Page 11 of An Heiress and An Astronomer (Gentleman Scholars #3)
G reta’s mind was such a swirl that she could barely pay attention to whatever Lord Jarvis was trying to say to her or what she ought to remember about the gentleman. She needed to gather her wits or her aunt would have her head.
“Have you been enjoying your evening?” she thought to ask him and then felt hot colour splash onto her cheeks. It was likely exactly what he had been telling her already when her mind had been wandering.
“I think that’s supposed to be my question, isn’t it?” he asked rather than taking any obvious offence, much to her relief.
Greta smiled. “Does it matter who asks what as long as we’re being solicitous?”
“My mother would say so,” the gentleman said with a glower that Greta knew he meant to be comical, so she widened her smile in return.
“In answer to your question,” Lord Jarvis finally said. “Yes, I have been quite enjoying the evening. It’s a bit of a crush but I’m sure our hostess will be pleased about that.”
Greta wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t we the strangest creatures that this is the case?” she asked him.
Lord Jarvis frowned at her. “Why would you say so?”
Greta blinked, regretting her words. “I was just thinking that it’s odd that we consider it a success to have too many people jammed into our public rooms.”
“But that means you were popular enough to have everyone accept your invitation.”
“True,” Greta agreed, not wishing to argue when it was obvious they didn’t agree on what a convivial evening would be. She didn’t allow her sigh to give away her despair. Was it even possible to find a gentleman with whom she could have a similar world view? Was it too much to ask to find a pleasant fellow who would enjoy a nice supper with a few interesting people rather than a crush of crowds?
To be sure there were all manner of entertainments on offer during the Season, so it was possible his lordship hadn’t meant anything by it. She shouldn’t reject him out of hand. He had invited her to dance after all.
“Have you been in Town long, my lord?” she asked, wondering if that too was an appropriate question. She likely ought to know the answer.
“I came up to Town for the sitting of the House, much like everyone else here, I suppose,” he returned with a smile. “Perhaps not you, though, since you haven’t accompanied anyone taking their seat, have you?”
“No, I am in the company of my aunt,” Greta said, wondering if he was thinking less of her now and reminded once more that the entire process of the Season was ridiculous. Why didn’t Aunt Gertrude just leave her to marry a neighbour?
“I don’t think I have yet had the pleasure of making your aunt’s acquaintance,” Lord Jarvis said mildly, without a hint of disapproval. Greta was exceedingly sensitive to the sound of disapproval in someone’s voice or face.
As the only child of a noblewoman who wed beneath her, Greta had received anything from sniffs of disdain to open dismissal. Never the cut direct, though, thank heavens. Greta was certain that would have sent her back to her estate without even bothering to pack her trunks.
Aunt Gertrude, despite her seeming lack of attention was always there to bolster her and convince her to stay whenever it happened that Greta felt her questionable status most acutely. The woman must have a strange extra sense for such things, she thought with a touch of warmth in her heart when she spotted her aunt’s sharp gaze watching her from across the room.
Warmth flooded her. Her aunt did care about her, Greta was sure of it.
How did she know? Or was it just that Greta only looked for her when she was feeling most uncomfortable? It didn’t matter.
She was all the more determined to make her aunt happy and choose a wellborn gentleman to wed. She nodded to her aunt slightly and refocused her attention on her dance partner. Greta was certain Lady Gertrude would approve of Lord Jarvis.
“Have you taken your seat for many years?” she thought to ask, wondering when he might have inherited his title. She wasn’t like the other young ladies who had memorized the names and titles of everyone in the ton . She had read Debrett’s, though. She probably ought to know this.
She had never expected to make her debut after her parents’ deaths. Even when her mother was still alive, it had never interested her, much to her mother’s despair and her father’s not so secret delight.
“This is my third year,” Jarvis said, with a mixture of boredom and pride sounding in his voice.
“It must have been a bit overwhelming for you as such a young man,” Greta commented, impressed that he seemed to take it seriously despite his seeming youth.
Lord Jarvis shrugged and shook his head, but his smile showed he was pleased with her comment. “I was happy to do my duty,” he said modestly. “And I was raised to it from birth.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
He stared at her as though he had never heard such a question. It took her a considerable effort not to laugh at the expression on his face. Apparently, he had never given thought to whether or not running the country was an enjoyable exercise.
“I would think it would have its good points and bad points,” Greta said mildly when he didn’t give her an answer.
“But it is my duty,” Lord Jarvis repeated.
“Of course,” she said, proud of herself for not rolling her eyes. Duty didn’t sound like enjoyment, she thought, but managed not to point that out to him.
She now had even more appreciation for the scholars she had met. They were doing important work and seemed overjoyed by their accomplishments, at least when they felt they had achieved their aim.
At least Lord Jarvis was a good dancer, she thought with a slight thrill as he turned her just so. She felt almost pretty as she stepped together with him in the beautiful dance. Perhaps it would be best to just remain silent and enjoy the experience.
Thus resolved, she was disappointed when their dance came to an end, and he bowed over her hand. With a curtsy and a polite smile, Greta took her leave of the gentleman, unsure what to do with herself next. Oh, how she wished she had never let her aunt in the door of her home.
Greta pushed away the unhelpful thought. She wanted to please Lady Gertrude. She did. As her only relative, it was important. She only wished Gertrude’s standards were more aligned with her own.
~~~~
“I was pleased to note your dance with Lord Jarvis last night, my dear. Might we expect a call from him?”
The eggs she was eating the next morning nearly curdled in her stomach at her aunt’s question.
“I couldn’t rightly say, my lady. He didn’t give an indication either way.”
“You danced beautifully,” Gertrude remarked. “But I think you need to be more careful about how serious you always look.”
“Isn’t this a most serious matter?” Greta countered, tired of this being often pointed out but trying not to give offence to the dear woman. It wasn’t Gertrude’s fault her niece was an oddity. Greta knew her aunt was only trying to help in the way she knew best.
Gertrude’s smile indicated she thought Greta a simpleton and it took effort not to laugh.
“Of course it’s serious, dear, but you have to look like you are the light-hearted sort who bears up well under troubles.”
Greta stared at her aunt. “I bear up very well under troubles.” She finally choked out an answer. “But I cannot be light-hearted while doing so.”
“You aren’t dim-witted, dear, I don’t think. Surely you can learn.”
Greta forced a light laugh and sat back in her seat with her cup of quickly cooling chocolate.
“I shall try,” Greta vowed to her aunt, not wanting to disappoint her relative.
And thus her week progressed, going from one dull social engagement to another. It felt as though she were encountering the same people wherever she went, not enjoying any of them or their company much at all.
Greta began to despair of ever finding a match she could live with. And her aunt was of no real assistance whatsoever despite her insistence that she must wed a nobleman. Gertrude did perform multiple introductions, but Greta never felt as though any of the gentlemen were either interesting or interested.
Despite her disappointment, though, Greta’s Season was suddenly enlivened by a new invitation that was placed in the pile that accumulated on the silver tray by the door.