Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Louise wasn't entirely sure what to make of Lady St. Simon. She was beautiful, certainly, but there was an overbearing nature about her that made Louise feel very uncomfortable. It certainly didn't help when the viscountess sat beside Lord Chesterfield and tried to monopolize his attention. From what Louise could tell, the earl was rather uncomfortable with it, but he was doing his best to be polite.

Louise kept glancing at Bethany at another table, and saw her maid's bemusement was clear to see. She was trying not to pay close attention, but she found it rather odd. There was probably nothing wrong with it—Lady St. Simon was family, after all—and they were outsiders looking in.

Even so…

The looks on Lara and Simmons' faces indicated that this was a normal occurrence, one that they weren't too keen on. They kept looking at their father ruefully before looking at each other and shaking their heads subtly. It was slight, but Louise caught on.

Lady St. Simon didn't pay attention to it at all. She was just interested in keeping Chesterfield's attention and pretty much ignoring everyone else, including her niece and nephew. She certainly didn't pay Louise any attention. It was like she didn't care that she had walked in on an outing that didn't include her. Louise was tempted to tell her that she was being incredibly rude, but she was the outsider. They were all family, while Louise was just their guest.

And it felt like their family ties were just as uncomfortable as Louise felt.

Once their tea was done, Lady St. Simon touched Chesterfield's arm for the umpteenth time and leaned in.

"May I have a word in private with you, my lord?" she asked smoothly. "I've got something I want to discuss with you away from the children."

Chesterfield cleared his throat.

"Whatever you can say, you can say it in front of Lara and Archie. They're grown up now."

"But this is…sensitive." Lady St. Simon glanced at Louise, her expression darkening a little. "I don't want everyone to hear it."

Louise tried not to show that the biting remarks toward her were upsetting her. Something about the older woman rubbed her the wrong way, and Louise wished that they could put some space between them. Chesterfield glanced at her, and Louise could see his mind weighing things up. In the end, he nodded and stood up.

"All right. But just for a moment. I promised my children that I would spend the day with them."

"Oh, it won't take long, I promise." Lady St. Simon shot to her feet as well. "Come with me."

Slipping an arm through his, she led Chesterfield toward the door. Louise watched them leave and then stand outside the window. Lady St. Simon was now frowning and looking agitated and she jabbed a finger at him, but Chesterfield barely reacted. Although Louise couldn't be sure; his back was to her, and his shoulders were tense, but he didn't seem to be showing much emotion with his body language beyond that.

"I wish she hadn't turned up," Lara muttered grumpily. "She does have to monopolize Father whenever she's around."

"How did she know where we were?" Simmons frowned as he picked up his teacup. "Did someone at home tell her where we had gone?"

"Someone had to have done so. It's not their fault. Nobody expected her to follow us over here."

"Your father said that Lady St. Simon is your aunt?" Louise asked, dragging her gaze from the conversation outside the window.

Simmons nodded.

"Our mother was her younger sister. Shortly after Mother and Father married, Aunt Elizabeth married Father's friend, our Uncle Harvey. She's been a constant presence in our lives over the years."

"Judging by the tone in your voice, I'm guessing it's not always a welcoming presence."

Simmons snorted.

"Aunt Elizabeth is, to put it politely, overbearing. She is always over at our house trying to get Father's attention. Of course, she'll tell you that she's doing it for our benefit, especially after Mother died, but we all know that she wants to be around Father."

"It's like she's obsessed with him," Lara said, making a face. "I did hear someone say that she was in love with Father long before they all got married, but he never saw her like that. That could be just gossip, though, seeing as that is far more interesting than what really happened."

Lady St. Simon might have been in love with Chesterfield before they married their respective spouses? Louise pondered over this. If that really was the case, and then Lady St. Simon's sister married the man she loved, then it was going to be gut-wrenching to see.

"I don't think that's the case," Simmons said, sitting back in his chair. "I think she's just obsessed with having what Mother always had. She loved trying to have something better if she couldn't get what Mother had."

"That's a bit harsh, Archie," Lara admonished gently. "Aunt Elizabeth is overbearing, but she means well. I think she's just latched onto Father a bit too much, and it's caused her to develop something she knows that she can't have."

