Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

ALEXANDER

“ W hat could be the cause of that smile?” The gravely female voice could only belong to one person. I glanced to the right, catching Lady Tottenham’s gaze as she stared down at me on the settee.

She drifted closer, taking a seat beside me. Her inquisitive eyes matched the peacock feathers in her hair.

“Was I smiling?” I asked.

“You were, indeed.” She wouldn’t allow me to escape without giving her an answer. The guests had all gathered in the drawing room before dinner, but Anne wasn’t there yet. My mind had been wandering to the events of that morning, and the triumphant grin that Anne had displayed. I had never seen her smile or laugh so freely, and the image, and the sound, had been trapped in my mind all day. Her rain-soaked skin, vibrant eyes, rosy cheeks and lips smiling without reservation—I couldn’t banish the sight from my head. I didn’t want to.

I tapped my boot on the drawing room floor, recalling that Lady Tottenham had just asked me a question. “Would you like to play a game, my lady?” I asked.

She gave a hooting laugh. “Don’t tempt me. You know I cannot resist a game.” The wrinkles in her forehead deepened. “What is this game you wish to play?”

“If you are so curious about the source of my smile, guess what it might be and I’ll tell you if you are correct.” I wanted to know if Anne and I had been obvious enough about our attachment during the events of the day. Fake attachment, I corrected in my mind. It didn’t feel that way, at least not to me. For the first time in my life, I understood my brother. In one regard, he wasn’t a fool. Winning Anne’s heart was an accomplishment I had to commend him for. However, he was an absolute blockhead to have left her behind.

Lady Tottenham chuckled. The sound was raspy and weak, as if she had spent too much time speaking or laughing that day. “There is only one reason you would be smiling like that. You’re falling in love.”

I hadn’t expected those words exactly, but they struck me squarely in the chest. I laughed. “I suppose I am.”

She kept her voice low, but her eyes were ripe with mischief. “Did you enjoy your game of chess?”

“Very much.”

“I am glad to hear it.” She opened a small blue fan, fluttering it toward her face. “Lady Daventry’s heart is not easily won. She is reluctant to marry again given the circumstances with her first husband. You have a great task ahead of you, winning her trust, but I don’t doubt your ability. You are quite charming, you know.”

I wanted to ask about Anne’s marriage to the baron, but I kept my mouth closed. It wasn’t Lady Tottenham’s story to tell. I still didn’t understand why Anne married someone else if she claimed to have been so in love with Miles. He had never proposed to her. Had she simply grown impatient? If she had, why was she awaiting his return so patiently now? It didn’t make sense.

The drawing room door opened. Anne walked through it.

I sat up straighter. She wore a silver gown with a square neckline, her dark curls piled high atop her head. A simple pendant rested at the hollow of her throat. Her eyes met mine, pausing there for long enough to make my stomach flop like a stranded fish.

“I won’t prevent her from sitting beside you,” Lady Tottenham whispered before rising shakily to her feet. She groaned with the effort, stepping aside with a wink.

Anne crossed the room toward me, taking the cushion Lady Tottenham had just vacated. Had she only sat beside me because of our ruse? Or had she sat beside me because she wanted to? My sudden insecurities were unprecedented. I took a deep breath, scolding my heart for behaving so erratically.

“Anne,” I greeted.

“Alexander.” She gave a soft smile before her gaze drifted to the other guests in the room. She tugged at one glove, which was a habit I had picked up on. It meant she was nervous. “Everyone is looking at us,” she whispered.

“In that case, you ought to sit closer.”

She glanced at me, her lips suppressing a grin. “No unnecessary proximity, don’t you recall?”

I shook my head. “It’s necessary.”

She laughed before reluctantly shifting closer to me on the settee. Her leg rested against mine, and her hands were tucked together in her lap. The shy side of Anne was just as endearing as the headstrong side. I couldn’t help my smile as she glanced at me for approval. “Is this close enough?”

“I’ll have to leave that up to you, because I would never object to unnecessary proximity.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“We’re in public,” I said, leaning close to her ear. “I’m allowed to flirt, and you’re not allowed to glare at me at the risk of revealing the ruse.”

Her lips twisted into a frustrated smirk. When she finally looked at my face, a genuine smile broke through her expression. She laughed, shaking her head. “I never should have agreed to this.”

“I still think it was a brilliant idea,” I said in a quiet voice. “Lord Kirkham hasn’t bothered you, Octavia is not hanging on my arm, and I am permitted to spend more time with you.”

Her eyes connected with mine. She blinked fast, dropping her gaze to her skirts. “I found another clue,” she said, changing the subject.

“Already?”

She gave an eager nod. “It was inside my glove when I dressed for dinner.”

I frowned. “Is it not concerning how these clues appear in your bedchamber?”

“I suspect it’s my maid, Jane, who delivers them for Lady Tottenham.” Her eyes shifted to our hostess, who had joined a conversation with Mrs. Pike and her two nieces. “At any rate, I may need your help to decipher it.”

I chuckled. “I thought you had a way with riddles?”

She exhaled sharply through her nose. “This one is proving to be more difficult.”

“Surely I won’t be any cleverer than you are,” I said in a dismissive voice.

