Chapter 10

The thought of dancing with Miss Fairley had been one thing, but taking her into his arms and sweeping her around the floor had been quite another. Frederick was rather surprised at just how well she danced, given what she had told him. They danced with ease, with the lady following his lead without a single hesitation and a light smile on her face which, Frederick hoped, meant that she was enjoying the dance as much as he was. His breathing a little fast from the dance, Frederick continued to spin her around the floor in time with all of the other couples until the music began to slow, signaling the end of the dance.

With a small smile, Frederick slowed his steps until, finally, they came to a stop. Stepping back from her, Frederick inclined his head into a bow just as Miss Fairley curtsied, though this was done perfectly and without a single wobble or tremble. To his mind, Miss Fairley was not at all ungainly or clumsy. In fact, she had as much poise and elegance as any young lady of his acquaintance! As Miss Fairley rose, she let out such a long breath of relief that Frederick could not help but smile, only for color to flood through her face.

“You are relieved, yes?”

“Yes, I am.” Miss Fairley took his arm the moment that it was offered and, much to Frederick’s surprise, he felt her trembling just a little. “You cannot know the extent of my nervousness, Lord Yeatman.”

“But why should you feel any such thing?” he asked, finding himself rather concerned for the lady. “You have danced many times before, I am sure.”

“Yes,” she agreed, glancing at him, though her face was still filled with color, “but I have also fallen on some occasions, or stepped on the foot of another.”

Frederick chuckled, bringing her back to the gathered crowd who had made space for the dancing, though there was no one there waiting for her, no parent or friend. Miss Simmons had stepped out to dance with another gentleman – much to her delight – though Frederick presumed she would come in search of Miss Fairley thereafter. For the moment, he had the lady all to himself.

“I would be lying if I said that I had not done the same, Miss Fairley.”

She smiled then, relief ending the trembling within her frame.

“Though perhaps not with as much frequency, Lord Yeatman?”

“I could not say.”

A small sigh escaped her, though the smile remained.

“I have always told my parents that I cannot take responsibility for all that has happened, though I certainly have been willing to accept some of the blame on some occasions. Unfortunately, however, they appear to be quite unwilling to believe that which, in a way, I can understand.”

A little confused, Frederick frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that, if it appears that I am the one who is responsible for all of these accidents and mishaps, then why should they not blame me? To them, I am sure that it appears that I am simply doing what I can to make myself appear a little less guilty than they think me to be. Does that make sense?”

Frederick nodded slowly, finding that the swell of sympathy in his heart was growing all the more with every word that came from her mouth. For whatever reason, he found himself believing that she was not entirely responsible for all that had happened in her past, even though he had no real knowledge of everything that had taken place. His mind drifted back to the dinner they had enjoyed some days ago, recalling what had happened with the footman. A frown settled over his features.

“You recall what happened at Lord and Lady Pleasance’s dinner as regards the footman?”

Miss Fairley looked at him sharply.

“Yes, of course I do. I did thank you for that and–”

Frederick shook his head no.

“I do not seek any further thanks, Miss Fairley. It is only that I wondered if you had any thoughts on what might have happened on that occasion?”

“With the footman?” When he nodded, Miss Fairley shook her head. “No, I confess that I do not think I do. I am very confused, truth be told, for I do not know what I did to upset his hand from the plate and–”

“I do not think that you did anything.” Without meaning to do it, Frederick reached out and took Miss Fairley’s hand, grasping it tightly. “I do not think that you did a single thing. And if it is as you say, if you are not responsible for the other things which have happened, then might there not be something there which could suggest that…” Seeing her eyebrows lift, Frederick trailed off, heat burning its way up his chest and into his face. He was saying too much, he realized, speaking without thinking, without truly considering what it was that he wanted to say. He cleared his throat and dropped her hand. “Forgive me.”

“No, please.” Miss Fairley’s eyes fastened to his, unrelenting in their steady gaze. “What was it that you were going to say?”

Frederick hesitated, then shook his head.

“It is nothing. We are not particularly well acquainted as yet; Miss Fairley and I do not want to say anything which would upset you.”

She held his gaze and remained silent. Frederick swallowed hard, aware that she was not about to let him say anything more. Whether he wished to or not, he would have to speak the words that had come to him, regardless of whether they were wise or not.

“Very well, though I pray that, if what I say upsets you in any way, you will not hold it against me,” he said, with a half-smile as she nodded fervently. “Miss Fairley, I do not know if you have any enemies – I would guess that you do not – but I do wonder if someone is attempting to do these things to you.”

Miss Fairley held his gaze steadily for a long time, without saying a single word. Buzzing came into Frederick’s ears, and he could barely look into her face, his heart thundering and his mind whispering at him about how foolish he had been. He wanted to break the silence, wanted to say something that would be both an apology and words of regret, but no words came to him. All he could do was stare back at her and wait.

“I see.” Miss Fairley began to blink rapidly, then passed one hand over her eyes, making Frederick fear that he had not only managed to upset her, but had also made her cry. “That is… a heavy thought.”

