Page 45 of The Colonist’s Petition (Heirs & Heroes #2)

Thirty-Four

S ince arriving in England, Johnathan had sat in the earl’s pew each Sunday morning.

For the first time, he debated his place.

There was room for him next to Miss Jane and Georgiana.

Sir Lightwood was not present, yet. If he were to come, Johnathan did not want to be the cause of a scene like the one in Yorkshire which propelled Georgiana to Town in January.

Lady Healand beckoned him over, making the decision for him. It would be rude to refuse her. “My brother does not attend with us.”

Johnathan sat next to Georgiana. If only it was not at church so they could talk.

However, being so near the front, a conversation would not go unnoticed.

The strict formality of the church in London had them standing and sitting at various times.

The only benefit of which was the opportunity to brush his hand against Georgiana’s.

She inched her hand closer, giving him hope that she was as overjoyed to finally see him as he was her.

Another scripture was read. Johnathan allowed his mind to wander. He missed his church at home. It was not as regimented. Although like here, many people attended more for social reasons than spiritual.

Another reading from the Common Book of Prayer. Another song. The choir was quite lovely. He always enjoyed hymns, like the stained-glass windows, the music gave him a feeling of awe for God.

The benediction was offered and all rose to leave.

His fingers brushed Georgiana’s again. “Miss?—”

“Mr. Whittaker.” It was not Georgiana’s voice, but the earl’s. Johnathan turned to converse with him.

“You are invited for the afternoon. We expect Viscount Endelton and his wife as well.”

“Of course. May I escort Miss Georgiana to your home?”

“Only if Jane is with you.”

A chaperone, as expected. He turned back to the sisters. “Are you up for walking? The day is brisk, but I thought I saw sunshine light the windows during the last hymn.”

“If it is still pleasant outside, and if Jane is willing.”

Jane nodded and the trio left the church. All signs of sunshine vanished, replaced by a cold drizzle. Jane pointed to the earl’s coach. “Come, there will be room for you as well.”

Once again, any chance at an intimate conversation was dashed. However, being seated next to Georgiana in close quarters was not unpleasant in the least.

It was not until after a small repast that Johnathan and Georgiana were able to sit in the corner of the library under the watchful eyes of the rest of the party and converse with a modicum of privacy.

Georgiana studied her hands as they twisted her handkerchief. No, it was his. The one he loaned her in the garden so many months ago.

“Are you shy around me now?”

“I just do not know what to say, or where to begin.”

He could start with the weather, or the sermon, but Johnathan cared little about either. “Do you still want to speak with your father to see if he will relent?”

“I have little hope of him relenting. He lectured Jane and I much of the way from Bath. He is determined that I make a brilliant match as he is determined that you should never be Earl of Whitstone.”

“As we assumed. I cannot tell you how much I wished I could have conversed with you these last two months. I confess I have composed several long missives to you.”

She raised her eyes to meet his. “May I read them?”

“I thought it best to burn them lest they be discovered, but I can tell you of the contents.” Johnathan ticked off on his fingers.

“One, a shameful amount about the weather. Two, more than one diatribe over the state of the English political system. Three, details of meetings with your grandfather’s solicitor, which end with the same ‘we must wait for the messengers to return from America,’ and, four, the genealogist is still not convinced that the heir is your father, and likely not myself either.

And finally, how glad I am to have a quieter social season than when I came in November. ”

“That is all?”

“There were many questions about you. How do you like Bath? Did you partake of the waters? There were also deeper questions that I find myself reluctant to ask with so many who might overhear.”

A giggle turned cough from Jane proved his point.

“Yes, I partook of the waters, and Jane and I agree they taste perfectly dreadful. We also bathed in the pools with Alex. They are in a cave and so very warm. Quite lovely.”

“Do they help Alexandra?”

“She believes so. Peggy the first accompanies her, which is of course given to float,” Georgiana’s eyes danced. There was more to that story. “But it is much easier for her to get in and out of the pool. She claimed she would stay in for hours if given the chance.”

