Chapter Thirteen – To Protect One’s Own
Holding her breath, Beth forced her feet to keep moving. Fortunately, her current dance partner seemed not at all interested in her as he had not said a word to her since asking for the dance and, thereby, freeing her of the rather insistent Earl of Cullingwood. Instead, his gaze appeared fixed on someone else entirely, allowing Beth to pursue her own enquiries.
More than anything, she wanted to see her family mingle at the ball. While her grandmother stood at a safe distance not far from the dance floor, her gaze seeking Beth’s in regular intervals, an encouraging smile on her face, Beth caught sight of her half-brother, whom she had not even exchanged a word with to this day.
Family! It truly was a strange notion.
With his chest puffed out, Lord Braxton strode around his father’s ballroom, his gaze rather calculating like a hunter on the prowl. He had nothing of the kindness and consideration so visible in his sister’s eyes, but rather resembled the earl in his way of disregarding everything that did not serve his own purposes. He danced with many ladies, most of whom seemed delighted to have caught his attention, which in turn appeared to puff up his ego even more.
Finding herself annoyed with her half-brother and disappointed to have to judge him so, Beth averted her gaze, seeking out Lady Adelaide. Although she, too, spent considerable time on the dance floor, the smile on her face appeared to be far from genuine. Tension rested in her shoulders, and her jaw appeared almost clenched, and yet, determination and the reminder of her duty shone in her eyes…as well as a touch of fear−possibly put there by the threat of having to marry Lord Arlton should tonight’s endeavour prove unsuccessful.
While Lady Adelaide was surrounded by a reasonable number of attractive, young men, her father continuously steered her in the direction of an older gentleman, discouraging the other gentlemen’s attempts to flirt with her. From the look on Lady Adelaide’s face, Beth assumed that the older gentleman was none other than Lord Arlton.
With his short stature and round mid-section, he was far from desirable to a young lady who had only just come of age, and Beth’s heart ached for her half-sister. Seeing the pain in Lady Adelaide’s eyes as she forced herself to engage in conversation with the man her father had chosen for her, Beth gritted her teeth, feeling a surge of protectiveness rise to the front of her mind.
And then she acted without thinking, merely driven by instinct!
Only a moment after the earl had left his daughter’s side, probably believing her well-ensconced in Lord Arlton’s company, the music ended and Beth’s dance partner stepped back, bowing his head to her, the ghost of a distracted smile on his face.
“Thank you for the lovely dance,” Beth mumbled, then quickly inclined her own head and brushed by him before he could say another word. With her gaze focused on her sister, she saw nothing that happened around her, but instead hoped that her grandmother would come to her aid should this prove to be a foolish endeavour.
“My dearest Lady Adelaide,” she greeted her half-sister as though they were old friends, a beaming smile on her face as she squeezed in-between her and Lord Arlton. “It is so good to see you.”
Although her half-sister’s face bore a puzzled frown, Beth also detected a hint of gratitude as Lord Arlton was forced to step back to make room for Beth. “Indeed, it is,” Lady Adelaide mumbled, her emerald eyes travelling over Beth’s face, half-hidden by her mask, as she tried to recall to whom she was speaking. “How kind of you to come tonight.”
“It is truly a marvellous night,” Beth complimented, gazing around the grand ballroom and completely ignoring Lord Arlton. Then she leant forward as though to whisper in Lady Adelaide’s ear, her voice though still loud enough for the slighted gentleman to overhear their private exchange “I’m here to give you a message from a dear gentleman of our acquaintance.”
Lady Adelaide’s eyes narrowed, a deeper confusion coming to her eyes. However, before she could open her mouth to speak, Beth rushed on, her gaze imploring the young woman to play along. “He wishes to meet you in the library for a moment alone.” Still, Lady Adelaide frowned, incomprehension marking her features, but Beth took her by the elbow and guided her a few steps away, then whispered in a hushed tone, “If you do not want to marry Lord Arlton, then make yourself scarce for a few minutes.”
Instantly, Lady Adelaide’s eyes widened and understanding dawned. She nodded then, a grateful smile on her lips as she took her leave.
Watching her go, Beth then turned back to Lord Arlton, pretending as though she had quite forgotten the gentleman’s presence. Clasping a hand over her mouth in feigned shock, she glanced around, then stepped closer. “Oh, my goodness, I did not see you there. Pray tell, you did not overhear our private conversation!”
From the disgruntled look on Lord Arlton’s face, it was clear that he had. “I’m afraid I cannot,” he huffed, his eyes narrowed in disapproval as he glanced over Beth’s shoulder in the direction Lady Adelaide had left. “I must admit I am deeply disappointed. I had been given to understand that Lady Adelaide was a young woman of impeccable character and virtue.”
“Oh, but she is,” Beth assured him, her voice low as though speaking in confidence. “However, where young love is concerned, even a woman of impeccable character can be led astray. Please do not fault her for it. I am certain her young lover will make an honourable woman out of her soon.”
Holding her gaze for a moment, Lord Arlton drew in a deep breath as though considering his options. “Considering that her father is an old friend of mine, I shall keep this to myself,” he assured her. “However, I must say I am severely disappointed.”
Relieved to hear him say so, Beth flattered him, an approving smile curling up her lips. “That is understandable, my lord, and only speaks of your own impeccable character.”
As the hard lines on his face softened, his chest puffed out with pride and his shoulders drew back, straightening his spine, Beth knew that she had won. Quickly taking her leave lest he enquire after her name, Beth retreated to a somewhat secluded corner of the ballroom.
For a moment, she closed her eyes and caught her breath, trying to still the excited tremble in her hands. Had she truly just done that? Ruined Lady Adelaide in the eyes of Lord Arlton? Oh, she could only hope that everything would go well! If only Lord Arlton would refrain from proposing−which appeared more than likely at the moment−as well as keep his lips sealed on the reason why−which looked rather favourable as well!
Not detecting Lady Adelaide among the guests anywhere, Beth instead caught sight of her father−their father!−as his gaze shifted from Lord Arlton and then travelled around the room, a displeased frown drawing down his brows.
Beth took a deep breath. From the looks of it, he had just discovered that his daughter had escaped his old friend’s company after all…and he was less than pleased with that development!
Watching the man who was her father, Beth shook her head. There was no sense of recognition, nothing like she had experienced with her half-sister. No connection. No bond. Nothing. As far as her heart was concerned, he was a stranger. A stranger she had disliked on sight!
However, maybe she was being unjust, her heart counselled in the next moment. After all, she hardly knew him. In the past short weeks since she had come to be employed in his household, she had spent only a few minutes in his company and never once exchanged a direct word with him. Could it be that there was a part of him that would appeal to her−if only she could discover it?
Determined to hang onto the slight chance of connecting with her father, Beth waited until his attention was focused elsewhere. Then with a quick nod in her grandmother’s direction, she slipped out one of the side doors. Considering their respective positions, Beth knew that it was out of the question to simply walk up and speak to him without revealing her identity. However, maybe she could learn something about who he was by looking through his study, his personal items, his correspondence.
Although an internal warning flared up at the thought of invading someone’s privacy, Beth knew she could not stop as it was her only chance. And so, she hastened down the corridor, finding her way to her father’s study within only a few short moments. Glancing up and down the hall, she found it to be empty as all the remaining servants were waiting on her father’s guests at the ball.
Opening the door, Beth slipped inside, wondering what she would find.