Married To A Marquess (Hearts And Ever Afters Book 2) Page 5

  “How have you been, my dear?” Madeline asked, the moment Alice seated herself. “I have been worried about you.”

  “I am quite well, I assure you,” Alice promised, smiling at her friend.

  “So long as you have not been tormenting yourself with thoughts of regret and frustration,” Catherine added, reminding Alice that she had allowed Madeline to tell Catherine of what had happened. “You should not allow such a thing to fill you with remorse.”

  Alice sighed. “I know I shall have to see him again, but I confess that I do not feel ready for it.”

  Madeline’s eyes lit with a sudden interest. “He seems distressed over your ongoing absence, Alice.”

  Alice frowned. “I cannot give reason to that, I admit. Why should he be chasing my company when he has already achieved his purpose?”

  “His purpose?” Catherine asked, looking confused.

  Nodding, Alice set down her tea cup gently. “His purpose was to prove that I was not as unaffected towards him as I thought. Now that he has achieved that aim, I cannot understand why he still seeks me out, unless he wishes to add to my humiliation.”

  Catherine’s lips twisted. “I cannot say, my dear. I had not thought of that before.”

  Alice could not help but sigh. “He swore to me that he was not the kind of man to steal kisses from any young lady he wanted, but now I realize that such words were just a pretense to make me think better of him.” Her lips trembled, but she pressed them together and forced her tears away. “Now I realize that he is just as I suspected. Goodness knows how many other young ladies he has kissed!”

  To her very great surprise, Madeline shook her head. “I must disagree with you there, Alice. Of course, you must never repeat this, but servants talk, and I have been privy to the gossip. I have made some very discreet inquiries and have discovered, to the best of my knowledge, that the man has never once kissed another lady or had a mistress. It seems as if he enjoys the attention from other young ladies, but never acts on them.”

  Alice did not know what to say, her heart clenching for a moment.

  “That does not detract from his misdeed, however,” Catherine said softly. “He should not have been alone with you and made his affection for you so obvious. He does not know you are his wife.”

  “Quite,” Alice murmured, her thoughts whirling. “He knows he is wed, does he not? Although, I am more than aware that many gentlemen take mistresses, so perhaps I should not surprise myself that he has done only a very small by touching me in such a familiar fashion.”

  Madeline’s expression softened. “There is something about his behavior towards you that is very different from how he has acted before, Alice. I am sure he is not as disaffected as he appears. He may surprise you the next time you meet. Perhaps he regrets taking such liberties!”

  “Or he may wish to laugh in my face,” Alice muttered, shaking her head. “I can hardly bear the thought of seeing him again, yet I know I must. I will continue to be Lady Emma, refusing to engage with his flirtations until, finally, I reveal the truth of who I am to him in front of all society.” Her heart began to pound at the thought.

  Catherine’s face grew anxious. “I do hope this all works out as you hope, Alice. I am sorry for how he has treated you as his wife, but I cannot help but worry about what he will do once the truth is out.”

  “Who knows what he will do to me after such a humiliation?” she continued, giving her friends a half smile. “He may very well pack me off to Scotland or some other faraway place, but at least my heart will be glad in the knowledge that he has been shamed before all society, that everyone will know that he is wed and how he has treated me thus far.”

  There was a brief silence as the three ladies considered Alice’s plans.

  “Well, if you are sent to Scotland, then I swear I shall visit you regardless,” Madeline chirped, breaking the tense silence. “You have my unwavering support in this matter, Alice.”

  “And mine,” Catherine added, rising to her feet. “Now, I must go, for I have an engagement with Mama that I must keep.” Pressing her cheek to Alice’s for a moment, Catherine smiled. “You are one of the bravest ladies of my acquaintance,” she said, straightening. “I shall see you tomorrow evening.”

  “Tomorrow,” Alice replied, knowing that she had already accepted the invitation to Lord and Lady Dalrymple’s ball.

  Her heart lifted at Catherine’s sentiment, growing a little more relaxed within herself.