“And what else did you do?”

“There were ever so many concerts at the assembly hall. We rarely went on dancing nights. Still we were out at least two nights per week, sometimes three.”

They conversed for some time discussing those daily details that made up their lives during the past two months. Conversation Johnathan did not mind if the others overheard. Jane joined them for a few moments to give her version of a particularly odious violinist.

After an hour, the sun made another appearance sending the rain elsewhere.

Johnathan leaned close. “Do you think we require a chaperone for a turn in the garden?”

Georgiana looked at the windows. “I should think not. The whole of it can be seen from the house.”

They left as soon as they gained permission. The garden was not very large as townhouse gardens were wont to be, being no wider than the house. Yet it offered more privacy than Johnathan hoped for.

He led Georgiana to the single bench.

“Oh it has a puddle on it. Grandfather must have sat here often.”

“We shall have to content ourselves with walking about then.”

“Oh look, something is budding.” Georgiana brought him to a bush he did not recognize.

“What is it?”

Georgiana trailed a finger across the bud and over the stem. “I am not familiar with this plant. Perhaps if its leaves were out, I might be able to identify it. I’ll have to ask the gardener.”

Johnathan took her hand from the plant. “I do not wish to curtail your joy over the bud, however we have only a few moments in which we can talk freely, and I wish not to lose them discussing matters that can be spoken in company.”

“Why do you think I brought you to this bush? It is the furthest that can be seen out of the window without undue straining.”

“Clever girl. Now may we speak of us?”

“Of course.”

“I have much to say on that matter.” He trailed a finger up her arm.

“I do as well. I do not care if you are the earl or not. Status does not change my feelings.”

“I am glad of that. Would you feel the same if I voluntarily did not become an earl?”

“What do you mean?”

“I am having problems reconciling myself to some of the practices of Parliament.”

“In what way?”

“Some of the laws they pass seem to me to punish the poor for being such.” He did not want to dive deeply into the minutes and laws he had read.

“Could you change these laws if you were in Parliament and oppose them?”

“I have thought much on that. Honestly, I do not know precisely how my own government works, but here it seems very much a matter of ‘since you are my friend you will vote this way, and because I like you, I will vote that.’ I am not saying that there are not times when it is obvious that men vote the way their mind and heart lead them, but—” He let the sentence hang.

“If your heart is weary and your mind uncomfortable, then you must not compromise who you are. I would be extremely disappointed if you were to become something you are not in trying to please the rest of us.”

He clasped her hands to his chest. “I only want to please you.”

His heartbeat raced beneath her palms. How was George supposed to react to such a declaration? She tried to read his eyes. Her gaze dropped to his lips. Realizing where she looked she met his eyes again. The bright blue deepened and grew darker, drawing her in.

She could respond without words. She raised up on her toes and her lips met his. Firm, warm.

A heartbeat later, she pulled back. His lips bowed into a smile.

“I should not have, if we were seen…” Georgiana stepped back and glanced around.

“If we were seen, I would be forced to marry you. An outcome which I embrace with my whole being.”

She pulled her hands from his. “It would bring disgrace to my sisters.”

“Considering there is no shout from the window and no one is rushing out of the house, I believe you are safe from being forced to marry me.” He crossed his arms.

“Oh! That is not what… I mean, I would like to… Oh mushy apples! I did not mean to slight you or repent of my boldness. I quite enjoyed—” George waved her hands as the word kiss refused to come out of her mouth.

Johnathan caught her hand. “I quite enjoyed it as well.”

Heat rose in her face. “I do not believe we are supposed to admit that.”

“I understand your dilemma. However,” He tucked her hand over his arm. “It might be best if I escort you back inside as I am quite tempted to kiss you much more thoroughly.”

George’s eyes widened at his declaration, and her mouth grew slack.

Johnathan’s lips thinned and he turned his head as he all but dragged her back into the house. Whatever had upset him now?

