Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"How does this look?" Charles asked, turning one way and then the other as he looked at himself in the mirror.

Duffy chuckled.

"You look just as a gentleman should be presented, my lord. You don't need to worry about how you look."

"I know, but somehow I need to ask."

"You're not courting Lady Louise, so you don't need to worry about what she thinks."

Charles didn't immediately respond to that. He was perfectly aware that he wasn't courting Lady Louise, but he still felt like he needed to make sure that he looked presentable. It had been a very long time since he had been out walking with a lady, and the last one had been Elizabeth, and Charles had never needed to impress her. Besides, the last time he had walked out with her, Elizabeth had practically begged him for it, and then she had nearly clung to his arm while they were passing by other people.

Charles had needed to tell her to stop as it was far too inappropriate, and she couldn't carry on behaving that way. Elizabeth had ended up pouting for the rest of the walk. Charles had never been so glad to have his sister-in-law's maid with them. If they had been alone, anyone could have come by and thought something was going on. Harvey didn't need to be told about the fact his wife was acting oddly.

She had been doing that a lot since Mary died. Charles hadn't given it much thought in the past, but recently, he had wondered if there was something else going on. Elizabeth was becoming more and more pushy with spending time with him. Maybe he should speak to Harvey about it again; the last thing Charles wanted was for Elizabeth to make it difficult to spend time with Lady Louise. If she ruined that…

Charles didn't want to think about that.

"When are you and your children heading out to the park, my lord?" Duffy asked as he began to tidy up. "You said it was an afternoon stroll."

"We'll be there about two. Lara said we would need to leave shortly as she wants to get there in plenty of time."

Duffy smiled.

"She always was too impatient."

"For someone who is nervous about talking to new people, she's very eager to get to places, especially early."

"She is very much like her mother. Lady Chesterfield didn't like being late to anything, and if there was a chance, she got really agitated."

Charles couldn't agree more. Mary was very much like that. She hated people being late, and after scolding Charles for doing it once, he was never late again.

It was interesting that while there was some pain thinking about his wife, it wasn't as bad as it normally was. Charles could think about her without the stab in his chest debilitating him. Was that because of Lady Louise? Or was he finally moving on from the devastation of losing his wife?

She would always have a special place, Charles wasn't going to discard her completely, but it was good that he was beginning to feel less pained about it. Mary would have wanted that. She would be looking down on him right now telling him that he was a fool for behaving as he had, and he needed a bit of fun in his life.

"Well, I'd better get downstairs and make sure that Lara isn't jumping around waiting to go." Charles headed toward the door. "I'm surprised she doesn't climb the walls when she wants to leave, and nobody else is ready."

"I would like to see that actually happening if I'm honest."

Charles laughed.

"You've seen her when she was younger. Isn't that enough for you?"

Duffy grinned.

"Well, have a good time, my lord. Would you like me to have cook lay things out for dinner?"

"Yes, please. I don't know when it will be, although probably as soon as I return with the children."

"Very good, my lord."

Charles headed downstairs, feeling a slight bounce in his step. When he realized this, he almost tripped over his feet. That was not something he had expected. Catching himself, he managed to get down to the foyer without slipping again. Then he heard voices coming from the morning room. Did they have visitors, and he wasn't aware of it? Given how Archie was, it wouldn't be a surprise that he had friends who had come over without an invitation.

Then he recognized one of the voices. It was Elizabeth. What was she doing here? Charles tried to think if they had arranged for her to come over, but he couldn't recall anything. What was going on?

Curious, he entered the morning room to find Lara and Elizabeth sitting on the settee together. Elizabeth beamed and stood up when he came in.

"Charles!" She approached him, kissing his cheek. "You're looking handsome today. Is that a new jacket?"

"What are you doing here, Elizabeth? I wasn't aware that you were going to visit."

"Actually, I came to ask if you wanted to come out with me." Elizabeth waved at Lara, who was looking uncomfortable. "Lara said that you three were going to the park to meet a friend, but I'm sure you can spare some time for me. I was going to walk around the British Museum, and I'm in need of a companion."