  “You shall simply have to ensure that he does not get a hold of your dance card,” Madeline said, the moment Catherine had left. “Although, how you are to manage that, I am not sure.”

  Alice laughed softly. “Yes, that would aid my cause somewhat. If he is not on my dance card, then I need not spend more than a moment in his presence.”

  Madeline grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Then I shall be your guard,” she replied, a plan evidently forming in her mind. “Should I see him, then I shall direct your attention elsewhere, for we must seek to have your dance card filled as quickly as possible.” Her smile softened. “That will not prove to be too difficult, my dear. You are in demand, it seems.”

  Shaking her head a little, Alice gave her friend a wry smile. “Imagine if I had been as accepted during my come out, Madeline. How different my life might have been.” Her thoughts drifted to an imagined life, one where she was wed to a man who, at the very least, held her in some affection, instead of to one who did not seem to care whether she existed or not. A lump began to form in her throat, and with an effort, she pushed such thoughts away. “Dreams such as these are not helpful, however,” she finished, with only a slight wobble to her voice. “I must make the best of my situation.”

  Madeline’s face was lined with sympathy, although her tone was brisk. “Quite, my dear friend. However, that does not mean that you cannot change your circumstances, as you are doing. Who knows what this might bring for your future? Perhaps you might, one day, have the life you dream of.”

  Alice, thinking that such a thing was most improbable, gave a slight shake of her head, before turning the conversation to what Madeline intended to wear the following evening. The idea of Lord Worthington ever coming to love her or to hold her in any kind of affection was almost laughable, although Alice appreciated Madeline’s attempt to console her. Setting her thoughts to the ball, she attempted to forget about her husband, relieving herself of the anxiety she felt — at least, for the time being.

  ***

  Alice tried to stop herself from trembling, hiding her face behind her fan as she drew in a steady breath. The ball was already in full swing, and having made a late entrance, Alice hoped that she might put Lord Worthington at even more of a disadvantage. However, she would have to face him still, and that made her quake despite her attempts at bravery.

  Madeline, at least, was ready and waiting for her, having promised to watch for her entrance. She was by her side in a moment, drawing her away from the hosts and towards the group of acquaintances she had been talking to only a moment ago.

  “I am sure most of you know my dear friend, Lady Emma Taylor,” she smiled, squeezing Alice’s arm briefly. “However, I will be more than delighted to introduce her to those of you who have not had the pleasure of making her acquaintance.”

  There were a few laughs of good humor, and Alice found herself introduced to a few gentlemen and ladies she had not had the opportunity to meet thus far as well as greeting a few old acquaintances. So caught up was she in the conversation, that she only just heard Madeline clear her throat, a signal that Lord Worthington was nearby.

  “And are you inclined to dance, Lady Emma?” one of the gentlemen asked, his eyes lingering on the dance card that dangled from her wrist. “I do hope I might secure one or two?”

  Alice smiled, holding her wrist up for his inspection. “I am late, I must confess, but I would be delighted to dance with you, Lord Barnes.”

  Lord Barnes made an exclamation of delight and qui
ckly signed his name to two dances, only for three other gentlemen to follow suit. That left only a few dances remaining, and, from the slight widening of Madeline’s eyes, Alice made the assumption that her husband was drawing near.

  “Lord Barnes,” she said, quickly. “Is that not our dance? Shall we go?” It was most unusual for a lady to prompt a gentleman in such a manner, but Alice found that she could not bear the thought of being caught in conversation with Lord Worthington. Thankfully, Lord Barnes beamed at her and held out his arm, which she took at once — only to come face to face with her husband.

  “Lord Worthington,” Lord Barnes said, bowing quickly as Alice gave him a quick curtsy, refusing to meet his gaze, and, instead turned her attention towards Lord Barnes.

  “Are you dancing, Lady Emma?” came Lord Worthington’s voice, a slight twinge of humor intertwined with his words. “I do hope you have saved a space for me.”

