Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Louise wondered what was going on. In the space of a few days, she had not only encountered the Earl of Chesterfield but his children as well. Seeing them all in the same room, it was clear that they were related. Archie and Lara, the twins, couldn't be seen as anything less than brother and sister, and Archie looked like a younger version of his father.

Louise couldn't believe what was happening to her. She felt like she was stuck in a storm, and it was throwing her about. And all that had happened was she had fallen over and defended Lara, not exactly something that would consider her enticing. Especially not when she had fallen flat on her face; her body still felt a little sore remembering what had happened.

But how could she refuse an invitation like that? It was just an opportunity to be around Chesterfield again, and Louise wanted to be selfish. She knew it was fruitless pursuing a gentleman of his age and status, but she could make the most of his company. And Lara seemed like a nice girl. Maybe they could be friends. Louise didn't mind making more friends.

It would be nice to get to know someone in a more relaxed setting, compared to the night before. Lara had been too distressed after what had happened to her, and Louise had been trying to hide from the Earl of Mansfield. The man had accosted her while she was talking to Lady Brighton about what happened and had tried to urge her into another dance again.

Louise was glad that she had an excuse to leave the ball after telling the countess that she was a little distressed after what occurred, and she needed to head home; she just didn't want to deal with Mansfield after what had happened. At least Lady Brighton had been understanding about it.

Louise suspected that she was going to have to see him today, as he would very likely come around to see Aunt Harriet. Louise didn't want to go through that and deal with the uncomfortable questions as to why she wouldn't give her aunt's suitor a chance to get to know her properly. It was best to give herself some distance with the pair of them.

So when she awoke, it was still early. With some help from Bethany, Louise dressed and had her breakfast in her room before she and Bethany slipped downstairs and left the house. Aunt Harriet was normally an early riser, so she would have caught Louise even if she tried to have breakfast early.

Their conversation could happen once Louise was a bit more composed about it all; she was still annoyed that Mansfield had been thrust on her, in a manner of speaking, and she didn't want to snap at anyone.

Thankfully, Aunt Harriet didn't appear to be around as Louise and Bethany let themselves out of the house and took the carriage. But it wasn't until they were out of sight of the house that Louise was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Now, she could, at the very least, have a pleasant morning before someone came upon them.

Hopefully, Lara Simmons wouldn't mind if they arrived at their estate early. Louise didn't want to be rude, but it was better to visit now than wait around and get caught. Aunt Harriet really knew how to bring the mood down.

And you get to see Lord Chesterfield as well without worrying about anyone staring at you.

That is not why I'm going to visit.

But even as she told herself that, Louise felt like she was lying. She pushed that thought to one side and told herself that this wasn't about Chesterfield. This was about his daughter, and Louise wanted to focus on her and see that she was all right. It had nothing to do with her gorgeous father.

A man she shouldn't be looking at in that way.

The estate was in the Harrow area, just outside, where the main townhouses were pushed together and spread along the streets. Chesterfield's house was large and gated, with a gravel driveway going up to the house. Louise had passed by these houses before, but she had never actually been inside them. It looked newly built, and it was rather grand. She couldn't help but stare with her mouth open.

"Oh, my!" Bethany breathed. "That's a bit much for an earl, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't know. Maybe his earldom is wealthier than we know." Louise shrugged. "It's not really our business."

"It does look lovely, though. I wish I could afford a place like that."

Louise couldn't agree more. But her dreams were a little different. She would love to have a cottage of her own, somewhere in the country or by the sea. Either one of those would do, as long as she had a cottage to call hers.

Louise felt like that would be ideal as time went on; she could read and explore her hobbies without anyone criticizing them. She could have her solitude, not wondering when Aunt Harriet was going to come in and ruin it all.

But she doubted it would happen. Even if she managed to afford her own cottage, Aunt Harriet would always be around. She would find a way to be there when Louise didn't want her to. They both knew Aunt Harriet didn't want to be in Louise's presence, but her actions said otherwise, and Louise just got more and more confused.

They needed to sit down and talk about that at some point. It was getting to be too much.

The carriage pulled up outside the house, and Louise and Bethany were helped out by a footman who hurried out to open the door. Louise looked up at the house.

