Price of Desire (14 page)

He looked at her with
a
desperate gratitude as she joined the conversation.

“Ah, Lady Burberry, I am so glad we have the chance to speak
.
I am most grateful for your invitation
.
Things can be so trying in London at this time of year.”

Rose didn’t really
understand Lord Sommerton’s allusion
.
A
fter one brief season she’d done her best to avoid town and all that social silliness,
and so she knew little of the differences between one time of year and another,
but she nodded in agreement
.
“Yes, you’re quite right
.
The country is most pleasant
at
this time of year.”

“If you are fond of a slow pace
,”
Lady Clarington interjected, clearly
dis
pleased the conversation had strayed out of her control
.
“Personally, I find myself hungering for more action.
”

Lady Clarington
’s
eyes caressed Sommerton
.
Did she know no shame?

“I do rather enjoy the slow pace myself
, Sommerton rejoined
.
“
It gives me time for my own pleasures.”

“Mmmm, as long as one has pleasures.
”
Lady Clarington was actually cooing
.
“Maybe you can invite us up to your house later in the summer
.
I hear your gardens are lovely
.
Although I am never sure if Clarington will be free to join me.”

“I am not sure that would
be possible, my lady
.
”
Sommerton inched away from Lady Clarington
.
“I much prefer to visit my own estates as little as possible
.
I detest always being hounded by a secretary or manager
.
I pay them to take care of things, don’t understand why I should have to be bothered.”

That sounded promising, like a man who would be happy to have a managing wife
.
Rose widened her smile.

“Tell me, how do you like to spend your time
?
I’d thought gentlemen were always busy with their accounts.”

“Only if they’re not capable of finding somebody else to do it for them
.
The purpose of our class should be to set
an
example
–
I mean, to exemplify
how life should be lived
.
We should be an elegant paradigm o
f
all that is possible, not accountants
.
I believe that spending too much time at studious or laborious activities is actually a disservice to mankind
.
We should be what all aspire to.”

Oh
,
dear, that was not so promising
!
 
Taking into account
Lady Smyth
e
-Burke’s earlier
diatribe on the proper management of
servants, and Sommerton’s views
on the exalted paradigm of the aristocracy,
Rose was
grow
ing more certain
that she had been wise
to avoid London
society
all these years.

“But surely, my lord, you mean once one’s responsibilities are
managed
.”

Sommerton smiled down at her with only the barest trace of conde
scens
ion
.
“Oh don’t worry too much about it, my dear
.
Ladies are made for
lives
of ease
.
You need
n’t
fret about responsibility.”

“You forget, my lord, that since my husband’s death
,
I have learned much of responsibility and management.
”
Not to mention the years
preceding
his death
.
“I would never think to put myself before all those I must care for.”

“Ah, yes, you are a mother, and I would never underestimate a woman’s role in that sphere – although I am sure that you have a reliable nanny,
and
a governess as well
.
I am sure you don’t need to trouble yourself in
the daily care of
your child.”

“I enjoy the time I spend with Anna.
”

“Of course
,
you do
.
Y
ou are a woman
,
after all.”

She must not become discomposed
.
Drawing room conversation was often exaggerated for effect
,
and
,
undoubtedly
,
that was the case here
.
Sommerton’s views were probably not half as strong as he stated
.
Maybe he was testing her.

“Yes, that I most definitively am, but beyond my basic maternal urges, I actually relish getting to know my daughter, the workings of her mind
–
”

“
L
et’s talk of something less tedious.
”
Lady Clarington evidently did not share her husband’s warm feelings towards children
.
“Tell me, Lord Sommerton, have you heard any of the news about Miss Rebecca Grant and Lord Thompson?”

“
Y
es,
indeed,
absolutely scandalous
.
Evidently they anticipated the wedding a bit, and now that he’s taken off for the
C
ontinent, it’s not clear that there will be a wedding
.
It leaves things in an interesting condition
,
if you understand my meaning
.
Not surprising at all
,
considering how exotic she is
,
and those rumors about her mother
.”

