Marriage to a Mister (A Daughters of Regency #1) (11 page)

"But, Charles, what if we can't make this better for her?" she asked, gripping his arm, her small hands shaking from the force.
 

Edward stepped forward. "Mother, nothing has been done that we can't remedy later. Let us take you home and we can discuss it."

Madeleine nodded and took a deep breath. "Felix," she said, looking over to him and Dom. "You always were a good boy, you and Dom both. I know I can trust you not to get carried away. Don't confirm anything, just remind them that the duke and his daughters are close friends of ours, it's not so strange she would be in the gardens alone with Evan ..."

She trailed off, her own bravado failing. "Just do what you can."

She took Charles' arm, and he escorted her out of the room. The three younger men somberly followed, expecting everything to go as planned, hoping the
ton
would find a new scandal to gossip about by morning.

***

Felix meandered through the clustered crowd, silent but observing. As he looked across the broad room, not one person was dancing, though music played, barely heard over the multitude of voices. All were gathered around the ballroom, all speaking rapidly in false hushed tones, as they all wanted to be heard. All about Lady Fleur.
 

"Lady Blackburn did say there would be an announcement this very evening. It's a shame the Osborne girl had to ruin her moment of triumph, she was surely announcing an engagement, oh how disappointed she must be," He heard Mrs. Tildon say.

"Apparently she was alone with him before it happened, she was seen sneaking off to the side of the house ... alone," Ms. Ashton replied.
 

"I don't believe it," said Lord Crowley. "The younger girl, yes, I would believe it of, but not Lady Fleur. Never was there such an affable and steady girl, I just don't believe it," he said once more, shaking his head.

Felix looked back towards his brother when he heard his name being called.

"Felix," said Dom, jerking his head to the side towards an empty room. The both rushed inside and once over the threshold, Dom shut the door with a heavy sigh. "This is much worse than we feared, the gossip ranges from an innocent stroll to, and you won't believe this, Lady Fleur planning to run away and
elope
with Evan. Apparently her father found out and chased them down, attacking Evan to stop them. They aren't even trying to remember the particulars of what actually happened out there."

Felix closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Of course they aren't. The truth isn't near as interesting as an imagined anvil wedding. "An elopement, you say? Of all the nonsense to invent."

"What do you want to do?" asked Dom.

"Damn Osborne and his temper, if he hadn't ... but no matter, what is done is done. You go on home, I want to stay here for a time longer."

"What about the clubs?"

"Do you think it will be any better than this?" asked Felix, sighing. "Go home, there is nothing that can be done here.

Dom nodded and walked towards the door before he stopped and turned to look at his brother. "Felix, don't do anything stupid," he said, giving him a look before leaving.

Felix smiled and followed at a more sedate pace thinking about what Dom had said earlier. An elopement between Fleur and Evan. The thought made him smile.

As he walked amongst the crowd, people were dancing again but there were a few still going on about the incident. He walked over to the refreshment table, pretending to peruse the items as he listened. He could see Lady Brockhurst with a group of young ladies accompanied by their chaperones. She was floundering.
 

"An elopement? No, no, my dears, you have it all wrong, Lady Fleur was simply walking in the gardens when a great pot nearly fell on her head! Mr. Woolf saved her, it was quite heroic of him."

"Oh, come now, Willhemina, that is too absurd," said Lady Dudley, fanning herself. "Falling pots and murderous plants?"

 
"We know Lord and Lady Blackburn planned an announcement tonight, is that true, Mrs. Brockhurst?" asked a young indistinguishable girl in white.

"Well, I don't know —"

"Of course you know," Lady Dudley prodded again. "It is
your
ball, you must know."

Felix saw Mrs. Brockhurst's face pinch and decided it was best to intervene.
 

"My goodness, ladies," said Felix, walking into the group, his signature smirk slanted across his face. "You have it all wrong."

Mrs. Brockhurst looked relieved as the rest tittered. "Really, Mr. Woolf? Then pray, tell us, what is your take on the situation?" asked another girl, in another shade of white.

