Page 6 of A Seaside Scandal (Change of Heart #2)

Chapter Four

ALICE

Iarranged my shells one by one into a straight line on my writing desk.

I had meant to sort them by size and shape, but I couldn’t seem to focus.

The corners of my mouth felt as if they were suspended by threads above me, an invisible puppet master tugging them into a constant smile.

Each time I resisted, I thought again of my conversation with Mr. Croft in the souvenir shop the day before, and a surge of giddiness gripped my stomach.

I had never liked a man so much.

Yes, we had only shared two conversations, but he possessed a certain quality that I couldn’t name or explain.

Whatever it was, it attracted me to him very much against my will.

I didn’t mind, though. Not at all. I had met kind, polite men before—handsome and witty ones.

Yet Mr. Jonathan Croft stood out from all the rest. Perhaps it was foolish to think so highly of him after such a short acquaintance, but I found myself quite determined to avoid discovering anything disagreeable about him.

I didn’t dare imagine what it might be like to court him, to occupy his daydreams like he did mine.

The very thought made me nervous, so I pushed it away.

I had yet to tell anyone about my little infatuation.

I didn’t want Mama to meddle, and I didn’t want Charlotte to judge me.

Surely she already suspected my attachment, and surely she would find something wrong with him to bring to my attention.

I glanced at the clock before hurrying to my feet. Mr. Croft’s sisters, Penelope and Joanna, were joining us for tea in a few minutes. Despite Mr. Croft’s frustrations with them, I had found them quite agreeable. But then, I did find most people agreeable.

I took a deep breath, adjusting the white ribbon at my waist before taking the stairs down to the drawing room where we would await our guests.

I usually wasn’t nervous for visits from female acquaintances, but the opinions Penelope and Joanna developed of me would either help or hurt the chance I had of impressing Mr. Croft. I couldn’t waste this opportunity.

Charlotte and Mama were already in the drawing room when I arrived.

Charlotte turned, the light of the window catching her thoughtful blue eyes.

She wore a white morning dress, much like mine, but with intricate lace trimmings, matching lace gloves, and a short-sleeved pink spencer jacket. She was the picture of elegance.

“You look lovely!” I strode toward her, examining the lace on the edges of her sleeves.

It must have been a new gown she had commissioned for our trip.

I studied her expression and the gleam of pride in her features.

I had been worried about her since I had told her about Edmund’s disinterest, but her mood seemed unaffected.

She was either very skilled at hiding what she felt, or very quick to forget.

“Thank you.” She straightened the silver pendant at her neck. “I hope Mrs. Norman and Mrs. Dodge are impressed.”

“Well, I cannot imagine how they wouldn’t be.”

She gave a grateful smile.

Mama paced a circle around the room, adjusting every vase and cushion until it was pristine. Her timing was perfect too, because not a minute later, Mrs. Joanna Norman and Mrs. Penelope Dodge were announced in the doorway.

The two women had outdone even Charlotte in their abundance of lace and ribbons.

Joanna wore pale green, and Penelope wore pastel yellow.

As sisters, they looked a great deal alike, both with neat brunette curls and dark eyes like their brother.

As they entered the room, they seemed far more concerned with the furnishings than with Mama, Charlotte, or me.

Their gazes made an arc from the floor to the ceiling, taking in every inch with scrutiny, likely assessing our wealth and status based on their findings. Hopefully they approved.

I gave my best curtsy, offering a cheerful smile as they took their place on the settee on the other side of the tea table.

I joined Mama and Charlotte across from our guests, listening as Mama offered her gracious words of greeting.

I had spent my life trying to learn from her, but I was still not half as genteel.

Mama could make anyone feel like her friend, even after only a few words.

She asked the two ladies where they lived now, and they prattled on for several minutes about their grand houses and gardens.

“We couldn’t settle for less,” Penelope said with a light laugh. “Being raised in such a fine home, it was all we had ever known to have such comfortable and spacious surroundings.”

“And where is your childhood home?” Mama asked.

“Southcliff Manor is on the coast of Kent.”

“How lovely.” Mama offered Joanna the cream pot first, sliding the bowl of sugar in her direction.

I cast a smile in Penelope’s direction. “You must feel at home here in Brighton then, being so close to the sea.”

“I much prefer life in London,” she said, her nose wrinkling. “My husband and I remain in Town most of the year.”

Charlotte sat forward. “I prefer London as well.” She stirred her teacup with a soft smile. “I find that I never grow bored there. There are endless forms of entertainment to be had.”

“I wholeheartedly agree!” Penelope’s grin turned in my direction. “Which do you prefer, Miss Kellaway? Town or the country?”

“Or the coast,” Joanna added in a thoughtful voice.

Would it be best to agree with them? The idea crossed my mind, but I decided on my genuine answer. “The country or the coast, to be sure. I enjoy nature, moments of calm…riding my horse. I find that I am happier without the structure of Town life.”

“That is perfectly understandable.” Penelope took a sip from her cup, wincing as it seemed to burn her tongue.

Joanna’s eyes flickered with mischief. “Our brother hopes to find a wife who will be content with a country life. He finds such women to be rare, indeed. How relieved will he be to learn that we have met such a woman?”