Once inside the door, George pulled her hand away. “I am not a racehorse. Why did you rush me so?”

Johnathan stepped back. “If you do not understand, it is best I do not explain. Please join your aunt and sister, I will return shortly.”

Most peculiar. George opened the library door and looked back over her shoulder. Johnathan hurried to the stairway. Very odd indeed. Unfortunately, she could not hardly discuss the events with Jane.

While they were outside, their party had grown as Phil and Michael arrived. Which would explain why no one rushed outside after her brief kiss. Likely it was unwitnessed. George hurried over to her sister and brother-in-law to welcome them.

As she greeted Phil, her sister whispered in her ear, “We need to talk later.”

Maybe she was not so fortunate after all.

Much to the enjoyment of all, Father did not appear by the supper hour and conversation flowed freely. However, as they concluded the meal, the butler entered to announce Sir Lightwood’s late arrival. Grandfather excused the ladies to go to the parlor as soon as Father entered the room.

Aunt Healand ordered the door shut as soon as George and her sisters were all safely inside. “I would rather not hear any of the conversation from the dining room. Once again, your father pushes the bounds.”

The three sisters did not need to be told this obvious truth.

“Jane, will you play for us?” asked their aunt.

Jane who played nearly as well as Alex, sat at the pianoforte and played a song from memory.

Phil motioned George to the settee furthest from the door. George thought it best to beat her sister to the questioning. “What news have you?”

“None of my news matters at the moment. I thought I saw you kiss Mr. Whittaker in the garden. But it happened so quickly that I could be mistaken.”

Heat bloomed in George’s cheeks.

“That is what I thought. Fortunately, Grandfather, our Aunt, and Jane were all facing Michael at that moment. You must be more careful.”

“You will not tell, will you?”

“I do not see the need to. It was of such a quick duration that I doubt if a woodpecker could have been quicker. I assume it was your first?”

“Phil. Please do stop. I’ll be in high color when the men join us and Father?—”

“Does not approve. I know. We shall have to work on him.”

“How? I stayed in Bath these past two months and out of obedience did not write a single letter to Johnathan. Yet he still berates me as if I were a child.” Until that moment it had not occurred to George that since her father never knew of the letters, he did not know of her sacrifice.

“Now I have a husband to help us.” Phil patted George’s hand. “We also have the duke who finds a great deal of pleasure in vexing our father, because he enjoys defending me.”

“He does? I had not heard of anything.”

“Only yesterday, his Grace happened upon Father at his club. He did not say a word but Father took his leave forthwith. Michael and Richard thought it a very good joke.”

“You call the duke by his Christian name?”

Phil covered her mouth with her hand and raised her brows. “Michael does all the time and I am afraid it has rubbed off. The duke is the kindest of men.”

The door to the parlor opened, and the men came in. Judging from the thunderous look on Grandfather’s face, the time apart had not gone well.

Father sat across from George and Phil. “I am informed you have not been invited to a single ball.”

“My sisters are on the list for the Duchess’s ball. The invitations always go out the day after Easter, which is a week away yet. It is early for invitations to most functions. Families are just returning to Town.” Phil’s answer came off with all the authority of the viscountess she was.

Father opened his mouth to reply, then shut it.

“As I told you at Christmas, leave the invitations for my sisters to Aunt Healand and myself.”

“You have no right to tell your father what to do.”

Phil closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “As the wife of a Viscount, I have more doors opened to me. Allow me to do this for my sisters.”

Father scowled. No doubt he detested the reminder that his daughter ranked higher than him. “Just be sure to find them proper English husbands.”

“I will not find them husbands. I will see that they are properly introduced and that they are not ensnared by rakes or fortune hunters.”

George and Jane’s dowries, though no less than Phil’s, were hardly enough to turn any but the most desperate of men to seek after their fortune.

“You just keep her away from that American.” Father’s comment was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. Obviously he had not softened toward Johnathan.