Chapter Four
Landon hesitated to sit. In fact, he found it difficult to move at all. He ran through the events of the evening in his mind. He’d come here with Guy to pay Asheley the money Guy owed him. They all agreed to come to this room so the payment could be made in private.
Then the blonde lady with the pink gown—the one who’d caught his interest in the ballroom—opened the door and started ordering people out of the room. Before he knew what was happening, it was just the two of them, something that made it hard to concentrate since all he could think about was how beautiful she was.
And now he was engaged to her? All because of some vendetta Asheley had against her and her brother? Did Asheley do it because he thought her marriage to him would be a punishment?
The question was ridiculous. Of course, the marriage was meant to be a punishment. Landon was the laughingstock of London. The lady could have any gentleman she wished. But now she was going to be stuck with him. All because of some pettiness on Asheley’s part. Landon knew the gentleman was rotten, but he’d sorely underestimated how deep that rottenness went.
“Lord Farewell,” Lord Steinbeck said.
Swallowing, Landon forced himself to look the lady’s brother in the eye. It took all of his willpower to keep his gaze steady, but he managed it because it was a matter of showing Steinbeck the respect due to him.
Her brother motioned for him to sit on the couch. “If you please?”
Well, there was no way he was going to get out of this. He was sure the gossip was ablaze in the ballroom. Everyone in London was so easily scandalized, even if so many of the people did things far worse in private.
Landon trudged over to the couch and sat next to her, careful not to touch her. Not that keeping his distance was a problem. He was so horrified by the strange series of events that he wouldn’t dare touch her. He couldn’t even look at her. The shame was just too much. She’d probably be crying once she realized just how pathetic he was.
Steinbeck was ready to shut the door when Guy ran into the room.
“Whatever Lord Asheley said, it’s not true,” Guy told Steinbeck, out of breath. “My brother isn’t the type who would engage in a scandal. He’s always been the very image of propriety. Please, you must believe me. Lord Asheley is lying.”
“I know, but it doesn’t change anything,” Steinbeck said. “Opal has to marry your brother. There’s no undoing the rumors.”
Opal. So that was her name. Landon rather liked it. His mother’s favorite gemstone had been the opal because of the wide range of colors it could contain. The very complexity of its colors makes it the most interesting of all gemstones, she’d once said.
“But, but…” Guy glanced over at Landon, desperation in his voice.
What could Landon tell him? He knew Guy never would have left him alone with Opal if he’d known what was going to happen. This wasn’t his fault any more than it was Opal’s or his.
“Go to your wife,” Landon told his brother. “I’ll be all right.” He couldn’t give the same assurance to Opal or her brother, but at least he could do it for Guy.
“I’m sorry,” Guy said, his voice almost a whisper.
Landon gave him a look to let him know that he appreciated the sentiment.
Shoulders slumped, Guy left, and Steinbeck shut the door. He went to the chair across from Landon and Opal. After he sat down, he crossed his legs and folded his hands over his lap as he studied him.
Landon wished he could still maintain eye contact with him, but his strength failed him. He’d heard snippets about how imposing Steinbeck could be, and now that he was witnessing this firsthand, he couldn’t bring himself to keep looking directly at him.
“You can’t be upset with him,” Opal spoke up, pointing to Landon. “I was the one who insisted he stay in the room with me.”
“You didn’t know what wa-” Landon stopped himself before he finished the word was with a lisp. How he hated his speech impediment! It made it hard to come up with the right words to say something without looking like a fool. “No one knew what would happen,” he finally said.
“I’m not blaming either one of you for what happened,” Steinbeck spoke up. “I know what Asheley is capable of. He’s a horrible person. If he can’t be decent with his own family, he won’t be decent with anyone.”
Landon ventured a good look at Opal’s brother and realized he meant it. He really didn’t blame him for the scandal he’d gotten Opal into. He wanted to thank him, to let him know he was indebted to him for not demanding a duel, but her brother continued speaking before he thought of the right words to say.
“Regardless of what Asheley’s done, we must resolve this scandal quickly so we can put out the fires of gossip as soon as possible. The sooner you two marry, the sooner people will talk about something else.”
“Do you honestly believe that, Warren?” Opal asked.
Her brother—Warren—nodded with such certainty one would swear he knew exactly what he was talking about. “I’m a member of White’s, and it’s the biggest den of gossip in London. One thing I’ve learned is that people grow restless discussing the same scandal. They like something fresh and new, but in order to get them bored of the current scandal, you need to right the wrong.” Opal opened her mouth as if to argue there had been no wrong done, and Warren shot her a pointed look. “It doesn’t matter if the story is true or not. All that matters is that the story exists.”
As much as Landon hated to admit it, Warren was right. He wished it wasn’t that way, but it was, and there was nothing he could do to change it.
Warren looked at him expectantly, and realizing that he was waiting for him to agree, he nodded. “I’ll marry her whenever you want,” he said.
“Good.” Warren settled back into the chair and drummed his fingers on his legs. “I suppose the most expedient thing will be to get a special license. That way, we don’t have to go through weeks of reading banns. I’ll handle the details of the special license. I don’t want either one of you to go through any more anxiety than you already are.”
