Becoming Lady Lockwood (19 page)

“And there shall be others there of your acquaintance, Miss Becket. The earl of Lockwood and Captain Sidney Fletcher.”

Regina’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “The earl of Lockwood. I have not seen him in ages. What grand company we shall have, Your Grace.”

If Amelia had thought her dislike for Miss Regina Foster could not possibly be any stronger, the sound of William’s name on her perfectly pouty lips plummeted the woman into the realm of pure loathing.

“If Lady Vernon would be truly willing to assist me, Your Grace, then I shall be delighted to attend.”

Amelia walked up the stone
steps at the front of the Duke of Southampton’s London residence with Lord and Lady Vernon. Lord Vernon was much like his son, long limbed and a bit awkward, but he compensated with a cheerful disposition and smile. His wife was smallish and a bit plump but every bit as amiable.

When the door was opened and their outer clothing borne away, Amelia looked around at the entry hall. It was beautiful and very elegantly decorated, though without the ostentatiousness of Regina Foster’s home. The duke apparently had very fine taste, and his sense of style was sophisticated without being overdone.

“Come along, dear. You look beautiful,” Lady Vernon said, gently leading her charge to where the duke stood greeting his guests. Amelia could not help but glance around the hall, searching for William.

The past two days had been a whirlwind of dressmakers and fittings and shoemakers and jewelers. Lady Vernon had even insisted upon making a stop at a sweetshop. Amelia had never seen so many wares for sale and so many beautiful things. She had been overwhelmed and immensely grateful for Lady Vernon’s assistance, as Amelia would never have been able to accomplish such a monumental task on her own.

She wore a satin dress in a rust-orange color that Lady Vernon had insisted looked perfect on her, with long gloves that rose past her elbows. Amelia suspected Lady Vernon wanted to hide as much of the tanned skin as possible. A gold chain with a simple pendant hung at Amelia’s neck, and her new lady’s maid, Anna, had taken the time to weave cream-colored pearls into Amelia’s dark tresses. She felt like a princess.

As soon as the duke saw them, he strode across the hall, kissed his sister upon the cheek, greeted his brother-in-law with a hand clasp, and took Amelia’s hand, bowing. “Miss Becket, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to see you tonight and how lovely you look.”

She dipped in a curtsy. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Where is my Jonathan, Charles?” Lady Vernon asked. He will be anxious to greet Miss Becket.”

“He awaits you in the ballroom. Come, Miss Becket.” The duke held out an arm for Amelia and led them into the ballroom.

The room was every bit as tastefully decorated as the entry hall. The wooden floors were polished to a shine, and beautiful furniture stood against the wainscoted walls in small clusters, perfect for visiting.

Amelia scanned the crowd, hoping to see William, and when she finally did, her heart slammed into her ribs. He stood at the other end of the room, talking to Regina Foster. Her arm was linked in his. She smiled sweetly at something he said and cast her eyes downward.

“Please do not make yourself nervous, Miss Becket,” the duke said, and she noticed that her hand was clenched rather tightly on his arm.

“I am sorry, Your Grace.” She forced her eyes from William and looked at the duke. “I confess I have never attended such a grand assembly. We have nothing so fine in Jamaica.”

“I count myself fortunate, then, that you should have nothing to compare this gathering to. This time of year, London is frightfully dull, and just wait until you see a real ball with all the
ton
in attendance.” He smiled and nodded to guests as they passed but did not release Amelia’s hand.

She glanced again to where William stood and noticed that Sidney had joined them and was laughing with Regina.

The duke must have followed her gaze. “Oh, but of course you would want to see your friends.” He led her across the room to William and Sidney.

They both turned to her when she and the duke joined them. Regina curtsied to the duke and leaned the slightest bit closer to William.

“Lord Lockwood. Captain Fletcher. Miss Foster. How lovely to see all of you. I do hope you are enjoying yourselves,” the duke said.

After hearing their assurances that they were indeed having a lovely evening, the duke continued. “And I know that you have all made Miss Becket’s acquaintance.”

William and Sidney each inclined their heads, and Amelia dipped in a small curtsy, suddenly shy around these men who she had considered to be her dearest friends just a few days earlier.