Louise listened to this with growing bewilderment. So what was Lady St. Simon really up to? Was she trying too hard to be around her sister's family because she cared or because she was in love with her brother-in-law? Both of them sounded pretty similar in her head.

"But isn't your aunt married?" she asked. "And she has a daughter?"

"Cousin Lucy. One of the sweetest people you could ever meet, albeit very shy. Unfortunately, Aunt Elizabeth doesn't get on with her at all." Lara sighed. "If anything, they just exist in the same house, and that's it. She doesn't pay attention to her daughter at all. Uncle Harvey loves Lucy dearly, and they are close, and then there's Aunt Elizabeth on the outside looking in and not caring that they're pushing her out."

"It's not like that, is it?" Simmons queried with an arched eyebrow.

"It certainly is. I saw them the last time we had a family gathering. Uncle Harvey and Lucy were together for most of the evening, and Aunt Elizabeth was off talking to Father, our cousins, whoever else that night. I don't recall her looking in Lucy's direction at all, and when I tried to ask her about Lucy's achievements, she just brushed them aside."

Louise sipped her tea as she listened to this. She didn't have a good opinion of Lady St. Simon already, and this wasn't helping at all. But that could be her judgment of the woman clouding rational reason.

"Is her husband aware of her attitude toward his friend?" she asked Lara. "It would be a bit odd if he didn't know about his wife's behavior."

"I think he knows that his wife is a bit…odd when it comes to his friend's family, but I don't think there's much he can do about it. Aunt Elizabeth doesn't pay attention to him at all." Lara gave Louise a sympathetic look. "She also behaves like this around other women who seem to be close to Father, so don't take it personally. It's not very often at all, but it is there. It's just how Aunt Elizabeth is."

Louise didn't know what to think about that. It could be there, and Lady St. Simon was just an overbearing woman who just moved to a different rhythm than everyone else and didn't care. But there was also the suggestion that she was in love with Lord Chesterfield, and she felt threatened when anyone else might show him any interest.

That felt like far too much drama for Louise to be around, but the thought of walking away from this family after they had accepted her so warmly didn't sit well with her. It would be foolish to say she didn't want to be friends with them because of their aunt, who looked like she didn't want Chesterfield to have any friends at all. She just wanted his attention to herself.

It was ridiculous, really. She shouldn't let someone else dictate her friendships. It was bad enough that Aunt Harriet was doing it without having a stranger joining in.

"My apologies for that." Chesterfield's voice made Louise jump, and she looked up to see him joining their table again. He slumped into his chair with a heavy sigh. "Aunt Elizabeth will see us later, you two."

Lara groaned with a pout, while Simmons gave his father a bemused look.

"What was she wanting to talk to you about? It looked like she wasn't too happy about something."

"She's always unhappy about something. Don't worry about it. I'll sort things out later." Chesterfield turned to Louise and gave her an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, Lady Louise. I hadn't intended for my sister-in-law to join us like that."

"It's fine." Louise managed a smile. "I know family is important."

That almost made her want to laugh, seeing as her only family was Aunt Harriet, and that woman had never seen Louise as family. They could never have the bond that Chesterfield had with his children. They clearly loved each other.

It left Louise feeling a pang in her chest, wishing that she could have that for herself. She would love a family one day, one where she would be cherished by her husband and adored by her children. Something to call her own, people who loved her unconditionally and didn't see her as a burden.

She could barely remember her parents, and she certainly couldn't recall how things had been before her parents died. Aunt Harriet had managed to wipe all of that away. Louise would never get those memories back.

But she did have a chance to make it right for her future. If she managed to find someone to love as a husband, Louise would be able to have what Chesterfield had. Two adoring children who loved him because he was their father. Their love was unquestioned.

And a spouse with the same love. Louise didn't believe in advantageous and convenient marriages, certainly not ones that were made by barter. It was ridiculous how many people thought that this was a good idea. Didn't they want people to be happy in the long term? Instead, it seemed to only be a short fix. Nobody would be delighted with it after a while.

"Lady Louise?" Lara peered at her. "Are you all right?"

"What?"

"You had a faraway look on your face. Is something the matter?"

Louise realized that all of them were staring at her and shook herself. She managed a smile and sat up straighter.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking. Nothing to worry about."

