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“Because,” Percy continued, “I truly did greatly enjoy the conversation, and the reason why I was so suddenly called away is one that I have been trying to keep quiet. If I were to share with you why I was drawn away, might you promise me to keep it to yourself?”
Lydia nodded slowly, looking rather confused. “Naturally. Anything that you tell me will stay between yourself and me. I have no intention of divulging it to anyone else.”
Percy felt a great deal of relief flood through him. “Thank you, Miss Seymour,” he said. “You see, that evening as well as this one, I was charged with looking after ...”
But Percy trailed off, and his heart sank. Across the room, he saw his little sister once again in conversation with Arthur Middleton. Instantly, he felt enraged.
Why can’t she listen to me for long enough to heed my advice about that man?
“I ... I’m sorry,” Percy heard himself saying as he walked away from Lydia again. “I have to ... excuse me.”
Lydia stood, stunned as she watched Percy walk away from her for the second time in under two weeks. She could feel the sting of betrayal flaming in her cheeks as she saw him disappear into the crowd once more. She couldn’t believe that she had been duped into being taken off by him to have a discussion once more and was now more confused than ever. She was no longer certain that Percy had a young woman who he was courting because only a very scatterbrained man would play the same joke twice upon a vulnerable young woman such as her.
She was just about to hear why he had run away from her the first time, and then he had done the same thing again! She could feel tears stinging in her eyes, and she started to push her way through the crowd of people, trying desperately to discover Marianne so that they could go home together.
However, when she could not find Marianne, she headed towards the door, and a young man suddenly appeared in front of her. “Good evening, Miss,” the young man said. “I hope that I am not disturbing you, but I noticed you fleeing with great haste from the room, and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to assist you?”
Lydia finally looked up at the man and was stunned by how handsome he was. He had short blond hair, brown eyes, and a warm, encouraging smile. He looked like the kind of man who would be a delight to come home to, and would never complain about anything. Lydia instantly felt at ease around him, even though she had no idea who he was.
“I ... no, thank you,” Lydia said sheepishly, trying to dry her eyes covertly. When she looked up at him again, he looked a little disappointed, and so she said, “But I very much appreciate your offer. I am Miss Lydia Seymour, and you are ...?”
“Edmund Russell,” he said, bowing before her. “I am the Duke of Penderley. I’m a distant relative of Lewis’, and I am in town for this celebration as well as to do some business. It is apleasureto make your acquaintance.”
Lydia curtseyed to the man, and when she rose, he took her hand and kissed it. She felt her cheeks flush with colour but forced herself to stay in the situation and not flee because of her nerves.
She and Edmund began talking. Their conversation was easy and largely revolved around their mutual hatred of dancing. Lydia enjoyed speaking with Edmund, as it was rather clear that he had his eye on her for some reason. However, as they talked more, Lydia tried to make herself feel excited and thrilled that this handsome man was interested in her, and yet ... she just couldn’t. Something was missing from his personality that made his presence enjoyable, but not thrilling.
“Can you believe that?” he said at one point, recounting an adventure he’d had with his horse. “We got all the way out to the fields, and then when we reached the spot where I’d found the first piece of the clock, it began pouring! We had to charge home; otherwise, I fear I would have caught my death, and then when I came back the next day, I found absolutely nothing!”
Lydia gave Edmund the laugh that he was looking for, but the truth was she was no longer listening to him. She had gradually lost interest in him throughout the conversation but had tried to convince herself that it was just because she’d just had such a disappointing run-in with Percy. She was sure that if she and Edmund were to speak again, her feelings might be very different.
“I am sorry that we must part,” Edmund said when he was going to leave, “but I came to town with a good friend of mine, and he never likes to stay long at these events.” Edmund gestured in the direction of a slightly older man who was waiting impatiently by the front door. Lydia waved politely at him but received no wave back.
“That isn’t a problem,” Lydia said politely, and it was the truth. While she had enjoyed her time with Edmund, she was getting a little bit tired of his company and was desperate to go off and find Marianne. “Thank you for the conversation, and I am sure that we will run into each other again sometime.”
Edmund suddenly became very serious. “I do very much hope so,” he said, taking her hand. Lydia looked him in the eyes, but she got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She did her best to ignore it, chalking it up to nerves, but it was rather unsettling. “Perhaps I might call upon you sometime this week?”
Lydia froze. She did not want to encourage him too much, but she also wanted to keep her options open.
“How about,” she suggested, “we partake in some of that dancing we both so despise when the next ball comes around? We can make silly comments about the other dancers while we do so!”
She hoped that this would be a pleasurable enough suggestion, for she did not feel like having Edmund come to her home.
That would give Mabel and her parents far too strong an idea about this man, and although she was not going to cast him aside just yet, she was not currently very excited about his presence. Frustratingly, the only man who seemed to be able to do that consistently was Percy.
Thankfully, Edmund seemed quite contented. “I would enjoy that very much,” he responded, kissing Lydia’s hand. With that, the two of them parted, and Lydia watched as he walked out of the ballroom and disappeared.