This time Landon did manage to glance over at Opal, and he couldn’t tell if she was dismayed at the idea of marrying him or not. The poor thing. If she wasn’t already, she would be soon enough.
“All right,” Warren said as he stood up. “I’ll quietly get my sister up to her bedchamber.” He glanced over at Landon. “Everyone is going to be talking about this scandal, so it’s probably best if you leave.”
The last thing Landon was going to do was argue with Warren. Not that he had planned to face all those people anyway. Right now, all he wanted to do was retreat to his brother’s townhouse and pretend this horrible night had never happened.
Opal stood up and accepted her brother’s arm. Before the two left the room, she faced him and said, “I’m sorry. I never thought I’d drag you into a scandal when I asked to speak with you. I hope that, in time, you’ll forgive me.”
He might have responded if he’d been able to find his voice, but he couldn’t. Why was she apologizing to him? She’d acted in innocence. Sure, he had worried about a scandal, but she honestly hadn’t expected one to ensue. If he had been smart, he would have insisted she leave the room right away instead of staying with her. He was older. He was a gentleman. He knew how badly these things looked. But he couldn’t come up with the words to express himself properly as the two left the room.
Guy ran into the room a few seconds later. “Are you really going to have to marry Lord Steinbeck’s sister?”
Landon got to his feet and nodded.
Guy stopped Landon before he could leave the room. “Maybe this is a good thing. You spend all your time in the country all by yourself. You could use some companionship.”
“It won’t be good for her, Guy.”
“Says who?”
“The Ton.”
He snorted. “What does the Ton know? They think Lady Cadawalader and Lady Eloise are at the top of Society, and I can assure you that the average person doesn’t care one bit about which is more popular.”
“You know what I mean,” Landon said. “The talk from the Ton can hurt people.”
“I know it’s hard for you to come to London because of the gossip, but sometimes good can come out of any situation, no matter how bad it might seem.”
Maybe. Maybe not. It was impossible to tell what would happen from here, and quite frankly, Landon wasn’t looking forward to finding out.
***
The next afternoon Opal was browsing through several designs of different gowns for her wedding day. Iris and Iris’ mother were in the drawing room with her. Iris was holding Stuart and cooing at him, while her mother was holding Danielle. Opal sat next to Iris’ mother and listened as the lady listed the pros and cons of each gown.
“This gown is more in fashion this Season,” Iris’ mother said at one point. “But that one has a more romantic look to it.”
“It is pretty,” Opal thoughtfully replied as she picked the design up from the table and took a good look at it. “Should I be concerned about how romantic it looks? This marriage isn’t the love match I was hoping for.”
“Not now, but you never know where things will lead,” Iris’ mother said. “When Iris married Warren, she didn’t think she’d even like him, but as you can see, everything turned out perfectly.” She tapped her granddaughter affectionately on the nose and smiled.
“Well, to be fair, Warren couldn’t even remember my name when he found out he’d been arranged to marry me,” Iris spoke up. “I didn’t think he’d ever have any interest in me.”
“No one can fault you for thinking that,” her mother allowed. “But your father was optimistic, and you’re happy now.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Pleased her daughter had agreed with her, the lady turned her attention back to Opal. “If it was me, I’d go with the romantic one. It might bring some good fortune your way.” Then in a lower voice, she whispered, “I insisted that Iris wear a romantic gown, and look at how well things worked out.”
Iris looked up from her son. “What was that?” she asked her mother.
“Nothing. I was just encouraging Opal to go with her heart,” her mother replied then gave Opal a wink when Iris’ gaze went back to her son.
Opal chuckled under her breath. “I don’t know. I think Landon might resent me for forcing him into the marriage. I know I didn’t intentionally bring him into a scandal, but I was careless. He must be upset with me.”
“Would it put your mind at ease if you went to see him?” Iris’ mother asked.
“Warren won’t allow it,” Iris spoke up. “He’s afraid it will only cause more rumors, and right now, that’s the last thing he wants.”
“What if I went with her?” her mother offered. “I could offer to chaperone.”
“I don’t know,” Iris replied. “Warren wants everything to be as un-scandalous as possible until the wedding. He’s out right now getting the special license.”
“Right now? How soon is he planning to have this wedding?”
“As soon as the vicar will perform the ceremony.”
“Oh goodness. That doesn’t leave us with a lot of time.” She shot Opal a pointed look. “When Warren sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping him.”
“Yes, I know,” Opal said. “There’s no talking him out of something if he wants it badly enough, either.” And one thing he definitely wanted was to clear her name of the scandal.
The butler came into the room. “Forgive me for interrupting. A lady by the name of Miss Portemaine wishes to have a word with Miss Beaufort.”
Opal thought over the ladies she’d met in London, and she couldn’t recall one by that name.
“The name sounds familiar,” Iris spoke up. “Let her in.” After he left, she glanced at her mother and Opal. “She might be Lord Royce’s daughter, and Warren knows Lord Royce.”