"It's not too early, is it?" she asked. "We were invited over…"

"Lady Lara said that she was expecting guests, my lady, and to let you go straight in," the footman replied. "Once you're inside, just turn left, and you are in the morning room."

That was a relief. Louise didn't want the embarrassment of waiting outside until she was let in. She and Bethany stepped into the house, giving their cloaks to the footman as he followed in behind them. Louise looked around the foyer, which was open and painted in a way that made it feel like there was so much light present.

The portraits were all over the walls, each looking bigger and grander than the last. Louise thought about her house and how few paintings were up. Aunt Harriet didn't like that sort of thing. It was an expense they didn't need to bother with, according to her. Louise always thought paintings gave a room some character.

She needed to stop thinking about her aunt, otherwise she was going to get annoyed and ruin the visit.

They were heading toward the morning room when the door opened, and something big came barreling out, barking loudly. Bethany let out a scream, and Louise froze as the hairy animal jumped up on its hind legs and placed its paws on her belly. She didn't know what to do, if she should get it off her before it ruined her dress.

All the while, it panted with its tongue hanging out, looking very innocent.

"Oscar, get down! You know you shouldn't be jumping on people like that!"

Lara appeared and took hold of the scruff of the dog's neck, firmly urging it back onto all of its legs. She released the animal and held up a finger with a warning look. Still panting with its long tongue hanging out, Oscar sat. Louise hadn't thought it was possible for a dog to look innocent after doing something naughty.

"I have to apologize for Oscar, Lady Louise. He gets overexcited when he's around new people." Lara gave her an embarrassed smile. "I should have put him in another room or had him taken out on a walk…"

"No, it's fine. He just startled me, that's all." Louise looked down at her dress. Thankfully, there was no dirt on her stomach. "At least he didn't rip my gown."

"I'd be ashamed if he did that." Lara shot Oscar a sharp look and pointed at the floor. "Stay, Oscar."

Oscar stayed, but Louise still found herself edging around the huge animal. He looked as big as a horse, his long wiry brown hair making him look bigger than he was. He watched her with what could have been a smile, but Louise had never had a dog, so she wasn't entirely sure if he was being friendly or eyeing her up as the next meal.

"What sort of dog is he?" Louise asked as she followed Lara to the settee. A tea tray was already on the coffee table, and it looked like Lara had been in the process of pouring it out.

"We're not entirely sure. Father bought him when he was a puppy. Absolutely, he was the runt of the litter, and the mother had been…" Lara made a noise that could have been her clearing her throat or trying to hide a laugh. "Well, she had been with a dog, but nobody knows what sort of breed he was."

"I wouldn't call him a runt," Louise murmured, eyeing Oscar across the room as she sat down.

Then she realized that Bethany hadn't moved. She was still standing by the door, openly staring at Oscar with abject fear. Louise could see that she was trembling.

"Bethany? Are you coming in?"

"I…I can't be around dogs, my lady." Bethany's voice came out as a whimper. "I just…I'm terrified."

That was when Louise remembered. Bethany had mentioned being bitten badly when she was a child by a large dog, and now she was petrified of them. She started to get up again in the hopes that she could calm her maid down, when the Earl of Chesterfield appeared behind Bethany in the doorway.

Louise stopped, her mouth falling open when she caught sight of him. Immediately, her heart started stumbling, and she felt momentarily lightheaded. It was the same as it had been the previous evening when Louise saw the earl for the first time.

What was wrong with her that someone like Chesterfield could make her feel so flustered so suddenly? Louise could barely move, staring at him with her mouth open.

"Lady Louise?" Lara cleared her throat, which made Louise jump. "Are you all right?"

"Hmm? Oh!" Louise realized that Chesterfield was staring at her as well and felt her face growing hot. "I just…I forgot about Bethany and dogs. She's scared of them…"

"We'll get Oscar out of the room, then," Chesterfield said to someone out of sight, and then a stocky-looking servant with dark hair slipped into the room around Bethany. "Duffy will take him outside and keep him occupied."

Louise watched as Duffy got Oscar's attention and got him to stand. Then he made gestures with his hands to lead Oscar out of the door. Bethany flinched as the dog plodded past her, brushing against her skirts, and then the animal was gone, and Louise heard his claws clattering on the tiles in the foyer.

Chesterfield stepped into the room and frowned at Bethany.

"Are you all right, miss?"