Felix thought quickly. Really, there was only one thing to be done, and considering what Edward had told him earlier about his upset with Evan, maybe this would be the best solution.

"Lady Fleur was simply walking in the garden, as Mrs. Brockhurst said, but you are correct, she wasn't alone. Her
fiancé
escorted her."

Gasps made their way around and Felix waited for everything to fall into place.
 

"
Fiancé
? You mean to say that Lady Fleur is to marry Mr. Evander Woolf?" asked Lady Dudley, her brow arched as the puzzle pieces came together for her. "And the announcement was to be made this evening, how awful that this ruined their special night."

Lady Brockhurst quickly looked between Lady Dudley and Felix, no doubt wondering what he was doing.

"Indeed, a tragic loss, what girl doesn't look forward to her engagement announcement?" he asked, smiling at the young girls as they nodded. "And you know, Mr. Woolf is quite the hero, as Lady Brookhurst mentioned. Why, she might have been killed, or worse." Felix looked around the room and then leaned in to whisper, his audience intrigued and ready, "She could have been maimed."

It was all Felix could do not to scoff and place his head in his palm. The ladies predictably gasped in sympathy for poor Lady Fleur. They then took up with the story and ran away with it. Words of congratulations, romance and of heroics abounded as a wedding between two prominent families would take place, and in the excitement of being the first to tell others all had forgotten that just a few short hours before, the head of one family had punched the supposed groom of the other.

Felix watched and knew his job was done. By morning everyone would know, now he just had to figure out how to tell his own family without receiving a punch of his own.

WOLVES IN LONDON

Julia sat in her own room the next morning giving instructions to the maid about her packing. They were to leave for Blackburn Hall the next day and Fleur had shuttered herself in her room, refusing to come out since the night before and leaving her to deal with the house.

Pointing to another round of bonnets to be packed, she told her maid she would return and walked to Fleur's room to make her come out. Slamming open the door, she stopped just inside and eyed Fleur. Her hair was a mass of dark disarray around her head, her nightgown twisted around her legs. She gripped a pillow in her hands, raising it before slamming it down on her own legs.
 

"Uh, Fleur? Dear? You look a little unhinged, it's quite frightening as a matter of fact."

Fleur turned to her sister with the most pitiful look she had ever given, and Julia could not help but laugh, then wince. "Forgive me, I did not mean to laugh."

"Oh, Julia, it's not funny. Honestly, I want to die."

Julia straightened up and cleared her throat as she walked towards Fleur. "It's not that bad, really," she said, petting Fleur's head and trying to tame some of the curls.
 

"Not that bad?" she asked disbelievingly. "Half of England saw my garters and it's not
that
bad?"

"Well ... it could have been worse ... perhaps?"

Fleur took her pillow and raised it suddenly, pressing it to her face.

"Stop that, for heaven's sake, Fleur," said Julia, taking the pillow from her.
 

Fleur leaned back onto her headboard and sighed. "How can I ever show my face in society again? I'm a disgrace."

Julia clucked her tongue. "You could never be a disgrace, not as long as I'm around. Give me till next season, I'll be sure to outdo your scandal, and then no one will remember this day."

Fleur giggled and then became dreadfully serious. "You better not."

Julia smiled. "Come now, you must rally, and you certainly must get out of this bed and do something with that hair."

Fleur huffed and shook her head.

"Papa will be home soon, and don't you want to know what has happened at the Blackburns?"

Fleur didn't answer and just looked to the side of her room, pushing her hand in her hair before sighing.

Julia watched her, and her suspicions grew. "Are you thinking about
him
?"

"No," said Fleur, whipping her head around to meet her sister's disapproving look.

"You are, and why, I have no idea, since he's the very
reason
you're in this predicament in the first place."

"I'm not," argued Fleur.

"You are," Julia countered. "Listen, it's not that I don't understand, I do. The love of your life since childhood suddenly arrives seven years after spurning you, only to find out that you're betrothed to his brother? He's bound to be angry with you, hence you quarreling ... again."

