Miss in a Man's World (18 page)

‘Brindle's sure to do so,' he returned with conviction. ‘Turns out he did penetrate your disguise, eventually. But, as for the others…?' He shrugged, appearing quite unconcerned. ‘Who can say?'

‘Dear Brindle… Yes, I look forward to seeing them all again.'

A
lthough she had expected the official announcement to cause a ripple through London society, never in her wildest imaginings had Georgiana supposed she would become something of a celebrity overnight. Not long after the Friday editions of the morning newspapers had been pored over at breakfast tables across the capital the door-knocker at the Grenville town house was never still. After having captured one of the richest prizes the Marriage Mart had to offer, she had been catapulted up the social ladder, going from a Little Miss Nobody, hardly of more consequence than a paid companion to the Dowager Countess and her granddaughter, to the singular young woman who had succeeded where so many others down the years had failed.

A lesser person might have allowed the outburst of attention to go to her head. Like the Dowager Countess, who sat in her favourite chair in the drawing room, serenely welcoming the never-ending stream of visitors throughout the afternoon and early evening, Georgiana herself was determined to maintain her objectivity.

The following day, though, when she was informed his lordship's own town carriage stood at the door, she couldn't wait to escape from the house, and the insincerity of those who all at once had developed a desire for her society.

Digby, almost fully recovered from his injury, accompanied Perkins round to the mews, leaving Georgiana to enter that Berkeley Square house, which she knew so well, by herself. She couldn't deny when she raised the knocker that she felt slightly apprehensive at the possible reaction of the servants. But she need not have worried. Brindle, a prince among butlers, behaved impeccably, not even by so much as a slight raising of one greying brow betraying the fact that he had ever set eyes on her before that day. After bowing her into the hall, he offered his sincerest congratulations on her betrothal to his master, before informing her that his lordship awaited her in the breakfast parlour.

Georgiana glanced at the excellent time-keeper, taking pride of place in the corner of the chequered hall. It wanted only a few minutes to one. ‘Great heavens! What a slug-a-bed! I broke my fast quite some time ago.'

‘As is his lordship's custom when he remains away from home all night, he breaks his fast somewhat later than usual.' There was a hint of a twinkle in the grey eyes as he added, ‘His lordship assured me you would have no trouble finding your own way to the breakfast parlour, Miss Grey.'

Even this attempt at humour on Brindle's part failed to take the sting out of what he had unwittingly divulged a moment before. Georgiana was only too painfully aware that whenever the Viscount remained away overnight it was more than likely he had spent
it in the arms of his mistress. It oughtn't to have mattered a whit to her whether he kept a mistress or not. Unfortunately it did. The knowledge was as painful now as it had been the year before when she had first learned of the ‘Divine Caroline'.

She turned and headed down the passageway that led to the breakfast parlour, determined not to reveal the hurt and anger coursing through her. With the best will in the world, though, she was unable to conceal the shock at discovering his lordship not alone, and stopped dead in her tracks, as her eyes focused on the fair locks of his companion.

‘Ah, Georgie!' After making use of his napkin, his lordship rose immediately to his feet. ‘Come in, my darling. It isn't like you to be so shy. There's someone here simply longing to meet you. Lady Eleanor Fincham, my fiancée, Miss Georgiana Grey.'

She then found her hand being warmly taken and held by a statuesque female in her early thirties, whose warm smile was mirrored in a pair of soft grey eyes. ‘I cannot tell you how much I have been looking forward to making your acquaintance. I didn't hesitate to accept the invitation to come to London, after reading Ben's letter.'

Georgiana then discovered those grey eyes could twinkle merrily, betraying a lively sense of humour. ‘Though perhaps I ought to say I was summoned to the capital. Apparently, I'm to play the duenna, so that you may visit the house as often as you wish to arrange the party, without giving rise to a deal of gossip. I'm to remain until after the event, so please do not hesitate to make use of me whilst I'm here.'

Lady Eleanor then turned to her brother-in-law and attempted to scold him for keeping so much to himself.
‘You quite failed to tell me how lovely your future Viscountess is,' she reminded him, before demanding to see the ring and then uttering a gasp of delight. ‘I've known him for years and never realised until now how much of a romantic he is! Only a man deeply in love would think of choosing sapphires for you, my dear.'