“Oh
,
do tell more.
”

Rose let them turn the subject
.
She needed to
dis
cover more
about
Sommerton’s views sometime when they were not on public display
.
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair
.
He
was looking at her again.

“I am afraid I’ve grown rather old for this nonsense.
”
Lady Smythe-Burke rose from her chair
.
“Would you walk me to my
chamber
, Lady Burberry
?
My legs are weary and I’d like company on the stair.”

Rose just about jumped from her chair, eager to escape both the conversation and the glare from across the room
,
which threatened to either freeze or incinerate her
.
While
Rose
doubted that any part of Lady Smythe-Burke was tired, if the lady wanted to leave
,
she would not demur. Perhaps
,
if she lingered long enough, by the time she returned, the company would also be ready to retire and she could avoid further confrontation
.

She trailed out of the room after Lady Smythe-Burke.

“Well, what do you think of the lads?”

Maybe she wouldn’t have to wait to find out more details.

“Sir Barton seems even
-
tempered.”

“He is that
.
Doesn’t have many cares – wouldn’t bother you much at all, at least not during the day
.
You would have to avoid hiring pretty maids, but that’s simple enough
.
Yes, I think he might suit you fine
.
Pay his bills, point him towards his club and I am sure you’d be well suited
.
What about Lord Sommerton
?
You seemed to have a most agreeable conversation
.
He is quite the epitome of a gentleman.”

“He is handsome.”

“Just hope he doesn’t develop a hump like his father.”

“Oh, I don’t think I see any sign of that.”

“Still
,
you never know, straight one day, bent over the next
.
He’d have to order new coats.”

“Ah, yes
,
he would.
”
What else could one say to that
?
“Does he always express such strong views
?
S
urely
that display was only
for the sake of conversation
?
”

“Can’t say I’d know
.
He
’s
always
outspoken
.
Very sure of the purpose of our class – maybe a little high in the step, but I am sure even if he didn’t want you managing the estates you could find some purpose
.
He’d probably favor some charity work, nothing too dirty
,
of course
.
Maybe, darning lace on socks for orphans or raising money for more attractive gates at a prison
.
I am sure a woman like you would find many useful activities.”

“I am not sure that I’d want to
do such things.
”

“You’ll find something
.
H
e is
,
after all
,
a most attractive man
,
and so well connected
.
A
pity his estates just never seem to keep him in funds
.
I am sure if you marry and his managers take over yours
,
everything will progress nicely.”

“But
–
”

“Well, I am to bed
.
Anyway
,
Mr. Giddens will arrive on the morrow
.
I am sure you’ll be quite taken by him
.
You’re not the type to be put off by sour breath
,
or a few pimples
.
Yes, I am sure you’ll quite like him and then you’ll feel more up to making a choice
.
Good night.”

Before Rose could
emit
another word
,
the door snapped shut
.
With a soft sigh she turned
,
and headed back to her other guests
.
Hopefully, they too would be ready to turn in for the night.

An hour later
,
Rose finally found herself in her own room
.
Her spirits sagged
.
H
er plan was not going as well as she’d hoped
.
Rose slipped her arms into her robe and dismissed her maid from the room
.
She had not expected it to be so difficult to find a matrimonial prospect.

Sir Barton really was a puppy, and a drooling lascivious one at that
.
If she’d had to
endure for one more minute his uncompromising agreement with her every word and his
unrelieved staring
at her cleavage
,
she would have grabbed hold of his tongue and pulled
.

And Lord Sommerton
.
Determining how serious his expressed views were had proved impossible, but she detected no warmth in him when he
spoke
of children
.
And she lacked all desire to be sentenced to spend the rest of her life performing only those leisurely activities suitable to woman of her station
.

There was still Mr. Giddens to investigate on the morrow
.
He might dabble more in trade than most would consider seemly, but from their brief conversations in the past he seemed pleasant and not overly concerned with anything beyond his own business
.
Lady Smythe-Burke was correct about both his breath and the pimples, but surely Rose was woman enough to overlook such things
.
Yes, it might be a very good match.