The Suitor List (11 page)

Oh, goodness.

By that evening, the ballroom at Faraday Hall had
been cleaned, polished, and lit to perfection. The Duke
and Mrs. Parker had made sure to invite some local
ladies, enough to make the disproportionate number of
male to female guests not so obvious.

Augusta wore a pink spotted muslin with a wide
satin sash, matching her pink dancing slippers and the
small rosebuds in her hair. The outfit was thought up by
her and her aunt during their travel home from London.

Never one to allow idle time to pass, Lord Fieldstone
stepped forward moments after Augusta entered, and Sir
Warren Cantrell, close on the Viscount's heels, was the
second to claim a dance. Lord Carlton Wingate, coming
in third, insisted she reserve the supper dance for him.

After her dance with Sir Benjamin Pelfry, Mr. Allendale, and Lord Tremaine, she noticed Lord William
Felgate and local baronet Sir Nicholas Petersham in
conversation with Miss Eleanor Jessop across the room. Despite the men outnumbering the women, Augusta
thought everyone behaved in a civilized manner.

During the final steps of the current dance, Augusta
pulled her foot from under Lord Arthur Master's errant
misstep. Her sharp glance at his face told her he was
not attending. He had stopped dancing and merely stared
toward the entrance.

"Who, I say, who is that ... creature?"

Augusta could have guessed he wanted to use the adjective lovely, becoming, or simply magnificent, but her
presence had prohibited him from showing outright interest.

Augusta glanced over her shoulder. "That, Lord
Arthur, is my younger sister Lady Charlotte."

Charlotte entered the ballroom just after nine o'clock.
Several wide pale blonde ringlets framed her face, and the
golden threads which shot through the white silk of her
gown shimmered under the crystal chandeliers above her.

At sixteen years of age, making a match was not even
a consideration she entertained. Her father told her it
was not her gown, or the metallic reflections sparkling
from the material, but her own beauty that would blind
the male guests.

Charlotte had attended many local assemblies and
several balls. This gathering felt decidedly different. She
herself could not prevent her insides from twisting or
her hand from trembling, just a little. She was told how
lovely she looked; she was told she would cause a stir
among the gentlemen. Charlotte's presence, she was
told, would aid Augusta in her search for a husband, and
that made this uncomfortable endeavor worthwhile.

None of the guests knew of her true agenda.

Aunt Penny approached and made the introductions
to the new guests she'd watched arrive that very day:
handsome Mr. Allendale and elegant Lord Stanton. Charlotte didn't even mind having to share several dances
with the likes of Sir Samuel Pruitt or the dashing Lord
Marsdon.

Charlotte caught her bottom lip between her teeth,
contemplating how stealing her sister's beaux might be
unforgiveable but not unexpected.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Lady Charlotte?" Sir
Thomas Granville uttered as they came together and
moved apart in the steps of the dance.

"Immensely," Charlotte answered, then turned and
stepped to one side and waited, the two of them being
the "out" couple.

Sir Thomas gave Charlotte's hand a slight squeeze,
drawing her attention from the dancers around them.

"I can no longer remain silent, Lady Charlotte. I must
confess my great affection for you. I must see you away
from these intrusive eyes ... I must see you alone."

"Alone?" Charlotte did not need to feign surprise, his
request had most certainly shocked her. "That is so
very improper, sir."

"Yes, I know it is ... but I-I cannot-" He broke
off, as it was their time to rejoin their respective lines. In
the final measures, the dancers made their bows, ending
the dance.

Sir Thomas did not return Charlotte to the guests but
pulled her to one side. "I must see you alone," he spoke
urgently. "Please"

"I need a moment to-" Charlotte looked around to see if they were attracting attention. "Walk me to the
side door, if you please."

He acquiesced and they strolled to the opposite end
of the room. Before reaching the guests milling about,
she paused.

"Very well," she replied. "I shall meet you in the
Music Room. Do you know where-"

"Yes, yes. I'll find it," he answered quickly, apparently
rapturous over her decision.

"You must enter from the south door, through the
Oriental Parlor."

"Yes, yes. I will " From his anxious, breathless reply,
he sounded like a man who would agree to almost anything. "When? What time?"

"At midnight."

"But that is over two hours away!" he whispered in
great anguish.

"I simply cannot leave the ball. It will look most peculiar to the other guests, to my family, to my father."

Sir Thomas Granville's posture noticeably stiffened at
the reference to the Duke. "Very well, but I shall not
know how I am to pass the minutes until I see you alone,
my dearest"

"I imagine you will manage very well, sir," Charlotte
said, wondering if he truly understood the entire deception.

They parted company, making their private exchange
seem as normal as she could manage after making an
appointment for a tryst.

"I've been watching you all evening." Richard had
managed to catch Augusta between dances and Miss Skeffington had the chance to introduce Augusta to her
older brother.

Mr. Lawrence Skeffington was a tall pleasant gentleman with green eyes and wore his light brown hair a la
Brutus. He was as handsome as Miss Skeffington was
beautiful. Perhaps he would be fortunate enough to find
his heart among the young ladies in attendance.

"You've still got your hands full," Richard commented. "Even though Char-Char is entertaining half
your suitors."

"They are free to dance with whomever they wish.
There is no reason they should follow in my shadow
every moment" It could not have pleased Augusta more
that the gentlemen could find ways of occupying themselves.

"Point well taken. You look lovely this evening." He
stared as if truly admiring her.

"Thank you," Augusta replied with a somewhat cool
demeanor. She thought perhaps he might follow his kind
words with a teasing barb if he knew how much the compliment truly meant to her.