A dimple appeared in Penelope’s cheek. “Very relieved.”

The edges of my face flamed, but I didn’t allow it to spread. I collected myself enough to speak. “We are not so very rare. I know several young ladies who prefer the country.”

“But none so beautiful and refined as you.” Penelope smiled. “Not to worry, Miss Kellaway. We can still be friends despite our disagreement on the superiority of Town.”

“Good.” I laughed. “Now I’m the one who is relieved.”

The two women laughed, and Charlotte took the opportunity to insert her own question. “Your brother here in Brighton…is he the eldest?”

“Indeed.” Joanna nodded.

“He inherited Southcliff Manor after our father’s death three years ago,” Penelope added.

“He was very young. The weight of his responsibility is what I suspect has made him a little boorish.” She laughed, delicately dipping an almond biscuit into her tea.

“He was quite hesitant to leave the place even for this excursion to Brighton. We begged him enough that he finally relented.” Her eyes glinted with pride.

Boorish? I hadn’t thought so at all. Perhaps a little aloof at first, but certainly not boorish. It was ridiculous that I felt the desire to defend him. I hardly knew him. “You seem to have great power over him,” I said with a laugh. “He must love his sisters dearly.”

“He tolerates us.” Joanna pursed her lips. “But yes, he is a very devoted brother.”

“Vexingly so,” Penelope added. “I think he should take that devotion and use it toward a wife.”

Charlotte leaned forward to add another sugar cube to her teacup. “Is he seeking one?” Her voice was casual. I pressed my lips together to hide my smile. I was fortunate to have a friend who would ask such delicate questions for me.

“I believe he is finally open to the idea.” Penelope’s lips curled into a smile. “He could certainly be persuaded if Joanna and I have anything to do with it. He recently inherited another large sum of money from our uncle.”

Joanna nudged her with a scowl.

“What?” Penelope flicked a curl away from her eyes. “I don’t understand why he keeps that a secret. He would only be respected and desired more for it.” She lifted her chin. “Thirty thousand pounds to be exact.”

A light gasp escaped Charlotte’s lips.

I recalled her question that first day I met Mr. Croft on the beach: Is he rich?

He most certainly was.

Perhaps now Charlotte would approve of me liking him. Not that I needed her approval, but it would certainly make matters easier. I stole a glance at her face. She appeared pleased.

Penelope rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “You now understand how preposterous it was that he refused to purchase more than a small book on North Street. He is far too modest.”

Warmth stirred in my chest, and I felt a deep sense of admiration. I had always been somewhat repulsed by men who flaunted their wealth for all the world to see. Mr. Croft’s secret made him even more attractive, but not even because of the money—because of his modesty.

Mama had been listening quietly to the conversation.

She was not usually the meddlesome type, quite unlike other matchmaking mamas I had encountered.

She had no specific hopes for my future husband besides that I love him, and he love me.

So I was surprised when she asked, “Besides a love of the countryside, what other qualities is he seeking in a wife?”

“Heaven knows.” Joanna threw out her hand with a laugh. “He is a locked vault when it comes to such matters. Knowing him, I could only offer my best assumptions. He values kindness, intelligence, and wit. He adores his horses, so any skilled horsewoman would have him swooning.”

Penelope burst out laughing. “Can you actually imagine Jon swooning?”

“No, never.” Joanna grinned. “But I am now quite determined to.”

“He is competitive and spirited at times,” Penelope said, “so I doubt he would like a timid sort of woman.”

I made notes in my mind of their list. I did consider myself a skilled rider, having been raised in the country with my own horse.

It was one of my favorite pastimes, in fact.

Was I timid? I reflected on my interactions with Mr. Croft and found that I hadn’t been timid in the slightest. Perhaps too much to the contrary.

Throwing a crab at his face could never be interpreted as such.

My hope ticked upward as I considered the rest of the list. Perhaps there was a chance that he would find me interesting after all.

“We shall do our best to convince him to attend the assembly on Monday.” Penelope winked. “There you all might come to know him better for yourselves.”

My stomach fluttered with excitement.

After discussing the merits of imported buttons for a quarter of an hour, Penelope and Joanna stood to take their leave. The moment the drawing room door closed behind them, Charlotte returned slowly to the settee with a faint grin. She poured another cup of tea, her eyes unblinking behind it.

I clasped my hands together with a smile of my own. “Well, they were agreeable, were they not?”

“Very agreeable, indeed,” Charlotte said. We exchanged a glance. She must have been thinking exactly what I was: That Mr. Jonathan Croft could possibly be the perfect match for me. I could hardly wait to discuss the subject with her in private.

Mama was smiling too, though with a little less mischief in her eyes. “Well, let us hope we see them again soon. We shall see them at the ball for certain, and then I expect they’ll extend a similar invitation for tea.”

My heart thudded at the thought of my first ball in Brighton. To find Mr. Croft across the room, to meet his gaze, to see him cross the floor in my direction…

I quickly halted my daydreams. My hopes were rising prematurely. I had no evidence that he would ever be interested in me.

But it was still a delightful thought.