Page 19 of The Missing Book (Bluestocking Book Club #3)

That thought was soon replaced by another and then another.

If he did not attend, then he would be in torment, walking up and down his study as he waited for the visit to come to an end, continually wondering what they would be speaking of and, mayhap, what Lady Amelia herself was saying.

But if he joined them, then would not this eagerness for more of her company only grow?

Would it not pursue him all the more, settling into his heart and capturing it completely?

With a groan, Leopold ran one hand over his eyes, deliberating still.

He did not want to be in company with Lady Amelia, he told himself but at the very same time, it was the only thing he desired.

“Good afternoon, Lady Amelia.” Leopold, having already greeted Lady Gwendoline who had entered the room only a few minutes beforehand, smiled as warmly as he could while, inwardly, his heart began to beat at a furious pace, warning him that all he had feared was about to come true. “Do come in and be seated.”

“Lord Broughton.” Lady Amelia dipped into a curtsy though her eyebrow lifted just a fraction. “I confess to being a little surprised to see you here this afternoon. I thought you would not be eager for my company and would take yourself to the opposite end of the house!”

Leopold’s smile froze to his face. “I – I want to hear all that is to be said,” he stated, without really thinking about what he was saying. “That is all.”

Lady Amelia sat down but kept her gaze fixed on his.

“You will disagree with all that I am doing and all that I will ask,” she warned.

“I do hope that you can keep such disagreements to yourself, Lord Broughton. I should not like to be interrupted over and over again.” There was no darkness in her words but, much to his surprise, a lightness, a mischievousness that made Leopold feel somewhat self-conscious. Was she teasing him?

“I am glad to see you,” Anna said before Leopold could think of how to respond. “As you can see, I am quite well now. I recovered very quickly and am now eager to hear all that you have learned from Mr. Lackington!”

“Mr. Lackington, the owner of the Temple?” Lady Gwendoline’s eyes widened. “You have spoken with him, then?”

“I have,” Lady Amelia answered, with a smile. “He was very willing to give us all that we requested and spoke to us at length about it all.” She looked to Melford. “He spoke of you a great deal, telling us just how appreciative he was of all you had done.”

Melford only shrugged, though there came a slight darkening of his cheeks which Leopold noticed at once. His brother was a little more grateful of the thanks than he wished to admit.

“I wanted to ask you what it was that you saw, Lord Melford,” Lady Amelia continued. “You were there with your sister and Lady Gwendoline, I understand?”

“Yes, I was.” Melford scratched at his chin, looking upwards. “Broughton was there also but he did not linger with us.”

Heat began to spiral down into Leopold’s face but no one so much as glanced at him. That caused him a very strange sensation of confusion and doubt, for it was as though this was expected of him, as though none of them truly cared as to why he had been so.

“Lady Gwendoline, you were there also.”

Lady Gwendoline nodded. “As was my mother, though I lost her in the crowd.” Her eyes darted away. “The truth is, I did not stay by her side as I was expected to do. Once I saw that Anna was present, I snuck away from her.”

Leopold frowned at this, just as a scratch came to the door, alerting him to the presence of the tea tray.

“I am sure many a young lady has done such a thing,” came the gentle reply. “Now, Lord Melford, I know that you threw your coat aside, which Lady Gwendoline caught, yes? You must have been aware that there was something about to take place for you to do such a thing.”

Rising to his feet, Leopold opened the door himself rather than calling for the maid to enter, for fear of interrupting the conversation.

He was, he had to admit, a little intrigued by the questions thus far.

Lady Amelia had a clear path she was walking along, he considered, taking each moment slowly and carefully.

She had established which of them here had been present at the Temple and who had been in the company of the others.

Now, she was asking what it was Melford had seen and, Leopold suspected, she would soon ask the very same of Lady Gwendoline and, thereafter, Anna.

Quite what that would give her, he did not know but there was a begrudging admiration in his heart for her.

Lady Amelia was clearly learned and astute, he had to admit.

Should he truly cast her aside just because society told him that she was to be disapproved of?

Or was there strength in truly considering what it was he believed to be good and right, instead of merely aligning with society’s view?

“Yes, that is quite so. I did throw my coat, though it was meant for Amelia.” Lord Melford chuckled ruefully as his sister smiled. “I was trying to move quickly, you understand, so my aim might well have been rather poor.”

“Thankfully, I was able to catch it and I held it for him,” Lady Gwendoline added. “Until he returned it was in my possession.”

“I see.” Lady Amelia frowned, her lips twisting to one side. “Might I ask, Lord Melford, what it was that caught your attention? What made you believe that these two men were doing something nefarious?”

There was silence in the room for a few minutes.

