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Chapter 5
Four days had passed sinceLouisa’s entire life had turned upside down.
Lord Farleigh had not called upon her yesterday, which showed a great deal of prudence on his part, as Louisa had needed time to herself to adjust to her new future. Instead, he had sent her a gift—not flowers, thank heavens, as she was still receiving bouquets from hopeful gentlemen, including Baron Moseby. Those gentlemen’s ambitions would be dashed soon enough.
No, Lord Farleigh had sent her a small oil painting of an oak tree, of all things.
He was escorting her to Lady Melton’s assembly this evening, their first public appearance together, and Lord and Lady Melton had given permission to use the occasion of their assembly to announce the betrothal. The first of the banns was to be read in church on Sunday, two days hence. Marriage to Viscount Farleigh was becoming all too real.
Louisa’s parents had already left for Lady Melton’s, and Anthony and Alex had gone out with friends and would be joining them later in the evening.
Mama had stopped by Louisa’s room before leaving. “You’re sure you don’t want us to wait for Lord Farleigh to arrive?” she’d asked.
“No, Mama, I’ll be fine,” she’d assured her. “If he’d wanted to kidnap me and drag me off to Gretna Green, he could have done it already rather than face you and Papa with the vowel.”
“That is not particularly funny, Louisa,” Mama had responded. “But I take your point. Very well, we shall see you there, then.”
Louisa spent extra time dressing and seeing to her appearance, as it was critical to look her best. She’d chosen a gown of purple velvet with a high waist and short puffed sleeves.
There was bound to be gossip; she had been seen with Lord Kerridge often enough for marriage speculation to have arisen. Therefore, by arriving tonight at Lady Melton’s assembly on the arm of Lord Farleigh, Louisa must present herself as a mature woman who knew her mind and had made her choice.
She fastened her pearls around her neck, which she’d deliberately chosen because they were not ostentatious, then pulled on her evening gloves and took up her reticule and lace shawl. She was dreading the evening ahead, but it had to be faced.
The knock at her bedroom door that heralded Lord Farleigh’s arrival came at last.
He was waiting for her as she descended the stairway to the entry hall. “Lady Louisa,” he said. “You look radiant.”
He looked surprisingly elegant—and as unfathomable as usual. He wore black formal attire and had chosen a waistcoat of beige silk embroidered with gold thread, which complemented the black and the snowy white of his linens. His neckcloth was in a fashionable knot that wasn’t overly fussy and was held in place by a simple gold stickpin. The gold in his attire managed to bring out similarly colored strands in his brown hair, while the black of his coat made his dark-brown eyes seem even darker. Right now, they were directed at her, and she realized she had not replied to his compliment. “Thank you,” she said rather more breathlessly than she’d intended. How mortifying that he had this effect on her.
Lord Farleigh handed Louisa into the carriage and then climbed in and sat next to her rather than across from her. She should have anticipated it, all things considered, but she hadn’t, and his proximity to her set her insides fluttering.
“Are you ready for this evening?” he asked once the carriage was on its way. “It will be public knowledge after that.”
“What are we to tell people about our nonexistent courtship?” Louisa asked him. “There are bound to be questions along with the obligatory congratulations, and I refuse to tell people you won me in a wager.”
“What do you suggest?”
“It might help if I knew a little more about you than your name and title, for starters,” she replied, unable to hide the edge in her voice.
“Very well. I am an only child. My mother died when I was sixteen. I attended Eton, as you know, and Oxford and the University of Edinburgh thereafter, where, unlike many of my peers, I happened to prefer studying to drinking, wenching, and wagering.”
“That’s good to know. It’s also the longest string of words you have ever shared with me.”
“Hardly.”
“Oh, yes,” Louisa said. “I’m certain of it. I am so conscious of my own tendency to chatter that I’m highly attuned to others’ speech as well.” Despite her best intentions, she’d been affected by his words, especially his reference to his mother. She impulsively set her hand on his, causing his gaze to fix there. “I am sorry about the loss of your parents, you know. I would be heartbroken to lose either of my parents.”
A muscle in his cheek twitched before he spoke. “My mother has been at peace for many years now, and as for my father, I do not particularly grieve his passing—a sentiment that must horrify someone like yourself.” He raised her hand and kissed it before letting it go. “But let’s not dwell upon death tonight. What are we to tell others when they ask about our betrothal, then?”
“I hate to lie,” Louisa said. “But I cannot tell the precise truth either.”
“I shall say it was love at first sight and I did everything in my power to convince you to marry me. And that in the end, you were unable to resist my offer of marriage.”
“Hm. Except for the first part, it’s all true enough, I suppose.”
He said nothing to correct her. It was gallant of him to say he’d fallen in love with her as part of their plan for this evening, but it left her feeling deflated too, knowing it wasn’t true.
“I can tell everyone about the gift you gave me,” she said. “It’s a very lovely painting of a tree.”
