Adam had welcomed the new year with the most chaste kiss he had ever bestowed upon a desirable woman. At midnight amid cheers and the clink of raised tankards, he had stolen a moment while the Hammons were kissing to pull Miss Tamworth to her feet.
She wasn’t happy with him, he knew, but he had thought he saw yearning in her eyes despite her displeasure. Before she could protest or, as he hoped, before anyone who cared could truly notice, he had wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed her, soundly but briefly. All too briefly.
It had taken every ounce of his control not to draw her fully against him and kiss her lingeringly and thoroughly. He thought he could have. She had not resisted him in the slightest, although that might have been the influence of ratafia. The quick hint of the drink on her lips mixed with her own unique taste had nearly undone him.
When he released her, she had hesitated, as if stunned. But then she had rounded on him quickly.
“You had better pretend this never happened!”
She had dropped back into her chair quite precipitously. Happy New Year.
This new virtuous version of himself was killing him, or at least that was how it felt by the time the travelers reached Blakehill the next day. He was about ready to crawl out of his skin. Riding in the carriage beside Miss Tamworth for hours over two days, engaging in polite conversations and carefully resisting opportunities to touch her, had been torture and burned up any spirit of Christmas goodwill he might have had.
He had upset her at the inn, even before the kiss. She had reacted badly to the news about her cousins, taking him by surprise. There was family history to learn behind that enmity. But she had been upset even before he’d divulged that information, and not only because Lady Anne had revealed the secret of her connections. He had misplayed his hand when he reacted to her plans to become a governess or school teacher.
The truth was, he could not bear to see her reduced to earning wages to support herself. She could have no idea of how society treated women in those positions. He did. He had been guilty of such behavior himself. But more than that, he could not stand the thought of letting her go–for that. Giving up any chance he might have with her was only bearable if he trusted she’d be gaining a better future.
He was exhausted from the strain of behaving himself and putting a cheerful face on it. Now that they had arrived at Blakehill, he was also nervous about the imminent introductions. Nevertheless, he summoned another smile for everyone as the little party entered the gold drawing room to meet his family.
His parents rose and took up a position in the center of the room as their guests came in. The patterned rose-and-gold carpet, gilded furniture upholstered in gold velvet, swagged drapes of gold satin at the windows and white and gold paneled walls always seemed to Adam excessive. Blakehill was an impressive house without requiring such ostentation in the décor. He was almost embarrassed, thinking of the tasteful, comfortable furnishings at Highfield.
He nodded to the footman who had ushered the Hammons and Miss Tamworth in. As the man retired to stand at the door, Adam stepped up to the front of the group to introduce his friends, armed with information learned about them during their time on the road.
He knew that Miss Tamworth was nervous, perhaps having second thoughts. He had seen it in the questions she had asked during their drive today–questions about her relatives, about Blakehill, his parents and the ball, in truth about everything that lay ahead of her. But even more telling had been the way her fingers had fiddled with her pelisse buttons and her reticule, increasingly as the miles to Blakehill dwindled.
He knew her. Surprisingly well after such brief acquaintance, but he realized the revelation was true. He had begun to feel as if he had always known her. She might be terrified, but she was also brave. He wished he could make this easier for her.
“Father, mother–please allow me to present Lady Anne and Squire Tobias Hammon, of Highfield Manor in Little Macclow. Also Miss Tamworth, who is the daughter of the Reverend Dr. John Tamworth in that village. Friends, please meet my parents, Lord and Lady Grantsborough.” He paused as Lady Anne and Miss Tamworth made their curtseys and the Squire bowed.
“Lady Anne is the daughter of the late Earl of Davernett.” He could see his mother assessing them, especially Miss Tamworth. “The Earl of Brinton and his sisters are Miss Tamworth’s cousins,” he added, watching to see if his mother’s expression altered. He was rewarded when he saw the slightest lift of her eyebrows. Yes, mother, surprised you, eh? He knew she had assumed his new friends were nobodies.
She nodded like a queen granting approval. “Welcome. We are so pleased that you could join us. We appreciate the hand of hospitality that you reached out to our son in his time of need.”
“Yes, we bid you welcome,” his father added. “We sincerely hope you will enjoy the festivities this evening. Our staff will show you to your rooms and make you comfortable. If you have need of anything, please let them know.”
Adam thought the welcome could have been warmer, but he knew his parents. His friends were still strangers, after all, and besides that, they had the misfortune to be his friends. No matter how respectable they were, the connection to him still tainted them in his parents’ eyes.
