“I shall not tease you further, for I can see thatIhave upsetyou,for which I beg your forgiveness. You may trust me not to betray your secret. As you have not betrayed mine.”
“I am not a gossip, my lord.”
“Youarean angel, I think. Sent to tempt me into reform. Can you succeed, I wonder?”
“It is not up to me, my lord. Only you can reform your way of life.”
“True, but you could inspire me.”
“To what end, my lord?”
“That I might aspire to your hand?”
“And would I inspire you if I were penniless, my lord?”
“Ah, a direct hit! Yet if you refuse a duke, and one of upstanding character and considerable moral fiber, what could one such as I offer you? Nothing, I fear.” He shifted position and took her hand, the one not holding her fan. With a wistful smile and fixing her gaze with his, he said, “Let me leave you with this thought. I would redeem my fortune and my character and lay both at your feet, Miss Watson, along with my heart, if you would have it.” On which he kissed her hand, rose, bowed, and left the box.
Sarah, much discomposed by this passage, sat through the next half of the recital with her mind in a whirl. Her instinct was to dismiss the earl’s avowals as practiced lies to entrap her. He was right, if she had refused a duke, what could he possibly offer to tempt her to take him instead? Nothing. Yet he played upon the feminine desire to reform a rake. She would not fall for it. She would have neither the duke nor the earl.
Chapter Eleven
The next day,having spent a restless night worrying over what had passed between Lannister and Sarah at the theater, Robert attempted to call upon her only to be denied. He came back two hours later with the same result. Frustrated, he went home to discover that his duties that evening were to escort Mama and Ava to Lady Castlereagh’s ball.
The ballroom was stuffed to bursting with London society, and it was obvious this was going to be a squeeze, which was a compliment to the hostess but less pleasant for the guests. Finding chairs for his ladies in a nook picked out in ferns and flowers, they soon found themselves swamped with gentlemen eager for introductions to Lady Ava Layne.
Three who did not require such an introduction were his friends Ashford, Ravenshaw, and Pendrell, who had all run tame at The Castle since their days at Cambridge together and knew Ava from when she was in pinafores. Ravenshaw, much to the chagrin of other gentlemen, earned the right to the lady’s first dance and swept her off with the smooth aplomb for which he was well known.
If Robert hadn’t been so preoccupied with looking for Sarah and Lady Holbrook, he might have been alarmed by this, as none knew Ravenshaw’s reputation better than he. He had still not found them when the marquess restored Ava, flushed and sparkling to her seat. The practiced air with which Ravenshawkissed her hand and gave her an extravagant compliment, and his sister’s blush and coquettish laugh in response, gave him a jolt.
Little Ava was grown up and, damn it, Ravenshaw had no business encouraging her to form a tendre for him, particularly after the way he’d been disporting himself with Lady Holbrook. He threw the marquess a disapproving look to which his lordship responded with an urbane smile and a single raised eyebrow. Blast! He didn’t have time to be keeping an eye on Ava and chasing Sarah—no, Miss Watson, for she hadn’t given him leave to use her name, had she?
Pendrell took her out next, and since Robert had no qualms about Pendrell keeping the line—he wasn’t interested in females as his only passion was his fusty antiquities—he was able to relax for a few minutes and look about for the object of his preoccupation at this cursed affair.
He spied Miss Watson joining a set just forming with Greathouse, Ashford, and Caroline. At least there appeared to be no sign of Lannister. It was to be hoped that he hadn’t received an invitation. Lady Castlereagh being a patroness of Almack’s, that seemed likely. As much as he wanted to approach Sarah, he thought he needed an ally in his quest, and Lady Holbrook might fit the bill.
Lady Holbrook he found seated with the duennas in the corner near the entrance to the gardens. He made his way there and bowed to her. “May I steal you away, Lady Holbrook?” he asked, breaking in on her conversation with Lady Pierce.
“Of course, Your Grace,” the lady appeared startled and slightly flustered.
He guided her out onto the terrace where a seat away from the main throng gave them some privacy.
“You will be aware that I made Miss Watson an offer a few days ago and was refused,” he began abruptly.
“I am, Your Grace, and I am terribly sorry!”
He wanted most desperately to ask her if what Sarah had told him, that her affections were already engaged, was true, but felt that to ask would put the lady in the difficult position of breaking Sarah’s confidence.
Instead, he said, “I had hoped that if I could have some further speech with Miss Watson, I might persuade her to reconsider. Would that be a futile endeavor, Lady Holbrook?”
The lady’s light blue eyes widened. She seemed to be considering his words, or perhaps she was just shocked. Whatever it was, she appeared to come to a conclusion and, leaning in, put a hand on his arm and said softly, “I do not. I do most earnestly encourage you to try again. Sarah has been a little emotional lately. She misses her family, you understand, and—and the prospect of assuming the role of your duchess overwhelmed her.”
“I see, that is understandable.” His heart lifted, this made perfect sense. Perhaps he had been mistaken in thinking Lannister had anything to do with her refusal. This put quite a different complexion on matters. Sarah had given him an answer she thought would drive him away because she was afraid. In fact, he had given her the lead by asking if her affections were already engaged.
He kicked himself for not reassuring her more. But her air of capability and intellect had fooled him into thinking her more worldly than she was. All the warm feelings he had been nurturing came back in a flood.
“Sarah has led a less sophisticated existence in a simple country vicarage. Her family is perfectly respectable and of good birth, but somewhat rustic.” Lady Holbrook echoed the direction of his own thoughts.
“I understand, thank you.”
