Page 20 of A Loving Governess in Disguise
Chapter 20
The dinner party would be a welcome distraction, Edward hoped.
It gave him something to plan, and something to give his niece to help him with. She had been doing well since Miss Pembroke’s departure, but she still thought of her.
Edward paced the drawing room, his list of guests that would attend that evening in hand. He was pleased to plan the evening and have something to do, but he still found himself at a loss.
“Uncle, you shall wear out the carpet if you continue,” Ella said, amused.
Edward stopped and turned to her.
“I can’t help it. The guest list alone is enough to drive a man mad. If I am not careful, I shall be in Bedlam before evening.”
“You’ve hosted dinner parties before. Why is this one any different?”
“I have never hosted one this important,” he admitted, sinking into a chair. “Not to mention fickle. Lady Worthing, for example, must not sit near Sir Claremont, or she’ll doubtlessly be offended in a mere five minutes. Then, if Lord Montrose is near the dowager countess, they’ll argue all night.”
“You could always invite fewer difficult people,” she suggested, giggling.
Edward gave her a look, though he, too, smiled.
“If only it were that easy.”
She took the list from him, reading the names and asking him about the few she did not recognize.
“What if we seat people based on their personalities? Lady Worthing can sit with the dowager countess, as they are both soft-spoken. I would like to sit between you and Lord Montrose. He tells great stories.”
“That can be arranged.” He nodded. “I must say, this plan of yours is surprisingly practical.”
Ella grinned.
“I am practical, Uncle. You should trust me more.”
“I do trust you. It’s just that everything feels like a potential disaster: the meal, the music, even the flowers. It has been so long since I had to do any of this.”
“I have already asked our housekeeper for roses and delphiniums,” Ella said. “And our musicians always choose the perfect music themselves, but I did give them a few suggestions.”
Edward blinked.
“When did you do all this?”
“Yesterday, when I learned of your plans. You were too busy debating syllabub versus lemon tarts, so I decided to help. Besides, it is not as though I have anything else to do until you find me a new tutor, and I can only practice the pianoforte so much.”.
He laughed, the sound warm, but he pitied her for how lonely she must have felt.
“You’re a blessing, Ella. I’d be lost without you.”
Edward suddenly realized he had to tell his niece about the invitation extended to Miss Victoria. Edward hesitated, not wanting Ella to know something she likely would not like to hear.
“There is one more addition to the guest list,” he explained, “one that I did not write down. Miss Victoria and her mother will be attending.”
Ella’s hand stilled over the paper for a moment, but she quickly continued to read it, her expression carefully composed. Edward watched her closely, noting the subtle tension in her shoulders.
“Miss Victoria?” she asked, her tone light as if trying to remember her, though Edward detected the slight edge beneath it. “I wasn’t aware you were so well acquainted. That is the lady Theodore brought to you after the ball, isn’t it?”
He adjusted his cuffs, a familiar habit when he felt unsettled.
“Indeed, though we have spoken on several occasions. It seemed appropriate to extend an invitation.”
Ella nodded, taking the list to a desk and finding a quill, but Edward saw the way her hand lingered before she wrote the names. He wondered if she suspected anything. He hadn't told her he was considering Miss Victoria as a potential wife. It seemed premature, and perhaps foolish, to share that now.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ella already knew. She had always been perceptive, sometimes frustratingly so, and this would certainly be no exception.
“Will that be a problem?” he asked.
“Of course not,” Ella said too quickly. “You are a duke, and you can make your own choices.”
She continued writing, but her usual chatter had faded, replaced by an uncharacteristic quiet. Edward looked away. The thought of marriage was daunting enough without worrying how Ella might feel about it, but her silence remained present, and Edward found himself wishing she had argued with him instead.
He missed his precocious niece, and though there had been times when he had secretly prayed that she would be milder, he quickly decided that he did not want that at all.
