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Chapter Seven
Constance watched the door anxiously hoping Florent Alcott would appear. There was just something so steadying about the gentleman. Connie couldn’t put her finger on it. Perhaps it was his size. He looked solid so it made an observer think he could be relied upon. In her experience, no one could be relied upon. And that was being proven to her in no uncertain terms at that very moment.
Henry Wagner had arrived.
How was Lady Adelaide even acquainted with the bounder? And why would she invite him as a guest into her home? A home with innocent young debutantes? Discomfort swirled in Connie’s belly, but she tried to smooth out her features and appear unconcerned over the turn of events. And of course, keep from emptying the contents of her stomach into the nearest plant pot. That would surely not endear her to anyone.
Blessedly, with Daisy by her side, Wagner was keeping his distance. He was conquering the room while she stood helplessly by. Constance was going to keep Daisy glued to her as long as she possibly could. It no longer mattered that she had been hoping to assist the younger woman in whatever clandestine activities she was involved in. That no longer suited Connie’s needs. She hated to be selfish, but she was going to have to put her own needs first in this case.
Constance’s first impulse when she discovered Wagner had been invited was to leave the premises immediately. But she couldn’t do that to Peggy. Or rather she didn’t want to, at least not yet. It would be completely craven on her part to flee without finding out what the weaselly man was up to, anyway. No one else would even think to consider that he was up to anything. Surely, he must be.
It could never be properly explained to Connie why the awful man was accepted everywhere. Why here he was even accepted as Viscountess Adelaide’s guest! It was possible the lady was misguided enough to think she was doing Connie a favour. Constance was uncomfortably aware that it was thought the dreadful creature was courting her. As if she would allow that. But since he was thought to be an eligiblepartishe supposed others might think she would consider him. He was thought to be handsome and personable. And the depths of her own pockets meant she needn’t consider his lack to be a matter of concern. In fact, there were many who would consider she owed it to humanity to bless some impoverished gentleman with her inheritance. Even if she were so foolish as to accept that sentiment as her own, she certainly wouldn’t be doing so with Henry Wagner.
Constance didn’t much care about the size of her coffers as long as she had enough to do what she wanted. She didn’t have anything against economizing. She actually enjoyed the exercise of ensuring she didn’t overpay. But that was a matter of principle. Just because she had lots didn’t mean everyone was entitled to a portion of it. In line with that, she didn’t consider herself obliged to find an impoverished gentleman to wed. In fact, she hoped she wouldn’t do so because she would always wonder if it were she or her inheritance he was interested in. Besides, he wouldn’t understand her life or her choices if he had never had wealth. She would remain an oddity for the rest of her days. And that would not do in the least. Especially not in her own future home.
But it wasn’t the state of Henry Wagner’s bank account that made him unacceptable to Constance. It was the way he treated people. To be sure, he knew how to say all the right things and he danced like a dream. His eyes gave him away, though. They sneered even when his lips were saying the correct and polite things that were expected of them.
Despite his seeming attention to whomever he was speaking to as he made his way around the room, Connie could feel his gaze flickering toward her from time to time. It was ratcheting her nerves higher each time, and she wondered if that was why he hadn’t yet approached her, as though he knew he was driving her mad by drawing it out and prolonging the moment.
Constance had been introduced to Mr. Wagner in Italy. She had been younger and less experienced at the time and like everyone else, she thought him exceedingly handsome. But there was something about him that had immediately put her on guard. She had blamed herself at first. There must surely be something wrong with her to be feeling so completely opposed to everyone else’s sentiments, she had thought.
But then she had been on the street one day and saw him kick a small child who was begging, and she had known that her instincts had been correct.
No one was overly enamoured with the beggars, but to kick one? Especially such a young one? That was unacceptable, and it had lifted Connie’s blinders to the man’s other undesirable qualities.
And that was before he had started trying to entrap her into marriage. She was grateful she had already become wary of him or he might have succeeded. As it was now, they seemed to regularly perform a dance where he would seek her out and she would evade him.
Henry Wagner was one of the reasons she had accepted the invitation to return to England for the house party. She had thought to have a break from the constant pressure of remaining one step ahead of the bounder.
And now here he was at Everleigh.
Constance had already been thinking she needed to contact her family to arrange a new companion. But she had been thinking to wait until she visited them in person and discussed the possibilities. Connie had seen enough of the world to know the signs. Lord Merton hadn’t quite come up to scratch yet, but she had every confidence the nobleman was going to offer for her companion. It had been endearing and entertaining to witness when it was just going to cause an inconvenience. Things were different now.
Now, though, she knew she would have to write her mother right away. Connie couldn’t be so cruel to Peggy as to pull her away from this opportunity at normalcy that she had always craved, but she had no intention of subjecting herself to the current circumstances any longer than necessary. Another companion was immediately necessary. Connie couldn’t be left unprotected. And if she could have two companions, all the better. Connie couldn’t be bothered by others thinking her even more eccentric than they already did.
If her mother could think of someone right away, she could send her to Everleigh to meet her and Connie would have an excuse to leave. It would take at least a day or two but it was something. Constance hated nothing more than inactivity.
Oh, she enjoyed sitting and reading as much as the next person. But that wasn’t inactivity in her mind. What she loathed was dithering, she supposed. Worrying about a matter and doing nothing to solve it. That was anathema to her and not to be borne.
Her worries seemed to produce the result. Keeping Miss Alcott by her side was not the protection she had hoped.
“My dear lady, you seem to have grown even more beautiful in our brief absence.”
It took every effort not to snatch her hand back from his as Mr. Wagner bowed and his lips hovered just above her wrist. Her gratitude knew few bounds when he didn’t actually allow his lips to settle upon her skin.
“Mr. Wagner,” she replied coolly. “What a surprise to find you here.”
“A pleasant one, I do hope,” he answered with a smile, hiding the sneer she could see in his eyes.Why would he not quit pursuing her so?“Pray introduce me to your friend, as we are not yet acquainted.”
Connie didn’t want to do it but there was little she could do to avoid the social nicety. To her relief though, after performing the introduction, Wagner didn’t linger as he was hailed from across the room. Connie knew it as a temporary reprieve.
If Florent Alcott didn’t enter the room in the next five minutes, Connie determined she would leave. She would go to her room and write her letter immediately. Perhaps she should do so whether the gentleman arrived or not. Constance really had no reason to believe she could rely upon him. Lingering in an uncomfortable situation expecting a near stranger to save her from it was actually quite ridiculous when considered objectively.
“His beauty doesn’t reach his heart, does it?”
“I beg your pardon?” Constance stared at Miss Alcott at her side.
“I’m sorry, I thought out loud.” The younger woman’s blush nearly reached her hairline and Connie couldn’t help smiling over that, but Daisy’s discomfort quickly receded. “He looks a little like a rodent, don’t you think? Like he’s scheming how to steal the cheese.”