“Thank you so much for the welcome, my lord and my lady,” Lady Anne said with a bright smile and a wave of her hand. If she’d noticed his parents’ coldness, she’d chosen to ignore it. “Your home is exquisite, and we are delighted and honored to join your guests tonight. I am quite certain we shall be supremely comfortable. Thank you for hosting us.”
Lady Anne would never be intimidated by anyone, Adam decided–not even the queen herself. He should not have spent a moment worrying about this meeting.
“Do you travel to London often?” she continued with enthusiasm. “If so, you very likely are acquainted with two of my sisters, Lady Verrill and Lady Midgeley. They are quite active socially in Town. As it happens, my husband and I prefer the quiet of the country.”
Brava, Adam thought. Both sisters Lady Anne mentioned were prestigious London hostesses, and one was wife to a marquess, outranking his parents in precedence. The comment was well designed to impress his mother, who had married up to become a countess. Born an earl’s daughter, Lady Anne had sacrificed her status when she married a mere country squire, but Adam thought she made it very clear that she was comfortable with her choice.
“I am acquainted with both of them, at least slightly, and have been to their homes in London,” his mother said, her tone and countenance warming. She actually produced a new smile that seemed genuinely frost-free. “They are very gracious ladies. I am so pleased to meet another sister of theirs.”
She turned then to Miss Tamworth, who had remained silent through all of this. “Did my son tell you that your cousin Lord Brinton and one of his sisters are expected this evening?”
Miss Tamworth raised her chin. “Indeed he did, my lady. But I must confess to you that I have never met them. You have unknowingly contrived a family reunion of sorts at your ball tonight.” Adam admired Miss Tamworth’s calm outward demeanor and honesty. She betrayed not a hint of her inner turmoil to his mother.
His mother, for once, appeared not to know quite what to say.
Lady Anne had no such problem. “I think that is such a lovely coincidence!” she said with typical exuberance. “Do you not agree? What better way to begin a new year than by reuniting a family!”
Miss Tamworth shot a frown at Lady Anne, who ignored it. Adam almost laughed.
“I think perhaps our guests might like some time to retire and rest before dinner,” he said helpfully. “I know I would. I’m sure more guests will be arriving–may I be excused from greeting them?”
He suspected under the circumstances of his disgrace, his parents might actually prefer his absence. “Where is Lady Emma, incidentally? I should like her to meet my friends before dinner.”
“Your sister is in the salon, playing charades to entertain our other houseguests,” his mother replied. “There will be plenty of time for introductions. You may be excused, Adam.” She signaled to the footman, who quickly presented himself. “Please see that our guests are shown to their chambers.”
Cassie hoped that she was not gaping, and that soon she would become accustomed enough to the splendor of Lord Forthhurst’s home to stop being an idiot about it. She stood next to Lady Anne and Squire at the entrance to the ballroom at Blakehill, not quite ready to set foot into a room even more spectacular than those she had already seen here.
The gold salon where she had met Lord Forthhurst’s intimidating parents was only the beginning. The handsome bedchamber she had been assigned–decorated with white paneling between sections of pink brocade on the walls–was three times the size of her room at home. While it did not have a private sitting room adjoining it as Lady Anne and Squire’s pale green room did, there was a dressing room. The entire contents of her portmanteau had been unpacked for her and hung up or distributed among the drawers in the immense Chinese lacquered wardrobe that dominated that additional space. She had rested in the huge tester bed of dark mahogany, curtained in matching pink brocade, and changed her dress for dinner with the help of a young maid.
The dining room, when they had been summoned there, proved even more impressive. The room was so large that two long tables connected by a head table across the top of the U-shaped configuration fit comfortably. Frothy plaster traceries decorated the ceiling high above them and adorned the walls, curling around several huge paintings of sea-battles. Cassie found these artworks an odd choice for a dining room, but she was in no position to judge. Two ornate chandeliers boasting many tiers of candles cast bountiful light onto the tables below. Those were elegantly set with giant silver epergnes loaded with both sugared and hot house fruits and more candles in silver candelabras the size of small trees.
She thought she had managed dinner surprisingly well. All of Lady Anne’s good training had rescued her from making foolish mistakes, and her cousins were not among the diners. She had been introduced to Sir Phineas, an elderly baronet who was her dinner partner, and other people seated near her, who all seemed quite focused upon the elegant and overabundant array of food. The dishes within reach at their end of the left-hand table included poached salmon, collops of veal, glazed carrots, artichoke bottoms, French beans and a venison pie.
