Unfortunately, circumstances pushed him in a different direction.
“I look forward to our dance, Mary,” said Alan as she turned to walk away. For a moment, she paused and looked back at him. Then she nodded and left.
As she moved away, he admired the strong grace that was uniquely hers. He also couldn’t help but notice the subtle sway of her hips as she walked.
Chapter 8
Less than ten minutes later, Bingley arrived with his guests. There were two young ladies with him that Alan had never met before as well as a tall, imposing gentleman who was also a stranger. The other gentleman was well-known to Alan. It was Hurst.
Hurst was the one who had introduced him to the club Alan now had a membership to. Looking back on it, Alan wouldn’t be surprised to find that Hurst had been bribed to bring him and that the entire membership had been a scam from the start, simply to convince Alan to spend more than he ought on cards, drink, and women.
Two months ago, Alan would have greeted Hurst with a smile and a hearty slap on the back. Now, however, when he had been sober for a month and he could think about the last year with clarity, he did not truly wish to claim the friendship.
It could not be helped. Hurst quickly spied Alan and came over to him, greeting him with a smile. “Goulding, it has been an age. You set the gossip mill on fire when you disappeared from London without a word to anyone. People were saying you must be dead in a ditch somewhere. But here you are, moldering away in the country. At least with you around, these next few months won’t be quite so deadly dull as I expected. You must join us for cards some evening or other. Or perhaps you prefer hunting? Iam certain I could scare up an invitation from Bingley for you to join us when we go out.”
Alan forced a jovial expression onto his face. “It is good to see you, Hurst. As for cards, I’m afraid I’ve lost my taste for them for the moment, but I would be happy to join a hunt with you and Bingley. I have already renewed my friendship with him when he was here before.”
“Lost your taste for cards?” cried Hurst. “That cannot be. Next thing you will be telling me that you lost your taste for drink.”
“I am afraid I have,” said Alan.
Hurst looked at him appraisingly. Then his face cleared. “Ah. I see. It is because you are in your hometown. Obviously, you cannot behave as you might wish with your mother staring over your shoulder constantly. I quite understand. It is why I, personally, never go home to my parents. At least I have a wife to keep me busy, and she makes a nice excuse when I tell my father that I will not be coming home.”
Alan did not correct Hurst’s assumptions. It was easier not to. “Speaking of your wife,” he said, “do introduce me. I don’t believe I have ever met her, though I distinctly remember the night before your wedding. You celebrated so hard, I am genuinely surprised you made it to the altar.”
Hurst laughed. “It was a close thing. Let me tell you,” he said. He looked back over his shoulder at the rest of Bingley’s group. The tall stranger had already broken away, apparently declining to be introduced to anyone, but Sir William was introducing the rest of the party to his family.
“It looks as though your introduction will have to wait,” said Hurst. “I believe she is occupied at the moment.”
“Do not trouble yourself,” said Alan. “I am certain there will be opportunities later. She may be occupied for quite some time. That man they are speaking with is the most sociable gentleman in the area. He will certainly lead them around the entire room, attempting to introduce them to everyone all at once.”
Hurst shrugged. “At least she will know everyone. Perhaps, then she won’t be complaining that she is surrounded by strangers.”
“Well, if you can’t introduce me, perhaps you can at least tell me which of the two ladies you are married to,” said Alan.
“The shorter one is my wife, Louisa,” said Hurst. “She and Caroline, the other lady, are Bingley’s sisters. Louisa may not be as pretty as Caroline, but she is far more pleasant to be around. Caroline is just a spoiled brat.”
“It sounds as though you made a good choice for your wife, then,” said Alan.
Hurst shrugged. “One lady is much like another, I suppose. I had to marry, and I did. Now, if only Louisa would be so kind as to bear me a son.”
Despite all his efforts to be friendly, Alan had no idea what to say to that. He couldn’t agree or even relate to any part of that statement. Fortunately, Hurst didn’t seem to require a response.
“Now, do show me where the card room is,” said Hurst. “I assume I can find some port there as well.”
“I do not know whether the card room is set up just yet, but it is through that door. As for drink, I believe they will be serving wine later, though it is usually not offered until after the dancing has begun.”
“Well, I believe I will make my way there, anyway. At least I will be among the first to get a game,” said Hurst. “Will you bejoining me? Oh, yes. You mentioned you didn’t play anymore. Most peculiar.”
With that, Hurst walked away, and Alan sighed in relief.
~~~~~
Though Mary had walked away from Alan, she continued to observe him indirectly. She was well aware when he was greeted heartily by one of the gentlemen in Mr. Bingley’s party, and she wondered how they knew each other so well.
She assumed they knew each other from his time in London, much the same as how he knew Mr. Bingley, but this only raised the question in her mind of what he had done with his time there. He never spoke of it, and Mary had never had the courage to ask. She wondered if he would answer if she did ask.
As she moved slowly toward the back of the room, Mary also pondered over their conversation. He had finally made it very clear what Jane had been trying to tell Mary. He liked her. He had always liked her, even when he was being mean to her.
