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Chapter 4
“I agree with you wholeheartedly, Marianne,” Mabel said to Lydia’s best friend a few days after the ball. “I do not think that if Percy Wentworth behaved in that manner towards Lydia, he is worthy of her. I think that a newchapeaumight be exactly what she needs to lift her spirits and remind her what a magnificent young woman she is!”
Marianne positively cheered and clapped her hands when Mabel finished speaking, and Lydia couldn’t help blushing. They were walking down the main street of town that was brimming with exciting shops for the young women and Lydia’s chaperone to explore.
Lydia had not got to town many times when she was younger, as her father was only starting out with his practice. But now that Dr Seymour was well-established, the family had a bit more disposable income, and so Lydia was able to buy frivolous things like a new hat.
As they walked, Lydia couldn’t help being distracted by the displays in the front windows. As they passed the bakery, the tempting smell of freshly baked bread and pastries wafted out of the front door when a customer opened it. There were bath buns sitting on a platter, enticing all those who passed to come inside and try one.
Then, they passed a store that had a window full of dazzling fabrics. There were colours and patterns that Lydia had not been aware were possible before seeing them, and she found herself tempted to go inside and order herself a new dress. But although the Seymour family had enough money to afford new hats, they were not rich enough for Lydia to buy a new dress every time she felt like it.
Finally, Lydia’s focus drifted back to the conversation that Mabel and Marianne were having, but it was only in time for the three of them to come upon the hat shop. The conversation immediately ceased as the women became enchanted by all of the possibilities for new chapeaus that were hanging around the shop. There seemed to be a hat in every colour possible, and there were so many styles to choose from that Lydia instantly became overwhelmed.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” the store owner, a tall, thin man with a small pair of spectacles resting upon his nose, greeted them. “Which one of you lucky young women is here to choose a new hat? Or is it perhaps a gift for someone?”
Mabel pointed to Lydia, who immediately regretted being the only person present who was buying a hat. She did not like having all of the focus on her, and she knew that the store owner would soon be bombarding her with questions about exactly which hat she wanted.
She was about to explain that she was not very picky when it came to her hats when she heard the door to the shop chime. She turned to take a quick glance and see who was in there with them when her heart stopped. It was the Duke of Wexley, Percy Wentworth.
Lydia’s eyes widened, and she looked to Marianne, panicked. Marianne had not yet noticed the other person in the shop or the look on Lydia’s face, and so Lydia had to clear her throat to get her attention. When Marianne finally looked at her, Lydia gestured with a toss of her head towards Percy, and then her friend’s look mirrored her own.
However, none of the three women had any time to prepare what they were going to say to Percy, as he spied them immediately. It was quite a small shop, so that was not surprising, but Lydia wished that there was a way she could just dissolve into the wallpaper so that she did not have to speak with him again, especially so soon after the ball.
Percy darted over to the three women, and Lydia was surprised by his determination.
“Do excuse me, ladies,” he interrupted politely, “but I believe I owe one of you an apology.”
At once, Mabel protected her charge.
“Good afternoon, sir,” she greeted him tightly. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. I am Mabel Wainthrop, Lydia Seymour’s chaperone. And you are ...”
Percy seemed to tell from the tone of Mabel’s voice that she knew he had done something wrong.
“I am Percy Wentworth, the Duke of Wexley.” He offered a bow to Mabel. She did not return it with a curtsey, likely as she had already introduced herself, but Lydia was highly amused by that. Mabel was always polite, respectful, and generous, but the moment that anyone was unkind or rude to someone that she cared about, it took a great deal of work for them to regain her respect.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Seymour at the ball the other night,” he said, removing his top hat as he spoke. “We were having a most interesting conversation about the practice of medicine when I was suddenly pulled away.” He turned his attention entirely on Lydia, looked into her eyes, and said, “I apologize profusely for abruptly departing from you; that was very rude of me.”
Lydia was initially very impressed by this apology. She was glad that Percy had recognized how rude he had been to her, and he spoke very well. However, she then realized that while Percy had apologized, he had not explained why someone had called him away so suddenly.
Lydia wasn’t sure what to say, but then she remembered how bold Mabel had been in front of Percy and so decided to follow in her footsteps.
“That is very kind of you, thank you,” she said, bowing her head. “If this is not too impertinent a question to ask, what called you away?”
Percy looked taken aback, and for a moment, Lydia was certain she had pushed the conversation too far. She looked to Marianne to see what she thought of all this, but thankfully Marianne’s facial expression told Lydia exactly what she needed to hear:good for you! If she hadn’t been standing right in front of Percy at that point, she would have laughed at Marianne’s expression, but she managed to control herself.
“No, no,” Percy assured her, “that isn’t impertinent at all. My only regret is that I cannot elaborate upon why I was called away ... I just had to leave.”
That was all Percy had to say about that, and Lydia was left feeling uneasy about the whole situation. She didn’t want to press him anymore on the topic, as she knew she had beenverybold to ask him in the first place. Marianne then jumped into the conversation as she could see that Lydia was floundering, and the four of them then chatted idly about the weather and the rain that seemed to be threatening to pour down at any moment.
They were interrupted when the owner of the hat store returned.
“Ah, Percy, how good it is to see you,” the store owner said, and Lydia was shocked by the informality of the greeting. She assumed Percy must have been a frequent customer; otherwise, the store owner would have referred to him by a more formal name. “When I saw you come in, I went and fetched your order. I do hope that it is everything she wants.”
The store owner handed a hat box over to Percy, who seemed to be going red in the face. Lydia looked at the box for a few moments and turned over what the store owner had said in her head.
Fetched your order ... hope that it is everythingshewants ...
And then, it hit her. Percy had obviously ordered the hat he had just received for the woman who he was courting. He must have only been feigning interest in talking to Lydia at the ball, and then when he spied the woman who he was really meant to be with, he pushed Lydia to the side and went to be with her.