That evening, the butler stood by the door to announce the guests as they arrived. Edward took a deep breath and prepared for the evening ahead, praying that nothing too out of sorts would occur. Given his guests and the amount of alcohol that he would be serving, he did not hold out much hope, but it was worth trying all the same.
The first guests arrived: Lord and Lady Worthing.
“Your Grace,” Lord Worthing greeted with a bow, his wife curtsying beside him. “A pleasure, as always.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Edward replied. “I trust your journey was pleasant?”
“Indeed. Your grounds look magnificent,” Lady Worthing said.
Next came Sir Claremont, who clapped Edward on the shoulder with undue familiarity.
“Cambridge! Splendid evening for a gathering.”
Edward mustered a smile.
“Quite. I hope you’ll enjoy the company, Sir Claremont.”
Guests continued to file in, each name called out brightly. Edward greeted them with practiced grace, exchanging pleasantries, but his attention lingered on the door, waiting.
Eventually, Miss Victoria and her mother arrived.
“The Honourable Mrs Wilkinson and Miss Victoria Wilkinson,” the butler announced.
Edward stepped forward, offering a slight bow.
“Mrs. Fairchild, Miss Victoria, welcome to Ashbourne Hall.”
She was a beautiful young lady, though he could see the pretence in her. Then again, being one’s truest self was not a priority regarding what he was looking for in a wife. He only cared that she was from a good family and that she was respectable, and so in the ways that mattered in the eyes of the ton, she met all his requirements.
“Your Grace.” She smiled. “You are most kind to host us.”
“Yes, it is an honour, Your Grace,” Mrs Wilkinson said in turn. “My daughter was quite eager for this evening.”
“Mama!” Miss Victoria gasped, smiling demurely.
Edward glanced at Victoria, whose gaze dropped to the ground and back again. He forced a polite smile.
“I hope you find the evening enjoyable.”
Nearby, he saw Ella watching the exchange in silence. Edward could feel her eyes on him. He straightened, gesturing towards the dining room.
“Dinner will be served momentarily,” he announced, the guests turning to him. “Please feel free to take your seats.”
As the guests left, Edward caught sight of Theodore standing nearby. He noted the distant look in his eyes and how he barely responded to passing guests. It wasn’t like him, and it concerned Edward a good deal.
“Theodore,” he said, approaching him, “you’ve been quiet this evening. Is something troubling you?”
Theodore smiled, but it was not in the way he usually did.
“Forgive me. My mind has been elsewhere, I fear.”
“Would you like to tell me about it? You have helped me more than enough of late, so it is only fair that I reciprocate.”
Theodore chuckled at that as if he had been thinking the same thing.
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with, not tonight, at least. It is something I must handle later. Besides, you have your guests to attend to.”
Edward was concerned, for he had never seen his friend like that, but he decided not to press the matter. It was not the time nor the place for him to insist that Theodore disclose information he seemed to want to keep to himself, so he decided to wait until they were alone.
“Very well, but you know where to find me if you change your mind. Come, let us go to dinner.”
Theodore nodded at that. Edward clasped his shoulder briefly, then returned to his guests. During their conversation, they had moved to the dining room, but when he entered the room himself, he noticed that Ella would not be sitting beside him. Instead, it was Miss Victoria in her place, and when she noticed him, she smiled brightly.
Ella, meanwhile, was sitting quite far away beside Lady Wilkinson, who was not truly acknowledging her. She looked upset, and she did not meet his eye. Confused, Edward took his place, and the first course was served. It was potted salmon, a favourite of his niece’s, but he could see from where he was sitting that she was simply picking at it, not enjoying it at all.
“This is wonderful, Your Grace,” Victoria said politely. “You must give my thanks to your cook.”
“I will.” He nodded before clearing his throat. “Miss Victoria, I do apologize, but why are you sitting there?”
“I was told that it was my place. Is it not?”
“No, I had you seated beside your mother. Now, before I ask anyone else any questions, are you certain that you did not do this?”
“I have done nothing, Your Grace, but take my seat. I can move if you wish.”
