Page 8 of The Viscount’s Forgery (Bluestocking Book Club #4)

“It is good to see you again, Bothwell.” Miss Polly Sherwood dropped her head. “I mean, Lord Bothwell.”

“Yes, we must be careful to use the correct terms now, must we not?” Lord Bothwell said, though his tone was gentle.

“Miss Sherwood, might you be willing to walk with me for a few minutes? I can see your father standing there and your mother nearby, and I shall not take you far from them.” He looked to the younger Miss Sherwood.

“Might you wish to accompany us also, Miss Sherwood? It would be helpful to have you present.”

Miss Sherwood nodded, glancing at Nicholas but then pulling her gaze away. “But of course.”

“I will join you, shall I?” The words were out of his mouth before he could prevent them, aware that his frustration with the younger Miss Sherwood was what had pushed him into that decision.

“I am not acquainted with your father or mother, but if Lord Bothwell is already, then I am sure that will not matter.”

Lord Bothwell smiled with clear relief in his eyes, whilst the elder Miss Sherwood only glanced at her sister. There was something in her expression that Nicholas could not quite make out, but the younger Miss Sherwood seemed to understand it, given the way she sighed.

“Very well,” she answered, as her sister’s face split with a smile. “Let me just go now and speak to mother so she knows where we are going.”

As she stepped away, Nicholas continued to regard her, deeply confused and irritated as to why he could not remember being introduced to her.

There was nothing particularly special about the lady, nothing remarkable about either her face or her character- such as he knew it as yet – that stood out to him.

So why had his attention been so caught?

“You are already acquainted with the younger Miss Sherwood, then?” Lord Bothwell asked quietly, as Miss Polly Sherwood took a few steps after her sister, perhaps a trifle concerned that their mother would refuse her such a thing. “I did not know.”

“Neither did I,” Nicholas answered, as his friend frowned. “She states that we are already acquainted, but I cannot remember when it took place nor what it is that we spoke of! She appears to know of it but I do not think she will tell me plainly.”

Lord Bothwell frowned. “I found her a very considerate young lady when she came to speak with me about her sister,” he said, as Nicholas’ eyebrows lifted.

“It may be that she is a little hurt that you do not recall meeting her. Recall, you are a very eligible gentleman with a vast fortune. Little wonder that she is upset you do not remember her!”

This, Nicholas considered, was probably the right explanation for such a thing and therefore, when she returned, his irritation had all but disappeared.

“Our mother is quite contented with the idea, though we are not to go too far from her sight,” Miss Sherwood told them all, as Lord Bothwell moved to stand next to the elder Miss Sherwood. “Shall we go?”

Nicholas nodded and followed after his friend, though it quickly became clear that Lord Bothwell and Miss Sherwood wanted only to speak with each other, which he respected and understood.

He regretted now offering to join them, glancing down at the younger Miss Sherwood and feeling his irritation flicker to life again.

“We are already acquainted, as you have said,” he said, as her blue eyes lifted to his. “You are right, I do not recall it. Might you be good enough to oblige me?”

The lady considered this, then smiled up at him. “No.”

“No?” Nicholas came to a stumbling stop, though Miss Sherwood continued. “Whatever do you mean?”

“I thought such a word was clear,” she answered him, sounding a little surprised. “I think it best that I say nothing.”

“And why is that for the best?”

The young lady hesitated, then licked her lips, her gaze darting up to his again. “It simply is. That is all that I shall say.”

Nicholas’ heart turned over on itself. Surely she could not be suggesting that she had met him in some dark situation or circumstance?

It could not be that he had been at a place of disrepute, only to meet her instead, surely?

He was not a gentleman who often frequented such places, and he certainly would have remembered if he had met a lady of quality there!

“Are you often in London for the Season?”

“I – I… ” Nicholas frowned. “Yes, I am. I am here to enjoy myself.” He looked at her again, a little exasperated that they had changed the subject when he was still quite determined to find out where they had first met and why she was hiding it from him.

“It is the same every Season and I have always found myself quite delighted by all that the Season has to offer me.”

“I see.”

“You will be here to find a suitable match, I presume?”

The lady’s lips lifted just a little. “It is the duty of every young lady, is it not?”

“Yes, I would say so.”

“And the duty of every gentleman, though they are blessed with a good deal more time than the ladies of society with which to do it.”

Nicholas swallowed his first defensive response, aware that he had said that very thing to Lord Bothwell only a short time ago.

“I have no intention of becoming a spinster, but for the moment, my focus is solely upon making certain that my sister is as happy and as contented as she can be, regardless of the circumstances.”

A heaviness had entered her tone, but Nicholas did not think to ask about it. It was not his place, and he had no desire to speak to her of what she had endured thus far.

“Your friend has told you of what is between himself and my sister, I suppose?” she asked, looking up at him. “You know it all?”

Nicholas nodded. “Yes, I know of it. But I have only learned of it recently.”

“I see.”

“You do not have an opinion on it, I suppose?”