Fleur looked at Julia, stricken. "Is this really my life?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is," she said, patting her sisters knee.

Fleur closed her eyes, her mouth a thin line.
 

"Is it really so bad? Edward is a very agreeable man and he cares for you, and Lord knows he is handsome. He would never intentionally upset you or make you cry, he certainly wouldn't yell at you like
others
we know."

"Yes, but Edward never held power over me to upset me in that way. Julia, I don't think you will understand until one day you fall in love yourself."

Julia wrinkled her nose. "So unless he can make you cry and anger you to the point of madness, it isn't love?"

"Yes," said Fleur, before rolling her eyes at her own answer. "You know what I mean."

"No, I'm not sure that I do. If that's love you can keep it."

Fleur smiled at her as if she knew some secret she had yet to discover, and she placed her hand on her hips. "Get up and dressed, we have work to finish, the house is nearly packed but there is still more to do. Come and find me when you're done here?"

Fleur nodded, and Julia walked towards the door. "See you in a moment?" she asked once more. When Fleur again agreed she walked out of the room and frowned. Her sister most definitely was still in love with Evan Woolf.

She could not understand why someone would cling to a love that was so obviously painful. She hoped Fleur was wrong when she said one day Julia would understand- not if it made nitwits out of otherwise perfectly reasonable people.
 

She would grow old, and live with her father, taking care of his home and doing the things she wanted to do, happily playing spinster aunt to the brood of children Fleur was sure to have. She would never marry, as no man would ever hold that power over her, she was certain. And if she ever fancied herself in love, she would think back to this day and remind herself to hold onto good sense, and never lose reason.

***

Evan woke to a loud knocking on his bed chamber door and his brother calling his name. He instantly regretted his instructions to Cook the night before to let his brother up when he arrived. He was about to get out of bed to answer when the door burst open and in came Edward, Felix, and Dom.

"Morning, my love," Felix shouted, jumping on the bed and shaking Evan relentlessly before he was shoved to the floor.

"Can't you go two seconds without acting like a fool, Felix?" Dom asked while helping him off the floor.

"It's because I'm in such good spirits. A very good deed was done last night, and by none other than yours truly —"

"Let's not veer off course," Edward stated. "Evan, get up and get dressed, we will be downstairs waiting. Do not go back to sleep."

Evan growled as they walked out of his bedchamber, like he could go back to sleep knowing what lay ahead. He was amazed he was able to sleep at all.

Throwing the covers aside and rising from the bed, Evan wondered what was likely to happen once they reached his parents' home. His brother would have to marry her despite the scandal, there was no doubt about that, and for the first time since he learned of the engagement he let himself think about how all this had affected his brother and Fleur.
 

He had not even congratulated Edward when he told him the news, and he had acted like a spoiled child, something Edward was well accustomed to, and the knowledge of it shamed him. Lady Fleur was no longer his childhood playmate, but Edward's betrothed, and a grown woman.

His brother's soon-to-be wife.
 

God, he was a fool. He was going to have to live with the knowledge of it and find a way to be happy for both Edward and Fleur. He must.

As he finished dressing and made his way downstairs, Evan resolved himself to do better. This was a delicate situation and they didn't need his temper making things worse. As it was, he was lucky he hadn't been called out by her father, or worse, her cousin Andrew. Her very short tempered and military-trained cousin, that is. Evan shuddered and willed the frightening thought away.

"Ah, there you are, Evan," Dom said, breaking off his quiet conversation with Felix and Edward as they waited in the entryway. "Let's get this over with shall we? We've only a quarter of an hour to arrive."

Evan nodded and walked out the door, telling his cook he would return later, and would she please start packing for the trip to his new estate.
 

Protest from the other three rang in his ears as they made their way to the sidewalk, arguing that he should come to the house party.

"We're trying to dissolve a public scandal," Evan explained. "I think it's best if I stay away for a while. Besides I'm sure it would make the lady uncomfortable if I were to come."