Page 13 of The Duke’s Scandal (Bluestocking Book Club #5)
“Not only novels!” Lord Broughton replied with a grin. “What is it that interests you at present, Lady Isobella?”
Isobella smiled briefly, a nervousness tumbling through her.
Lord Broughton meant well, but she did not want to be connected to any gentleman.
Spinsterhood was to be her path, and even this very amiable Lord Ryeland would do nothing to change that.
“I am studying a little more about the animal kingdom.”
“And birds, of course!” Lord Preston interjected, a broad smile on his face. “That is my area of interest, I confess, and I have been very eager indeed to share my knowledge with Lady Isobella. It is not very often that a young lady shows such an interest in such things!”
“That is because it is generally discouraged,” Lady Amelia said, before Isobella could respond. “It is very refreshing to discover gentlemen who are not in the least bit concerned about such interests, however, and instead, seek to encourage them.”
Lord Ryeland smiled but directed his attention back towards Isobella. “I am certainly not at all opposed to it. I think having a young lady who loves to learn and to read and to study means that there can be many more interesting conversations.”
“Indeed, I quite agree!” Lord Preston exclaimed, his voice a little louder than before, as if to suggest he did not want to be forgotten.
“It appears to me that many a gentleman can be disinclined towards gossip and whispers and even balls and soirees without too much notice from the ton, but a young lady who turns from all of that and seeks, instead, to expand her knowledge is given quite the rebuff! Why should it be that she is ignored and slighted when a gentleman is not?”
Isobella smiled, nodded, but inwardly felt herself squirm.
Both of these gentlemen appeared to be very pleasant indeed, but she did not know what to do with their attentions.
This conversation certainly appeared to be directed towards her, towards encouraging her to think well of both fellows and Isobella, uncertain what she ought to say or do, found herself looking down at her clasped hands, her breathing a little quicker now.
“I – I should take my leave,” she said suddenly, lifting her head and looking straight at Lady Amelia. “I must go in search of my brother; he will be wondering where I am. After all, we did say that we were only to do a turn about the room!”
Lady Amelia nodded, her brow a little furrowed. “Of course. I will accompany you.” She smiled at her betrothed when he offered to join them, excused herself from Lord Preston and Lord Ryeland – with Isobella doing the same – and then took Isobella’s arm.
“Broughton does not know anything about your hesitancy when it comes to gentlemen,” she murmured, as Lord Broughton also took his leave of the other two fellows. “Do not think poorly of him, I beg you.”
“Of course I do not,” Isobella answered quickly, speaking in a low voice. “I know very well that he was thinking very kindly of me.”
“And Lord Ryeland does appear to be a good fellow.”
Isobella glanced at her friend, then, seeing Lord Broughton hurrying to join them, only smiled. It did not matter if Lord Ryeland was an excellent fellow, she could not let herself trust anyone again.
“There we are, then.” Lord Broughton took his betrothed’s arm and then smiled at Isobella. “You have more than one dance this evening, yes?”
“And you are still waiting for the Duke of Exeter,” Lady Amelia said, with a slight lift of her eyebrows. “You will be much in demand, I am sure.”
Even if I do not wish to be. Isobella opened her mouth to say something, only for a loud cry to catch not only her attention but also the attention of many near to them.
They stopped in their progress across the ballroom, each head turning in the direction of the French doors.
A young lady rushed out of them, her hands flailing, tears pouring down her cheeks, with another young lady following thereafter.
Isobella saw her catch the first young lady, throwing her arms around her while the first began to sob.
“Goodness gracious, whatever has happened?” Lady Amelia exclaimed, looking wide-eyed at the scene before them. “I do hope both of those young ladies are quite all right?”
“Indeed,” Isobella murmured, watching them both still as other gentlemen and ladies began to come inside, walking through the French doors in groups of two or three. Some went to speak to the young ladies, others moved away quickly but glanced over their shoulders as they did so.
“There!”
One of the young ladies – the second one who had come in – pointed at the doorway as three gentlemen walked through it, one after the other. She immediately began to sob, the first joining her as she began to weep also.
“They cannot be pointing at the Duke of Exeter, can they?” Lord Broughton’s voice was low, his brow furrowed, and catching her breath, Isobella realized that one of the three gentlemen who had walked through the door was, in fact, the Duke of Exeter.
He was walking through the crowd now, seemingly nonchalant, but, at the same time, many guests were turning their heads to look at him.
“He would not have done something dreadful, would he?” Isobella asked, her heart beginning to clamor as Lady Amelia began to frown. “He is a Duke .”
“And dukes can very often do as they please, if they so wish,” her friend said, darkly. “Let us hope he is not responsible for whatever it is that has taken place.”
Isobella watched the Duke walk away, her heart thudding wildly. Had she misjudged the Duke of Exeter? Thus far, he had seemed like an excellent gentleman, but, mayhap now, his character was a good deal less than it had seemed.
I should not care, she told herself, turning away from the scene and beginning to walk across the room again to find her brother. I should not care one jot about the Duke of Exeter.
Her eyes closed briefly as her heart twisted. Yes, she might tell herself repeatedly that she had no need to care about anything that the Duke of Exeter did or said but the truth was, she did… and that was a very concerning thing indeed.