Over the next few weeks, Ellen found herself looking for Lord Hartley more and more, as though wanting to convince herself that he was, in fact, simply playing a part. She could not help but be surprised at his apparent transformation, hearing it often mentioned as she made her way through town or when walking with Charlotte through Hyde Park.

She had no reason to be interested, of course, other than the fact that Lord Hartley had told her that she was the catalyst behind his change in character – which was a fact she was not quite sure she believed. In the back of her mind, there remained the recollection of how upset and angry he had been at her dismissal of him, her outright rejection, and she could not help but continue to think that this all might be some outrageous façade in order to have her change her mind about him.

That did, of course, suggest that she thought rather highly of herself, as though she was somehow important to the gentleman, which she did not believe herself to be. Unless, it was simply that she had hurt his pride and he wanted to get his revenge. She pondered on that for some time, wondering if there was any suggestion that he might be so cruel.

“Did you hear about Lord Hartley?”

Drawn from her reverie, Ellen looked over at her friend, Lady Charlotte, who had been walking alongside her through the park.

“No,” Ellen said, wondering what the news could be this time. “Has something happened?”

“Yes, it has,” Charlotte exclaimed, as though she were about to impart the most delicious news. “He has, this very day, paid off all of his debts!”

Ellen’s shoulders slumped. “Oh.”

“You do not understand, of course,” Charlotte said, with a broad smile. “You see, Lord Hartley is well known to have men all over London chasing after him, determined that he is to pay them what he owes. He claims that he simply forgets, but the ton have been whispering that he is, in fact, entirely out of funds. We have thought him as poor as a church mouse for some time, but now, it seems, he truly did forget to pay them his dues.”

“Or he enjoyed the chase,” Ellen suggested, with a small sigh. “I do not think this is so great an achievement as you think, Charlotte. A gentleman ought to pay his debts in a timely manner.”

Charlotte laughed, linking arms with Ellen. “But that is precisely what I mean,” she replied with a smile. “He has never been considered a true gentleman before now, and here he is, doing just what he should have done in order to try and make amends. I believe his transformation is almost complete – and who would have thought that such a rogue would have changed in such an astonishing way!”

Ellen chewed her lip thoughtfully, her gaze drifting around the park as more of the ton came to walk along the paths. “I am not so sure that I believe him,” she admitted quietly. “What if he is not as he seems? What if this is all some kind of ruse?”

“Ruse?” Charlotte repeated with a frown. “What would he gain from doing such a thing?”

Ellen could not answer, giving a slight shake of her head. “I do not precisely know, but something does not sit well with me about all this, Charlotte.”

Charlotte frowned and tossed her head. “I think you are being much too severe with him, Ellen. I, for one, am delighted to see him consider his life and his future with a great deal more severity than he has ever done before. I think it best for his title and his extended family.”

“Of course,” Ellen said soothingly. “I suppose I am a little less trusting than you, Charlotte, simply because I have not been within society for as long as you.” It was a poor excuse, but one that her friend seemed to accept, her frown fading away.

“Then I think you may have to express your doubts about his character to him in person,” Charlotte said, after a few minutes of silence. “Look, is that not him coming this way?”

Ellen’s whole body tensed at once, as she saw him striding toward them, although he did not immediately look in their direction. He was gazing at someone – or something – across the park and, when his gaze returned toward them, she saw him hesitate for a moment before smiling broadly, coming to a stop just in front of them.

“Good afternoon, Lady Charlotte. Good afternoon, Lady Ellen.”

Ellen curtsied, surprised that she felt a little disappointment in that he did not allow his gaze to linger on her.

“Are you out to take the air?” Charlotte asked, with a bright smile. “I confess that I enjoy the sunshine, although I am always careful to hide my face from its light.”

He chuckled. “Freckles are not to be borne, I understand.”

“No, indeed,” Charlotte replied firmly.

Lord Hartley smiled. “You would be just as beautiful with freckles, I daresay, Lady Charlotte.”

She returned his smile, shooting a sharp glance toward Ellen, as though proving to her that Lord Hartley was, in fact, now a true gentleman.

“Might I walk with you for a time?” he asked, glancing from one to the next.

“You do not wish to continue on your way?” Ellen asked, aware that he had been walking in quite the opposite direction.

A flash of hurt crossed his face, but he immediately smiled to hide it, leaving Ellen feeling rather guilty.

“It was just an acquaintance I wished to talk to,” he explained, “but from how slowly they are walking, I would guess that they will be here for some time.”

