The Story of a Baron (The Sisters of the Aristocracy) (19 page)

“And who have you set your cap on?” she countered, allowing him to tie the card’s ribbon around her wrist along with the charcoal pencil. They worked their way to the announcer when they realized the receiving line had already dispersed.

“No one, as yet,” he replied, lowering his head to speak to the man who would call out their names as they descended to the ballroom. “Lady Geraldine and Lord Afterly,” he said before turning his attention back to Geraldine. “Perhaps when I am one-and-thirty,” he said with a shrug.

One-and-thirty?

That would be two years from now!

Geraldine had rather hoped her brother might decide to marry this year, giving her a sister with whom she could spend the long months whilst he was away on another expedition. “Have you truly no one in mind? What if something were to happen to you? You have no heirs, brother,” she said as they descended the wide stairs.

Richard shrugged, his eyes scanning the crowd below in search of the Duke of Sumptershire. “Earldom goes back to the Crown,” he stated simply.

Geraldine stared at her brother for a long time before she was suddenly aware of young matrons greeting her and young bucks greeting her brother and bent heads whispering to one another, no doubt sharing gossip featuring her. She could present herself as an innocent falsely accused – she was when it came to the story about Vauxhall Gardens – or she could simply pretend she really was capable of prancing about in her birthday suit and act every bit as bold as she was rumored to be.

Pasting on a brilliant smile, she turned her attention to those around them and concentrated on finding dance partners to fill her card.

Chapter 34

The Fear of Scandal

“Oh, dear,” Evangeline whispered as she finished reading the last page of Chapter Ten.

“What is it?” Jeffrey wondered, raising his head from the book, rather pleased the chapter read as well as it did. Not having had a wife or sisters, he could only describe Geraldine’s preparation for the ball as he remembered his mother doing it when he was a small boy.

He would watch as she attached earbobs to each earlobe and wrap a shawl about her shoulders and slide her dainty feet into dance slippers, all the while wishing he could attend the fancy balls with her and his father. Although some of his current associates eschewed Society events, he found he enjoyed them – the pomp, the pageantry, the beautiful clothes, the beautiful women – all because they reminded him of those evenings when he could spend a bit of time with his mother.

“I fear Lady Geraldine will misbehave at the ball,” Evangeline replied, just as a maid carried a fresh tea tray into the library. “I’ll serve the tea, thank you,” she said to the maid, who curtsied and left the room, her shock at seeing Lady Evangeline in the company of a man still apparent on her face. The poor girl had nearly dropped the tray as she moved to set it down!

Evangeline had a passing thought of how long it would be before the servants of the households on either side of Rosemount House would know of her male caller. After this morning’s visit by Lady Torrington, Evangeline wondered if her wish to add a bit of scandal to her life might be a bit selfish, especially if it meant a man would be forced to ask for her hand in marriage should Grandby make good on his wife’s threat.

Allowing a wan smile, Evangeline leaned forward. “I meant to ask you earlier. How do you take your tea, Lord Sommers?” she asked as she poured a cup of tea. She had still been so discombobulated by Adele Grandby’s visit, she hadn’t noticed if the baron added any milk or sugar to his tea after she gave him a cup.

“With just a bit of milk,” Jeffrey replied. “And, please, call me Sommers.” On seeing her expression of surprise, he shrugged and added, “Seeing as how we’re spending so much time together reading this book,”
– and kissing –
“It only seems appropriate.”

Evangeline nodded, adding some milk to his tea before offering the cup and saucer to him. “Very well, Sommers.” She turned and filled a cup for herself, adding milk and two lumps of sugar before stirring it slowly.

“Why do you suppose Lady Geraldine will misbehave?” Jeffrey asked suddenly.

Evangeline took a sip of tea before giving the baron a shrug. “She seems of two minds, as if part of her wants to be prim and proper whilst another wants to shock and surprise people,” she remarked, suddenly realizing she could have been describing herself just moments ago.

“I rather think most people are like that,” Jeffrey replied, furrowing his brows as he considered the comment.

“You do?” Evangeline responded, obviously surprised.

Jeffrey nodded. “We tend to show Society our proper selves, I suppose, whilst sometimes wishing we were doing less than proper things,” he said, realizing the words could certainly be applied to him. Just that moment, in fact, when he wished he could have been kissing the earl’s sister instead of reading the book.

But he didn’t dare tell Evangeline that.

Evangeline nodded her agreement. For some reason, she found the baron’s words a comfort. She had wondered just that morning if others sometimes wanted to do things that were out of character. Now that the baron had admitted as much, she felt a bit of relief.

“Lord Norwick is a bit like that I suppose,” Jeffrey said suddenly, his brow furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

The baron inhaled and seemed to hold his breath a moment. “At one time, the earl owned ...” Here he stopped, realizing he couldn’t really tell a gently bred woman about the man’s businesses.

