Page 10 of The Truth about the Marquess (Whispers of the Ton #3)

Chapter Nine

L ady Harsham had not been on Oliver’s mind in the least, not until he had spied her coming into the theatre alongside Lady Guilford. He had not been able to explain it even to himself, but something about the lady had drawn his attention, and he had watched her seat herself in the theatre box, ready for the play. Promising himself that he would go and speak with her during the intermission, Oliver had not been able to stop himself from glancing at her now and again as the play had commenced, finding that her bright smile, her sparkling eyes and the clear delight she took in watching the play made him smile also.

Thereafter, however, he had forced himself to consider the young ladies near him and deliberately ensured that his attention remained away from Lady Harsham. After all, his task was now to find three young ladies to consider with a more serious eye, and that was his sole purpose in attending the theatre this evening. Now, wandering through the crowd – all of whom were enjoying both a drink and good conversation – Oliver let his gaze rest on every young lady’s face for just a moment, wondering whom he might choose. He had already spoken with one Lady Henrietta – an acquaintance of Lord Dunstable – and that conversation had gone rather well – though he still had two young ladies to find.

“Miss Olivia Leverton,” he murmured to himself, spying the young lady as she spoke to another gentleman, though her mother kept a watchful eye upon the conversation. With a nod, he made his way towards her, knowing from previous acquaintance that, though the lady was quiet and a little reserved, he had enjoyed conversation with her last Season. Perhaps it was her shy nature that had not yet brought her a husband.

“Good evening, Lady Keswick, Miss Leverton.” He bowed to them both, just as the other gentleman stepped away, which encouraged Oliver all the more. “I do hope that you have both been enjoying the play thus far?”

Miss Leverton looked at her mother first before she spoke, though she then kept her gaze fixed on the floor rather than looking at him, her face coloring slowly.

“Yes, we are. Very much.”

“And you, Lord Edenbridge?” Lady Keswick asked, in a voice which was louder than her daughter’s. “Have you found it enjoyable?”

Oliver nodded and smiled warmly, hoping that his manner might encourage Miss Leverton to speak more easily and, at the very least, look at him!

“Have you been in London for long?”

Again, Miss Leverton looked at her mother who nodded slowly, as though giving her permission to speak.

“We have been in London for a little over a fortnight,” she answered, her voice thin and quiet. “I have been glad to return to good company.”

“As have I, I confess it, though I have been sorry to hear of some of the rumors that have been running through society,” Oliver answered, hoping that what he said would be construed correctly. “That has always been a disappointment to me. I would have hoped that those in the ton would be less inclined towards speaking untruths simply for the enjoyment of it but, alas, it seems that nothing has changed.” He cleared his throat as mother and daughter glanced at one another, realizing that he had, most likely, lingered on the point a little too heavily. “Regardless, I am sure that this Season will be quite wonderful.” Smiling, he looked directly at Miss Leverton. “I think I should like to call upon you one day soon, Miss Leverton. What say you to that?”

Miss Leverton did not smile, though a brightness instantly came into her mother’s expression, her eyes alight as though she was somehow thrilled at this suggestion. Surely, Oliver considered, there had been many gentlemen seeking to do such a thing, for it was very common indeed for gentlemen to call on ladies, even those that they had no intention of pursuing.

“I should be glad to welcome you into our home whenever you wish to call, Lord Edenbridge!” Lady Keswick was the one to answer, her hand going out to grasp Oliver’s arm lightly for just a moment. “How very kind you are to think of my dear Olivia.”

Oliver kept his smile in place but looked again to Miss Leverton who, he noticed, now hung her head as though she were ashamed – though what she could be ashamed of, he did not know.

“Only if your daughter wishes me to call, Lady Keswick. I would not like her to be put out by my company.”

Lady Keswick’s eyes gleamed.

“Olivia?”

There was a tightness in the lady’s voice, and it instantly lifted Miss Leverton’s head, though she still did not smile.

“But of course, Lord Edenbridge, you are very kind.”

“Then I shall call at some time this week,” Oliver said, still a little confused as to the lady’s demeanor. “If that is suitable, of course.”

“We shall be glad to see you at any time on any day!” Lady Keswick now sounded almost jubilant, making Oliver’s confusion build all the more. “My daughter is a little shy, you understand, and so many gentlemen consider her a wallflower and give her none of their attention – though it seems that you are not one of those gentlemen, Lord Edenbridge!”

Oliver continued to smile uncomfortably, until, nearby, there came a voice.

“I did not think your husband a particularly good man.”

The sharp, shrill voice interrupted Oliver’s conversation and he turned his head instinctively. Much to his astonishment, he saw Lady Harsham standing opposite him amongst a small group of ladies, though the one who had spoken so bluntly, he did not recognize.

“Lord Edenbridge?”

He turned his head sharply again, catching the way that Lady Keswick’s eyes widened.

“Forgive me,” he said, his attention still on Lady Harsham and the conversation there. “Yes, of course. I quite understand but I am not as other gentlemen in that regard.”

Behind him, distractingly, that sharp voice came again.

“We all know that your marriage was not one of your own choosing, however, for it was your father’s agreement, was it not?”

The conversation involving Lady Harsham dragged him towards it all the more as he overheard the lady’s frank remarks and, already imagining what it was that Lady Harsham herself must be feeling, Oliver inclined his head to Lady Keswick and Miss Leverton.

“I shall call very soon. Do excuse me.”

