Part 20 (1/2)
Her eyes widened, though she said nothing.
”There is a problem, however,” he continued calmly. ”I vowed not to touch you without permission, and I intend to honor that vow. But Sir Richard's dancing party is tomorrow. Your rank is such that refusing to dance with you will cause speculation. So we can either share one set-country dances involve little contact-or I can decline to attend. Your choice.”
”But staying away will reflect poorly on you and insult Sir Richard.”
”I can live with that.”
She bit her lip. ”I cannot. One set, my lord.”
”Thank you. It will be the highlight of the evening. Harry tells me that you remain concerned about his reputation,” he continued, giving her no time to react to his claim. He s.h.i.+fted his eyes to the portrait above the mantel to avoid her white face and clenched hands. She looked so fragile, he wanted to pull her into his arms and promise her safety.
Frederick's father provided a suitable distraction. He had never realized how s.h.i.+fty the baron had looked, his beady narrow-set eyes far too like a fellow he had known in India. Ashwini had been his chief clerk for two years, but he had come to a bad end, helped to the afterlife by a group of street a.s.sa.s.sins. Somehow, they had known that Ashwini had stolen the packet of gems his office manager had left unattended for a moment.
”I cannot help it,” Mary said on a long sigh. ”Everything happened so fast. How can any of us know whether he is sincere?”
”Sooner or later, you will have to let yourself trust, Mary.” He ignored her glare at the intimate address. Despite his own brief acquaintance, he had forged deep bonds with both of his companions since arriving at Ridgeway. ”No one can deny that Harry has enjoyed life. But he is responsible and takes his vows seriously. He inherited a prosperous estate from his grandmother, and has an enviable knack for wise investing-fortunate in a younger son who must provide for his own future. And he loves Amelia deeply.”
”He says he does, but how can I believe him? Ten days ago he did not even know she existed.”
”Do you think a Season in London would have given them more time to become acquainted?”
She nodded. ”Three or four months of attending a variety of activities would certainly reveal more of his character.”
”Mary, you don't understand London.” This time he met her glare. ”I lived there for two years before my father died, and I just spent two months attending Marriage Mart events, so do not imply you know more of London than I.”
Not until she acknowledged his expertise did he continue. ”A gentleman cannot pay close court to a lady without offering for her, which makes it nearly impossible for two people to become acquainted before committing themselves. Think about it. Sharing a set at a ball will allow them to exchange perhaps a dozen brief comments-none of a profound nature. But sharing a second set raises expectations.”
”That is true of country sets, but what of the waltz?” she demanded skeptically.
”Yes, waltzing allows more conversation, but it was only approved at Almack's this past Season and is still frowned upon for young girls. Waltzing twice with the same lady will definitely raise expectations. As will dancing with her several nights in a row. They might drive in the park, but even there, most conversation is with other people. Driving more than once raises expectations, as does including her in theater parties, paying morning calls, taking her to an art exhibit, or nearly anything else. He must pay equal attention to several ladies if he is to avoid linking his name to one. Once those names are linked, he risks both of their reputations if he does not offer for her.”
”So how does he choose a wife?” Her forehead was deeply creased.
”After checking her family, her dowry, and her connections, he tries to divine her character from a few superficial meetings and judges her interest through an exchange of flirtatious glances. And he prays that he will discover her faults before he is too involved to cry off. But even a betrothal gives a couple little chance to become acquainted. Living in each other's pocket is frowned upon, as is any contact that might call her virtue into question, so they will continue to be surrounded by other people until after the wedding.”
”That sounds awful.”
”But true. You must realize that aristocratic marriages are still arranged mostly for financial and dynastic reasons. I knew more about the last horse I bought at auction than about any young lady I met in London. Harry and Amelia have already spent more time together and discussed more serious topics than they could have managed in two or three Seasons, even had they been betrothed. They love each other, something few society couples ever experience. Most know little beyond the superficial until after marriage, so they are lucky if they develop a comfortable friends.h.i.+p.”
”I understand that, but love can also cloud perceptions. What happens when he decides that Amelia will discredit him in society? He has lived in London for years, but Amelia knows little of town and has never craved excitement. He is attracted now because she seems so different from his usual flirt, but I fear he will soon grow bored.”