When she dared lift her eyes to William’s, she saw that his face was set and his jaw clenched. She looked to Sidney, who covered for William’s rudeness by taking her hand.

“A pleasure, as always, Miss Becket. And you look very pretty this evening.”

“Thank you. And how have you spent your time in London, Sid—Captain Fletcher?” she asked.

“I have been in Portsmouth since the day after we arrived, miss, and only returned this morning.”

“And the
Venture
?”

“The repairs will take time, but we hope to have her shipshape in a few weeks.”

“I am glad, sir,” Amelia said.

She turned to William. “And have you been in Portsmouth, as well, your lordship?”

“No. I have not.”

“Oh. I am surprised that I have not chanced upon you in London, sir.” From the corner of her eye, Amelia saw Regina smirk but did not let it deter her.

“I have been quite occupied, miss. Did you not receive my note?” William looked at her intently; his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and she did not need to wonder what message he was trying to convey. He was not interested in her and wanted to spare her the humiliation of having to tell her such a thing.

She blinked at the prickling behind her eyes. “I did, sir.” She swallowed as she saw Regina tug upon William’s elbow.

“If you will excuse me, Miss Becket.” He inclined his head once again.

“Of course.”

Sidney took her hand. “I am glad to see you are well, miss,” he said. He opened his mouth as if to say more but glanced toward William and excused himself.

The duke apparently did not notice any awkwardness in the meeting, and if he did, he did not comment upon it. “There he is,” the duke said, motioning to someone she immediately recognized.

In spite of the painful encounter and the added distress of seeing William with the woman she considered the lowest form of humanity, Amelia’s face lit up in a smile. “Corporal Ashworth! How very wonderful to see you.”

The corporal strode across the room in his gawky manner but dressed in immaculately clean regimentals. He took her hand, and Amelia immediately felt a bit of her apprehension abate. This was the man who had guarded her with his life, who had spent every hour on duty for over six weeks protecting her, and she felt a swell of affection upon seeing him, as she supposed one might feel toward a brother.

“Miss Becket, it is a pleasure to see you. You are feeling well?”

She knew he was referring to her injury but would never say such a thing aloud. “I am well, sir. And I nearly did not recognize you, as you did not present arms or snap to attention when I entered the room.”

“If it would make you feel more comfortable, miss, I shall remember to perform the proper ceremony upon seeing you.”

“Next time, then.” She winked before remembering that was hardly proper behavior for a lady.

Corporal Ashworth’s smile grew, and she decided it was well worth it to flout propriety once in a while if it produced such a result.

“And, Corporal, I am afraid I have monopolized your mother for the past two days.”

Corporal Ashworth kissed his mother on the cheek. “I assure you it has been a delight for a woman with only sons to spend some time fussing over a young lady.”

Lady Vernon patted her son on the arm. “I love my sons dearly, but it has been quite a diversion to have a young lady to pamper, Miss Becket. I do hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.”

The Duke of Southampton was the perfect host, introducing Amelia to everyone who came to pay their respects. She finally made her way to where Lady Vernon had taken a seat, and Amelia was introduced to still more people. She knew she would never be able to remember all of the names and titles, so she focused instead on not looking across the room to where William stood, tall in his black waistcoat, talking with Sidney and a group of men.

At a signal from the duke, the music in the room changed slightly, and gentlemen began to seek out partners for the dancing that would soon commence. Next he turned to Amelia. “Miss Becket, as you are quite the loveliest lady here, and my special guest, I should like to request your hand for the first two dances.”

“Thank you, Your Grace. It will be an honor.”

As the duke led her onto the dance floor to stand at the head of the company, she glanced toward William, who had yet to acknowledge her. He was leading Regina onto the floor, and Amelia swallowed hard against the constriction that grew in her throat.

She turned her attention to the duke, hoping that her conversation was rational, as her mind was drawn to the smiles exchanged between William and Regina.

The duke was an excellent dancer, as was to be expected, and once Amelia was able to concentrate, she found him quite a gracious partner. He asked about the voyage and the battle, though, from his questions, it was apparent he had heard most of the details from his nephew.

She noticed many of the young ladies watching him and realized that she had a very sought-after companion. Not just because of his title but because the Duke of Southampton was handsome and charming and likely the most eligible bachelor in the city.

