Page 9 of All Roads Lead To Earls (To All The Earls I’ve Loved Before #2)
Chapter Seven
T utting and gasping filled Hannah’s ears. The lady’s mama was putting on the most spectacular performance, she might as well take up a career on the stage!
A great many things happened at once, as suddenly there were people blocking the doorway, which also blocked the light. However, her ears did not fail her, and she heard everything as she stepped closer to her side of the doorway.
The earl’s predicament was laid out for all to hear and see, as the sweet young lady latched on to her mama and loudly wailed about what was to become of her.
“It’s clear that the earl must marry my daughter. That is the only way,” Mrs. Gideon said, relishing her new role as the mother of a countess.
The earl tried to clear the air, “My Lady, I did not so much as approach your daughter.”
“But you were in a darkened room with no chaperone!” the mama exclaimed. “Lady Mary, surely you understand this visitor has scandalized my daughter’s reputation and the good name of Caernarfonshire into the bargain.”
Lady Mary suggested, “I’m sure this can all be easily explained and sorted in good time with no harm done, Mrs. Gideon.
” It was an attempt to soften the mood somewhat, even though everyone in attendance was as quiet as church mice, listening and most likely watching the emotional storm.
It matched the energy of the literal storm outside as it howled about Rosstrevor Hall.
Mrs. Gideon huffed a few times and then declared, “The damage is already done, Lady Mary. My poor Rhiannon is compromised.”
The Earl tried again. “Mrs. Gideon, we have not yet been introduced, but I assure you, I was taking solace in the withdrawing room and was quite alone, and then a short while later your daughter followed me in.”
That brought many more gasps, as he’d literally accused Miss Gideon of falsehood.
“That is not … that cannot be …” Mrs. Gideon started. “Rhiannon is innocent!”
As much as Hannah was enjoying the pantomime, she had to reveal herself and explain the deep misunderstanding.
She stepped out of the retiring room and into the midst of the drama. “Hello, I believe I can help sort this situation and bring it to a satisfactory conclusion.”
Mrs. Gideon shrieked, “Where did you come from?”
Lady Mary’s face shone with relief. “Let us all move to the kitchens where we can discuss this.”
“No, we’re not going anywhere,” Mrs. Gideon protested, holding Rhiannon closer to her. “This demands witnesses.”
All eyes turned to Hannah and she took a steadying breath. “Miss Gideon was not alone, nor was she compromised, as I was in the room the whole time, even before the earl entered. I can confirm he believed he was alone in the room and Miss Gideon entered soon after.”
“No,” Mrs. Gideon shook her head. “You weren’t in there, I would have seen y-” she slapped her hand over her mouth.
The jig was up. As Hannah had suspected, the entire scene was indeed a ruse to ensnare the earl.
Lady Mary turned to their enormous audience and delivered a magnificent line. “That concludes our one-act play, please thank our wonderful cast for entertaining us at short notice on such a stormy night!”
There was silence for a moment, until the crowd erupted into cheers. Mrs. Gideon and her daughter extracted themselves from each other and stepped forward to make a curtsey, as if taking a curtain call.
The earl’s shoulders slumped in relief. His eyes found Hannah’s and he made a short bow to thank her. Playing along, she took his hand and they faced the audience, both of them making a bow to their adoring audience.
Lady Mary then turned her back on the crowd and said to the four ‘actors’, “Kitchen, five minutes.”
Five minutes later, they were safely and privately in the kitchen with the doors firmly closed to outsiders.
Lady Mary took control and did the talking.
“Mrs. Gideon, I do apologize for besmirching your reputation by associating you with the stage, but it had to be done, or risk further scandal. You can either be known as an incredible actress and the shame that comes with it, or a liar. Your choice.”
It wasn’t much of a choice, but as the story they’d tell others in the future was that they put on an impromptu diversion for the sake of keeping houseguests entertained during a terrible storm, that seemed like the best option. Hannah had to give it to Lady Mary for her fast wit.
But also, the story of this entertainment would travel far and wide and might even assist her match-making enterprise. Scandal could have seriously hampered that.
The Gideons departed the kitchens.
Hannah made to leave, but Lady Mary called her back, and she told the earl to remain as well. “We still have the issue of you two,” she said.
“Nothing happened,” they both said over the top of each other.
“I know that, but what actually happened?”
