Never Turn Away (Kellington Book Six) (18 page)

Marcus looked a bit uncomfortable.  “He has gone
home.  He needed to attend to some matters from work.  He asked that I say
good-bye to each of you.”  He turned to Evelyn.  “I believe he wished he could
remain, but felt it was best if he did not.”

The ladies were silent.  Evelyn felt like crying,
but tried not to let it show.  Lizzie hugged her.

“The battle has just begun,” she whispered.  “And
you shall be victorious.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Word had spread quickly that one of London’s most
elusive heiresses was in town.  Those mamas with sons in need of fortunes were
especially anxious to reacquaint themselves with her.  Or, in some cases, to
meet her for the very first time.  For the former Earl of Larsen had spent
little time in London and since he’d had the bad manners to die shortly after
her come-out, which allowed her to retire to the country for an extended
mourning period, she’d made little impression on the
ton
.

But now she was back in London and, according to
rumor, looking for a husband.  There was even some talk of a deadline by which
she had to wed.  There would have been a veritable stampede of ladies to her
door, had she not been staying at Lynwood House.  It was not proper to call
there since Lord Edward’s wife was in her confinement.  It would have been
altogether more convenient had Lady Evelyn stayed with her cousin the earl.

As for the mothers of debutantes and other girls who
were less well dowered, Lady Evelyn’s reappearance was not greeted with nearly
as much good cheer.  It was thought she was ill-mannered, bordering on vulgar
to appear at such an advanced age, desperate for a husband after ignoring her
social obligations all these years.  Her spinster state and rumored bluestocking
tendencies would never outshine the mamas’ dear daughters, were it not for the
money.

Of course, the ladies who were well and truly caught
in the middle were those with both sons in need of fortunes and daughters in
need of husbands.    It could only be hoped, of course, that Lady Evelyn would
wed a son, then dower her new sister-in-law.  Or, at the very least, steer some
of her rejected suitors to the girl.  But if spending too much time with Lady
Evelyn cast daughters in the shade, then it was best to retain some distance
from the heiress, though not enough to allow a rival to sneak in and gain the
advantage.

All in all, it was hoped the lady had a face like a
horse.  That was not the gentlemen’s wish, of course.  Just the mamas’.

That hope was dispelled once Lady Evelyn was spotted
in company with the Kellington wives.  Or, as one unkind soul put it, the
common Kellington wives, namely Vanessa and the American Melanie.  Not that
anyone would admit to disparaging them within hearing distance of any Kellingtons. 
And the ladies who most often made those unkind remarks were ones who’d been
disappointed in their pursuit of Arthur and Hal. 

But Lady Evelyn had gone on a shopping trip to Bond
Street, accompanied by the two wives, as well as the Kellingtons’ Aunt Prudence
and her longtime companion Mariah.  It had long been rumored that Prudence and
Mariah had an unnatural relationship, so for Lady Evelyn to willingly appear in
their company was certainly a mark against her.  No one understood why the
Kellingtons not only tolerated the women but seemed to be genuinely fond of
them.  Lynwood in particular had made it known that anyone insulting a member
of his family – which included the aunt and her companion, as well as the
lowborn wives – would suffer the consequences.  As no one was quite sure if
that meant simply the cut direct or, more drastically, pistols at dawn, the
ton
dutifully showed respect in his presence. 

Once Lady Evelyn had been spotted, she had been
discussed and dissected in sitting rooms throughout Mayfair.  Lady Gwendolyn
Bossert, who hadn’t actually seen the lady in question, declared her vulgar and
someone who would forever remain a spinster had it not been for her money.  Of
course, it was somewhat discreetly noted that Lady Gwendolyn was not exactly
getting any younger and she too was in possession of a sizable dowry, though
not as generous as Lady Evelyn’s.