"I…I think I will be." Bethany pressed a hand to her chest and let out a slow breath. "Forgive me, my lord, I wasn't expecting…"

"It was my fault, Father," Lara said quickly. "I didn't realize…"

"It's nobody's fault, Lara. We'll just keep Oscar out of sight for now." Chesterfield gestured for Bethany to follow him. "Come and sit down, miss. I'm sure my daughter will pour you a drink as well to steady your nerves."

Bethany looked like she was about to protest, but Louise jumped in quickly.

"That's really kind of you, my lord," she said, shooting Bethany a look. "We don't want to impose too much…"

"Nonsense. It's only fair that your maid…"

He raised his eyebrows, and Louise realized that he was fishing for a name.

"Bethany."

"It's only fair that Bethany has a moment of calm after what just happened." His mouth tugged in a smile. "Although, if I'm honest, if I had a huge animal like Oscar jump up on me, I'd be petrified as well. He's a…handful right at the beginning."

Louise could imagine. She sat back down with Lara as Chesterfield urged Bethany to join them, sitting in a chair across from her mistress. Lara poured out the tea, putting two sugar cubes into Bethany's cup before handing it to her. Bethany gave her a tiny smile and took the cup, taking a delicate sip.

Chesterfield sat on a stool on the other side of the coffee table, looking impossibly huge on it compared to Louise sitting on the settee. But he didn't seem to care, taking a cup and saucer from his daughter with a smile that made Louise's heart stop for a moment.

How could a man of his age be so handsome and not notice it?

Louise coughed as she took her cup.

"I hope it's not too much trouble with me coming this early," she said. "I know you said to call round today, but…"

"You don't need to worry about that. We always rise early." Lara smiled. "And I was preparing for you, anyway. Somehow, I guessed you would be here early."

"How so?"

"You seem like the type of person who is either on time to something or you have to be early so you know that you can be there without the embarrassment of being late."

Chesterfield chuckled.

"My daughter is pretty much the same. She says she can sniff out someone of a similar mindset. I thought she was being daft, though."

Louise wondered if her cheeks were ever going to cool down. She sipped her tea, which was deliciously sweet, and watched Bethany as she drank more of her own tea. Her maid seemed to have a bit of color coming back into her cheeks, which was something. At least Bethany would be back to her usual self in a moment.

"I hope your husband isn't too upset about you leaving so early," Lara said, reaching for a circular biscuit. "I'm sure he had things planned for the two of you today."

"You don't need to worry about that." Louise bit her lip. "I'm not actually married. I don't have a husband."

She could feel two sets of eyes on her, both of them showing surprise. Louise resisted the urge to squirm in her seat. Why was she uncomfortable with that? It was a way of life she was used to by now, but somehow, it was different in this moment.

"You're unmarried?" Lara stared at her. "How can that be?"

"I guess it was just not meant to be."

Louise wasn't about to go into detail about how people avoided her after whatever rumors they had heard influenced their choices. It was embarrassing enough thinking about it without saying it out loud.

"But…you're really pretty!" Lara exclaimed.

Chesterfield frowned at his daughter.

"Lara, you needn't be so upfront like that. You're going to make Lady Louise feel self-conscious."

"But don't you agree that she's really pretty, Father?" Lara insisted. "How she can be unmarried is beyond me."

Chesterfield glanced at Louise, and she was sure that she saw something pass behind his eyes. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it had the two of them staring at each other for a bit too long. Louise couldn't look away from those blue eyes of the earl's. They just seemed to suck her in.

What was wrong with her? It felt like someone had frozen her in time, and she couldn't get herself to move again.

"Father," Lara prompted, and that made both Louise and the earl jump. Chesterfield cleared his throat and fiddled with his teacup on the saucer.

"I…I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on something like that, Lara."

Lara snorted.

"You normally don't have a problem with speaking your mind."

"That's behind closed doors, not when we have guests." Chesterfield looked at Louise. "You're going to have to forgive my daughter's forwardness, Lady Louise. She's only eighteen, and she's still rather outspoken."

"I don't mind at all," Louise hurried to assure him. "I think it's refreshing to have someone outspoken and having their own opinions. But I would like a bit of warning before it happens again, though," she added. "I'm not used to having sudden comments spoken out of the blue."