She glanced at him. “If I did have an opinion, Lord Suffolk, I certainly would not freely share it with a gentleman I have only recently become acquainted with.” This was said with a slight rebuke in her tone, and Nicholas did not respond well to it, his lip curling slightly.

Was the reason he recalled this particular lady because she had made a somewhat poor impression upon him?

Had he been irritated by her previously, and for whatever reason, could not recall it?

“One thing I will say is that I hope the Marquess will be able to make a decision very soon,” she said before he could respond to her previous remark. “It has been very troubling for my sister these last few months.”

“I am sure it has been.” Nicholas threw her a quick look, seeing her frown. “I did not think that a lady would wait for that length of time to discover whether or not a gentleman was willing to marry her. Though mayhap there are reasons for that.”

This made Miss Shrewsbury stop short, her eyes rounding before her eyebrows fell low over her eyes. “If you mean to suggest that the only reason my sister has lingered, waiting for your friend to decide is because of his standing or his wealth, I can assure you that you are quite mistaken.”

Nicholas opened his mouth to protest, to say that he had not meant it in that particular way, only for her to continue, her words sharp and biting.

“There is more to my sister than a desire to marry above her station or to find a gentleman of good fortune, Lord Suffolk. She has, in fact, spoken highly of your friend’s character, thinking him an excellent gentleman and, indeed, speaking of her heart in relation to him.

I would appreciate it if you would think a little more highly of her. ”

Heat began to curl up in Nicholas’ chest, making him look away from the lady’s fierce gaze.

He had, he realized, not only misstepped but misspoken, suggesting a state of affairs that was clearly not in the least bit true.

It had been foolish of him to say so, and he was not too ashamed nor stubborn to admit it.

“You are quite right, Miss Shrewsbury, I do not know your sister. I ought not to have said such a thing. I was taking my own concerns and placing them upon her.”

This brought a quietness to the lady’s expression that Nicholas had not seen before. Her eyes gentled, no longer as intense a gaze upon her as before. A soft pink came into her cheeks, and her shoulders dropped as she watched him.

“I apologize,” he said, spreading out his hands. “I care for my friend a good deal, and I am sure you want the very best for your sister also. Let us hope that there is a swift resolution to this circumstance, for both of their sakes.”

“Indeed,” she murmured, her head tilting just a little as though she had not really seen him before. “I appreciate your apology, Lord Suffolk. You are very gracious.”

He put one hand to his heart. “Thank you for the compliment.”

“Might I ask,” she said, coming a little closer to him and, strangely enough, making his heart skip a beat, “would you be willing to say something to the Marquess on my behalf? We have spoken previously, but I did not say this at the time, for I was not certain of my sister’s feelings.”

Trying to regain his composure and not concentrate on the odd twist of his heart, Nicholas began to walk again so that they would not lose the Marquess and Miss Shrewsbury. “Of course. I would be glad to, if it would help these circumstances.”

“I thank you.” She paused for a long moment, making Nicholas wonder if she had thought better of saying anything to him, only for her to sigh aloud.

“If you might, Lord Suffolk, could you share with Lord Bothwell that my sister does care for him a great deal. Her heart is still his, though it is near to breaking from the parting between them. That is why she still holds on, that is why she has not come here in the hope of finding another gentleman. It is because she cares for him deeply and cannot think of what it would be like to be in the arms of another.” She spoke very candidly, making Nicholas’ heart quicken, his face heating even though those words were not directed towards him.

“I shall certainly say those things to him,” he said quickly, as she offered him a small smile of gratitude. “I know it will mean a great deal to him.”

“I must hope so.” Miss Shrewsbury’s smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come. “Polly is determined to be the very best wife she can be, and that desire comes out of love for Lord Bothwell. I pray that he will see that.”

“I will express all of those things to him just as soon as I can,” Nicholas promised, a little surprised at all that had been shared with him given their short acquaintance. “Thank you, Miss Shrewsbury. I appreciate your trust in me.”

The smile returned. “You do appear to be a gentleman, Lord Suffolk,” she said, as he frowned.

“You directed me back to the ballroom instead of doing anything that would have been to your advantage but not to my own. Besides which, given your loyalty to your friend, which is so clearly shown, I can trust you with this, I think.”

It took Nicholas a few moments, but the realization as to who she was hit him quickly. He snatched in a breath, recalling the dark-haired young lady who had been gazing at a painting in the hallway when the ball was going on elsewhere.

She smiled at him.

“I – I remember now,” he said, aware that much was obvious already. “You were captivated by a piece of artwork on the wall.”

“When I ought to have been in the ballroom with my friends,” she said, with a rueful smile. “Thank you for being a true gentleman in that moment, Lord Suffolk. It was very much appreciated, just as it is now.”

“You are quite welcome.” As the walk came to a close, with both couples returning to where they had first met, Nicholas reflected on his time with the young lady.

Miss Sherwood was someone he could not quite make out, having heard her determined words and, thereafter, her gentleness and appreciation.

As they bid the ladies farewell, Nicholas could not help but feel a slight flicker of interest in his heart, thinking to himself that, despite the moments of irritation and annoyance, he would very much like to know her a little better all the same.