As had happened all too often in recent days, Georgiana hardly knew how to respond, and was spared having to do so on this occasion by his lordship's timely intervention. With a suspicion of a smile he suggested the ladies repair to the library and begin writing the invitations without delay.

‘And I would also suggest you leave the writing to Georgie, Eleanor. Unlike your spidery scrawl, she writes a most elegant copperplate.' There was a decided glint in his eyes. ‘I still treasure the letter she wrote to me last summer and consider it the finest example of a lady's handwriting I've ever seen.'

Once again Georgiana was at a loss to know what to say. She knew precisely the letter to which he was referring. And to think he had kept it all this time was rather touching.

‘There's no need to look so embarrassed, my darling,' his lordship continued, once again filling the breach. ‘Never let it be said that Fincham did not give praise where it was due. And now, ladies,' he added, after finishing his coffee, ‘I shall leave you to your own devices. I jotted down a list of those whom I think we should invite, Georgie, but add to it if you consider I've missed someone off. It's all ready for you in the library, with the pile of invitation cards.'

He went over to the door, but turned back to add, ‘By the by, did that manservant of yours accompany you here?'

‘Yes, he went round to the mews with Perkins.'

‘Excellent! I'll run him to earth there. I should be back in an hour or so. But until then I shall leave you in Eleanor's very capable hands.'

‘Good heavens!' His sister-in-law rolled her eyes in dismay. ‘The man cannot sit still for five minutes. I arrived here yesterday and have hardly seen anything of him! Still…' she shrugged ‘…he must have a hundred and one things to do if he wants the party organised in less than two weeks. So perhaps we'd best repair to the library, as he suggested, and do our bit.

‘Now, I'm here to help all I can,' she continued, as she led the way across the hall, little realising that the young woman beside her was very familiar with the layout of the house, and had been in each and every room. ‘But I have no intention of interfering.'

‘I shall be glad of your help, my lady,' Georgiana assured her. ‘I assisted the Dowager Countess in arranging the ball for her granddaughter and realise how much work is involved.'

‘Eleanor, please. I do not intend that there should be any formality between us. Why, I'm beginning to look upon you as a sister already. And am determined we shall be the very best of friends!'

 

An hour later Georgian felt as if she'd known Lady Eleanor all her life. She loved her frank, open manner, which was not so dissimilar to her own. Although, by her own admission, she no longer socialised as much as she once did, and rarely journeyed to the capital, Eleanor seemed to know something about most all of those whom the Viscount had invited to the party.

One name, towards the end of the list, caused her to betray a moment's disquiet. ‘Now, why on earth has he
included them, do you suppose?' she murmured, and then seemed to realise she'd spoken her thoughts aloud and appeared faintly embarrassed.

Georgiana glanced again at the list, and the names of Lord and Lady Wenbury seemed to jump off the page. Instantly memories of gossiping round a certain kitchen table came flooding back.

The previous year when she had first learned of the ‘so-called' love of the Viscount's life, she had felt nothing, except perhaps a deal of sympathy towards the man who had been heartlessly tossed aside by the woman he had loved. As far as she could recall his lordship had never once given her the impression that he suffered from unrequited love, and she supposed that was partly the reason why, up until now, she had felt more curiosity than any degree of jealousy towards the woman who had so callously jilted him. She couldn't ignore, though, that almost overnight everything had changed, and now she very much resented the idea of his old love attending the party—of any past flames attending, come to that.

Clearly Lady Eleanor did not hold Lord Wenbury's wife in high regard and, given her obvious regard for her brother-in-law, it was perhaps understandable why not. Yet, for reasons known only to himself, Ben had wished the Wenburys to attend, and she, at least, must accept the situation with a good grace. She must never allow herself to become overly sensitive and must attempt never to brood over insignificant details. The whole engagement was a confounded sham, anyway, she reminded herself, once again lifting the quill from the standish. And she must never foolishly lose sight of that fact…ever!