Charles frowned.

"Why don't you ask your husband?"

Elizabeth sniffed.

"Harvey's never taken an interest in history."

"That's not true. He loves history. And I know he would be delighted to accompany you."

"He and I have different ideas when it comes to history, and they do not line up." Elizabeth's smile was back. "Anyway, I know you and I have similar ideas, and I thought you would like to come with me."

Charles glanced at Lara, who held up her hands.

"I told her about our previous engagement, but…"

"Lara, Archie, and I are already engaged for the afternoon, Elizabeth." Charles turned back to his sister-in-law. "My apologies, but you know how rude it is to break off an arrangement I've made for something else."

Elizabeth huffed.

"All to see an elderly maid? Really?"

Charles felt his hackles rising at that comment.

"Elderly maid? Did you just call someone in their twenties elderly?"

"Well, if she's not married by her age, she's elderly, isn't she?"

"You make her sound like she's already old and gray and can't move around. That's disrespectful, don't you think?"

"I don't think it's disrespectful when she's clearly making eyes at you for your status and money," Elizabeth shot back. "Why else would she be making friends with you? At her age, marriage is out of the question, and she's getting desperate."

Charles saw his daughter's eyes widen and her mouth drop open. If Archie was present, he would certainly be making an exclamation. Neither of them had heard Elizabeth talk like this about anyone. Actually, Charles hadn't heard this from her, either.

He scowled at the woman before him.

"Like I said, that is disrespectful, Elizabeth. And why are you so adamant that I shouldn't spend time with someone? I'm merely escorting my children. It's not like I'm going to be seeing her myself and on my own."

"Like I'm going to believe that!"

"What is wrong with you? You're the one who wanted me to leave the house and make the most of being sociable again, and now you say I shouldn't be making friends? What's going on?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and her cheeks went a little pink. She swallowed and stumbled over her words.

"I…well…I'm just worried about you."

"How so?"

"You are naive about the world, Charles. You may not think so, but you are naive. I just want to make sure that you're not doing anything stupid."

Charles didn't believe that for a second. Elizabeth sounded like she had her own selfish reasons. He shook his head.

"Elizabeth, I'm not naive. I don't know where you got that from. And I'm forty years old. You don't need to worry about me at all. And, for your information, this is Lara's friend we're going to meet, not mine. This is for her." He drew himself up to his full height. "I can take care of myself, and you do not need to worry about it. You certainly don't need to be rude toward someone you've never met. You don't know her circumstances, and you've never met her. Even then, that doesn't give you the right to talk about her in such a manner."

As he spoke, Elizabeth shuffled back a little. He felt a little bad for telling her off, but the fact that Elizabeth had been rude about Lady Louise so readily rubbed him the wrong way. He looked over his sister-in-law's shoulder at his daughter.

"Ready to go, Lara? I'm sure Archie will be down in a moment."

"I'm ready." Looking grateful, Lara jumped up. "We'll see you another time, Aunt Elizabeth. And hopefully, we get to see Lucy soon."

She darted past her aunt and into the foyer. Charles nodded at Elizabeth in a brief bow.

"We'll see you another time, as my daughter said, Elizabeth."

"Why don't I come with you?"

"What?"

Elizabeth smiled brightly.

"Why don't I come along with you? Then I can be sure that you're safe."

Charles shook his head.

"I don't know why you think I'm unable to make decisions for myself, but given how you've behaved without laying eyes on Lady Louise, I think it would be best that you didn't accompany us."

"But aren't you going to be bored with the other three talking and you left alone? I can keep you company."

"Like I said, it's not a good idea. Go to the British Museum on your own or ask Harvey to join you. I already have plans." Charles turned away. "I'm sure you can see yourself out, Elizabeth."

He knew he was being rude with that last remark, but he had no more patience for her. They needed space for him to calm down. Hopefully, Elizabeth would realize how stupid she had been and would apologize for her behavior. Then again, she was stubborn, so Charles didn't think it would happen.

Archie was already in the foyer with his sister when Charles joined them. He raised his eyebrows at his father.