“A brothel and a gaming hell?” Evangeline finished for him, the manner in the way she said the words suggesting she wasn’t the least bit offended by them.

“Why, yes,” Jeffrey replied reluctantly. He paused a moment before continued. It was at moments like this when he wondered if Evangeline was just as bold and brazen as Geraldine. No topic of discussion seemed off-limits with the earl’s daughter. “He had to sell his businesses because he wanted to marry Lady Clarinda.”

“She demanded it of him,” Evangeline agreed, already familiar with the story of how Clarinda had managed to land the earl as her husband. “I’ve always thought it showed good judgement on his part to give up the businesses,” she added with a shrug, “Seeing as how earls aren’t really supposed to work for their income. And Clarinda wouldn’t have married him otherwise.”

Jeffrey stilled at Evangeline’s comment, realizing almost at once that writing a book could be considered work. What would she think of him if she ever found out he was the author of the very book they were reading? “I rather doubt Norwick actually did any work when it came to his businesses,” he said with a shake of his head.

Evangeline considered his words for a moment. “I suppose not, seeing as his brother saw to the books,” she agreed.

His brows rising in surprise, Jeffrey regarded Evangeline for a moment. “How is it you know all this?” he wondered.

A blush suffusing her face, Evangeline gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I paid a call on Lady Pettigrew on a day when she was hosting the countess and Lady Torrington,” she explained. “Somehow they started to talk about how Clarinda ended up married to Lord Norwick, so the topic of his businesses came up.” She paused a moment. “And my brother used to ...” The blush returned, only brighter in color. “Patronize one of the businesses,” she finished, suddenly wishing she hadn’t brought up the topic.

Jeffrey realized immediately to what she referred. Even he had spent a night in Norwick’s brothel, but only the one night – he couldn’t begin to afford any of the women who plied their trade in the exclusive brothel. Now, Harry Tennison had had a particular favorite among the high-priced harlots, but Jeffrey wasn’t about to share that information with Evangeline. Perhaps she already knew about that, as well.

“Chapter Eleven?” Evangeline suddenly asked as she nodded toward the book.

Jeffrey quickly finished his tea and nodded. “Chapter Eleven.”

Chapter 35

Chapter Eleven: The Tetherpound Ball

“Ah, Lord Ballantine,” Lady Geraldine Porterhouse said as she glided toward the baron. “Just the gentleman I’ve been looking for,” she said as she gave Matthew Winters a deep curtsy and a brilliant smile.

Caught off-guard, Matthew could barely get a bow in before the earl’s daughter had her hand stretched out in his direction. “Lady Geraldine, you have me most curious. Happily so,” he said before he kissed the gloved knuckles. A ring with a very large green gemstone, probably paste, but he couldn’t be sure, nearly collided with his nose. “I am at your service, of course,” he offered, wondering why the most beautiful woman in the ballroom would be searching for him. Especially when she still seemed rather miffed at him whilst he returned her to Rosehill House following Lady Barrick’s birthday picnic.

Perhaps she had come to realize he was not her enemy.

Or perhaps her brother shared our conversation from the night before.

Geraldine held out her other hand. A dance card and pencil dangled from her wrist. “One more, and it will be full,” she hinted, cocking her head to one side.

His own eyebrows cocking up in surprise, Matthew found the open space on the card and wrote ‘Ballantine’ on the single empty line. “A cotillion, I see,” he commented, suddenly wondering who had managed to secure the only waltz of the evening.
How could Lady Tetherpound only offer one waltz?
he wondered, thinking the evening’s hostess must know men would leave the card room for a waltz. He was about to check the dance card when Geraldine, suddenly distracted by the curly-haired Earl of Wurthingham, pulled her hand away in order to touch the man’s sleeve, apparently in an attempt to gain his attention.

Matthew watched as the expression on the face of the blond, blue-eyed earl brightened at the sight of Lady Geraldine.
Bastard
, he thought in annoyance. The newly minted earl seemed to have it all – and was apparently spending it as if he did, according to reports from around London.
At least Geraldine still has her other hand on my sleeve
, Matthew considered, rather enjoying having a woman on his arm. Unfortunately, the daughter of an earl soon gave up her tenuous hold on him as the crush in the ballroom suddenly increased. Geraldine gave him an apologetic look as she disappeared into the crowd.

Matthew glanced toward the entrance as another wave of aristocrats descended the stairs into the brightly lit Tetherpound ballroom. Lady Tetherpound would have to be feeling quite proud at how many had chosen to attend her ball instead of paying homage at Nonmack’s. Lady York, one of the patronesses of the dance hall, was apparently giving out vouchers to all the young ladies – vouchers that allowed them to waltz – as enticements to attend that evening’s fête. With nothing stronger than weak lemonade and equally bad food, Nonmack’s was a destination for the
ton
in the rare event something better wasn’t offered.