“Please.” She begged with her eyes. “You’re the only one here I can trust.”

Lady Tottenham’s words about winning Anne’s trust echoed through my mind. I wanted her to trust me, but I didn’t believe that she actually did. She had disregarded what I had said about Miles, but I doubted she had fully disregarded the things he had said about me. She couldn’t trust one of us without distrusting the other. I was still in second place at the moment.

“Very well.” I cleared my throat. “Of course I’m willing to try. But don’t have your hopes too high.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why do you doubt yourself? You’re a barrister. You must be quite intelligent. Surely you’re capable of more than you think.”

Though spoken lightly, her words struck my heartstrings. No one had ever had such high expectations of me. No matter how hard I tried, I had never done anything right in the eyes of my parents. All I had ever done as a child was take blame quietly in the hopes of winning the favor of the one person who still seemed to need me. Miles.

I knew how Anne felt. Miles could make anyone feel wanted and needed, even loved in order to obtain his purposes. Anne’s eyes gleamed with kindness in the candlelight, and I saw my own reflection in her dark irises. How deeply would her heart break when Miles returned to discover that she had no money to offer? If he had written to her with his intentions to court her upon his return, it was only because he was under the impression that her widowhood had brought her wealth of some kind from the late baron. He might have genuinely cared for her, but love or fondness was never enough for a man like Miles.

He thrived on strategy, logic, and greed.

All it took was one look at Anne’s disposition to know that she thrived on the opposite—trust, empathy, and love. She was strong, but with a fragile heart. A fiercely loyal one.

I pushed aside my thoughts and the sudden emotions in my throat. “Well, then. Are you going to read me the clue?”

Anne shook her head, dark curls bouncing. “Not now. I don’t want anyone else to see or hear it.”

“Tomorrow?”

She pressed her lips together with a nod. “Before breakfast.”

“In the space between the doors?” I asked with a grin.

“No.” She shot me a subtle glare under her lashes. “We already know Lady Tottenham meets with the man with the spectacles in the drawing room in the early mornings. Hopefully Lord Kirkham won’t be lurking in the corridors in search of me now that he sees the attachment between us. Shall we meet in the study on the second floor?”

I nodded. “Is there a specific time you have in mind?”

“I’ll knock twice on your door in the morning,” she said in a whisper. “Then you may follow me out.”

I threw her a curious look. “Is a shirt required?”

She cast her gaze upward toward the chandelier. Her lips fought against a smile, the corners of her eyes twitching. “Yes, and a bicorn hat.”

“That can be arranged.”

All the guests filtered out of the drawing room into the dining room for dinner. The long table was set as usual, but when everyone took their seats, I noticed three empty chairs. Lady Tottenham had assigned Anne and me two chairs beside each other, so I leaned toward her. “Did you notice…”

“The empty chairs.” She glanced around the room. “Mrs. Fitzgibbon, Miss Rowley, and Miss Morton…”

I frowned. “Where could they be?”

The first course, a creamy orange soup of some sort, was brought to the table. Lady Tottenham raised her spoon, taking a delicate slurp.

“Is Mrs. Fitzgibbon unwell?” I asked in a casual voice. “I noticed she and her cousins are not at the table this evening.”

Anne and I must have not been the only ones who were curious. All conversations fell silent in wait of Lady Tottenham’s answer.

“Mrs. Fitzgibbon, Miss Rowley, and Miss Morton will not be here for the remainder of the house party.” Lady Tottenham took a sip from her goblet.

Octavia and Victoria exchanged a glance. Mr. Amesbury dropped his spoon on the white tablecloth. He scrambled to pick it up, but not before it left a yellow stain.

I heard Anne’s sharp intake of breath from beside me. I had never considered that Lady Tottenham might be serious about sending people home. It seemed to be a threat that she gave for dramatic effect, or to make her party more theatrical. I never thought she meant it. All three women could have broken a rule, but it was more likely that only one of them did, making it impossible for the others to stay. The two young women required a chaperone, so if one of them was sent home, all three would be.

My curiosity couldn’t be helped. “What rule was broken?”

Lady Tottenham’s stern features were shadowed by the sconces on the wall beside her. “They did not break a rule. Mrs. Fitzgibbon took offense to my game of cricket, and decided to leave Birch House. Her sensibilities are too delicate, I suppose. I am vexed only because she took two of our finest young ladies with her. There are now less women at Birch house than there are men.”

Most of the men here didn’t seem overly competitive—besides Lord Kirkham. Mr. Amesbury seemed slightly disappointed with the loss of Miss Morton, but Mr. St. Vincent looked relieved. He smiled as he stirred his soup. Mr. Barnwall had obviously been intended for Mrs. Fitzgibbon, but his expression was difficult to read. He was stoic as always. Finding a mother for his six children would have to wait, and he would surely pass the time with his many other pursuits. Mrs. Fitzgibbon must not have been interested—perhaps she had even left in order to avoid him.

Lady Tottenham’s gaze settled on Anne and me. “I am pleased to see at least some of my guests are forming attachments.” She shot a glance toward Mrs. Pike and Mr. Lymington as well.