“Then you are most welcome to join us,” Charlotte replied, with a sharp look toward Ellen. “We were just talking about what truly makes a gentleman. Perhaps you might give us your thoughts?”

Ellen felt her face burn, as he fell into step beside her, Charlotte’s frankness bringing her nothing more than embarrassment. Would he guess that they had been talking of him?

He cleared his throat, shrugging his shoulders. “I confess that I cannot say much about what a gentleman should be, since I have been failing to live up to such standards for some time.”

“But you are making amends now,” Charlotte protested brightly. “Everyone is aware of it.”

“Are they?” He sounded surprised, making Ellen frown. “I would have thought that such a thing would have been glossed over by another piece of gossip.”

“Maybe there has been nothing juicier,” Charlotte said and laughed, making him chuckle. “However, I must say that I think it a very good thing, my lord. You have surprised us all, and I am quite sure you do not intend to return to your previous way of living.”

He shook his head, his expression and words firm and sure. “Certainly, I do not,” he declared, his voice ringing with truth. “I have seen the error of my ways and turned my back on them forever.”

Charlotte and Lord Hartley continued their conversation for some time, leaving Ellen to walk alongside, remaining utterly silent. She was not quite sure what to make of Lord Hartley, and especially what to do with Charlotte’s warmth toward him. Her friend had no doubt of his intentions, believing him to be honest and true when he stated clearly that he had seen the error of his way. And yet, she could not find the same belief.

“Oh, there is Lady Martha!” Charlotte exclaimed suddenly, turning to face Ellen. “You will not mind if I hurry ahead to catch her?”

“No,” Ellen replied automatically, suddenly realizing she would be left to walk with Lord Hartley alone. “I will follow behind until you are ready to return home.”

Charlotte grinned and bid Lord Hartley good day, before hurrying up the path toward a resplendent young lady in a sapphire walking dress.

“You do not know Lady Martha?” Lord Hartley asked, as Ellen continued to walk slowly.

She shook her head. “No, not yet. I am sure I will be acquainted with her soon, however. Charlotte sometimes forgets that I do not know all those she does.”

“I see,” he said quietly. “To be truthful, Lady Ellen, I am glad to have you alone for a moment.”

“Oh?” Her heart quelled in fright for a moment, wondering if he would either berate her for her distinct lack of belief in him – although she did not know how he would be aware of such a thing – or if he might try to press his attentions on her again.

He cleared his throat and gave her a sidelong glance. “I am throwing a ball in a few days’ time,” he began quietly. “I have an invitation for you here.” He patted his breast pocket but did not remove it. “I was not sure whether or not you would be pleased with such an invitation, and so I have kept it with me in the hope that I might speak to you about it and decipher your feelings on the matter. I did not want to offend you.”

Ellen blinked, trying to make sense of what he had said. He thought she would be offended to receive an invitation from him? Was she truly appearing to be that callous, that cold hearted, when it was clear that he was making as much effort as he could to change?

“I would not be offended with such an invitation,” she said, after a minute or two. “It is very kind of you to think of me.”

“Your friend, Lady Charlotte, has an invitation too, of course,” he continued, sounding quite relieved. “I would be very glad to have you both join me at the ball – along with your mothers, of course.”

“Of course,” Ellen echoed, realizing that she had just accepted his invitation. They walked in silence for a few minutes, with Ellen scrambling to think of something to say, something to ask. For whatever reason, she found herself confused by his presence, struggling to align her thoughts into coherent order. To be asked to his ball was one thing, but to consider attending was quite another – and yet, somehow, she had managed to accept.

“I am very glad that you appear to have forgiven me for my past misdemeanors,” he said after a time. “Your kindness and compassion I do not deserve.”

“You need not continue to mention it, Lord Hartley,” Ellen replied, with a touch more firmness than she had intended. “That is all in the past, and as you can see, I have just accepted an invitation from you, which should inform you that I have quite forgotten the matter.”

He paused in his steps and looked up at her, making her come to a sudden stop. She turned to face him, seeing the uncertainty in his expression.

“Might I hope that you will be willing to dance with me at the ball?” he asked softly. “Just one dance, of course. It would truly mean the world to me.”

Her throat closed up. She could not think of a response. Her heart was hammering, her thoughts loud and clamoring to be heard.

“I will give you time to think about it,” he said, evidently seeing her struggle. “Thank you, Lady Ellen. I bid you good day, and I very much look forward to seeing you at my ball in a few days’ time.” So saying, he took the invitation from his breast pocket and handed it to her, bowed, and then without another word, took his leave.