None of them looked completely convinced, but Chesterfield was the first to react. He smiled and signaled for one of the workers to come over.

"Another cup of tea for everyone, please. And can we know what cakes you have? I'm starting to get hungry." He grinned at Louise. "What about you, Lady Louise?"

Just then, Louise's stomach growled. She groaned and pressed her hand to her stomach.

"I am rather hungry," she admitted. "Some cake wouldn't go amiss, if I'm honest."

If it could help her distract herself from the strange encounter with Lady St. Simon.

***

It wasn't long after having their tea that Louise parted ways with Chesterfield and his family. As she walked away with Bethany, she thought over their time spent in the park. The time in the actual park had been fun, and Louise had enjoyed herself immensely.

Lara was sweet and talkative once she was out of her shell, and Louise liked how she sparkled when she was talking. And while Simmons had been initially a little wary, he was relaxed enough to talk to Louise like an old friend. They were likable, respectable people who had been raised well. Chesterfield had done a good job with them. Louise could confirm that much.

It was when they were in the café, and Lady St. Simon joined them that Louise felt things take a slight turn. It could have been her imagination, and it was nothing at all, but she was sure that the viscountess didn't like her. She barely interacted with Louise, and when she did, it was incredibly brief and very chilly.

Louise tried not to let it bother her, but the conversation with the twins and seeing how Lady St. Simon behaved around Chesterfield really stuck with her. It was…odd. Like she was trying to focus completely on the earl and nobody else.

Was she really obsessed with her brother-in-law? Did she have some feelings for him? Louise wouldn't be surprised if that was confirmed at some point. She certainly behaved like a jealous woman.

But she was married, and divorce was not an option. Did she expect that Chesterfield would enter into something with her, if that's what she was thinking about? Or was she over-compensating for the fact she was not free for him?

This was going to give Louise a headache. She didn't want to think about it anymore; it would more than likely have her thinking of things that never really occurred. That would just take up space in her head and make her hallucinate. Aunt Harriet did always say that she had an overactive imagination.

Louise could agree with that, but even so, there was something not quite right with the situation. But it wasn't her family, so it wasn't her business. This was not something she could just talk about with them.

She didn't like being an outsider looking in, but this was really nothing to do with her. If they had problems, they could sort them out themselves.

"My lady?" Bethany gave her a nudge. "Are you all right?"

"What?"

"You were walking along with a dazed look on your face and then nearly walked into some ladies coming the other way."

"Oh?" Louise blinked and looked back to see a group of women walking away. A couple of them looked back and gave her a snooty expression before turning away. "I hadn't noticed."

"I'm not surprised, given you pretty much walked right into them." Bethany peered at her. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong." Louise managed a smile and dusted herself down. "I'm just…tired, that's all."

"I see." Bethany smiled. "I think if I had to keep up with those twins, I would be exhausted as well."

Louise laughed.

"They're not that bad, Bethany."

"I know. I think they're really nice. But they do talk a lot, and they seem to have that ability where one stops, and the other immediately starts picking up again. It's a little unnerving when they do that."

Louise knew what she meant. It was a shock once Lara and Simmons started doing that, but she wasn't about to complain. She liked seeing how close they were, and how their relationship was with their father. It was sweet.

Chesterfield certainly liked the way his children were, and he should do. He had done a good job making sure they were raised into good people.

Louise wished that she had had an upbringing like that herself. If Aunt Harriet had actually been kind to her, then maybe she could have this for herself. Instead, she was well into her twenties with very few friends and no romantic prospects in sight. Louise still had no idea what she had done wrong for everyone to desert her.

Hopefully, Chesterfield and the twins wouldn't desert her as well. Although, Louise would like to know what was being said exactly to figure out why she was being given a wide berth.

"Are you still going to Lady Coleton's house before you head home, my lady?" Louise asked. "Or have the plans changed?"

"No, we're still going to go by her home to say hello." Louise looked at the sky, which was still a bright blue without a cloud in sight. "Hopefully, she's going to be in. Although with how nice the weather is, she's probably taken the children out to make the most of the sunshine."

