The Salvation of the Deceived Lady: A Clean Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 2

  Selina forced attention to her father, who was speaking to her mother. “If you are still taxed from Marianne’s wedding, I’m certain that the Duchess of Langley will understand.”

  “Stuff and nonsense,” Lady Downe said, waving away her husband’s words.

  “If we are to attend the ball at Langley Hall, I’d like to have a new gown for the occasion,” Rebecca said, smiling at her sister. “I need something a bit lighter for the summer season.”

  Her mother tucked the invitation into its envelope. “I imagine we could all do with something fresh. I’ll send word to Mrs. Hotchkiss.”

  “Not Mrs. Hotchkiss,” Rebecca moaned. “Her work is so slow, and she’s a bit old fashioned. I like something more modern. Louisa Miller just returned from abroad, and she is quick as a whip with a needle. Couldn’t you hire her to make a gown for me?”

  “I’ve used Mrs. Hotchkiss for years. I would hate to insult her.”

  “She can still make yours, Mama,” Selina said, trying to please her mother while secretly agreeing with Rebecca.

  Her mother rose from the table and smoothed her skirts. “I suppose there wouldn’t be any harm in allowing Miss Miller to make something for the younger generation, although I believe Mrs. Hotchkiss has always delivered remarkable work. We must support all enterprises; isn’t that right, dear?” she asked her husband.

  “I don’t know if one or two gowns will make a difference, but I suppose it is in the spirit of progress.”

  She dismissed his teasing and chose to take an innocent view of his words. “Quite right,” she said, before going to the drawing room to handle her correspondence.

  “Well, now that I’m an informed member of society,” her father said, tucking his paper under his arm as he stood, “I must attend to more provincial matters.” He bowed to his daughters before taking his leave.

  An oppressive silence spread between Selina and her sister as they remained at the table. Rebecca watched Selina with a smile of the cat who ate the cream.

  Once Rebecca’s stares became too intrusive to ignore, Selina put down her tea cup and turned to her sister. “Why do you continue to watch me? You make me feel like a criminal.”

  “How odd,” Rebecca cooed, “when, according to your morning adventure, you are really more of a saint.”

  Selina’s back stiffened, but her face remained placid. If only her mother could see how she restrained herself from clawing her sister, it was bound to impress even her. “What do you want, Rebecca?”

  “Nothing, at the moment,” her sister said coyly. “Just remember that I, your loving sister, said nothing to Mama or Father about your imaginative rescue mission, and in the future, if I require your discretion, you will return the gesture.”

  This was not her first negotiation with Rebecca. She narrowed her eyes and studied her sister’s smirking face. “Fine,” Selina said after a moment’s consideration. “Just be sure that it is a proportional request. My crime was only a soiled hem, remember.”

  “Agreed,” Rebecca said, dropping the condescending air. “What is your interest in Elias?” she asked, her voice devoid of the venom it had dripped during breakfast.

  Selina poured herself more tea and took a sip before responding. “I have no interest in him,” she said, trying to sound bored by the question.

  “Oh my, how things have changed,” her sister said. “I seem to recall you having a rather intense interest in young Lord Northfolk when we were children.”

  Heat rose in Selina’s cheeks. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “We played together as children, and I thought of him as a brother.” The lie rang false in her own ears, and she doubted it convinced her sister.

  Rebecca rose from the table and patted her sister’s shoulder. “Of course, I’ve never had a brother, but you never looked at me, your loving sister, with the same eyes you turned to him.”

  Selina opened her mouth to respond, but her sister was too quick. She disappeared into the house before Selina could utter a response.

  It was true - Selina had been a little in love with Elias when they were children. It was difficult not to be. He had been handsome, even as a child, but his appeal went beyond looks. Despite the wealth and status of his family, he used his influence to protect others, rather than for his own gain.

  Once, when she and Elias were hiding from her sisters, they stumbled upon the groom’s son. He, too, had been hiding, but not for amusement. The village bully had given him a routing for no other reason than his diminutive size. Elias took the loose navy ribbon hanging from Selina’s small braid and tied it around the boy’s wrist.

  “If you give him the power to hurt you, it’s because you don’t value your own worth. You trust his harsh words more than the voice in your own heart,” he had told the boy. “Keep this as a reminder of your own value. When he taunts you again, because that is what brutes like him do, remember that not everyone thinks of you as he does. You choose which of us to believe.”

  At first, Selina was prepared to scold Elias for giving away what belonged to her, but then she saw the impact his small gesture had.

  The groom’s son ran a finger over the soft fabric. “Thank you, My Lord, My Lady.” His eyes full of gratitude, the boy bowed before running off.