Iris’ mother gave Danielle to Opal, gathered the pictures of the gowns, and stood up. “We’ll go with the romantic one. For luck. I’ll have a seamstress come by later today.”
“Mother, I can’t think of a single person who is as enthusiastic about clothes as you are,” Iris mused.
“Clothes are important,” her mother said. “We’d all be naked without them.”
Iris shook her head and waited until her mother was gone before she told Opal, “You are the best thing that ever happened to her. She’s been ecstatic ever since you’ve come to live here so she can have someone to buy clothes with.”
Opal grinned as she bounced the girl in her arms. “Your mother has excellent taste. I get lots of compliments on my gowns because of her.”
“I know. She really does have excellent taste, but I get bored of searching for the right type of gown to wear.”
Opal didn’t think she could ever tire of something as fun as looking for new clothes, but maybe that was because she’d spent so much of her childhood without much to choose from.
The butler came back into the room with a young lady who had her head bowed. It took Opal a moment to realize it was the same lady from last evening at the ball. She’d been the one who’d supported Lord Asheley when he’d cried scandal.
“I think she’s here to see me,” Opal told Iris.
“In that case, I’ll leave you two alone,” Iris replied.
Iris took Danielle in her free arm and offered Miss Portemaine a greeting before she left.
Opal turned to the lady who was probably only a year younger than her. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”
Miss Portemaine finally looked at her, and Opal noted the regret in her eyes. She felt bad for claiming that Opal and Landon had been involved in a scandal. She’d probably come by to apologize for it and was afraid Opal wouldn’t forgive her.
Opal turned to the butler. “Please bring us some green tea and some crumpets.” She waited for the butler to leave then went over to Miss Portemaine. “I think we’ll be more comfortable if we sit,” she said and then gently led her to the settee. “Please, have a seat.”
The lady brushed back a stray lock of brown hair over her ear and then sat down. She wore a dress that was nice enough, but the color and the design of it didn’t do much to flatter her figure. Nor did she have a particularly attractive hairstyle.
Ignoring the observation, Opal settled beside her and smiled in encouragement. “You have nothing to fear with me. I’m not going to be harsh with you.”
Finally, Miss Portemaine made eye contact with her. “I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night. I feel terrible for what I did.”
Opal smiled. “It wasn’t your fault. Lord Asheley was the one who instigated the whole thing.”
“But I didn’t have to go along with it.”
“Why did you go along with it?” Opal asked, sensing that the lady needed to tell her in order to feel better.
“My brother owed Lord Asheley a debt that Lord Asheley said he’d forgive if I got involved. I’m so sorry, Miss Beaufort.”
“You mustn’t feel bad. This is not your doing. Lord Asheley was upset because he didn’t like something I said to him. He was using you to get revenge on me.” Opal gave her an encouraging smile. “I would have done the same thing if I had been in your situation.”
“You would have?”
“I love my brother. He’s the most wonderful gentleman I’ve ever known. If he owed a debt and I could get him out of it, I would do so.”
She finally relaxed. “I would do anything for my brother. He’s always been good to me.”
The butler came into the room and set the tray in front of them.
As he left, Opal poured tea into their cups. “Is your father Lord Royce?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“My brother might know him.”
“My father has mentioned Lord Steinbeck in passing. I think it had something to do with discussing a prospective investment.”
Opal giggled. “My brother’s main love in life is making money. If it has anything to do with investments, I’m not surprised Warren was involved.”
Miss Portemaine accepted the cup Opal offered her. “London is a small place. At least for the gentlemen. It seems that my father knows every gentleman who has a title.”
“I think since titled gentlemen have estates to pass onto their heirs, they have a good reason to find out who can lead them to profitable ventures.”
She took a sip of the tea then nodded. “Titled gentlemen have so much pressure. It makes me glad I’m a lady.”
“I don’t know. It seems that ladies have to worry about marrying the right kind of gentleman.”
“Yes, that’s true. The wrong one would make a miserable husband.” She bit her lower lip. “Is Lord Farewell one of those who might make a miserable husband?”
“I don’t think so. Warren says his reputation is impeccable and he has a sizable fortune.”
“Lord Asheley seems to think Lord Farewell is a poor match for a lady.”
“That’s because Lord Farewell has a lisp.”
“He does?”
Opal nodded. “I heard it, but honestly, it doesn’t bother me. The quality of the gentleman is much more important than how eloquent he is in his speech.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Opal took a sip of her tea then reached for a crumpet. “Would you like one?” she offered.
“Yes, I would. I felt so awful about what I did that I haven’t been able to eat anything all day.”
“Oh, then you should have two.” Opal put her cup down and grabbed a cloth napkin to put the two crumpets on. As she handed them to her, she said, “I’m glad you came by. I hate to think you would have spent the entire day worried about last evening.”
“You’re very kind, Miss Beaufort. I don’t know if I deserve it.”
“Sure, you do. We both have brothers who are good to us. That’s something to celebrate, if you think about it.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“You can refer to me as Opal.”
Though Opal sensed a shyness on the lady’s part, she answered, “I’m Blanche.”
Opal picked her cup back up and asked Blanche what she thought of the Season, and from there, the two continued their conversation.