In truth, it was what he wanted, but he could not say that in front of everyone. Instead, he shook his head and decided he would ask Ella what had happened that night.
“It is curious that you allow such a small girl to join your guests,” Miss Victoria commented when they had finished. “Though I must say, she is impeccably well-behaved.”
“Yes, Ella is my pride and joy. She will make a fine young lady, one day.”
“But she is only a niece to you, yes? One can, after all, find joy in other places.”
He knew what she was trying to say, and in an instant, he regretted what he had done. He did not want to marry Miss Victoria, no matter how perfect she might have been. She had, rightly, taken his invitation to dinner as encouragement to pursue him, but he no longer wanted that. He never did, he realized. He only wanted Miss Pembroke, and he had let her go.
He took a drink.
The second course, roast lamb with mint sauce, was served, and again Miss Victoria complimented it. He thanked her once more and glanced at Ella, who was looking at him with such sadness that he almost ended the evening altogether. This had not been a simple mistake. Miss Victoria had done something, and he wished it was acceptable to demand an explanation when in polite company.
“You are a very handsome man,” Miss Victoria said. “Any lady would be fortunate to have you as a husband.”
This was the moment, the perfect opportunity to tell her gently that she was mistaken. He took a deep breath, hoping that she would at least take it well.
“Yes,” he replied, “and I, in turn, wish every happiness to the man that one day takes you as his wife. I hope that you find him one day.”
At last, she seemed to understand. She did not say a word throughout dessert, and then, instead of joining the others in the drawing room for drinks after the meal, she and her mother left in haste. He wanted to feel sorry for her, as he had been unfair in his actions, but he could not deny that he had fallen for another and that even a courtship with a lady he did not love would not have been fair to either of them.
When all the guests had left, Ella was sitting in an armchair, swinging her feet. Edward approached her calmly, taking her into his arms and sitting down, placing her on his lap.
“I saw you at dinner,” he said gently. “What happened?”
“Please do not marry Miss Victoria.”
She had not sounded particularly upset when she said it. She did not, indeed, sound like anything at all. She had an empty voice, and it terrified him.
“I will not marry her. I would never marry anyone if you were not happy with the match. You mustn’t be so upset.”
“Is it true?” she asked. “Will you rid yourself of me when you marry?”
He almost collapsed at that.
“I would never do such a thing! Why on earth would you possibly think that?”
“Because–” she stammered, her voice choking, “because that is what I heard Mrs Wilkinson say.”
“What do you mean? I have never spoken to Mrs Wilkinson.”
“I heard her talking to Miss Victoria before dinner. She said that Miss Victoria was not to worry about me being here, as that would soon change once you married. Gentlemen do not want children that are not their own, so you would send me away. Miss Victoria was happy about that.”
“Well, she will be even happier to know she will never have to see you again, as she will not be my wife.”
He had said it firmly, and thankfully, Ella seemed to believe him.
“Then, Mrs Wilkinson took my arm and bent down to me. She told me that I must sit with her that evening so you could spend time with your future bride. I told her no, and she called me spoiled. When the others entered the room, she simply took me with her. I did not wish to cause a fuss, so I followed her.”
“You could have kicked and screamed, for all I care. Who does she think she is?”
“Your mother-in-law,” Ella replied, though she was now allowing herself a small smile.
“Yes, well, she shall never be. I will never marry her daughter, and that is final.”
He gave Ella a hug, and when he let her go, she looked up at him with wide eyes. They were filled with hope, and he was at least pleased to see that in her again.
“You said you will not marry Miss Victoria, Uncle. Is that because you love Miss Pembroke?”
He laughed softly, shaking his head.
She was too perceptive at times, but even though she knew precisely what he wanted, achieving it was impossible.
“The Wilkinsons will never be anywhere near you again,” he promised instead before taking her to prepare for bed.
He then realized that Theodore had left with the others, which made him think back on what his friend was not telling him.