She had quickly recognized that the splendor of the room was not a topic of conversation, for all of these people were accustomed to seeing it. She followed their lead in conversations and tried to contribute something so she would not appear as brainless as she felt. The baronet was slightly deaf, which made conversing more of a challenge.
As she sampled the various dishes, Cassie had only occasionally allowed her gaze to stray to the head table, where Lord Forthhurst sat near his parents and a young woman she assumed was his sister. His dinner partner was a beautiful woman who appeared animated and engaging. Whoever she was, the attention she gave to the viscount was to be expected. He was on his home ground here, the sought-after and highly eligible heir. Cassie had reminded herself that at the ball it would be worse, not just one woman fawning over him, but probably most.
Looking into the ballroom now, her trepidations fell aside for a moment. In the dining room she had thought she’d never seen so many candles lighting a room, but the blazing ballroom quite literally outshone anything she had seen in her life. Multi-branched wall sconces and three grand crystal chandeliers overhead held what must have been hundreds of candles, multiplied into thousands of gleaming lights by the mirrors set into elaborate gilded paneling that lined the walls. The largest of these balanced the effect of the five floor-length French windows along the outside wall that opened onto a snow-covered terrace.
More floor candelabras stood in the corners of the huge room. Swags of Christmas greens decorated the top of each mirror and window, and a mountain of fresh greens had been arranged on the mantel shelf of the massive marble fireplace at the center of the inside wall. Cassie had already seen its formidable twin heating the hall on the other side of the wall.
“Oh, it looks enchanted,” she whispered, her breath quite literally taken away. But more than ever, she felt she did not belong here–that if she stepped into the beautiful vision, the magic would shatter and it would all disappear.
“It does, does it not? Splendid, perfectly splendid,” Lady Anne exclaimed. She scooped up Cassie’s hand, almost as if she sensed her hesitation. “Come along, then, let us go in. We have people to meet, dances to dance.”
Cassie wanted to balk and brace her feet like an obstinate donkey. Her instincts (now, when it was much too late) were screaming at her not to go in. She resisted the impulse to seize the doorframe and not let go, instead summoning her courage to go meekly in with Lady Anne and Squire. Perhaps they could just sit in a corner where no one would notice them after they were announced. After all, they really knew no one here.
That assumption proved to be untrue, however. After their names had been announced and they had paid respects to their hosts, they almost immediately ran into Lord Forthhurst’s friend Christopher Haslitt and his parents, Sir Matthew and Lady Haslitt. The baronet recognized Squire Hammon at once.
“Hammon, old chap! I’m surprised to see you so far from home in this weather. How do you do?”
“Well, Sir Matthew, quite well. Glad to see you here. I gather you must be fully recovered from your illness? May I present my wife, Lady Anne, and our neighbor, Miss Tamworth? We are already acquainted with your son, who was our guest just recently.”
“Yes, indeed, we are indebted to you for your hospitality to him.”
Christopher Haslett turned to Cassie. “Miss Tamworth, may I request the honor of a dance with you this evening?”
Why not? Perhaps she would not have to sit anonymously in a corner all evening, after all. Perhaps if she had partners enough, she could also avoid Lord Forthhurst entirely.
She graced Mr. Haslitt with her broadest smile. “I would be delighted, sir. Thank you. We know hardly anyone here. Lord and Lady Grantsborough invited us to thank us for our hospitality towards Lord Forthhurst.” She leaned in and tilted her head up to speak in a low voice. “Just between us, I confess I am not certain why I am here. I did not extend any such thing to him–in truth, more the opposite.”
Mr. Haslitt chuckled, glancing across the room to where Lord Forhthurst stood in a knot of guests. He tilted his head down towards her. “Your secret is safe with me, Miss Tamworth. I am certain that there needs to be no other reason but that you are charming and beautiful. You grace any ballroom by your presence.”
Heavens, she had forgotten what a saucebox he was. “You are too kind, Mr. Haslitt.”
“I will try to make certain you are introduced to some other fine fellows who no doubt will also wish to dance with you. I may even become a bit jealous.”
She had to laugh. She couldn’t help it. “I would be very grateful. Thank you.”
He excused himself, promising to return shortly to claim his dance, and she found that the Hammons had also finished conversing with Sir Matthew and his wife. Together they moved a little further into the room, seeking a spot to stand, or sit, out of the way of the main dance area.
