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“Ah, there she is,” came her father, Harold Parsons, the Earl of Gillet. He swept a large hand to Elizabeth as she approached the cream-colored armchair where her father sat. Though she’d prefer not to, Elizabeth curtsied appropriately to a few of the guests nearby, her eyes barely meeting any of theirs. As pleasantries were exchanged, conversation struck up once again and the room was filled with chatter.
“My Lord,” Lord Gillet said to the man sitting next to him, his voice tinged with excitement. Her father shared Elizabeth’s silvery blond hair and brown eyes, though they were far more expressive than hers. He’d always been one to be taken by his eagerness, a happy-go-lucky sort that usually put Elizabeth in a good mood. Tonight, it did not. “I am pleased to introduce to you my daughter, Lady Elizabeth. Elizabeth, please greet your betrothed, James, the Earl of Horenwall.”
Lord Horenwall was a vision. He had a smooth, pretty face, unshaven and clean. His blond hair was worn Brutus-style, his eyes a sparkling brown. She could even see small freckles on his cheeks, which only made him seem warm and approachable. Not to mention the fact that he was quite tall, with a slender stature. He bowed, giving her an easy smile. “It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Lady Elizabeth.”
“The pleasure is mine, My Lord,” Elizabeth said with a graceful curtsy. After that, she finally sank onto the chaise lounge, folding her hands in her lap. She was in no mood for drinking tonight and only wanted this to be over with.
“At long last,” the Earl boomed with a broad grin, “you two meet. I’d feared it would not happen until much closer to the wedding date.”
Since the day her father had told her of his acceptance of Lord Horenwall’s proposal, she’d been dreading this day. Apparently, Lord Horenwall had taken notice of her at a small soiree her father had forced her to attend a few weeks prior, when the Viscount had finally put his foot down about her lacking approach to her unmarried state. Elizabeth hadn’t danced with a single person that evening, so she’d been surprised to learn of the fact that she had not only been given a proposal, but it had been accepted on her behalf before she even had a chance to learn the name of this gentleman.
“You must forgive me, My Lord,” Lord Horenwall spoke up. He had quite a nice voice but Elizabeth didn’t care. She tried not to play with the ends of her gloves too much. “Had I not been hindered by other inescapable matters, I would have visited much earlier.”
“It is nothing to apologize for, My Lord,” her father said. “A busy man is a good man, after all. It eases my heart to know my dear Elizabeth will be in good hands.”
Elizabeth paused for a moment, eyes flickering up to see her father sipping happily on his brandy. Her father had a tendency to say the first thing that came to his mind, which she’d always found rather refreshing. A part of her wished Lord Horenwall would not appreciate the insinuation he’d just made.
This night needs to be over.
She was already weary of it, and if she didn’t stop herself, she might end up saying something she might regret.
Only a few hours, Elizabeth. You can do this.
But the Earl laughed. “Then you have no cause for worry, My Lord. I assure you that she will be. And I must say, I am quite pleased to be in the presence of such beauty.”
Elizabeth dutifully smiled at him. “You flatter me, My Lord.”
“How can I not?” Lord Horenwall went on. “Your beauty truly knows no bounds. I had heard as much but it is far greater than I could have ever expected.”
“Is that all you have heard, My Lord?” Elizabeth asked before she could stop herself. She saw when her father looked sharply at her and she instantly regretted the words.
Lord Horenwall’s dark blond brows dipped into a frown. “I am afraid I do not understand the question.”
Elizabeth shook her head, her smile false against her teeth. “Oh, pardon me. Since it has been a while since I’d been out amongst the ton, I am only curious to know if I have been the subject of any recent gossip. Now that I hear my question aloud, I realized how foolish it is.”
“I have been telling Elizabeth that it might be a nice change of pace if she were to attend more balls this Season,” her father picked up easily. “But she tells me she is only comfortable in much smaller gatherings.”
Her father shot her a discreet look she recognized quickly. It was clear he didn’t appreciate her mention of recent gossip, which had been surrounding her marriage-less state as of late. He wanted no mention of her coming spinsterhood nor her age, nothing that might make the Earl rethink this betrothal. “She is, however, quite reserved.”