When the dances ended, he led Amelia back to sit with his sister and confirmed that she would save the dinner dance for him. She had sat for merely a moment before her hand was claimed by Corporal Ashworth, who told her that he was disappointed he had not had a chance to dance with her in the wardroom on her birthday.

The memory of that night and the emotions that accompanied it flooded into her mind, and she did her best to force them out, glancing again to where William danced with yet another lady. Even Sidney avoided Amelia’s eyes as he and his partner passed in the set.

After dancing with Corporal Ashworth, Amelia took her seat next to Lady Vernon. The young lady realized that she had not quite healed sufficiently to engage in so much physical activity, so she declined a number of potential partners. Instead, she spent the next hour answering questions from various people who pressed her for details about the battles. It seemed that word traveled fast throughout London society, as many people already knew the story but were eager to hear her retelling of it.

Before long, she had quite a group gathered around her, and it was with a bit of shoulder tapping and “pardon me’s” that the duke made his way to the center of the crowd as he returned to claim her for the dinner dance.

When the music started, Amelia recognized it as a waltz.

Whispering started around the room. Despite what William had told her, based on the reactions she saw around her, a waltz was apparently still scandalous in London. The music stirred memories of her birthday night, being held in William’s arms and feeling as though she was floating on air. That was the night she had fallen in love. She hesitated, looking for William. Seeing him bow, take Regina Foster’s hand in his, and then place his hand upon her back caused a flare of jealousy that nearly took Amelia’s breath away. Her heart was racing, and she was starting to feel a bit light-headed.

Amelia paused, and the duke inquired if something was wrong.

“I’m afraid, sir, that I do not have much experience with a waltz.” She tried to control the tremor in her voice, hoping he would attribute it to nerves. “Jamaica is still a bit old-fashioned.”

“I should have realized. I myself was required to obtain special permission in order for a waltz to even take place tonight.” He placed her left hand upon his shoulder and took her right hand in his, whirling her onto the floor. “But I cannot think of anyone I would rather waltz with. I think you shall love it, Miss Becket.”

It was true. She loved the dance, the feeling of being held close by someone, of her skirts whirling around her ankles, of moving around the entire dance floor uninhibited. The waltz was magical, but she did not enjoy it, not when each time she caught sight of William and his partner, tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she clenched her teeth, holding the tears back.

The dance finally ended, and the duke led Amelia to the head table, where he sat her at his right, in the place of honor.

Glancing down the table, she saw that William sat next to Regina. His eyes met hers but only briefly, and he gave no sign of acknowledgment before turning back to his partner.

Amelia’s eyes burned. She took a sip of water, hoping to calm herself, resolving not to look in William’s direction for the rest of the night.

Across the table sat Lord and Lady Vernon and their son. And on the other side of Amelia sat a very robust man with ruddy cheeks who the duke introduced as James Dunford.

“Commander Dunford is to set sail for the West Indies this very week. I assumed the two of you would find much to discuss,” the duke explained.

“And where are you bound, sir?” Amelia asked.

“Grenada,” he said. “I’m after the spices that are worth their weight in gold here in England. His Majesty’s trade embargo has served to make many a merchant a wealthy man.”

“Surely you mean to make a stop in Jamaica. You’ll not find better sugar, and I can guarantee you a fair price.” She smiled. “Though I do not think this is an appropriate place to discuss matters of business.”

“Perhaps.” He pursed his lips. “Jamaica, eh? The idea is tempting, and sugar is nearly as valuable as any spice with this dratted war.” He took a drink from his glass goblet. “And how long do you intend to remain in London, Miss Becket?”

Amelia fought to keep her eyes from straying down the table. “I do not know, sir. I suppose it is for my father to decide, though I have grown quite homesick.”

“Surely you would not leave so soon,” the duke said.

“I have no plans in either direction, Your Grace.”

“I should feel your loss most personally, as I should like the opportunity to know you better, miss.”

Amelia blushed. “Your Grace, I am not sure if London . . . agrees with me. I am not used to such finery—or such cold weather.”

“But you must agree that the society is preferable to anywhere, do you not?” Lady Vernon said.