The earl looked to Hannah, and she to him. Hannah spoke. “I sought rest. As you had not yet billeted us to our rooms for the evening, I thought I’d find somewhere quiet to take a rest. I know I should have been looking after the marchioness, but she and -”
Lady Mary held up her palm to interrupt. “The fact is, you were in the room, Lord Tullamore either followed you in or entered soon after. Then Miss Gideon entered soon after the earl. The way I see it, Tullamore, you’ve compromised Miss Jones.”
The earl made a sharp swallow. “I most sincerely regret not examining the room more certainly before entering. I had no idea it was occupied. I was in the wrong.”
Lady Mary’s voice became stern. “You compromised my daughter-in-law’s companion by your actions. The path forward leads only one way.”
“No,” Hannah interrupted. “Please, Lady Mary, it was an honest mistake and nothing at all took place. He had barely walked in when Miss Gideon appeared, and she didn’t even see me either.
That’s proof that Lord Tullamore did not realize I was there.
He did not compromise me at all, and, if anything, my presence prevented a far greater scandal. ”
“This is true,” Lady Mary said. “But whether people believe we put on a performance or what they saw was real, you have admitted you were alone in a room with a man.” She turned to the earl.
“What say you, Tullamore, would you make an honest woman of Miss Jones to remove any possible stain on her reputation?”
He gulped and said, “I offer for Miss Jones in marriage, in all good faith.”
Hannah thought she might pass out.
If it was a choice between Miss Gideon or Miss Jones, at least Patrick knew the Jones lady a little better and she did kiss rather beautifully.
He’d been an idiot to walk into a room without checking if it was occupied first. That was on him.
Was he not already wary of the matchmaking mamas?
And he’d gone and blundered into an occupied room without checking.
His brains had clearly deserted him, and he truly should have known better than to have fun with Miss Jones and think he could walk away with no consequences.
He’d become far too used to being an earl with all the freedoms that entailed, and behaving far too freely with young ladies in London and Dublin.
The cold dread in his stomach grew with the silence in the kitchen.
Lady Mary looked sternly his way, “You are genuinely offering?”
“I am,” he confirmed, wanting to cast up his last drink. “As much as I would like to blame the spiced wine, I have none to blame but myself.”
He had ruined everything, but he started to believe that perhaps this would be the making of him. He would do the right thing and be a respectable man.
“I relieve his lordship from his promise,” Miss Jones declared.
What ? Patrick and Lady Mary swiveled their heads her way. He was being so gallant, so honorable, and she was letting him off the hook?
Miss Jones’s face was pink and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“You can’t even look at me when you propose, I cannot imagine things would improve from such a bad start.
We both know nothing happened in that room.
Yes, you are an earl and I am but a lady’s humble companion.
If we wed, people would discover my origins and assume a far greater scandal had taken place for you to offer for my hand. It is unpalatable in the extreme .”
He had to crunch his forehead to believe the words she was saying. “You’re refusing because you’re worried about the stain on your reputation?” The words, “who do you think you are?” were ready to fly out, but the glare from Lady Mary kept them in.
She was right to glare at him, it was not an honorable thing to even think.
Lady Mary inserted herself into the conversation.
“I’m glad you refused, Hannah, you’re far too valuable to Amelia and I would miss you terribly.
Now, let us shake hands like friends and see if the storm outside has blown itself out, otherwise we might need to billet people out with the spring bucks. ”
Patrick was still coming to terms with what had just happened. He’d made a completely respectable offer for the lady, now that everyone in attendance knew she had been in a room on her own when he’d walked in . . . and yet she hadn’t latched onto the chance to become a countess.
Perhaps there was something deeply wrong with her.
And Lady Mary was delighted into the bargain. How was it that the companion for her daughter-in-law was worth so much when she could so easily be replaced by any young girl from the nearest town?
Furthermore, if they wed, the Countess of Tullamore would outrank them all!
A footman accompanied him to his rooms where, thankfully, no women were present. That unexpected occurrence was why he’d fled downstairs and found a quiet room to begin with. He didn’t mind that there were four gentlemen making temporary cots in the dressing room next door.
His mind fairly buzzed with insult and confusion as sleep evaded him.
Miss Hannah Jones, the same woman who had kissed him in the stables and declared she would make him fall in love with her, had played her hand perfectly and drawn an offer of marriage from him.
Only to turn him down immediately!
The storm continued outside, rattling the windows with heavy rain and gusts of wind. His own mind was a storm of confusion. He’d made his first proposal and been rebuffed.
What in heavens name was wrong with her to refuse him?