Chesterfield smiled, and that smile reached his eyes. Louise was glad that she was sitting down because her legs were feeling shaky.

She needed to get better control of herself. Maybe it was because she hadn't been around many gentlemen lately that she was reacting like this toward the earl. That had to be it. Once she had been in his presence a little longer, those feelings would ease off, and Louise would feel better.

Although she had a feeling that it was going to take more than one time in Chesterfield's company before Louise was going to feel like she was on an even keel. Something about him put her on edge, and Louise couldn't be entirely sure what it was.

She just hoped that she didn't spend all of her time staring at the man when she was supposed to be talking to Lara, the girl who had invited her over. That would be really rude.

If Louise was lucky, no one would notice.

Chapter 7

Charles stood on the terrace and watched as Lady Louise and Lara walked through the gardens. After the initial awkwardness that involved the family dog, it seemed that Lady Louise had relaxed, and now she and Lara were talking like they had known each other for years.

Charles had wanted to get involved as well, but he didn't want to interrupt the flow of their conversation unless Lara asked him to. He was content to sit there and listen to them, although his knees were regretting that he had sat down on a low stool instead of in a proper chair.

It was nice to sit there and listen to the two of them. Especially when Lady Louise was talking. She had a warm, smooth voice that wrapped around him like a blanket, and it made Charles relax hearing her. He could feel the tension from the night before ease from his bones. There was something about her that put him at ease, even with his chest tightening, looking at her profile as she talked with great animation to his daughter.

Lara was right. She really was lovely. It was a shock to him that Lady Louise was still unmarried. How had she managed to escape the bonds of matrimony?

Charles had been thinking that Lady Louise's husband was a lucky man. Now he knew that she was not attached to anyone…

It made him feel a little guilty for the jolt of attraction that had shot through him whenever he looked at her, though. She was closer to Lara and Archie's age than his own, so the fact he found her very attractive was disconcerting. She was too young for him. That shouldn't be happening.

And yet it was, but it wasn't as shocking as Charles was trying to make it out to be.

Lady Louise's maid, Bethany, stood on the edge of the terrace, watching her lady with her shoulders back, her hands clasped in front of her. Charles approached her, and Bethany turned to face him.

"My lord." She curtsied.

"How are you feeling now? I must apologize for my dog earlier…"

"It's fine. You couldn't know." Bethany managed a smile. "It's nothing to worry about."

"I'll make sure that Oscar is nowhere near any visitors when they come here." Charles looked across the lawn at Lady Louise, his daughter's laughter floating through the air. "It's been a while since we've had visitors, actually."

"Forgive me for asking, my lord, but is there a reason for it?" Bethany asked.

Charles shrugged.

"I was just not ready to receive anymore. After my…well, I'm sure you don't want me telling you about it."

Bethany tilted her head to one side, her expression saying she understood all too well.

"You were in mourning for a long time, weren't you?"

Charles blinked.

"What makes you think that?"

"It's the look on your face just now. You were sad. After mourning, you couldn't bring yourself to enter Society again without them, but now your children are grown, and you need to escort them. You have to do it."

Charles wondered if Bethany had sneaked into his house and listened at keyholes to know about this. That was far too astute for a maid.

"I can see why you're Lady Louise's maid," he said wryly.

Bethany flushed.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn. I'm not normally like this around other people."

"Except when you're with your mistress?" Charles smiled. "It's fine, I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm sure you can keep your thoughts to yourself when you need to."

"Of course," Bethany said hurriedly. "I'm not going to speak out of turn. Not intentionally, anyway."

Charles could see why Lady Louise had her as a maid. They seemed to be well-suited to each other. Voices getting closer had him turning, and he saw Lady Louise and Lara walking toward them, arm-in-arm. Both of them were smiling, and Charles saw the smile reaching Lady Louise's eyes, making them sparkle.

She really was lovely to look at.

Feeling a fluttering in his stomach, Charles cleared his throat and hoped that he didn't look uncomfortable as he smiled at the girls.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"We were just talking about books." Lara beamed. "Louise has so many books in her house, and she's read pretty much everything."

Charles laughed.

"I don't think that's possible to read every book ever written."

"You'd be surprised," Lady Louise said with a smile in his direction. "It certainly feels like it."