“Young Mr. Haslitt is a handsome fellow, do you not think so, Cassie?” Lady Anne said, turning to her. “Did he ask for a dance?”
She felt a little heat coming up in her cheeks. So silly! For what? “Yes, he did indeed. And he promised to introduce some other young men, so perhaps I will not lack for partners.”
“Pish-tosh! As if you would lack for partners. Did you imagine you would spend the evening sitting in a corner? You are far too lovely for that to happen, my dear.”
She shrugged her shoulders, although she did so delicately. “In truth, I did fear that might happen. I know no one here.”
“That is not true. You know Lord Forthhurst, and his parents, and us, and Mr. Haslitt. You also know the people who sat near you at dinner.”
“That is hardly an extensive list, Lady Anne, considering the large number of people in attendance. This event is so much larger than any assembly we have ever held in Little Macclow.” She gathered up enough courage to look boldly around the room, quite convinced that no one would note her or the Hammons. Why should they? But as she surveyed the room, her gaze passed Lord Forthhurst and returned to him, unable not to pause there.
Dressed in his finest evening clothes, he had never looked more handsome. The stark black and white colors suited him. Her heart beat a little faster and her breath grew a little shorter. In that moment, almost as if he sensed her gaze upon him, his eyes lifted and he seemed to look straight at her. Oh, Lord. She quickly looked away.
“Perhaps we should take seats?” she asked Lady Anne and Squire. She wouldn’t admit that she hoped doing so would remove her from Lord Forthhurst’s line of sight, and perhaps stop her from seeking the sight of him as well. Sitting might make her harder for Mr. Haslitt to find, but she had faith he would eventually do so.
That gentleman proved her right within just a few minutes. Lady Anne had been studying the crowd, certain that she would recognize more people who were known to her, and commenting on everything from the musicians to what people were wearing. Cassie had just begun to feel awkward sitting there instead of dancing when she saw Mr. Haslitt approaching. He had the young lady she assumed was Lord Forthhurst’s sister on his arm.
The Hammons must have seen them at the same moment, for they rose as one with Cassie.
“Lady Emma asked if I would introduce you to her, since she had not had an opportunity to meet you. May I present Lady Anne and Squire Hammon, and their friend Miss Tamworth, from Little Macclow? This is Lady Emma Randall, the daughter of our hosts and Lord Forthhurst’s sister.”
The girl was a fetching young woman with brown hair several shades lighter than her brother’s. Slim and elegant, she also appeared to be as much as ten years younger than her brother, although she was obviously old enough to be out of the schoolroom.
Once the usual polite responses were exchanged, Lady Emma dropped all formalities. “I am so excited to meet all of you,” she exclaimed. “My brother’s adventure in your village depended so much on the three of you, as he tells it. I think it is just so lovely that you were able to come!”
She paused for breath and then continued. “Miss Tamworth, would you care to stroll about the room with me? I would so like to be friends, and I can introduce you to more people. If Lady Anne and Squire Hammon don’t mind?”
“And if Mr. Haslitt is not looking for his dance with me at just this moment,” Cassie added, turning a questioning gaze on him.
He bowed. “I will happily claim my chance a little later, Miss Tamworth, if that suits you.”
“Squire Hammon and I would be delighted for you young ladies to become better acquainted,” Lady Anne replied. “We can take advantage of the opportunity to join the dancers.”
Lady Emma seized Cassie’s left hand and tucked it into her elbow. “There is such a crowd! It is like this every year,” she said, beginning to steer a path between and around the various people watching the dancers or carrying on conversations. “Of course, last year was the first time I was allowed to attend for even part of the evening. This year I am to stay for the whole ball. My parents say I need to practice my social skills before I can go to London next year.”
From that tidbit Cassie judged Lord Forthhurst’s sister must be about seventeen years of age. “You seem very accomplished already to me, Lady Emma. Are you looking forward to your season?”
“Oh, indeed, I am.” The lively young lady launched into a description of her expectations for visiting London, and the conversation flowed easily from there.
Every few feet she stopped to speak with someone, and she introduced Cassie to dozens of people. None were her cousins.
At length Cassie began to feel quite overwhelmed. She laughed. “Lady Emma! I have met so many people, my head is swimming! I can see you are quite the favorite. Do you not wish to give any of the fine gentlemen we met a chance to dance with you?”