Anna, who had been half out of her seat so she might pour the tea, sank back down into her chair, her eyes a little wide as she gazed back at her brother.

Leopold too felt his whole being tense just a little, wondering why it was that Melford had not immediately answered.

His brother’s eyebrows were knotted, one hand at his chin, his eyes dark as he looked to the floor.

There was a severe expression on his face, as though all he remembered something that was greatly displeasing or upsetting.

Leopold was not certain what this expression spoke of.

“I am sorry to say, I have difficulty remembering.”

Leopold’s eyebrows lifted as Anna glanced towards him, her own eyes rounded.

“You may recall that I was thrown backward,” he continued, looking to Anna and then to Gwendoline. “One of the gentlemen, as they rushed from the room, knocked into me and threw me backward. I regained myself but not before – ”

“You hit your head on the bookshelves, I remember!” Lady Gwendoline gasped, one hand flying to her mouth as she stared back at Lord Melford for a few moments. “I – I did not recall until this moment. Did you hurt yourself? Were you injured in some way?”

“I did not know that,” Leopold said, as his brother nodded and grimaced. “You did not say.”

“I did not realize until a little later,” came the answer.

“In all the uproar and confusion, it was only when I returned home that I realized just how painful my head was.” He rubbed it as if it still pained him now.

“Thus, everything from that day became a little… foggy. I recall throwing my coat from me and flinging it towards Anna and I recall chasing the two gentlemen and I certainly remember handing back the four books to the proprietor but… ” With a grimace, he shook his head. “I do not recall much else.”

Leopold blinked, a little surprised to see Lady Amelia frown heavily, her eyes instantly assessing. Surely she did not disbelieve Melford? Lady Gwendoline and a good many others would have seen him fall back as he said he had done. That could not be in doubt!

“As I have said, Mr. Lackington is very grateful to you for returning the books,” she said, slowly though no smile came to her face. “And you, Lady Gwendoline, you had Lord Melford’s coat, you say?”

“As you saw, yes,” Lady Gwendoline said, though her gaze darted to Lord Melford, concern written in her eyes. “I lost Lady Anna in the melee, not realizing that she too had been injured.” Her eyes closed tightly for a moment, a break in her voice. “I am dreadfully sorry for that.”

“It was not your fault! There were so many people rushing forward at once, it could not be helped,” Anna said quickly, reaching out to touch her friend’s hand in reassurance. “Trust me, my friend, I have nothing against you.”

This made a smile touch Lady Amelia’s face, perhaps glad to see Anna’s quick response.

The smile on her face, however, pulled Leopold directly towards her, forcing his attention to linger upon her and her alone. His heart leaped up as her eyes darted to his, the smile still fastened to her lips, a sweetness in her expression that sent a quickening into his blood.

Oh no.

“You were present too, Lord Broughton, I know.” She tilted her head a fraction, her eyes dancing with mirth now.

“Though I need not ask you anything, for I was the one who found you, if I recall correctly. Besides which, I am not certain you would give me an answer, should I demand anything of you!”

“Oh, but I would.” Speaking quickly, Leopold leaned forward in his chair just a little, an eagerness to have her believe him beginning to push to the fore.

“I would tell you anything you desired to know, Lady Amelia. I am not about to prevent you from doing all you can to aid Mr. Lackington, I assure you.”

The light smile on her face faded slowly though instead, it was replaced with a curious look, as though she were trying to work out why he had said such a thing and, thereafter, if he was being genuine in his remarks.

Leopold could only gaze back at her, his heart still thundering as the rest of the room faded away.

She is a bluestocking, remember?

That thought made him shiver and he turned his head away, breaking their contact.

Whatever was he doing? Why was he gazing into her eyes and losing himself there?

Why was he drawn to her in the first place?

It did not make sense and Leopold grew a little frustrated with himself.

He was the one who had always made certain that the rules, regulations, and expectations of society were met not only by him but also by his brother, sister, and his household.

Why then would he do something as foolish as pull his gaze towards a bluestocking?

“I think I shall take my leave,” he said, abruptly.

“There is much I must do. Though, Lady Amelia, I do hope that you do not have too many more questions for my brother and sister? This has been a difficult situation for them and though society speaks of it still, I should like to have it settled as soon as possible.”

It was as though a dark cloud had come to settle above her head, given the shadow that swept across her features. “But of course, Lord Broughton,” she said, coolly. “Good afternoon.”

Ignoring the glare from his sister and the frown from his brother, Leopold strode out of the room and out into the hallway, relieved to once more be in his own company.

Yes, he had been curt and yes, he had taken her by surprise by his remarks but it was for the best. He had to put the greatest distance he could between them else, he feared, he might not only lose his heart but also his head, throwing away all that he had set in place for so many years.

And that, certainly, could not happen.