"And she reads about astronomy," Lara went on excitedly. "She knows all the different constellations in the sky at night, and where to find them, and she doesn't even need to look at the book to know it."

"Oh, really?"

Charles knew that Lara was interested in the stars, and he had done his best to teach her about each of the shapes the stars made. They had spent many hours out on the lawn, the four of them, seeing what they could make to tell a story while lying on the grass staring up at the sky, the stars twinkling high above their heads.

It was surprising that Lady Louise would be interested in the stars as well. How was that possible that she liked astronomy like them?

Lady Louise blushed.

"Well, it's just something that fascinates me, that's all. The books I have from Italy are really interesting."

"We know all about that," Charles murmured.

"Father has a telescope," Lara said suddenly, grinning at him. "Although I don't think he's used it in years."

"Oh. That." Charles cleared his throat. "I'm not entirely sure where it is. It's been years since we used it. But I'll see if I can find it."

"You don't need to do it on my account," Lady Louise said hurriedly.

"It's fine. We used to spend a lot of time learning about the stars as well. It was something…"

He broke off, realizing what he had been about to say. Lara's smile faded a little, and she turned to Lady Louise.

"It was something Mother was very interested in," she said solemnly. "It was infectious, and we became interested as well."

"I see." Lady Louise winced. "Forgive me for bringing up a sensitive topic. I didn't mean…"

"It's fine. How could you have known?" Charles managed a smile. "Lara, why don't you go inside and see if Archie wants to join us? And also see if you can have some lemonade brought out, possibly? It's getting rather warm now, and it's been a while since you had tea."

"All right, Father."

Glancing between him and Lady Louise, Lara headed into the house. Lady Louise twisted her fingers together.

"I didn't mean to bring up painful memories, my lord."

"Like I said, it's fine. It's been some years since she…" Charles gulped. "Since she passed."

God, he should be able to talk about this without feeling like it was going to make him break down. Mary would be telling him now that he was being stupid, and he needed to stop behaving like he had had his favorite toy taken away from him. Charles had no idea why that comment popped into his head, but that was Mary all over; she had the ability to bring in something completely irrelevant and distract everyone from the situation.

Lady Louise looked sympathetic.

"How long has it been since she passed away? If you don't mind me asking?"

"It's been five years now. I wish I could say that it was one that we were expecting."

"Even falling ill can be unexpected."

"If only it was an illness," Charles said bitterly. "She fell from her horse and broke…broke her neck."

There was a gasp from Bethany. Lady Louise's mouth fell open.

"Oh, my. Forgive me, I…please accept my condolences, my lord. Even if they are some years later."

"Thank you."

The two of them stood awkwardly, the maid looking on. Charles wasn't sure how he was going to move on from this. He felt like he was eighteen years old again, trying to figure out how to speak to a woman. How was he so tongue-tied around this woman?

He was saved from saying anything further by voices getting closer, and then both of his children appeared. Archie looked bemused when he saw Lady Louise, but he was gracious as he approached and bowed to her.

"My lady."

"Lord Simmons." Lady Louise curtsied. "I hope you're well."

"Yes, thank you. Are my father and sister boring you now?" Archie cast his father a sly glance. "They do tend to do that to people."

Charles frowned.

"Don't be cheeky, Archie. Lady Louise and I…"

"Your father is perfectly fine, my lord," Lady Louise spoke over him, casting Charles a small smile. "He's not completely incompetent when speaking to people."

"And neither am I," Lara declared, moving to stand beside her brother. "By the way, lemonade will be out shortly. It's just being made."

"Perfect." Charles nodded at Bethany. "Would you like to sit with us, Bethany? You don't need to stand all the time, especially when it's such a warm day."

Bethany's eyes widened.

"I…are you sure, my lord?"

"Of course. It's a warm day, and I don't want you to feel faint." Charles smiled. "I'm sure your mistress won't object, either."

"Of course not," Lady Louise agreed emphatically. "You can join us, Bethany. You don't need to worry about intruding."

Although the maid did look nervous about it, she nodded. Charles turned to Archie, who was watching everything with a raised eyebrow.

"Why don't you get the servants to set out the table and chairs on the lawn, Archie? Then we can all sit down."

He needed to before his trembling legs gave way. For some reason, being around Lady Louise was making him unable to stand upright properly.