  Alice was not about to let him check her card and, stepping past him, gave a brief wave of her hand. “Unfortunately not, my lord,” she murmured, still directing her gaze towards Lord Barnes. “I do not think we shall see much of each other this evening.”

  “How disappointing,” she heard him murmur, as she and Lord Barnes stepped out onto the floor, joining a set already formed. Satisfaction filled her as she began to dance, her wide smile bestowed on Lord Barnes, who seemed altogether dazzled.

  The rest of the evening went smoothly; the moment she stepped off the floor with Lord Barnes, she found her dance card filled by various other gentlemen. She was sure she had Madeline to thank for this behavior, seeing her friend give her a quick nod and smile from the side of the ballroom. Alice stepped out for every dance, exhausting herself in the process but finding that she had barely a moment to ever think of her husband.

  However, that did not mean that she was not aware of him. She was more than aware of him; his deep scowl caught her gaze no matter where she was in the room. That gave her pause, but she refused to give him more than a cursory glance, certainly nothing that he could consider as an affectionate smile. Why he seemed so affected by her dancing, she could not understand, for had not the man proven his point already? Why, then, did he still want to seek out her company? Why did he seem so put out with being unable to put his name down for one of the evening’s dances?

  The supper dance gave Alice a little respite, although she could not help but think of the last supper dance she had attempted to enjoy. At least, this time, her partner was more than polite, securing her a chair beside Lady Astor before leaving her side in order to bring her back a plate filled with delicacies.

  “And all is going well?” Madeline murmured, her eyes flickering back and forth across the room in search of Lord Worthington. “He has not attempted to throw one of your gentlemen aside so as to claim the dance for himself?”

  “No, indeed!” Alice declared, a little taken aback by the suggestion. “I do not think that he is that desirous of my company.”

  Madeline did not either agree or disagree, her expression contemplative. By this time, her partner had returned with a wonderful array of delicacies, just as Lord Astor appeared by Madeline’s side. Their conversation turned to various other topics and stayed well away from the matter of Lord Worthington.

  By the time the ball was drawing to a close, Alice’s plan to leave early had gone up in smoke. She found herself quite enjoying the evening, truth be told, for she was constantly dancing and given very little time to rest. She did not remember when she had ever enjoyed herself so much. Perhaps it was because she had now managed to push her husband from her thoughts almost entirely, allowing her to focus on the enjoyment of the ball. How she wished she would have had so much confidence when she was younger and unattached.

  She enjoyed the evening so much that it was almost dawn by the time she decided to leave. She was almost one of the last few guests present, and Lord Worthington was nowhere to be seen. Giving her farewells to Madeline, she promised that she would call upon her come the afternoon before making her way to collect her cloak and hat — only for a gentleman to step out of the shadows and catch her wrist. Alice let out a soft scream, finding herself now in a small room just off the hallway where she had only just been walking.

  “Come now,” said a familiar voice, filled with mirth. “You cannot be so coy with me, my dear.”

  “How dare you?” Alice breathed, her cheeks flushing with color as she realized who it was next to her. “I have made my feelings clear, Lord Worthington, have I not? Or do you not remember the pain I inflicted last time?”

  She glared at him in the candlelight, seeing the humor on his face slowly die away.

  “You think I did not mean it, that you have somehow proved to us both that I am, somehow, deeply in love with you, but that is simply your arrogance that makes you believe such a thing,” she stated, her hands managing to find the door handle.

  He frowned then. “You have been avoiding me, Lady Emma.”

  Letting out a harsh laugh, she shook her head at him, realizing the truth. “And you believe that I am, somehow, playing games with you? That I am trying to ‘play coy’ as you put it?” She tossed her head. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

  For the first time since she had set eyes on him, her husband actually looked entirely on edge. His demeanor changed entirely, his body tensing as he struggled to know where to look.

  “The truth is, my lord, that I have particularly enjoyed this evening because I have not had any kind of attention from you. After what you felt so eager to bestow on me the last time we spoke, is it any wonder that I wished to remove myself from your presence?”