 

When the day of the party finally arrived, and she was at last journeying to the Viscount's town house for the celebration itself, Georgiana believed she had her every wayward emotion well under control, and had her mind firmly focused on the only reason for the engagement.

She'd been granted numerous opportunities during the past days to judge Ben's attitude towards her, and she had come to the conclusion it could best be described as still bordering on sibling affection. There was naught of the lover in his manner towards her. The only time he ever attempted to touch her more than fleetingly had been on those occasions when they had danced together. She could only be grateful those instances when they had attended the same party had been blessedly few during the past week or so, for it had been only then, when he had been close, tall and strong beside her, that she had become too conscious of his masculinity, of his innate power to attract her. It had been only then she had felt her resolve weakening, which had resulted in her wanting to put as much distance as possible between them.

Yet, on other occasions she had had cause to be grateful for his presence; such as that time at Berkeley Square when Ronan had escaped from the kitchen area, and had come bounding across the drawing room to greet her, quite blatantly ignoring his master and Lady Eleanor in his eagerness to reach his goal.

‘Struck up an immediate partiality for her company from the first,' his lordship had remarked in response to his sister-in-law's surprised look. ‘There have been times I think the ungrateful cur actually prefers her to me!'

His mock outrage had instantly averted what might have been a slightly awkward moment. Lady Eleanor had just chuckled and not asked for any further explanation for the dog's astonishing behaviour. Then there had been that other significant incident when Georgiana had had her first encounter with Cook after so very many months. Clearly Brindle had never betrayed his master's trust by revealing what he knew to any other member of staff, for Mrs Willard's jaw had dropped perceptively and she had just stared across the room in stunned disbelief, until his lordship had again, showing great presence of mind, intervened.

‘Struck dumb by your future mistress's loveliness, no doubt. Perfectly understand! But surely you didn't expect your lord and master to become betrothed to a bracket-faced creature?'

Once again his timely intervention had averted what might so easily have turned into a most embarrassing moment, especially as Lady Eleanor had again been present at the time. Cook had seemed to collect herself almost at once, and during all subsequent meetings between them had not attempted to allude to the fact that they had known each other the year before in vastly contrasting circumstances, though that wonderful rapport they had enjoyed back then had soon re-established itself.

So could anything go wrong tonight? Georgiana couldn't help wondering, as she stepped lightly down from his lordship's carriage. She sincerely hoped not, but was too much of a realist to sit back on her laurels. The Viscount would be on hand, of course. But that was not always necessarily a good thing, she reminded herself, as she reached out her hand to make her arrival known.

Brindle, bowing her into the hall, for once betrayed his emotions in a look of absolute appreciation, which was no less marked than those she had received from the Dowager and Lady Sophia before she had left the Grenville town house a short time earlier.

There could not have been a gown in the length and breadth of the land that would have suited her better. Gloves, silk shawl and slippers were all dyed the exact same shade as the beautifully fashioned deep blue dress, a colour undoubtedly chosen to emphasise the unusual hue of her eyes. Whether or not the Viscount, or the modiste, had decided upon the exact shade, she had no way of knowing.

‘His lordship desires a private word with you in the library,' Brindle informed her, throwing wide the door leading to the book-lined room.

Georgiana wasn't in the least surprised. She had received a brief note earlier in the day from Brindle's master requesting that, apart from the engagement ring, she don no jewellery for the occasion, as all necessary adornments awaited her at his home. She had supposed he had chosen something from the family jewels for her to wear, for which she could only be grateful as her own selection was woefully inadequate for such an occasion as this, concocted though the engagement was.

As she entered the room Georgiana almost stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes focused on the tall figure of the master of the house standing, sentinel-like, by the window. She'd seen him in formal evening attire on numerous occasions in recent weeks, but never had she seen him looking quite so magnificent. Tall and well muscled, his physique was admirably well suited to the new style of dress advocated by Brummell. His only adornments, apart from his quizzing-glass, was a
large diamond nestling in the folds of his cravat and a simple gold signet ring on his right hand. Undeniably, there was about him that certain haughty air of a man who knew his own worth; and although he might never be considered strictly handsome, he cut the strikingly unforgettable figure of a gentleman of breeding and good taste.