"I heard raised voices. What was that all about?"

"I'll explain in the carriage." Charles hadn't realized that he had been talking loudly. "Let's get going, you two."

They were going to be early, but it was better than being around someone who had just riled Charles up to the point he felt like he was going to lose his temper.

***

"Are you going to breathe properly now, my lady?" Bethany asked as they stepped through the park gates. "It's like you've been tense since we left the house."

"Tense is one way to describe it," Louise commented, absently tugging on her gloves. "I'm still shaking from what I said to Aunt Harriet. I can't believe I was able to say that, especially in front of Lord Mansfield."

"You did the right thing. I know she's my employer, and I should be loyal to her, but I am on your side."

Louise gave her maid a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Bethany. I know you've always been on my side. You've never given me a reason to doubt you."

"I'm glad about that." Bethany adjusted her hat against the sun. "Anyway, your aunt's behavior regarding Lord Mansfield has been bothering me for a while."

"How so?"

"Well, she keeps trying to force the two of you together as if it's a great idea. I would have thought, given how you two don't care for each other, that she would keep him away from you so you can't supposedly ruin her relationship."

Louise frowned.

"I did wonder about that myself, but then I guessed that maybe she was doing it, so there is some sort of decent relationship. That she's including me for the first time and going about it a bit too much."

"I don't think that's happening at all." Bethany shrugged. "This is just my opinion, though, and I doubt it's right, but it's still nagging away at the back of my head."

"What is it?"

"Do you really want me to tell you? It could be wrong."

"You might as well tell me now you've mentioned it, Bethany."

"Well…" Bethany hesitated. "I think that Lady Holmes actually brought Lord Mansfield around because he's not her gentleman suitor. He's yours."

Louise stopped in the middle of the park, which caused someone behind her to bump into her. Mumbling an apology and getting a glare in response, Louise took Bethany's arm and moved them onto the grass, out of the way. She stared at her maid.

"What? You think that Lord Mansfield is looking to court me?"

"Or Lady Holmes is trying to make a match between you two. That would explain why he's around her so much. They don't seem…intimate or loving, from what I've seen." Bethany cleared her throat. "Then, as soon as you're in eyesight, she's pushing the two of you together. That's making me think that she's chosen a husband for you and wants it to look like it wasn't her idea."

Louise tried to let this sink in, but it wouldn't go. Aunt Harriet was trying to set her up with Mansfield? But they had barely spent any time together, mostly because Louise thought he was her aunt's visitor and her aunt wanted to spend time alone with him. They did try to get her alone with Mansfield, but Louise had dodged it each time.

Were they persistent because they wanted a match of Aunt Harriet's choosing?

"But I don't understand. If he's there for me, why wouldn't they tell me? Isn't that something you tell someone when they've got something planned?"

Bethany spread her hands.

"You know how things are between you and your aunt. She probably knows that you'll turn her down immediately and not give Lord Mansfield a chance. This was a way to make it look like you chose him naturally."

"But, in my head, I see him as Aunt Harriet's gentleman suitor. If I allowed him to pursue me, it would seem like I was stealing him away from her. That's not going to look good to the ton if that's the impression they've given everyone, including me."

"I know, but that's all I can think of. She did want Lord Mansfield to escort you at the ball the other night, didn't she?" Bethany pointed out.

Louise nodded.

"And Lord Mansfield was immediately overbearing, and I wanted nothing to do with it. If they're wanting me to fall in love and marry him instead, it's not going to happen. I'm not interested in having someone like him as my husband."

"I had a feeling you would say that," Bethany said. "I just wanted you to be aware of what might be going on. It's a little…disconcerting that they're trying this."

Louise couldn't agree more with that. She didn't like the fact that her aunt was trying to manipulate her life again. Sure, Mansfield was handsome, and he was wealthy, but his personality was less to be desired. He was not quite an exact male copy of Aunt Harriet, but Louise could see that happening.