"You've been a veritable fashion plate in Town, but
seeing you at home, in your own ballroom, where I have
seen you numerous times before .. " There was a catch
in his voice that caused him to stop and clear his throat.
"In any case, you are very lovely."

Augusta braved a glance at him now and graced him
with a smile when she was certain of the sincerity of his
words.

Richard glanced around. "Where is Lord Carlton? I
heard he was quite insistent in claiming your supper
dance"

"It appears even after his most sincere assurance that
I have `captured his heart' and he is so `utterly, completely devoted to me," he has abandoned me" Augusta
wasn't irritated by his absence as much as his persistence.

"Don't take it too hard, Gusta," Richard whispered,
consoling her. "He was deeply in love with Miss Sutherland just before you arrived in Town, and to my dear
Emily the week before that" He paused, seemingly
thinking. "I cannot recall if it was Lady Julia Monroe or
Miss Conway he had favored the week before that. No
matter. It is known that he changes his mind-or should
I say his heart every few days. Faith, if he settled upon
a young lady for a week's time ... that would be momentous"

"And you are telling me this only now?" Augusta could
not imagine why no one had mentioned his Lothario behavior.

"Sorry, hadn't thought of it."

Augusta let out an exasperated, unladylike huff.
"Honestly, Richard, if I had known, I would not have
invited him."

"Oh-you didn't think him exceptionally dashing,
then?" He seemed truly shocked.

Augusta glared at her one-time friend with murderous intent.

"Only kidding," he said weakly. "Allow me to take
his place for the supper dance"

"What of Miss Skeffington?" Augusta felt a twinge of
vindictiveness at his jest and wished she could do him
more harm than threaten him with a jealous fiancee.

"Oh, Livy is doing her part to distract your many gentlemen guests" Richard chuckled, spotting her holding court, and did not seem the least bit concerned at
his intended's all-male company. "There she is with
Viscount Marsdon and Lord William Felgate."

"Fine" Augusta took Richard's arm and stepped toward the dance floor with him. If she could not successfully endanger his heart, perhaps treading on his toes
with a misstep or two while dancing would do.

On exiting the supper room, Lord Perkins strode directly toward Charlotte and gently guided her to one
side on her way to the ladies' room.

He, along with many of the gentlemen, had been
glaring at Lord Carlton, who earlier had simply refused
to be denied the pleasure of escorting her into supper.

While nibbling on the savories, Charlotte looked from
one gentleman to the other, measuring their malicious
glares and silent heated exchanges.

She marveled at the great discrepancy among them.
Despite being light-haired or dark-haired, some were
tall, some were not, and some of them exuded appeal,
even across and down the length of the room. Some
used their charm to flirt with her out in the open in front
of everyone. As was Charlotte's disposition, she could
not help but see the good in each and every one.

All of them in different ways were handsome and
some of them were devilishly so. She could not look at them, for some of those gentlemen ignored the women
next to them and stared with calf eyes at her for the following hour.

"I've a mind to seek out your father and offer for you
tonight! What do you think about that, Lady Charlotte?" Lord Perkins, with his confident smile and overbearing attitude, threatened her.

"No-please," Charlotte beseeched. "My father will
not sanction a match for me" An expression of utter devastation crossed Lord Perkins' face. She laid her gloved
hand upon his sleeve. "It displeases me to see you so upset. I, too, think he might be a touch unreasonable."

Lord Perkins captured her hand and used it to draw
her near. "Perhaps we could slip away," he whispered,
lifting her hand to his lips. "Somewhere we could be
alone, for some privacy to discuss the matter."

Charlotte turned her back to the room, preventing the
majority of guests from witnessing the warm blush that
washed over her cheeks.

"You are most persuasive, my lord" Charlotte smiled,
and by his reaction she could quite believe that she had
won him over-so easily. "If I were to agree to meet
you.."

"Just name the place and the time-I shall be there"
Lord Perkins gave her hand a small squeeze, and if
Charlotte had not been mistaken, it was because he was
anxious to hear the details she was about to lay out before him.

"The Music Room at midnight," she told him quickly,
just above a whisper.

"But that is over an hour until-"

"You asked me to name the time and place and I have
told you midnight." Charlotte had not meant to sound
cross. If he did not agree to her terms, she simply would
not meet him.

"I am sorry. It's just that I am most eager to-"

"Use the north door," she cut him off. "Its entrance is
through the Citrus Parlor at the rear of the house. You'll
find it unlocked."

"Twelve o'clock, then." He tightened his arm as if he
meant to draw her near.

"Please leave me," Charlotte insisted, moving from
him. "No one must suspect our plan"

"Very well." Lord Perkins relinquished her hand and
reentered the supper room.

Charlotte moved in the direction of the guests, intending to return to the dance floor, only to find Sir Thomas
Granville gazing longingly across the room at her. No
doubt he was wondering if her ardor had cooled. Perhaps
he grew concerned that she had forgotten their planned
rendezvous.

No, Charlotte had not forgotten. She favored him with
a smile and pulled her fan open with great care to cool
herself and any passion she possessed, in hopes he would
feel confident that her affection for him remained unchanged.

Her feelings for him had remained the same.

The handsome and very charming Lord Paul Bancroft
approached her for the next set. Charlotte stepped onto
the floor with him and the thought that he might ask
something of her other than just a dance made it difficult
for her to breathe.

While dancing, Lord Paul continued his overt flirting
that he had started at supper. It had been quite a feat,
since he sat near the opposite end of the room from her.
But his smoldering eyes that made one feel as if a fire
had ignited inside, and the touch of his gloved hand
while sharing a dance, proved almost more than Charlotte could resist. And apparently, contact with her affected Lord Paul in a similar manner.