“Oh!” Lady Emma stopped in her tracks. “I am so sorry. My brother says I am often over-eager, as he calls it. It’s just that I sensed there is a special friendship between you and him, and I wanted to befriend you as well.”
Cassie choked back her surprise. A ‘special friendship’? What had Lord Forthhurst said or done?
“I cannot thank you enough for being so kind, Lady Emma. I am delighted to become acquainted and I appreciate your efforts very much. I must protest, however, that I have only known your brother for a matter of a few days, hardly long enough for a friendship, let alone a special one.”
Lady Emma’s smile faltered. “Oh. I was so sure…. He seemed to…. He spoke very highly of you.” She appeared to be disappointed and a little shaken, for a moment looking far younger than the elegant young woman standing there instants earlier.
She recovered quickly and restored her smile. “Well, let us circle back to where you were sitting, Miss Tamworth. If no one asks us to dance, we can continue chatting!”
That plan would have worked well except that partway there a group of excited young women surrounded Lady Emma declaring that she was needed, and Cassie promised she could find her way back to the seats by herself. As she did so, Lord Forthhurst seemed to materialize out of nowhere in front of her.
“How is it you are wandering alone through the ballroom, Miss Tamworth? When last I looked my sister had you well in hand.”
She studied his face, taking in the solicitous expression in his eyes, the small crinkles at the corners of them when he smiled as he did now, and the fine shape of his smooth jaw. The candleflame inside her came alight instantly. She must learn to ignore it.
“Indeed, your sister was most kind. She was quite eager to become friends and introduced me to a good many people, also. But she seems to be under the impression we have some sort of special friendship, my lord. You may rest assured that I corrected her.”
His expression darkened. “I trust she did not abandon you on that account?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. She was called away and I said I could find my way to my seat.”
He took her arm, but made no effort to start moving. Looking down into her eyes he said, “I think we do have a special friendship.”
She shook her head. “And I think that is a dangerous idea for anyone to have, especially when we have only been acquainted such a very short time.”
He began to walk with her in the direction of the seats, but after a few steps he stopped again. “Will you dance with me?”
“Right now?”
“Yes, now. They are just finishing one. If it helps to persuade you, I believe people will think it odd if we do not after we’ve been seen walking and talking together.”
He was right and she was trapped. “I had promised Mr. Haslitt…”
“And he is not here just now, is he? He may have a later dance.”
She sighed. Perhaps she had known dancing with him was inevitable. At least in such a proper setting propriety decreed that he should only dance with her once. “All right.”
He led her out among the dancers, and they took places in a set forming near them as soon as the dance was announced. The country dance was one Cassie knew, thankfully. She was already so distracted by the little fires racing through her arm from where their hands met, she did not see how she had a prayer of concentrating on the figures of an unfamiliar dance.
She prayed for the music to start. She needed to move, now, to counteract the sensations he set off in her body. She glanced up at him and met his gaze. Those devilish green eyes told her he knew what she was feeling. How did he look so perfectly contained?
The dance began and as they moved–apart, together, circling, returning,–she could see his control begin to slip. The figures of the dance were flirtatious: approaching each other, then turning away, finally taking hands and turning in a circle. Every time they circled together she could not put the last time they had done so out of her mind. Was he thinking of it, too?
The laughter and conviviality of their group was contagious. His slow smile turned into a wild grin as they danced a little faster. Were the musicians toying with them? Or was it only her heart beating faster and faster? His eyes never seemed to leave her. Every time they came back together, his touch set new fires burning inside her.
When the dance ended, he took her arm and she leaned against him, limp from the exertion and laughter. How solid and strong he seemed. How was he not winded or fatigued as she was? But she straightened almost instantly, recognizing such contact was shockingly improper.
“Have you breath now to walk, Miss Tamworth?” He began to guide her towards the seats. “I hope you are not sorry now that you danced with me.”
She shook her head, still a bit breathless, not entirely from the dance.
He laughed. “You haven’t breath, or you’re not sorry? I shouldn’t ask two questions at once, if I want a clear answer. Forgive me.”
He reached over to pat her hand held securely in the crook of his other elbow, as an affectionate elderly uncle might do. What did she expect him to do, in the middle of his parents’ ballroom? She should be grateful he seemed to be on his best behavior. She was the one in danger of behaving badly. She allowed him to steer her back to her seat, and they arrived there just as Lady Anne and Squire Hammon also returned.