  In that moment, and all the moments that followed, Selina had adored him, but they were children no longer. Elias’ family sent him to university, then he assisted his father with their responsibilities in Scotland, and it had been years since she saw the sun shine off his auburn hair, but the memory οf it remained vivid for her. However, she believed whatever sway she had over him to induce their friendship must have fallen away over time. Holding out hope for his affections was foolish, and she knew that. Still, she looked forward to the ball and a chance to meet with her old friend, even if it was to say goodbye to their youth before they moved into their adult commitments.

  A light breeze blew across the veranda, and Selina picked up her basket and turned her thoughts to the flower arrangement she must make for her mother. She hoped, without much conviction, that the end result would give her mother pride.

  Chapter 2

  It was already late in the morning when Elias awoke. He stretched, catlike in the sun, desperate to loosen his tight muscles. Being confined to the carriage all day and well into the night had been physically and mentally exhausting. He looked around his room, and was surprised by the easy familiarity which engulfed him. For years, he had dedicated himself to the role of student, and then to that of Lord while in Norwich, but he instantly allowed himself to return to that of son.

  Elias quickly dressed, and by the time he descended the stairs and joined his mother in the morning room, he felt as though he had never left Langley Hall. He found his mother, the Duchess of Langley, seated on the divan surrounded by swatches of silk and brocade. Thompson, the butler, uncovered a tray, bowed to Elias, then left the room.

  “Elias,” she said, holding out her hands to her son. “Thompson told me that you arrived last night. I wish you would have woken me.”

  He clasped his mother’s hands and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “It was so abominably late, I was not heartless enough to pull you from your bed when all I could think about was my own. I was exhausted, and I would not have been any company for you.”

  His mother looked the same as he remembered. Time did not have the power to change her, and he attributed it to the beauty of her spirit. In his travels, he had never met anyone who could compete with his mother’s generosity and kindness. “I would have been a very poor companion.”

  “Nonsense. I would have been content to watch you sleep, as I did when you were a baby. My heart rests easier when you are under this roof.”

  He laughed, but the warmth of her words reminded him how isolated he had become. Working with his father on the Norwich estate was educational but not comforting. Work dominated his father’s life, and there was no room for conversation outside business.

  His mother was so dif
ferent, all love and affection, and it nurtured him in ways he did not realize he had been missing. However, it was unacceptable for a man to admit he liked being mothered. “Even birds allow their young to fly from the nest, Mother. You will be forced to do the same someday,” he teased as he sat in the chair opposite her.

  She batted away his words with a flick of her wrist.

  “It seems that I slept away the morning,” he said, taking in the project engrossing his mother. “I suppose it is too late to ask for breakfast?”

  She raised her eyebrows and attempted to conceal her smile. “If you are lucky, you might find a few pastries tucked away on the table Thompson set up for you.”

  Elias jumped up from the chair, fueled by his hunger, and hurried to inspect the food. “Splendid, Mother. You think of everything. Why, there’s enough for both of us.” He put a scone and cream on a saucer. “I was so exhausted, I was certain I slept the day away. I cannot believe I roused myself out of bed first.”

  “Did your father come home with you last night?” the Duchess asked, clasping her hand to her chest. “The poor man. I had no idea.”

  “No, Mother,” Elias shook his head. He had suggested that his father accompany him, but he was reluctant as ever to abandon his work. “Father will be along next week or the week after. I’m sure he will return in plenty of time for your ball,” he said, as he poured a cup of tea.

  She blinked away her disappointment. “Well, if your father did not accompany you on your trip, whom did you bring with you?”

  Elias smiled as if he were about to share a wonderful surprise. “Uncle Kenneth,” he said after swallowing a bite of scone. “He had been staying with Father at the house in Galloway.”

  Elias expected her to be pleased. She always greeted guests with sincere hospitality, but her reaction lacked enthusiasm. Elias understood that she was struggling to hide her disappointment over his father’s delay.

  “Oh,” the Duchess replied. “I had no idea Lord Lonsdale was planning to stay. I would have made arrangements to accommodate him.”

  “I don’t believe he knew he was coming until he boarded the coach. He’s gotten eccentric, but I truly enjoy Uncle Kenneth’s company. He spent the entire trip telling tales of Father when he was a boy. It made me believe that I must have been an angel in comparison.”

  The Duchess picked up a swatch of burgundy brocade then laid it down without resting her eyes upon it. “You always were a good son.” She smiled at him. “However, do not believe everything your Uncle Kenneth tells you. He prefers story to the truth.”

  “I do not believe that is fair,” a deep voice remarked from the doorway.

  The Duchess closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. Once she exhaled, her smile was again balanced on her face. “Fair is a matter of viewpoint,” she said “Perhaps you need a new perspective.”

  “As long as I can see your beauty, I will be content.” Lord Lonsdale took her hand and bowed to kiss it.

