actions will do to her?”

The twist in his gut told Samuel that Lord Crawley’s words had certainly had an impact but, at the very same time, he wanted to do nothing other than to ignore it. He set his jaw, his head lifting as he stood as tall as he could. “I cannot expect you to understand. You are not in the same situation as I.”

“And even if I were, I would not be able to even think about doing as you are,” came the sharp reply. “Is this truly who you wish to be, Dartmoor? A selfish, black-hearted fellow who cares for nothing and no one but himself?”

Again, that sharpness in Samuel’s gut made him wince inwardly but he pushed it aside, telling himself that he knew full well what he was doing and that Lord Crawley simply did not understand.

“I will be whoever I must in order to gain what I desire for myself.”

Lord Crawley held Samuel’s gaze for a moment, then shook his head. “Then you can do it alone,” he replied, sending a streak of surprise rushing through Samuel’s frame. “You have a gift when it comes to Lady Florentina, even if you do not see it, and yet all you can see is yourself and your own desires.” He turned away, leaving Samuel to stand alone in the shadows. “And I will have no part in it.”

“Crawley, wait,” Samuel called out but his friend ignored him, walking away directly. Swallowing, Samuel let his brows furrow, a heaviness within him that he could not shift. Setting his jaw, he pulled his gaze away from his friend and instead looked at where Lady Florentina and Lord Allington were now in conversation, hoping that he might soon find a sense of relief and hope in Lord Allington’s progress with the lady; that he would be able to forget all that Lord Crawly had just thrown at him.

But, in his very heart, all Samuel felt was pain.