Chapter 4

Frederick Marsham, Viscount Yeatman, cleared his throat, lifted his chin, and walked into the ballroom. He did not like the fact that there was a tight tension within his stomach, but it was the first time he had set foot into any sort of social occasion since his arrival in London. It was not that he feared not knowing anyone present, but more that he did not want to be swamped by acquaintances all wishing to speak with him. He preferred to look around the room, amble around it slowly, and thereafter, begin conversations with friends or acquaintances. Having too many people to deal with at once only brought on a headache.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he nodded to one or two people and then turned sharply, making his way to the edge of the room rather than making for the center, where so many others would be. Those within the ton, on the whole, sought to keep company with as many others as possible, and would seek to be seen and to be noticed by others, whereas Frederick was quite the opposite. Large crowds did not interest him.

“You are not going to hide away already, are you?” Frederick turned sharply, wondering at the interruption, only to see Lord Pleasance grinning at him. “Lord Gibson pointed you out the moment you stepped into the room,” his old friend said, reaching out to shake Frederick’s hand as Frederick beamed in delight at seeing him. “We are both very well aware of your dislike of large crowds, however, so when he stated that you would be hiding, you cannot imagine our mirth when we saw you attempt to do precisely that!”

“I am not hiding,” Frederick laughed, rolling his eyes. “But I am not seeking out company yet, that is all.”

Lord Pleasance chuckled.

“Still a little cautious, are we?”

“Not cautious but careful, yes,” Frederick agreed, quietly, shrugging lightly. “There are too many rogues and charlatans and I only have one reputation.”

“Very true.” Tilting his head, Lord Pleasance studied Frederick for a moment. “What if we were to invite you to dinner? My wife hopes to throw a society dinner very soon, and I can assure you that it will be only the very best of people invited.”

“I should be honored!” Frederick exclaimed, having no desire for his friend to think that he would be shunned just because of Frederick’s cautiousness. “There is nothing that would prevent me from attending, I assure you.”

“Wonderful.” Lord Pleasance gestured back to where Lord Gibson was standing. “Now, do you wish to come and talk with us? Or are you to walk around the room a little more first?”

“I should like to walk, I think, but I will come back to you.” Frederick smiled, his friend nodding in clear understanding of what it was that Frederick desired to do. “Thank you, Lord Pleasance.”

“But of course.”

Frederick turned and continued to walk at the edge of the room, taking slow steps and taking everything in. There were young ladies gathered together, with mothers and chaperones standing nearby. He saw gentlemen glancing towards certain groups of ladies, then talking together and laughing – though some of the looks on their faces were not at all pleasant, which made Frederick frown. Thereafter, there were other gentlemen and ladies talking together, walking towards the center of the ballroom where they were about to dance.

Dance?Frederick considered for a moment, his steps so slow that he was barely ambling along. Should I like to dance this Season? It has been some time since I have done that, and I must wonder if I remember how to do it!

“Excuse me, sir!”

Frederick blinked rapidly, turning his head from where he had looked back at the dance floor and finding himself looking into the face of a young lady who was now a few steps back from him.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You almost walked into us,” said a second lady, her face set into a disgruntled expression.

Frederick frowned and then stepped back, lifting his hands in defense.

“I am so sorry. I did not realize.”

The two ladies stood together, and Frederick took them in, seeing how they glanced at each other and then frowned. Evidently, he had done them some great wrong, though he did not fully understand how. He had simply been distracted for a few moments.

“We are aware that we are hidden in the shadows, but we are still able to be seen, are we not?” The first lady spoke, looking at him with a slight tilt to her chin, her hazel eyes searching his face. “Wallflowers are still worthy of respect, sir.”

In that one moment, Frederick realized exactly what the problem was. He had walked into two young ladies, both of whom were wallflowers and, therefore, generally ignored by society. In doing as he had done, he had added pain to their already difficult situation.

“I am truly sorry,” he said, putting one hand to his heart. “I was distracted by watching the dancing.”

Again, the two ladies glanced at each other, though one of them shrugged lightly as though to say she did not think that there was anything more that they needed to say. The other, the second, gave a slight sniff.

“Very well,” she said, gesturing back to the dance floor. “Let us not keep you, sir.”

“Viscount Yeatman.” Frederick did not know what it was about these two young ladies, or why he felt himself desirous of giving them his name and title, but there was something about the two of them and the situation they were presently in that caught his attention. “Might I ask for your names also?”