They were in luck, though, when they arrived at Clarissa's house. Both children were taking a nap in the nursery, and the household staff were keeping an eye on them. Clarissa had plenty of spare time to rest or do whatever she wanted. She was very happy to see Louise and ushered her in, taking her out onto the terrace where the sun heated up the stones and radiated warmth that Louise could feel as it drifted under her skirts and tickled her ankles.

"It will get a bit hot out here after a while, but you know that already," Clarissa said as she sat down at the table just off the grass. "Come and sit with me, Louise, and tell me about your little visit in the park. I recall you said you would tell me everything about it."

"You really like knowing all the details, don't you?" Louise laughed.

"Of course I do. Especially when it's you actually spending time around a gentleman. That doesn't happen with you often, does it?"

"You make me sound like a hermit, Clarissa."

"Not intentionally, but you are a little bit." Clarissa beckoned with her hands as Louise sat down. "So, come on. Tell me about it. What was it like?"

Louise glanced at Bethany, who was fighting back a smile. Clarissa did like to know everything. It was like now she had small children she felt a bit isolated from everyone, and she took every chance she got to find out what was going on. Especially if it was a bit of excitement in her friend's life; not much happened in Louise's life.

This would be like gold for her.

As her maid went back into the house, Louise told her friend about the time she spent with Chesterfield and his children. She found herself becoming animated talking about them, and how she enjoyed their company. It did slow down a little when Louise talked about Lady St. Simon, but she carried on and brushed over it. She wasn't going to dwell too much on that woman and get annoyed over something that was more than likely not there.

When she finished, Clarissa watched her curiously.

"I see."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You really enjoyed yourself, didn't you?" Clarissa smiled. "I haven't seen you this animated about someone in such a long time."

Louise felt her face getting warm, but she tried to brush it off.

"I don't think you can say I'm animated about it…"

"I would. I haven't seen you like this in a long time." Clarissa gestured at her own face. "I can see your face lighting up, and your eyes sparkled. Especially when you talked about the earl."

Louise tried not to squirm in her seat. Clarissa knew her too well.

"Well, I mean…"

"You liked him, didn't you?"

Louise thought about denying it, but she knew that Clarissa would see through it too easily. She sighed.

"I did. He's really kind, he's patient and we can talk about a lot of things. I enjoy his company."

"And the twins?"

"I did have a feeling that they were trying to push us together quite a bit. I'm not entirely sure about it, though."

"You're very observant, so if you think that was happening, it more than likely was." Clarissa frowned, the first one since they had sat down. "While I'm pleased that you've found someone you like, I am a bit worried about this, Louise."

Louise bit her lip. That was not really what she wanted to hear, but she could understand.

"I understand this is a bit different to everything else, but if there seems to be something between us, I want to make the most of it. Does that make me selfish?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think it's fair that you're selfish for once in your life." Clarissa tilted her head to one side. "So, the fact that he's forty years old isn't a problem for you? It doesn't sound like it."

"I haven't really paid attention to it, if I'm honest. Once we get to talking, I don't even remember how old he is compared to me."

"I see."

Louise frowned.

"You're still concerned, aren't you? I know it sounds surprising, and it's surprising to me, but I actually do like Lord Chesterfield. He's a really nice man, and he's respectful toward me. I would want to make the most of it before it runs away again."

"You think it's going to happen again?"

"I'm pretty sure. Just like everything else in my life." Louise sighed. "Soon, he'll remember that I'm closer to his children's age than his own, and he'll distance himself from me. Even if I don't care about how much older he is than me, he just might."

"Oh, Louise." Clarissa leaned over and squeezed Louise's hand. "Don't be so defeatist. There's nothing wrong with seeing if something happens."

"Even if you're not sure about the age gap?"

"I will admit that it is a worry, but I like seeing you so happy about someone."

"I wouldn't say…"

"I would." Clarissa tapped Louise's hand with her finger before sitting back. "Just be confident about it. Make the most of the time. If something happens, go with it. If it doesn't, then you had some fun in the meantime. And you would have made friends with two people, at the very least."

She was right. Louise shouldn't be so worried about it all. If there was an attraction there, then Louise should explore it a bit. She was nervous that it would go the same way as the others, but at the same time…

The thought of having someone interested in her was exciting. Louise liked it. Hopefully, she could keep it going and it didn't disappear like it did with all the others.