“Lord Forthhurst, what a lovely event,” Lady Anne gushed. She appeared a little breathless and giddy herself. “We couldn’t be more pleased to be here. Thank you again for your valor in making certain we received the invitations. Your effort was truly heroic.”
“’Twas my pleasure, Lady Anne.” He bowed to Cassie. “As was our dance, Miss Tamworth. Thank you for dancing with me.” Perfectly polite, except at the end he winked at her before turning away. How did he manage to make her annoyed and amused at the same time?
She settled in to wait for Mr. Haslitt or some other gentleman she had met to claim a dance. Lady Anne was uncharacteristically silent, fanning herself and apparently catching her breath. Cassie’s ears became adjusted to the noises around her and she gradually noticed a conversation between two women going on somewhere behind her.
“He seems perfectly acceptable this evening, do you not agree?” one said.
“Anyone can behave for a matter of a few hours,” the other said unkindly. “I say woe to the unwary woman who is beguiled by what she sees tonight.”
Who were they discussing? Cassie didn’t disagree with the second woman, for her words expressed exactly what Cassie ought to be reminding herself about Lord Forthhurst. But at the same time, their vicious dissecting of someone’s character was exactly the sort of thing her father had said to expect here.
“He was always the black sheep, you know,” the second woman continued, her voice warming with enthusiasm and gaining a little volume. “Even before his older brother died, he was always getting into trouble, full of mischief. It’s quite apparent that he hasn’t changed.”
Were they speaking about Lord Forthhurst? Perhaps his behavior was simply common among his sort. Cassie didn’t know if he had started out as a younger son. He had never mentioned the loss of a brother, but then, when would the topic have come up? Maybe when she had mentioned losing her mother, but perhaps he did not like to speak of his loss. If she were to ask him after this, how would she explain why she did? She fought the urge to turn around and look at the women.
“Miss Tamworth, would you do me the honor of joining me for this dance?”
She started at Mr. Haslitt’s sudden appearance. Now she would miss what else the two women might say. However, she smiled at her partner. “It would be my pleasure.” That was the expected response. Perhaps he might answer some of her questions.
Cassie danced with several more partners after she finished her dance with Mr. Haslitt. She suspected that dancing with Lord Forthhurst and then his friend had somehow made asking her seem acceptable to the other young men she’d met with Lady Emma. One or two she hadn’t met even requested introductions in order to ask her. The attention was flattering, and the dancing enjoyable, far easier and less intense than dancing with Lord Forthhurst.
She supposed they were all perfectly agreeable fellows, but none triggered any response in her the way Lord Forthhurst did. She remembered her fear that he had ruined her for anyone else.
She still did not know if the comments she’d overheard had been about him. Mr. Haslitt had confirmed that Lord Forthhurst was not the firstborn son in his family, and that his elder brother had died in a riding accident. But the tragedy was not fresh–it had happened some ten years ago. Such events were not uncommon. She hadn’t felt comfortable telling Mr. Haslitt what she had overheard. Perhaps she didn’t truly want to know if he thought the remarks were about Lord Forthhurst.
She was just returning to her seat escorted by a young Mr. Prescott, whose bad skin suggested he was closer in age to Lady Emma than to Cassie, when Lady Grantsborough approached. A strikingly handsome man, tall, lean, dark-haired and very commanding in his bearing accompanied her, along with a very pretty young lady sporting similar dark hair.
“Miss Tamworth, here you are,” the countess said. “I have been looking for you. I hope you are enjoying the ball?”
“Indeed I am, my lady. Very much so.”
“I would like to introduce you to your cousins.”
Ambushed. Cassie’s heart rose into her throat. She had put all thought of meeting them out of her mind, assuming by this time in the evening they had been unable to come. Given the roads, the assumption was not unreasonable. A new wave of nervousness rushed through her.
I must not show it. She faced them, noting that they were smiling, although that could mean nothing. She smiled, too, trying to pretend she meant it. She searched their faces, looking for some semblance of her mother in them.
“Lord Brinton, Lady Honoria, I am pleased to present your cousin, Miss Tamworth from Little Macclow. Miss Tamworth, your cousins Lord Brinton and his sister Lady Honoria de Raymond.”
Lord Brinton took her hand and kissed it. Lady Honoria clasped her hands together, her face alight with what appeared to be excitement. “You have more cousins than this,” she said, accompanying the words with a small giggle. “We have four other sisters. We are the only two family members who were both in the area and able to attend tonight.”