A number of ladies had even descended upon the
Countess of Larsen’s home that day, inquiring after her sister-in-law.  It was
thought to be curious, indeed, that Lady Evelyn was not staying there, since
they were her closest relatives.  The countess defended her ably, though a bit
vaguely, commenting on how Evelyn had wanted to catch up with her friends the
Kellingtons, though it was known the family had never spent much time at the
estate in Oxfordshire.  But it was not good form to press the countess too
much, especially if one wanted her to put in a good word for an impoverished
son.

It was through all of this maneuvering that several
invitations were issued to Lady Evelyn, begging her attendance at any number of
breakfasts and balls.  Each hostess hoped she would be the one to reintroduce
Lady Evelyn to the
ton
, for it would surely enhance the lucky matron’s
reputation.

As it turned out, Lady Wallander was the first to
reintroduce Lady Evelyn to the
ton
through a ball held not three nights
after the heiress’s arrival in London.  Not only would Lady Evelyn be
attending, but Lord Arthur and Lord Henry would be there, as well.  The bad
news was they were also bringing their wives, but that could hardly be
avoided.  They also had the extremely irregular request to bring a guest, a Mr.
Joseph Stapleton, who was, of all things, a Bow Street Inspector.  Had this been
a request from any other family, it would have been rejected.  But no one other
than a Kellington would have asked.  It was, of course, quickly agreed to with
the utmost grace.

There were a few ladies who were not mean-spirited
and had been introduced to Lady Evelyn by Prudence and Mariah – who were very
nice women, regardless of the aspersions cast upon them.  Those ladies
recognized in an instant that Lady Evelyn would draw the attention of every gentleman
in the ballroom, for reasons that had nothing to do with her fortune.  For she
was stunningly beautiful and a lovely person.

The kind ladies could not wait for the show to begin,
when the matchmaking mamas met their worst nightmare.

*                    *                    *

Evelyn was extremely nervous for the Wallanders’
ball.  It was her first foray into society since her come-out and it would be
the first time she’d seen Joseph since his abrupt departure from Lynwood House
two days prior.  It would be mortifying for him to witness her feeble attempts
to attract a husband, yet Lizzie insisted that she go through the motions, even
if she did not feel like marrying.

“I have prepared a list for you,” said Lizzie, “And
I’ve given copies to Arthur and Hal.  They will make sure you meet the right
gentlemen.”

“But I feel like a fraud.  My emotions are already
engaged, much as I wish they weren’t.”

“It is good they are engaged, as I feel Joseph cares
for you greatly, though Marcus was distressingly tight-lipped about what
transpired when they played chess.  But once Joseph watches you dance with
these men, I suspect he will stop being so annoyingly noble.  I understand he
will meet you there.”

“What if he doesn’t come?” asked Evelyn, hating
herself for sounding so pathetic.

“Trust me, he’ll be there.  Now go enjoy yourself
tonight while Jane and I discuss baby names and drive Ned and Marcus to
distraction.”

So, Evelyn had left for the ball with Arthur,
Vanessa, Hal and Melanie.  They arrived to find the ballroom only half filled,
yet Evelyn still felt self-conscious to be the focus of so much attention when
they were announced.

She stayed close to the Kellingtons, who walked
through the ballroom seemingly unaware of the stares of the other guests.

“How do you do this on a regular basis?” Evelyn
asked Vanessa.

“It helps to be on Arthur’s arm.  I would not mind
never stepping into a ballroom ever again, but I do so because my actions
reflect on the family and they are expected to attend these events.  I
understand how Joseph feels in that sense, though I do wish he’d stop being
stubborn.” 

“So do I,” said Evelyn.  She could still feel the
stares of those around them, as much as they tried to hide their perusal.  She
hoped they could return home at the earliest opportunity.  “There is a
gentleman headed this way.”

“He’s on Lizzie’s list,” said Arthur.  “She had
Marcus send word to all the men on the list that they might seek an
introduction.”

“How did Marcus like his task?” asked Vanessa.

“Not well.  But when did he ever refuse Lizzie
anything?”

“Arthur, Lady Vanessa.”  A tall, fair-haired man
bowed before them, addressing the others, but smiling at Evelyn.