What was going on there?

***

"I take it you enjoyed yourself this morning, my lady," Bethany said with a smile as the carriage started down the driveway.

Louise laughed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you've barely stopped smiling since you started talking to Lady Lara, and I've heard you laugh more than I have in the last few months. It's nice to hear you be so gay about things."

Louise hadn't realized that her spirits had lifted while she was visiting Lara. It had been incredibly refreshing to talk to someone with a similar mindset. Lara was, by her own admission, timid and shy when it came to social gatherings—she hated crowds, much like Louise—but she was incredibly bright.

She was very well-read, and their conversations were in far greater depth than any that Louise had had with other ladies. And the young girl was happy to show off her knowledge. Louise found it rather sweet.

Her father had certainly made sure that his twins had a good education.

Louise's pulse stuttered as she thought about the earl. He had stayed nearby for most of the visit, and Louise did get a chance to talk to him as well. He was well-cultured and intelligent, and he was happy to listen to her whenever Louise brought up a talking point that would have been something she shouldn't be discussing. Chesterfield was calm and conscientious with all of that, listening to her point and raising up his own side. He even agreed with her after a moment of surprise. Was he thinking that she wouldn't have anything in her head?

Whatever he was thinking, their interactions had carried on even with Lara present, and Louise found herself enjoying it just as much as she did talking to the daughter. Chesterfield made her feel welcome. But, then again, he was the host, so he would make sure that his guests were happy to be there.

Although something told Louise that there was something underlying it all. She wasn't sure what, and she didn't want to get a headache to find out.

"I suppose I needed that visit," Louise admitted, slumping contentedly against the cushions. "It's nice to talk to someone new, especially when they're like Lady Lara Simmons."

"Do you think you're going to be visiting them again?" Bethany asked. "Even with that huge dog of theirs?"

"If they ask, then I will."

"But not asking them to visit at home?"

Louise gave her maid a rueful look.

"Do you think that's a good idea, given how my aunt carries on every time I have someone visiting?"

Bethany hesitated. Then she cleared her throat.

"I see your point, my lady. She does make it uncomfortable for everyone, doesn't she? Doesn't she want you to have a social life?"

"I don't think I'll ever understand what's going on with her. She wants me out of the way because she can't seem to stand the sight of me, but then when I have a social life, she kicks up a fuss about it. It's like she can't decide what she wants to do with me."

Bethany spread her hands.

"Maybe that's just how she is, my lady. She's always been a little…odd. The household staff are very aware of this, so we're always talking about that. We don't really know what's going on with her, either."

Louise was glad that she wasn't the only one who was confused and concerned about what was going on with her aunt. Aunt Harriet had made it clear from the beginning that Louise was such a burden, so surely she would urge her niece to find her own place in the world and get rid of her as soon as she was able. Instead, it felt like Aunt Harriet wanted to keep her isolated from everyone.

Except Lord Mansfield. She was intent on having Louise and the earl in the same room interacting with each other whenever she could. Louise didn't like it, especially with the way Mansfield kept trying to get her attention. For someone who was planning on marrying her aunt in the near future, it felt odd that he was working so hard to get Louise's approval. As far as Louise was concerned, it had nothing to do with her.

Hopefully, it would be enough for her to say she was moving into another property so she didn't get in their way. If Aunt Harriet wanted the house to herself and start her married life alone, then she would jump at the chance. Louise would talk about that with her eventually.

Just not today. She didn't want to lower the good mood she was feeling after visiting the Earl of Chesterfield and his family.

It didn't take long to get back to the house, and they waited until the carriage was in the stables before Louise and Bethany jumped out. Louise dusted herself down and nodded her thanks at the carriage driver.

"Let's go for a walk in the gardens," she said, linking her arm with Bethany's. "I want to enjoy this nice weather before we go inside, and I face my aunt. She's probably wanting a moment alone with Mansfield, and she won't want me barging in."

"I don't think you will be able to give them that privacy, my lady."

"What do you mean?"

Bethany pointed.

"I can see them from here."

Louise looked, and she groaned. Aunt Harriet and Mansfield were in the garden, standing under the oak tree by the terrace, standing in the shade. Aunt Harriet had her back to Louise, and she couldn't see much from the angle, but it looked like her aunt and her suitor were having an intimate moment, their heads bowed toward each other as they spoke quietly.

