He walked past the gates to Hyde Park without going in. The last thing he wanted was to converse with anyone. His anger hadn’t dissipated yet, so he kept walking. He was lost in thought when he heard his name.
“Lord Hutchinson, what a pleasant surprise.”
George looked up and saw Mrs. Kennedy walking toward him. “Mrs. Kennedy, lovely to see you again.”
“Are you well, my lord? You seem distracted.”
He chuckled. “Hmmm…if you only knew. I hope you’re well these days.”
“Quite well, thank you. We were so very sorry to hear of your family’s tragedy.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Kennedy.”
“How is your mother faring?”
“Not well, I’m afraid, but that’s a story for another day.”
“Of course. I won’t detain you any longer and wish you a pleasant afternoon. Good day, Lord Hutchinson.”
“Good day, Mrs. Kennedy,” he said.
He watched Lydia’s aunt walk away. His life would have been so pleasant had he married Lydia last summer, before the accident took his father and brothers. Mrs. Kennedy was a delightful companion for Lydia, and he’d enjoyed their conversations. He could kick himself for waiting so long to propose to the love of his life.
After walking for more than an hour, George finally returned to his townhouse. His anger was gone, but no matter how much he thought about his predicament, he couldn’t devise a plausible way he and Lydia could marry.
Peters opened the door. “My lord, did you enjoy your walk?”
“I did, thank you. Is my mother still in the parlor?”
“No, my lord. She has retired to her suite of rooms.”
“Please tell Cook to send a dinner tray to my study. I have more work to do.”
“Of course, sir.”
He walked down the hall and into his study and poured himself a generous serving of brandy before sitting at his desk. The stack of unpaid invoices seemed to scream at him, but they would have to wait a little longer. Hopefully, his investment with Evans would begin to pay some much-needed dividends soon. He didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to hide the dire state of their finances from his mother, and he definitely wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. It would be just like her to blame their lack of funds on him, and certainly not on all the times his father had paid Arthur’s gambling debts. In his mother’s eyes, Arthur could do no wrong, and now that he was gone, she’d never admit that he had been a drain on the family’s finances.
The only bright spot in the day had been the pleasant conversation with Mrs. Kennedy. He admired her a great deal, especially for everything she’d done for Lydia.
He downed his brandy in two gulps and started reading the estate reports. There had to be a way to economize more, but he hadn’t found it yet. It was going to be another long, lonely night.
Chapter 10
The following week, Lydia wasdelighted to receive a note from Helena, inviting her for an outing to the British Museum.
“I’m so very pleased youwere free to join me today. I adore the British Museum, but it’s so much more fun exploring with a friend,” Helena said as Lydia climbed into the Evans carriage for the drive to the museum.
“Thank you for inviting me. I love the museum too,” Lydia said.
“How are you doing?” Helena asked.
“I’m fine, although no closer to securing a suitor than I was at the beginning of the Season. I’m starting to despair of ever finding someone to marry.”
“I’m sorry. There was an invitation in today’s post to a musicale at Lady Baily’s this evening. Her daughter is playing the pianoforte, and she’s quite good. She’s attracted a lot of attention this Season, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of young men at the event. Would you like to attend? I haven’t sent our acceptance or regrets yet.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea? I’ve noticed the young lady, and she’s quite beautiful. I doubt any of the men would pay attention to me if they’re there to see Lady Gretchen.”
Helena nodded. “All right. I’ll look through the invitations to see when the next ball is being held. That might be a better event to attend. Would you like me to see if I can secure you an invitation?”