She didn't want to be around someone like that for more than a few minutes. Being married to him? That would be awful. Louise had spent most of her life living with someone who didn't treat her well; she wasn't about to have that in her married life. If she managed to get herself a husband, it would be with someone who treated her with respect as well as loved her for who she was.

What was wrong with that?

"Louise!"

Louise turned, her spirits lifting when she saw Lara walking toward them. Behind her, Simmons and Chesterfield were strolling together, their heads bent in conversation. For a moment, Louise couldn't stop herself from staring at Chesterfield. He looked magnificent in dark green, striding along the path like he owned the park. Her heart thudded in her chest just watching him.

"Louise?"

Louise jumped. Lara had joined her, and was waving a hand in front of her face. Louise shook herself and smoothed her hands down her skirts, trying not to be flustered.

"Forgive me, I…my mind wandered just then."

Lara grinned, an impish glint in her eye. Louise wondered if she had noticed her gawking at her father, and her face started feeling warm. God, this was embarrassing.

"We decided to get here early, and it seems like you had the same idea."

"Well, things are the house are a little…tense." Louise coughed. "I thought we should get some fresh air before we met up with you."

"Perfect!" Lara beamed. "Sounds like we were thinking the same thing. We had an unexpected visitor at home, so we decided to head out a few minutes early."

"Unexpected?"

"My aunt." Lara rolled her eyes. "She keeps coming over wanting to talk to Father and spend time with him. It's like she's a girl in love, and it's getting irritating."

"Lara." Louise jumped at the sound of Chesterfield's voice. "You're not gossiping, are you?"

Louise's mouth went dry when she realized how close Chesterfield was to her. They were still a respectable distance, but it felt like she could feel the heat coming from his body. She had to stop herself from licking her lips.

There was seriously something wrong with her.

"Me? Gossip?" Lara's eyes were wide and innocent. "I would never do such a thing, Father. You should know that."

Chesterfield arched an eyebrow, which indicated that he didn't believe her. Simmons chuckled.

"You are not as innocent as you make yourself out to be, Lara." He nodded at Louise. "Lady Louise. Good afternoon."

"Lord Simmons." Louise barely glanced at Chesterfield as she curtsied. "My lord."

"Lady Louise."

That voice was enough to make Louise feel like the hairs on her arms were prickling. Bethany coughed.

"No…no Oscar today, my lord?" she asked hopefully, looking past him.

"No, not today. Duffy's taken him for a walk instead." Chesterfield smiled. "You don't need to worry about him jumping around, Miss Bethany. Besides, Oscar's wild when it comes to water. Once you get him near a pool of water, he just has to jump in and make a splash."

"I'm surprised there are any fish left alive in the fish pond after the last time he did that," Simmons commented. "He could flatten rocks with his weight."

"Don't be rude about Oscar, Archie," Lara admonished with a laugh. "He's harmless."

"You mean hopeless."

"That's enough, you two." Chesterfield had a twinkle in his eye as he looked at his children. "Lady Louise doesn't want to hear about how childlike our family dog is."

"On the contrary, I am very interested," Louise said quickly. "I never had a pet growing up, so I would like to hear about it."

"Well, why don't you and Lara discuss that, and we'll join you shortly. My son and I have a few things to sort out first."

Simmons looked bemused.

"Like what, Father? You didn't say anything before."

"I'll explain in a minute." His father took his arm. "I'm sure Lady Louise and Lara are fine with Miss Bethany?"

"Of course," Lara said before Louise could say anything, slipping an arm through Louise's. "We'll be perfectly fine, Father. You don't need to worry about us."

Chesterfield grunted, glancing at Louise before he led his son away. Louise watched him go, unable to take her eyes off him. Then she realized what she was doing and shook herself, turning to Lara. The younger woman had a knowing smile on her face, which made Louise wonder what she had just witnessed.

For someone who said she was timid, she was certainly expressive. She didn't seem to miss anything.

"Anyway," Louise said as she nodded down the path, "shall we get going? I'm sure those two can catch up with us eventually."

She needed to have a walk to clear her head, and hopefully, she wouldn't act like a fool around the earl when he returned.