”No one can predict the future,” he admitted. ”But I honestly believe his heart is engaged. He was seriously looking for a wife last Season, having grown tired of languis.h.i.+ng in town, but he wants a wife of substance. I have often heard him complain that the girls making their bows were shallow and selfish. Amelia is not.”
”True.” Mary's voice had relaxed. ”Perhaps this will prove good for her. I just hope that she is not overwhelmed by town. One cannot expect him to eschew London in the future.”
”No.” He could not erase every fear, he conceded. ”In fact, his father has offered him a seat in Commons. But Amelia seems a levelheaded young lady whose training will see her through every challenge.”
He had deliberately introduced the idea, because Mary had been responsible for that training. He suspected that many of her tears mirrored her own concerns. She did not feel comfortable even in local society, so she a.s.sumed that Amelia shared that unease.
”You have a point,” she conceded when he dared mention this conjecture. ”But not entirely. Neither of the girls is at ease in company. Frederick was not well liked, and my reputation is tarnished. Because I raised them, people question their morals. And gossip being what it is, the rumors will carry far beyond Shrops.h.i.+re. A single incident could ruin her in town.”
”But Harry's reputation will protect her,” he reminded her.
”Destroy her, more like.”
”Mary.” He sighed. ”London society is not Ridgefield, and men have always been judged by different standards than women, even here.” He caught her glare and returned a rueful smile. ”I agree that it is unfair, but that is the way of the world.”
She nodded.
”John was despicable by any standard, but Harry and other young bucks are beloved by all.” He met her gaze. ”Yes, he conducted several affairs, but only with ladies of a certain cla.s.s.”
”Courtesans?” She glared.
”Willing companions,” he corrected her gently. ”Society expects such escapades from single gentlemen. They look askance on those who eschew them, for a gentleman is supposed to bring experience to his marriage bed. Harry never knowingly bedded a married woman, though society would have shrugged if he had, so long as the meetings were discreet.”
She gasped.
”I know that your upbringing was different, but the ton doesnot always follow church teachings. All that matters is that Harry is honorable. He does not seduce innocents; he does not fleece greenlings; he does not lie or cheat.”
”So a gentleman is welcomed as long as his adultery is discreet and his fleecing confined to men old enough to know better?”
”All too true,” he answered before he spotted the twinkle in her eye. He laughed. ”You are far more knowing than you let on. Many gentlemen have flexible ideas about what const.i.tutes dishonor. But my friends and I take a literal view. Marriage vows include fidelity. Breaking them is dishonorable. Harry would never do so, which is what you really wanted to know, isn't it?”
She nodded, but he knew there was more, for other fears shadowed her eyes. He ignored her uneasiness about moving into aristocratic society. That could be dealt with later, but this might be a good time to give her something to ponder.
”Harry will be gentle with her, Mary. He would never hurt her, for allowing fear into his bed would reduce the pleasure for both of them.”
She snorted, though she tried to cover the sound with a cough.
”I am serious, Mary. Intimacy is beautiful, bringing enjoyment to both parties. It is true that a brutal man can make it painful, but that changes the nature of the contact to a.s.sault. Think about it.”
”Very well.”
”Good. Have you learned anything new since we last spoke?”
”Nothing. But contemplation has forced me to admit that you are probably right about Frederick.”
”That he was murdered?”
She nodded. ”Justin talked to Squire Church yesterday. The evidence for accident seems conclusive at first glance, but it does not stand up under scrutiny.”
”Did he notice marks on the road?”
”He didn't look. He found a man with a broken neck in the bottom of a quarry, so he decided the fall had killed him. Frederick's clothes were muddy despite landing on bare rock, thus he must have fallen from his horse onto the muddy road. Drunkenness explained how he wandered over the edge.”
”But?” She had accepted murder, so there had to be more.
”The fall was a straight drop-no projections to snag him on the way down, for the quarry wall undercuts the road at that point. He did not roll once he landed on his right side, yet his left temple carried a wound.” She stared at his head where he had absently shoved the hair back, exposing his own cut. ”One could make a case that he struck his head when he fell from his horse, but the tops of both boots were full of mud.”
”Somebody pulled him to the edge.”