Lady Tetherpound’s ball was definitely better.

Not having signed a dance card for the first few sets, Matthew made his way to the card room. Despite the early hour, several tables were already full. He spotted Lord Brotherly waving in his direction, and Matthew made his way among the groups to join the three that were in need of a fourth player.

Lord Barrick watched as the baron took his seat. “Not dancing this evening?” he wondered as he finished shuffling a deck of cards.

“Just a cotillion with Lady Geraldine at this point,” Matthew stated as he watched the viscount deal the cards.

“Ah, Lady Geraldine,” Lord Atherton commented as he took a peek at his cards. “Beautiful chit. And tits, I must say.”

“Agreed,” Lord Brotherly said, picking up his cards and grimacing before he could put a suitable poker face into place.

“Doesn’t matter. She’ll never wed, and she probably won’t take a lover until she’s past five-and-twenty,” Lord Barrick said as he examined his cards.

Angered at the comments he was hearing, Matthew stilled himself. At least he wouldn’t have competition for Geraldine’s affections from any of these gentlemen. They were all married, although Lord Atherton was famous for taking mistresses, usually more than one at a time.
He must be awfully flush
, Matthew thought as he arranged his cards. How else could the man afford the rents on all the townhouses as well as pin money for multiple mistresses?

As he studied his cards, Matthew realized he had a full house, which was usually enough to win a hand with only four players. He declined the offer of a different card.

“You all seem to forget her brother will not allow it,” Lord Brotherly stated, exchanging two of his cards for new ones. No one could miss his disappointment over his new cards.

“And what kind of sway will he hold over Jerry?” Atherton wondered, taking three cards.

Matthew winced at the earl’s use of Lady Geraldine’s childhood nickname. The girl was a woman now; self-assured, beautiful, and if she wasn’t looking to get married right away, perhaps he could entice her to do so. He was about to wonder if he could afford the chit and then remembered her brother’s comment about her dowry.
Marry her within the month and I’ll double the dowry.
Well, if she did accept his offer, Afterly would have to double her dowry. Rumor had it, Gerldine had developed a taste for fine furnishings, finer clothing and the finest jewelry.

Rumors
, Matthew thought.
Hopefully
.

“We should begin a wager, gentlemen,” Brotherly suggested as he regarded his cards. “I’ll open.” He tossed some coins so they landed in the middle of the table.

“What kind of wager?” Barrick wondered. “I’ll fold,” he added as the man tossed his cards onto the table.

“I wager Lady Geraldine never marries because her brother is never in town to see to a suitable match,” Brotherly responded, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

Atherton laughed, tossing some coins into the middle. “You do realize that no one will be able to collect on your bet for the rest of our lives. The chit might get married once Afterly meets his Maker,” he explained with a shrug.

“To whom? She’ll be an old crone,” Barrick complained.

Matthew thought to suggest himself as a groom for the beautiful daughter of an earl, but he held his tongue on that point and instead said, “The earl is, in fact, back in town. I spoke with him at Black’s just last night,” he added as he straightened in his chair. He tossed his coins into the center of the table as the others around the table took note of his comment. “I call,” Matthew said, hoping his full house would hold.

“Back for how long, though?” Brotherly asked as he tossed in his cards, apparently no longer interested in playing.

“A few months,” Matthew offered with a shrug as he watched Atherton add some coins to the pile. “And then he’ll be off to Italy.” The earl spread out his cards. Two pairs and an ace. Matthew followed suit with his full house and then pulled the coins toward him. If he stopped playing right now, he would have enough money to see him through to the end of the month. “Thank you, gentleman.” He pretended to listen to the music. “I must take my leave of you. I’ve promised someone the next dance.”

Ignoring the jibes and cries of cheating from the gentlemen, Matthew made his way back to the ballroom.

He needed to think.

Was it such a good idea to think of marriage to Afterly’s sister? Her reputation was obviously in tatters – a reputation that could only be repaired if she didn’t continue to carry on as the
ton
claimed she’d been doing. Then the rumors surrounding her would eventually be forgotten in favor of some other poor chit’s perceived misbehavior.

But if she were married, she would be under the protection of a husband. Even with her brother thousands of miles away, the rumors would cease much sooner if she were married.

Matthew had to believe he had that in his favor.

Geraldine was the sister of an earl, though. Would Geraldine Porterhouse even consider a lowly baron for a husband?

Independent. Beautiful. Self-confident. Goodness, she had practically asked him to dance with her hint of having one dance left on her card! And he had gladly signed on the one remaining line.

A
cotillion
, he remembered. Well, it would be starting soon. He made his way into the ballroom in search of Lady Geraldine.