  “I had not thought….” he murmured, trailing off as he struggled to know what to say. “I mean, that I—”

  “You believed that, deep down, I was just the same as any other young lady here,” she said, firmly. “I hope now that you can see this is not the case.”

  Pulling open the door, she gave him one final glare before stepping back out into the hallway and shutting the door firmly behind her.

  Chapter Eight

  By the time Alice rose from her bed, it was already early afternoon, which did not give her long to prepare to visit Madeline. Thankfully, she had slept well, sinking into an exhausted sleep almost the moment her head hit the pillow. She had found herself satisfied with how she had spoken to her husband, glad that she had managed to, finally, make her point clear to him.

  However, as she dressed with the help of her maid, Alice could not get rid of the unsettling feeling that Lord Worthington was not going to be so easily dismissed. For whatever reason, he seemed determined to have some kind of affection from her, even though she had assured him that she felt nothing for the man. At least now she could admit that he was a handsome man, but, thankfully, that did not increase any kind of good thoughts towards him.

  After a small repast, Alice made her way to Madeline’s townhouse, finding that Madeline was quite ready to receive her, although she did admit to having something of a headache, so Alice endeavored to remain quiet.

  “A little too much of that watered wine, I think,” Madeline said, grumpily. “But what else is there to drink when you are standing up for almost every dance?”

  Alice made a noise of sympathy, smiling at her friend as she slowly got up from her chair to ring the bell. “I can return home if you wish it?”

  “Nonsense,” Madeline replied, stoutly. “I wish to hear all about what happened during the rest of the ball. After the supper dance, I barely saw you.”

  Alice shrugged. “There is not much to tell, I’m afraid. I danced almost every set, which I am sure only happened because of you, and then made my way home.” A slight frown drew a line between her eyebrows, making Madeline narrow her gaze.

  “What else?”

  Knowing that her friend knew her too well to hide the truth, Alice sighed and told her exactly what Lord Worthington had done as she had attempted to leave.

  “So, he is still beso
tted with you, then,” Madeline murmured, looking surprised. “He has not behaved this way with anyone before, I am sure of it. Perhaps that is a good thing.”

  Shaking her head, Alice frowned. “No, it is not a good thing, Madeline. Whilst I do not quite agree with the idea that he is infatuated with me, I will state that he should not be besotted with anyone, considering he is already married.”

  “To you,” Madeline replied.

  “Yes, I know that,” Alice said, sighing. “But, regardless, he believes me to be Lady Emma and not his wife. He should not be pursuing me when he is not free.”

  “He pursues you for his own ego, you believe,” Madeline said quietly. “He wants you to behave like every other lady of his acquaintance.”

  “And when I do not, he continues to try and force me into either changing my opinion or, at least, my behavior regarding him.” Alice shook her head. “He is quite ridiculous in some ways.”

  Nodding slowly, Madeline’s frown deepened. “Has he said anything to you about… well, you — about his wife, I mean?”

  “No.” That has been one of the greatest pains she had been forced to endure these last weeks. Never once had he said anything about being wed, although he had more than one opportunity to tell her such a thing.

  Madeline’s lips twisted. “I am sorry, Alice.”

  Alice shook her head, finding herself unable to speak for a moment.

  “It does not come as a surprise to me, I will admit to that,” Madeline continued, after a moment. “Society as a whole is confused over his current matrimonial state, for, as you say, he does not behave as a man who has a wife at home.” Madeline rolled her eyes disdainfully. “Many other men are seemingly happy to declare their married state, whilst pursuing other ladies for other inappropriate liaisons. However, it seems that your husband is not one of those men.”

  “Then why not declare that he is wed?” Alice asked, numbly. “Why did he pack me off to the country and never again lay eyes on me these last three years?” Her eyes smarted with hot tears. “Our marriage is not even consummated, which leaves him open to annulling our union.”