Cassie was too stunned to say a word, but the earl addressed her.
“You have no idea what this means to us, Miss Tamworth, to meet you in person and put a face to the long-lost cousin we suspected was out in the world somewhere. Our family has much to answer for, and so many lost years to make up. Would you be willing to retire with us into one of the anterooms so we might sit and speak in private?”
“Oh, please say you will!” Lady Honoria reached out an imploring hand, not quite daring enough to touch Cassie’s arm.
They seemed harmless enough, even eager. Would they still be so in private? Or was it all a show in front of Lady Grantsborough? Cassie wrestled with a lifetime of learned bitterness. These cousins might not have been born at the time her mother was cut off from their family. Was it fair to blame them? Their father, her uncle, was only guilty of not stopping his father from following that course, and of never rectifying the decision afterwards. Who knew why? There was much Cassie did not know.
“All right,” she said, nodding. “I must tell my chaperones. They are dear friends–I’ll introduce you. Do you know Mr. Prescott?”
The poor fellow had been standing by awkwardly while the conversation flowed, but now he brightened. “I believe we’ve met, Lord Brinton. My pleasure,” he said, sketching a perfect bow. “Are you on leave, my lord? Or is your regiment all on furlough? So excellent that you can be with family at Christmas.”
Cassie was surprised to hear her cousin was on military duty in the war. That didn’t fit the image her father had painted of these people at all. Service? Sacrifice? She felt the glimmerings of a little pride, and perhaps the crumbling of some of her prejudice.
Lord Brinton responded to the younger man’s queries as Cassie urged them all towards the seats where she could see Lady Anne and Squire resting in the lull between sets. In truth they looked a bit fatigued. She thanked Mr Prescott for the dance so he could depart, and then she introduced the Hammons to her cousins.
“It is an honor, Lord Brinton, it truly is,” Lady Anne gushed. “I believe I was acquainted with both of your parents, in my younger days of course. My sisters and I were still unmarried then, all Worthingtons.”
“We are delighted to meet any friends of my cousin, Lady Anne. My father has been gone since I was sixteen, but my mother still lives. She daren’t pass away while most of my sisters still need to find husbands.” He chuckled. “Of the five, only Clementina is married so far. Perhaps at some time we could arrange a reunion between you and my mother.” His cordial response to Lady Anne thawed Cassie’s heart a little further.
“Oh, that is a capital idea!” Lady Honoria made a show of clapping her hands without actually doing so. Cassie understood–it fell under the rule of not attracting attention or making a scene. “We would like to spirit Miss Tamworth away with us briefly where we can converse in private,” Honoria continued. “Do you mind terribly? If we promise to bring her back? We have years and years–whole lifetimes–of lost time to talk about.”
Adam watched Miss Tamworth leave the ballroom with her cousins. Keeping her in sight had been a challenge all evening. Where were they going?
If he found an opportunity, he could ask Lady Anne and the squire. That was a large if. He had barely had time enough to breathe all evening. Bevies of women swarmed around him, despite the whispers about his scandal that he’d heard swirling through the room. He had no idea so many eligible daughters, nieces, cousins, and well-connected spinsters lived in their local area.
Did they somehow know he was being pressed to choose a wife? Or did they instinctively recognize that he would need to do so as a solution to his scandal? Did they catch a scent of desperation in the air, like hounds chasing down a cornered fox?
He felt very akin to that poor creature at this moment. Apparently they did not care if he was tainted, or perhaps they were titillated by the hint of his wildness. How irresistible could a man be who had supposedly been engaged to two women at once? They should have been running for the hills. Instead, he was the one who wanted to run.
He shook his head. His mother was behind this. He saw her scheming eye on him as well as the young women as he dutifully danced with each one. He practiced excruciatingly proper behavior with everyone. He could, when he wanted to. He counted himself lucky he had managed to catch Miss Tamworth and have his one dance with her. They had barely exchanged more than a few words while they danced, but being with her had felt like air to a suffocating man.
How was he supposed to choose someone to court on the basis of a few conversations, and a single dance? Some of the women were undeniably pretty, Brinton’s sister among them. Yet none seemed to have the character to compare to Miss Tamworth. How many of them would never back away from a challenge? Or be so adorably challengeable? He smiled. How many would tuck their skirts and ride down a slippery hill on a sled? He rather thought that wild ride she had undertaken might be similar to a life with him.