So much for keeping away from Mansfield. They were going to have to walk right by them to get back into the house. Or they would have to go back into the street and up to the front door, which was an option.

But then Mansfield glanced up, and he looked right at her. There was no hope of the second option now, especially when Louise saw him say something to Aunt Harriet, and she turned around. They would have to walk right by them.

"All right." Louise took a deep breath. "I suppose I was going to have to do this sooner or later. I was just hoping for it not to be sooner."

"I'm sure it will be fine, my lady," Bethany assured her.

From the scowl on Aunt Harriet's face, Louise highly doubted it. She and Bethany left the stables and walked into the garden, stepping up onto the terrace. Aunt Harriet intercepted them on the way to the door.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, practically blocking their way. She did not look happy. "You sneaked off this morning without any warning. Where did you go?"

Louise tried to maintain her composure as she responded.

"I went to visit a new friend I made last night. She wanted to meet me as soon as possible, so who was I to refuse?"

"So early in the day?"

"That's what we agreed on." Louise didn't look at Bethany, but she felt the maid's hand squeeze her arm in a comforting gesture. "She's only eighteen and just entered Society, so she didn't properly know the rules, but she was so eager that I thought that there wouldn't be any harm."

Aunt Harriet's eyes narrowed. She didn't look convinced.

"I see. Is that it?"

"You think I'm lying to you?"

"You could have snuck out to meet a gentleman."

Louise almost burst out laughing but stopped herself in time. She didn't want the argument to build. It didn't help that Mansfield was standing to her right, not too close but close enough that Louise felt nervous. He was also staring at her, which she tried to ignore.

"Why would you think that I was meeting a gentleman? Have I given you any reason for you to think that, Aunt Harriet?"

"Well, am I right?"

Louise sighed. She didn't want to argue over this.

"I went to visit Lady Lara Simmons, daughter to the Earl of Chesterfield. He and her brother, Lord Simmons, were present as our chaperones, but it was the daughter who I was going to visit."

Aunt Harriet's eyes widened.

"So there were gentlemen there! I thought so!"

"I told you that they were simply present, and I was making friends with Lady Lara. What's wrong with that? I wasn't alone with anyone, and I was very respectable." Louise nodded at Bethany. "And Bethany never left my side, either."

Aunt Harriet snorted.

"You think that you were respectable, Louise? Really?"

"Why would you not trust my word? I've never given you a reason to not trust me."

"I know about the Earl of Chesterfield. He's the type of person who's willing to take advantage of a naive girl who has no idea how to talk to gentlemen. I bet he was whispering sweet nothings in your ear."

Louise gasped.

"Aunt Harriet! He never did that! And he's a widower, so why would he find me, someone nearer his daughter's age, attractive in that capacity."

"That's gentlemen all over," Mansfield said stoutly, his arms folded. "They see someone who doesn't know the way of the world, and they know that they can seduce them until they get bored."

Louise glared at him. She didn't want to hear anything from him.

"First, that never happened. Second, I know how to handle myself, and I'm aware of when someone is taking advantage. Third, even if I was naive about how to interact with gentlemen, given how I'm not given a chance to find out for myself, can you put the blame at my door?"

"I'm sure your aunt did things to the best of her abilities."

Louise snorted.

"I don't think she did. Once you marry into the family, you'll understand that as well. And you'll see what she's really like."

Aunt Harriet gasped.

"How dare you talk about me like that! And apologize to Lord Mansfield right now for your attitude!"

"I think the ones apologizing should be you and Lord Mansfield for assuming the worst of me when I've done nothing to make you worried. I know you don't like me, Aunt Harriet, but I can do without you tearing me down in front of the earl." Louise tugged Bethany along. "Come along. I would like to go and rest in my room."

"I didn't say you could leave!" Aunt Harriet snapped as Louise stepped around her. "Get back here!"

But Louise ignored her, heading into the house. If she stayed, they were going to get into an argument, and Mansfield didn't need to see that. Louise wasn't about to jeopardize her aunt's relationship because they were arguing again. And she didn't like the fact it felt as if the two of them were going to pair up against her.

Louise was not about to go into that. She wanted to maintain her good mood, and that wasn't going to happen if those two dragged her into whatever nonsense they could think up.