Arthur did the honors.  “Lady Evelyn, may I present
Garrett Stark, the Earl of Shively.  Garrett, Lady Evelyn.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Evelyn.  I have long
looked forward to this evening for I heard you would be here.”

“Thank you, my lord,” said Evelyn, barely
suppressing an eye roll.  The man, while polite, had likely never known of her
existence until that very day.

“Would you do me the honor of granting me this
dance?”

“It would be my pleasure,” said Evelyn as she put
her hand on his arm.

She realized just how much her thoughts had centered
on Joseph, for it was only when she was about to step out into the country
dance that she realized she hadn’t danced in a ballroom of any size in several
years.  No doubt these guests would not be as unforgiving of any mistakes as
her neighbors in Caversham.  She hoped she did not embarrass the Kellingtons. 
But there was nothing to it but to step out and try to enjoy herself.

*                    *                    *

Joseph valued his friendship with Liam.  But the
next time he saw the duke, he would gladly plant the man a facer.  Since
setting out to help Lady Evelyn, his emotional well-being had been completely
upended.  Loneliness was easier to accept when there was no one in particular
you wanted by your side.  But now that he’d met Evelyn and, yes, fallen in love
with her, he was miserable.

Watching her dance and, damn it, laugh with some
Byron-like fop was doing nothing to improve his mood.  It had been extremely
difficult to leave Lynwood House two days earlier, but he’d known that if he
didn’t, he would have gone to her that night.  And they would not have stopped
before her innocence was well and truly gone.

And now he was in a ballroom where he was not
wanted, watching a woman who would be mobbed by men who would never appreciate
her the way she deserved.  He could already see how her partner was holding her
hands just a bit longer than was strictly necessary or proper.

“Anything wrong, Joseph?”  Hal looked at him with
some amusement as he sipped champagne.

Perhaps, Joseph could hit Hal in Liam’s absence.  They
were then joined by Arthur.

“Who is Evelyn’s partner?” asked Joseph.

“The Earl of Shively,” said Arthur.  “He could not
wait to make her acquaintance.”

“I suppose he’s an impoverished bounder, willing to
do anything to restore his family’s coffers.”

“Actually,” said Arthur, “his estates do quite
well.  Word has it his mama is pressuring him to marry.  And judging from the
feminine glares directed at Evelyn just now, I believe the ladies have scented
a rival.”

Joseph narrowed his eyes at Shively. 

“Have you discovered anything of note since we last
saw you?” asked Hal.

“I’ve been looking into Evelyn’s three country
suitors, who all followed her to town.  Each called at her cousin’s house
today.  I left a man stationed nearby as I made inquiries of my own.”

“It is not surprising that her suitors would call on
him,” said Hal.  “He is the head of her family.”

“I was trying to discern whether there is collusion
between any of them and the earl.  I would like to know if any of them is
pursuing her for less than honorable reasons.  Who’s she dancing with now?”

Arthur and Hal turned to see Evelyn being led out
into yet another dance by a man in his late-thirties, with dark hair.

“That’s Viscount Grassley,” said Arthur.  “Before you
ask, he’s a veteran of the Peninsular Wars and has a profitable shipping
venture.  His primary estate is in Cornwall.”

Joseph’s mood turned even darker.  It must have been
obvious, for Arthur added, “Are you sure nothing’s the matter, Joseph?”

“Quite.”

After a while, Arthur and Hal left to dance with
their wives.  Joseph continued to watch the so-called noblemen of the
ton
leer at Evelyn.  He wanted to take her away from there with all due haste.  He
had heard more than one person mention her fortune as he’d slowly circled the
room.  He tried not to stare at her, but he knew where she was at every
minute.  It was as if she and he were connected in some way.  He knew where his
limbs were at all times.  He knew where she was, as well.

The fools who were interested in her fortune had no
idea of the real treasure they would be attaining in a marriage with her.  He
could not imagine the privilege of coming home to see her at the end of the
day.  Taking her to bed.  Raising children together.