Anne’s face darkened a shade as I met her gaze. If any of the guests had failed to notice our fake courtship by now, they were no longer in the dark. Lady Tottenham had just held a candle to our attachment, lighting it up for all to see.

When the ladies removed to the drawing room, I remained with the men at the table for port. Between the seven of us, Mr. Barnwall always drank the most, followed closely by Lord Kirkham. I typically enjoyed half a glass. I hadn’t managed to befriend any of the men of the party yet, and I wasn’t certain I wanted to. Of the six options, Mr. Amesbury seemed to be the most agreeable. He sipped slowly on his port, pale eyebrows peeking out over the cup. Mr. Hatcher, with his walnut brown hair and ready smile, reminded me a little of Miles. He was amiable enough, but a little too arrogant to make his company enjoyable.

Lord Kirkham’s beady eyes lingered on my face as he finished his second glass. He had hardly said a word all evening. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I see you have taken a liking to Lady Daventry.”

My cup rested against the table, but my fingers still gripped it tightly. “I have.”

“All the ladies here seem to have taken a liking to you.” His square jaw clenched. “You could have your choice of any of them, at least for the duration of the party. You might play with one or two while you can, and marry the one with the largest dowry when the party is over.”

Mr. St. Vincent and Mr. Barnwall laughed.

I didn’t flinch. “I don’t treat women in such a vile way, nor do I treat love like a game.”

“Lady Daventry is handsome, but she isn’t as young or as pretty as Miss Colborne,” Mr. St. Vincent said with a scoff. “I’ve heard rumors that the late Baron of Daventry’s land isn’t profitable at all. To be so attached to a penniless widow approaching the age of thirty….you must be toying with her.”

“Yes,” Lord Kirkham said, gulping down another cup of port. “Surely you are hoarding all the women here for your own pleasure. Give up Lady Daventry to man who is better for her age. You may take one of the Colborne sisters.”

“I did find her efforts with the crickets rather attractive,” Mr. Hatcher mused, tracing the rim of his cup with one finger. “She is a determined one, to be sure.”

Lord Kirkham sat up taller, flashing his chipped teeth. “Well, I’m the only one she chose to kiss during the game the first night of the house party.”

“I would fight you for Lady Daventry,” Mr. Barnwall said with a nudge in Lord Kirkham’s direction. “As a widow, she has experience being married, so I would expect her to grow accustomed to the role quickly and adapt to motherhood with ease. She would make a fine wife.”

A surge of anger prickled in my chest. I filled my lungs with a deep breath, but it didn’t help. I drained my glass, my neck growing hot with irritation.

Mr. Hatcher grinned. “You might stop by her chambers tonight to see just how fine of a wife she would make.”

Mr. Barnwall gave a deep laugh. “I think I will. A woman like her must be rather desperate.”

I slammed my glass down on the table. I stood, straightening my jacket. “If you do so, I will ensure that you leave Birch House with teeth like Lord Kirkham’s.”

Mr. Barnwall stood, face red with anger.

Lord Kirkham glared at me. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been plotting to take advantage of her desperation. You can’t fool us.”

“My intentions are honorable,” I said. “I hope to marry her.”

Lord Kirkham grunted.

Mr. Hatcher tipped his head back with a laugh. “Is that so?”

I set down my glass and stood, starting toward the door. I couldn’t endure another second at the table. It took all my self control not to burst into the drawing room. I steadied the anger coursing through me and opened the door without startling the women inside.

I found Anne sitting with an open book in her lap. Mrs. Pike played a lively tune on the pianoforte.

“Are you all right?” Anne asked as I sat beside her, apparently sensing my frustration.

I met her worried gaze. “I broke one of your rules.”

She snapped the book closed. “Which one?”

My jaw tightened. “I told the men that I plan to marry you.”

“What?” Her voice came out louder than I expected. She rotated to face me. “Why would you do that?” she whispered.

I took several deep breaths. “I had to say it. They doubted my intentions, and they made theirs perfectly clear.” My jaw tensed. I rubbed one side of it. “Do you lock your door every night?”

Her eyes rounded. “Yes, of course.”

“Good.” I shook my head to clear it. I wouldn’t repeat the words the men had spoken about Anne, but I needed to ensure she knew the sort of company she was in. “The environment Lady Tottenham has created seems to have given the men leave to behave like swine. I had to defend you.”

Anne twisted her fingers together. “Did you tell them we’re engaged?”

“No, only that I plan to propose to you.” I leaned forward to see her face more fully. “Now you must convince them that you plan to say yes.”

She looked down at her hands with a nervous smile. “How do you suggest I do that?”

“A look is all it takes.” I nudged her chin up with my finger until her eyes met mine again, hesitant and curious. “Look at me like you adore me,” I said with a teasing smile. “Like you trust every word I say, and that you would wait for me, patiently, for years, even if I took that long to propose.” I paused. “Pretend I’m Miles.”

Her brows drew together, the resolve in her eyes faltering. Her gaze dropped. “I could never do that. You and Miles are far too different.” She adjusted her gloves again, staring down at the floor.

I sat back, crossing my legs in front of me. “I will take that as a compliment.”