“It is a foolish one,” Frederick protested, quickly. “It was nothing but nonsense. Perhaps I was being too fervent in my attempts to help you but–”

“It is not foolish.” Miss Fairley dropped her hand and gazed back into his eyes. “Lord Yeatman, it is not in the least bit foolish. In fact, it is something that would explain a good deal, would it not? It would help me to understand all that has taken place and to make sense of my present situation. If, as you saw, I did nothing to upset the footman at our dinner, then why else did he jerk and drop the plate in such a fashion? And,” she continued, her eyes now flaring wide, “if I did not knock the tray from the footman’s hand when I finished my dance with Lord Gibson, then what caused that footman to drop it?”

“I do not know,” Frederick said slowly, a little surprised that she had reacted in such a positive manner. “Then might I ask if you are in agreement with me, Miss Fairley? You think that there might be someone who is attempting to injure you in such a way?”

Miss Fairley paused for a long moment and then, eventually, began to nod.

“Yes, I think that there is certainly the possibility of such a thing.”

“Then do you have any thoughts on who it might be?” Frederick stood closer to her, a sudden excitement catching at his heart. “Do you have someone in your life who might wish you ill?”

Immediately, Miss Fairley shook her head and the light in her eyes began to fade.

“No, I do not. In that regard, Lord Yeatman, I am quite at a loss.”

“Oh.”

“But it is something which I shall have to continue to consider,” she added, offering him a small smile. “I do value your thoughts in that regard, Lord Yeatman. I would never have thought of such an idea myself.”

“I can help you.”

Frederick watched as Miss Fairley blinked and then frowned. Her face no longer held any hint of color, and he quickly began to realize just how much his words had upset her. None of her problems were his doing, of course, for he was not the one upsetting her in that regard but clearly, the suggestion itself had set her awry.

“I think that you have done enough when it comes to assisting me, Lord Yeatman.” Miss Fairley reached out and touched his hand and, as she did so, fire swept right up his arm. “You have already taken the blame at that dinner party, and now you have not only danced with me – a wallflower – but given me a clear suggestion of what might truly be happening in my present circumstances. I do not know what I am to do next but–”

“I have an idea.” The idea took hold of him with such fierceness, he could barely catch his breath. “You have already told me that the wallflowers – you and your friends, I mean – are to go about in society just as usual. You are attempting to step away from the confines placed upon you by society and, in doing so, seek instead to force society to take note of you. Therefore, would it not be more likely that what has happened to you in the past as regards your… mishaps, might they not be more likely to continue?”

Miss Fairley’s eyebrows lifted high, her eyes rounding.

“Miss Simmons did say that she thought it odd that there were no such mishaps or the like during the time I have been a wallflower, hiding away in the shadows.”

“Which gives my thoughts all the more credence, does it not?” Frederick did not say such a thing with any hint of arrogance, but rather the understanding that what Miss Simmons had said fitted in with the suggestion that there was someone else behind this. “If you have been pushed to the back of the room, then you are no longer visible. You are no longer present in society, are you? So perhaps in that way, this person has gained what they wanted… though I presume you do not know why that would be?”

Miss Fairley shook her head.

“No, not in the least. I have very few friends – though more now that I have become a wallflower – and there is no reason for any of them to try to remove me from my situation. My sister is often in the company of one Lord Wellbridge, and there is every hope of a match there, so I cannot see who would do such a thing, or understand why they might behave so.”

Frederick nodded slowly.

“Then let me be of assistance to you,” he said, seeing her smile gently. “If you are to be in society again, if you are to be in company and the like, then I can be often with you. I can watch from a distance, take note of who is around you and who might be seeking to injure you.”

Miss Fairley’s expression softened.

“You would be willing to do that for me?”

Frederick nodded.

“But of course.”

“Why?” The question hung in the air between them, and Frederick found himself struggling for an answer. He could not quite explain what it was about Miss Fairley’s situation that had him so fervent in his desire to aid her and in that, he could not find an answer to give her. Instead, he simply lifted his shoulders and smiled. “You are simply kindness itself, though you are too good to say,” Miss Fairley told him, putting one hand to her heart as her eyes grew a little glassy. “I do not think that I have ever had anyone express such generosity to me, Lord Yeatman – save for my friends, of course. The other wallflowers accepted me, pulled me to them, and comforted me in my difficulty and I will always be grateful to them for that. They are as I am and in that, the sweetness of their friendship is something I will always be thankful for. However, when it comes to you, there is no reason for you to be of aid to me. I have done nothing which would encourage you to be a support to me and yet, your kind heart can do nothing other than be willing to do so.” She swallowed and blinked quickly again, her hand falling to her side. “You cannot know how grateful I am to you for that.”

“I do not mean to upset you.”

She laughed then, albeit a little brokenly as she shook her head, her copper curls bouncing lightly.

“No, you have not, Lord Yeatman. I am not in the least bit upset. I am overwhelmed, certainly, and there is much for me to think on, but upset, I am not.” Reaching out, she touched his hand again and that same fire ran up his arm though he fought to hide the shock of that touch from his expression. The softness in her hazel eyes, the sweetness of her smile, and the sheer joy in her expression caught hold of him, and he could not look away. “Thank you,” she said, quietly. “Thank you for your kindness. It means more to me than I can ever express.”