Without waiting for either lady to respond, Oliver turned on his heel and made his way directly towards Lady Harsham. She was looking at the lady who had been speaking, a stunned expression on her face and, at once, Oliver interrupted them all.

“Ah, Lady Harsham, there you are. I see that you have a glass in your hand already, otherwise I would have offered to fetch you one.” He smiled as warmly as he could, but looked only at her, hoping that he had not overstepped and spoken when he ought to have left her to the conversation. “I would be glad to accompany you back to your seat. Lady Guilford sent me to find you, you see. I think she quite lost you in the crowd!”

Much to his relief, Lady Harsham gave him a small nod, a hint of a smile at her lips, the shock on her face fading.

“Lord Edenbridge, good evening. How very good it is to see you.”

“You must excuse me for interrupting your conversation,” Oliver replied, looking around at the other ladies. “I do believe that the play is soon to start again, however, so mayhap my interruption will not be taken as too dreadful a thing!”

One of the other ladies – one he knew to be Lady Wincott – laughed softly and, relieved, Oliver offered his arm to Lady Harsham.

“I thank you, Lord Edenbridge, for coming in search of me. I was telling Lady Guilford before I came through for the interval, that I thought the play the most excellent thing I have seen in some time! She knows how much I enjoyed it and will have wanted to make certain that I do not miss even a moment of it.” She inclined her head. “Good evening to you all. I hope you find the second half of the play to your liking.”

“I am sure we shall,” Lady Wincott said, before too turning to take her leave. The moment Oliver had Lady Harsham’s hand on his arm, however, he led her away from the group as quickly as he could, heedless as to where they were going.

“Thank you, Lord Edenbridge.” Lady Harsham looked up at him, her eyes bright with all manner of emotions, though she was not smiling. “I presume you heard a little of what was being said to me?”

Oliver nodded.

“I was in conversation near you, and heard some of the questions that were being asked. I must say, I was not only astonished, I was shocked by the lady’s brazenness.”

Lady Harsham grimaced.

“Indeed. I was so overcome that I did not manage to form a single sentence by way of answer, which is why I was all the more relieved by your interruption.” She set her other hand on his arm, pausing in her walk and turning to look up at him a little more. “I am truly grateful. The ton is, no doubt, fully aware of my late husband’s character but I did not think that, so long after his passing, there would be such questions!” Oliver said nothing, thinking silently to himself that he did not know anything about the late Lord Harsham nor did he have any desire to ask. From what had been said in that brief conversation he had overheard, it seemed to him that the gentleman had been of a somewhat selfish disposition and had certainly not been well thought of. To know that Lady Harsham’s father had arranged the match filled his heart with sorrow for her, wondering what it must have been like to hear that the arrangement had been made while, at the same time, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. “You do not know.”

The softness of her voice caught him by surprise, and he looked at her.

“No, I do not. I confess. I have been so caught up with remedying my lack of fortune, and with my late father’s poor investments, I have not had time for gossip.” His lips quirked ruefully. “Not that I have much time for such things in any case. But no, you do not need to tell me about him, I assure you. It is not something that I have any desire to learn about. Your past is your own, just as mine is my own, and we speak of what we desire to speak of, nothing more.”

Lady Harsham’s eyes grew gentle and for a moment, Oliver was quite lost in them. The room seemed to fade away, the voices growing faint and even the caller announcing that the second half of the play was about to begin grew very quiet indeed.

“Thank you, Lord Edenbridge.” Lady Harsham closed her eyes for a moment, pressed his arm, and then let out a small sigh. “I am sure that whichever young lady you decide upon will find themselves quite enthralled by you, once they learn your character.” She tipped her head and let out a quiet laugh and the moment faded. “Tell me, have you found any to consider?”

“I have, I think.” Oliver smiled as Lady Harsham’s eyebrows lifted. “Two, in fact! Though quite what I am to do next now that I have two that I am to consider, I do not know.”

Lady Harsham chuckled softly.

“I presume that you are meant to get to know them a little better at the first, that is all.”

“Mayhap.” A slight worry began to niggle at his heart. “I might write again to The London Chronicle.”

At this, Lady Harsham’s eyebrows jumped even higher.

“You would seek out the advice from their writer again, over something so simple?”

A flush of heat rose in Oliver’s chest and made its way up to his neck.

“I know I might seem a little ridiculous, but you do not know how afraid I am of making yet another mistake!”

“Another mistake in your pursuit of the young ladies of London?” Lady Harsham shook her head. “From what I understand of the situation with Miss Dutton, it was not as though that was your fault. You simply did not know the rumors about her.”

“But before that, I thought to pursue a young lady and came to take tea with her. I had been considering her seriously, only for another gentleman to enter the room and declare his intentions directly in front of me! I do not think I have ever felt more embarrassed.”

Lady Harsham let out a strangled noise and Oliver, looking at her sharply, saw her waving one hand furiously in front of her face, the other hand pulling from his arm to cover her mouth. Oliver blinked in confusion, only to then realize that she was trying her best not to laugh.

“I am terribly sorry,” she squeaked, her face flushing hot as she closed her eyes in clear embarrassment. “I do not mean to be laughing at your discomfort. It is only that… well, the way that you described it made me…”

Oliver began to chuckle, seeing the mirth in the situation for what was the first time since it had occurred. Seeing him laugh, Lady Harsham dissolved into giggles and Oliver began to roar with laughter, a great sense of relief and sheer pleasure beginning to wrap all around him.

And it was all because of her.