“Our names?” The first young lady, the one whose hair shone like copper, Frederick noticed, sounded rather surprised. “Why should you want to do that?”

“It is not the correct way of being introduced, I know, but all the same, I should like it,” Frederick said, quietly. “After my rude manner, I should like it to be introduced so that I might apologize properly.”

He smiled gently, but the two young ladies did not smile with him. The first one was still frowning and the second was studying him as if she were not entirely sure what it was that he genuinely wanted.

“Very well,” the first said slowly, her eyes a little narrowed. “What say you?”

She turned to her friend who, after a moment, nodded.

“I am Lady Frederica,” the first said, steadily.

“And I Miss Fairley,” came the reply from the second, who folded her arms across her chest when Frederick’s eyebrows lifted in recognition of her name. “Does that satisfy you, Lord Yeatman?”

Frederick nodded but said nothing, searching his mind for why that name rang around his mind and told him that he already knew of this lady. They had never met, he was sure, for he would have recognized her face, and then surely would have known her title, so why was it that he knew of her?

It came back to him in a flurry, his eyes flaring as he remembered Lord Gibson and his story about a very clumsy young lady who had knocked a tray of drinks down upon him and upon herself also. That was how he knew her name.

“Lord Yeatman?” Lady Frederica’s eyebrow arched. “Are you quite all right? Has something surprised you? Or are you wondering what it is that has made us two young ladies become wallflowers?”

Frederick shook his head, trying to find a way to explain what he had realized without doing anything or saying anything to insult the lady.

“It is only that I have just now remembered that one of my friends had mentioned you before, Miss Fairley,” he said, gesturing to her and trying to smile in the hope that she would not ask him anything more. “That is all.”

Miss Fairley’s expression immediately darkened.

“Your friend?” she asked, her tone rather crisp now. “Might I ask his name?”

“It is of no consequence,” Frederick replied, shrugging. “Now, might I ask–”

“I have no doubt that whoever this friend is, he did not speak favorably of me,” Miss Fairley interrupted, taking a small step closer to him. “Might you tell me the name of your friend, Lord Yeatman?”

Seeing that there was nothing else to be said or done, other than to give her the name, Frederick cleared his throat and kept his smile fixed in place.

“My friend is Lord Gibson, Miss Fairley,” he said, seeing how she closed her eyes briefly and then pressed her lips tight together. “Forgive me for my surprise and confusion upon hearing your name and realizing thereafter how I knew of you. I do hope that–”

“And, no doubt, Lord Gibson has told you everything about me and told you about what took place.” Again, Miss Fairley interrupted, but her face was slowly beginning to turn scarlet, her hazel eyes sparking bright. “And now you know of my supposed reputation, I presume?”

Frederick did not know what to say. The truth was that yes, he recalled everything that Lord Gibson had told him about the lady, right down to the very detail of how much brandy and wine had gone onto Lord Gibson’s boots.

“I – I do not think that the ton is particularly kind in what they say about those within it, Miss Fairley.” She looked at him and then shook her head, keeping silent, but clearly communicating with him that what he had said had not answered her question. Somehow, it was clear that she knew he was not telling her everything. She already knew the truth without him having to express it. “I – I shall take my leave of you now,” he continued, finding himself more than a little embarrassed as he turned away. “It was my pleasure to be introduced to you both and again, my apologies for my lack of consideration and attention.”

Not a word came from either lady and, though Frederick turned and began to walk away, he could feel their sharp gazes boring into him. He made his way quickly back the way he had come, suddenly eager to find his friends simply so that he might rid himself of his embarrassment through general conversation.

So that is Miss Fairley,he mused, spying Lord Gibson and Lord Pleasance talking together. I did not expect her to be so beautiful.

That thought stopped him short, and he came to a complete stop, his eyes flaring wide. Yes, he had taken note of both of the young ladies, but Miss Fairley, with her copper hair and hazel eyes, had obviously caught his attention.

Shaking his head, Frederick threw his thoughts aside and continued towards his friends. It was not as though Miss Fairley was the only beautiful young lady in the room and, besides that, he was not considering any young lady at present, was he? With a nod to himself, Frederick made his way to his friends and within the next few minutes, threw all consideration of Miss Fairley away completely.