  Elias watched the exchange between his mother and uncle. Over the years, his mother’s easy cordiality with everyone she met deeply impressed him, but she did not seem interested in verbal banter today. Elias wondered how long his father had been away from Langley Hall. It was obvious to him that carrying on without him was taking a toll on his mother.

  “Insincere flattery has gone out of fashion, Lord Lonsdale. Save your charm for an audience less familiar with your antics.” She turned her eyes from him and studied the silks.

  “This is a cool reception for my uncle,” Elias said, “but I did warn him that you abhor surprises.” He returned his empty plate to the serving table before sitting beside his mother on the divan. “I assume you have a reason for this patchwork of silks,” he said.

  “I’m having new linens made for the Summer Solstice Ball, but I haven’t decided upon the fabric,” the Duchess said. “I think something light would be best for the occasion. Perhaps this green?”

  She handed the lightly embroidered square to her son. He wondered if the ball was a celebration of his return or a distraction from his father’s absence. This was a familiar scene. As a child, he spent most of his time with his mother. It was only when he became involved in the affairs of running the estates that he got to really know his father. While that was good management of the estates, Elias was beginning to understand the damage done to his parents’ marriage.

  “I think it is a marvelous choice. Trust your instincts, Mother,” Elias said, handing the fabric back to his mother. He wanted to tell her that she did a remarkable job running Langley Hall, and that she was more capable than most of the men that he had met. However, he had no idea how to say all of that to his mother, so instead he said, “You have excellent taste.”

  “Thank you, darling,” his mother replied, patting her son’s hand. “Have I mentioned how pleased I am to have you home?”

  Elias laughed heartily. “Only ten or twelve times, but it is nice to hear.”

  “Good. I do not want you to forget,” she said as she caressed her son’s cheek. “Now if your sister, Constance, were here, I believe my heart would be complete.”

  “I was surprised that I did not see her. Where is she hiding herself?” Elias asked.

  “She is spending time with your Aunt and Uncle Abbot. However, I would imagine she is spending most of her time following your cousin Julia around. I am craving to have my family all under one roof.”

  He kissed her hand before standing up and walking to the window. “It feels like ages since I have been home. I think I might go riding to reacquaint myself with the countryside.” He turned to his Uncle Kenneth. “Would you care to join me?”

  Lord Lonsdale stretched his legs in front of him. “Perhaps another day. I do not travel as well as I used to. I think I might take a day of leisure, if you do not mind?”

  “Of course,” Elias said, with a bow.

  “I will leave you to your solitude, Lord Lonsdale,” the Duchess said, as she gathered her samples and stood. “I have a great many things to organize for the ball.”

  “That is a fortnight away,” Lord Lonsdale said. “Surely you can spare some time for me.”

  “I am afraid that is not possible today,” she said with a smile. “If you will excuse me,” she walked briskly from the room.

  Lord Lonsdale folded his hands and rested them behind his head. “Your mother has always been a spitfire. I believe your father has a difficult time keeping up with her.”

  “She is a force of nature,” Elias said, smiling. “I do think Father feels safe exploring his other ventures knowing Mother is here to take care of the estate. In fact, she may be more equipped than Father.”

  “That I believe,” Lord Lonsdale said. “Still, I had hoped she might spare a little time to meet with me. I did travel a great distance to be here.”

  “I believe I’m to blame for the cloud over her today,” Elias admitted. “When she heard that I did not travel alone, she thought Father had returned. Most days she can hide her disappointment well. Today appears not to be one of those days.”

  “Ah,” Lord Lonsdale said, resting his feet on the stool in front of his chair. “I see.”

  A silence settled over them, and Elias turned his attention to the gardens and the meadows beyond. He was torn between his training in etiquette and his desire to explore. It was his duty to be a good host despite his own longing.

  “Do not let me keep you,” Lord Lonsdale said. “If adventure awaits you, go forth, my boy.”

  Elias nodded. “Thank you, Uncle. I will.”

  Lord Lonsdale smiled as he watched his nephew leave with long strides.

  Chapter 3

  “Nothing too ostentatious,” Lady Downe said to her daughters. “We are not hosting any balls this season, not after your sister’s wedding, so there is no reason to make a spectacle of yourselves. Make sure this seamstress of yours understands that we want understated elegance, not gaudy baubles.”

  Selina stifled a laugh. She knew her mother’s se
amstress, Mrs. Hotchkiss, was known to run wild with ribbon if not carefully watched. However, she had no interest in resembling a package left by Father Christmas. She allowed her sister, as the elder of the two, to respond to their mother’s reminders.

  Rebecca nodded as they secured their bonnets. “Yes, Mama,” Rebecca said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “We are not void of taste. You may trust us.”

  Mrs. Phillips, their housekeeper, bustled from the house, her bonnet already in place. “Do not worry, My Lady, I will not allow them to be taken in by an overeager dressmaker.”