The fact had never been clearer to him that she was the woman he wanted. Still, how could he ask her? She deserved someone far better. She knew nothing of his scandal, unless she had heard the rumors floating around the ball tonight. Would Brinton say anything about it? The young earl surely was aware and did not know Adam all that well.
“You appear lost in thought, Adam.” His mother came up beside him and took his arm, tucking both of her hands into the crook of his elbow. Obviously she’d noticed that he had managed a moment to himself. “Here, let us steal an opportunity to talk.” She tipped her head towards the open doorway that led out into the hall.
Threading their way through couples preparing for the next dance, they reached the spacious hall without being interrupted, surprisingly. “Are you thinking about the choice you must make?” she asked, releasing his arm and turning to face him.
He nodded, frowning at the nearest marble statue instead of at her. “It is ridiculous to think I can make any decision on the basis of such little exposure to all of these young women, mother.”
“It is the best opportunity you are likely to have to solve your problem, Adam.”
“You mean our problem, don’t you?” He gave up studying the robed Roman figure and faced her directly. “I believe your biggest argument was that my actions reflected badly on you and father.”
“Well, and don’t forget your poor sister.” Her disappointed expression was clearly designed to elicit guilt in him. If it had been anyone but his mother, the ploy might have worked.
Instead, he just felt annoyed. “The scandal will blow over, and talk will fade–“
“Once you are married. Not without that.”
“You seem to have had no trouble ferreting out willing young ladies who are all in attendance tonight. There is no lack of guests. How is it so bad?”
“If you were paying more attention to these things, Adam, you would notice that not one of them is of higher rank than we are. The black marks on your reputation have cost you the regard of anyone who might want you for your sake alone and not for the social position that they will gain from marriage to you.”
Ouch. His mother never had been one to soften hard truths.
“At the same time, you have sacrificed any chance of advancing our own position. A duke or a marquess for a father-in-law could have done very well to increase your importance and influence. Not to mention adding to our family’s wealth through whatever dowry such a daughter would have brought with her. Do you begin to understand the full calamity of what you did, Adam?”
He couldn’t say that he didn’t care. Once his brother Richard had died, he’d known the prosperity of his family and future generations of title-holders rested on him. His father had done what he could. Adam decided it wasn’t a good time to point out to his mother that his father had not married up when he’d chosen her. He suspected that was yet another reason why it mattered so much to her that her only remaining son should do so.
“You don’t believe if we just waited for some time to pass…?” He dropped his voice, aware that they were not the only people in the large hall. The music had stopped again, and more guests were coming out of the ballroom, no doubt in search of servants bearing refreshments. Supper would be served soon, at midnight.
His mother also lowered her voice. “That is not the way things work. As long as you remain unmarried the taint of this scandal will continue to follow you.” Her sharp look softened. “Is there no one here whom you would consider, Adam? You are not proposing marriage, yet. Only courtship, although another broken relationship might put you beyond the pale entirely.”
There was nothing for it but to speak the truth. “Miss Tamworth,” he said, almost defiantly. “I suspect you hoped she would appear to a disadvantage here tonight, but I believe even you must admit that did not happen, mother. She has fit in effortlessly, and she is the finest woman here.”
“I did nothing of the sort,” his mother sputtered, adopting an expression of outraged innocence that did not fool him. “But even you must admit she is only a vicar’s daughter from a small village. What will people say?”
“She is related to Brinton, and his family is highly respected.”
“Yes, I introduced them. I made certain that people saw it.”
“I don’t know if she will say yes if I ask her, mother.”
“Is she a fool?”
“No. The farthest from it, exactly the problem. She is honest and not impressed by my rank in society. I am not sure she even likes me.” Further proof of her wisdom.
“Then please, explain why this is a good idea?”
She is attracted to me. Surely that was not such a bad place to begin. Of course he could not say that. How could he begin to explain all of his feelings about Miss Tamworth? Or any of them? He couldn’t.
“I was determined not to ask her, in fact. I am not worthy of her. I thought she should come here to try to meet someone more suitable. But I’ve come to see two things. One is that I may not be able to give her up so easily, and the other is that she won’t appreciate my making such a decision for her. The choice should be hers.”
“I admit I am impressed with your reasoning, Adam.” His mother’s tone was begrudging. “Perhaps Miss Tamworth is a good influence on you. Very well.”
Adam’s heart soared. One obstacle was overcome. His mother would not stand in his way. Now if only Miss Tamworth would not refuse to consider him.