The Suitor List (20 page)

"She's stolen Gusta's beau," Charlotte sounded rather
cross.

"Miss Skeffington says Lord William has made every
effort to win her, and he's even drinking tea as to keep
her company. Although he"-Muriel make a choking
sound-"has learned to find it less offensive with a slice
of lemon."

"Oh, no" Charlotte made a sigh of unpleasantness.

"Richard wishes her and Lord William every happiness."

"He would not be so cruel to deny them." Charlotte
moved to the window, next to Muriel. "Poor Richard.
What is he doing now?"

Muriel kept watch. "Livy says if he truly loves
Gusta, he must find her and confess his affection."

"Yes, yes! He likes the idea," Charlotte concluded
from his excitable behavior that must have been apparent for anyone to observe.

Penny returned to the window and rested her hands
on Charlotte's shoulders as she stood behind her.

"Richard and Augusta ... I never would have
thought .. " Charlotte bounced up and down with excitement.

Below, Richard stilled. His head and shoulders
drooped.

"Moo?" Charlotte asked, but by her tone she wanted
the answer just as much as Penny.

Muriel lowered her glasses when Richard walked
away. "He thinks it might be too late."

Augusta spied the Wilbanks' carriage roll down the
drive. It was only one of many journeys between Yewhill
Grange and Faraday Hall over the last few days. The tall,
ivory plume from Miss Skeffington's bonnet tickled the
air and waved farewell. Richard had most probably accompanied her.

"Gusta!" Emily cried from the Grand Foyer. She
stood before the tall, arched window and the fruitless
orange trees.

Augusta moved down the corridor toward her friend.

"I've been looking for you. I wanted to tell you myself." Emily fairly glowed with excitement. "We're having a small celebration tonight. You know, just the
family." She rose up onto her toes, as if she might float
away from the felicitous news. "I'm to be married. Do
say you'll come"

"Married! Em, that is wonderful." Augusta laughed
and hugged her best friend. She softened her voice and asked, "Who ... who is this most fortunate young man?
And why have I not heard of this until now?" How could
she have been so blind to her best friend's romantic entanglement? Had Augusta been so engrossed in her own
drama she had not noticed?

Emily reached out and Mr. Lawrence Skeffington
stepped forward.

"I could not be happier," Emily said and took hold of
his hand with her own.

"I could not be luckier," Mr. Skeffington remarked,
placing a kiss upon his intended's gloved hand.

"I am so very happy for you both," Augusta told
them, and she sincerely, deeply was.

"We wish to wait until after Richard and Livy wedthey have their second banns read tomorrow and next
week they can marry!"

So soon? It hadn't been sudden at all. Augusta had
known it would only be a matter of weeks once they'd
returned home. She tried to swallow but her mouth
had gone dry.

"Then Mr. Skeffington and I shall follow them happily to the altar in another month," Emily explained.
"You will come tonight to help us celebrate, won't you,
Gusta? Say you will ... you must."

"Of course I will." How Augusta would face two
happy couples she did not know.

"If you will excuse us, we want to tell the rest of
your family-the Duke first. We shall see you tonight!"

Augusta was so very happy for her dear friend. She
moved down the hall toward the back of the house and out the door, and wondered if she would ever find equal
happiness.

Muriel marched downstairs looking for Richard Wilbanks. She had something to say to him. If Charlotte or
their aunt could not bring themselves to address him, to
scold him, to point out the obvious course of action, she
most certainly would.

"Lady Muriel." Sir Samuel Pruitt's polite bow and
the motion of his arm indicated she should precede him
down the corridor. "If you please ..

"How are you doing this lovely day?" As instructed
when speaking to Augusta's suitors, revised after the
wagering incident with Sir Nicholas Petersham, Muriel
brought up only the weather.

"It is a remarkable fine day, and if the winds of fate
chance to blow my way, I have hopes of it becoming
one of the most outstanding days of my existence," he
answered with particular glee.

"Really?" Muriel could not mask her wide-eyed reaction, since she doubted the weather had anything to
do with improving his day, and she could not inquire
further.

Keeping her tongue still was difficult but she maintained.

They stepped out the back door onto the terrace overlooking the rear gardens and stopped.

"I am in search of Lady Augusta," he commented.
"You?"

"I am desirous of having a word with Mr. Wilbanks,"
she answered curtly.

"So now we part ways." Sir Samuel bowed again.
"Good day to you"

An uneasiness wound its way through Muriel's stomach. Sir Samuel was "in search" of Augusta? And he had
great hopes of today becoming one of the most "outstanding" days in his life?

Muriel did not like the sound of it at all. She needed
to find Richard and do a bit more than nudge him into
action. Surveying the gardens from this vantage point,
she saw no trace of him. The Lapidarium would provide
a superb view and she thought it was her best chance to
see him if he should be about.

Before she arrived, Muriel heard him call out to her.
"Richard!" she returned, seeing him come her way. He
ran to meet her.

"It's Sir Samuel-" they said in unison and stopped
at the shock of uttering identical phrases.

"He's going to ask-" they said together again, then
at the same time, "for her hand-" and "to marry
her-"

"What?" They squinted at one another in a juxtaposition of confusion and complete understanding.

"I saw Sir Samuel and your father shake hands. His
Grace wished Sir Samuel luck in persuading Gusta to
accept him."

"You must stop them" Muriel felt certain Sir Samuel
would ruin everything.

"Stop them?" Richard regarded her and it seemed he
had only just then realized her position on the matter.
Muriel did not wish her sister to marry the baronet.
"What transpires between Sir Samuel and Gusta is none of my affair. Perhaps she will agree to marry him. Perhaps he makes her happy."

What? Wasn't Richard the type of man to fight for
Augusta? Muriel did not think there should be a duel,
but a fierce shouting match and a few missed punches
might be in order.

"I believe he is uncertain of her response. He said
something about the `winds of fate' . . " She tried to recall his exact words. "I walked with him for a bit. We
parted on the terrace. He headed toward the maze"

"The maze. Come on!" Richard grabbed Muriel by
the hand and headed full speed to the Lapidarium.

"Rich-ard! Richard!" she cried out, trying to keep up
with him. Not only was he taller, his legs were longer
and-

She let out a high-pitched squeal in surprise when he
lifted her from the ground. He tucked her under his arm,
racing the rest of the way to the stone structure and up
the steps before placing her on her feet once again.

He did not ask about her well-being or if she had enjoyed the journey but looked toward the house, then
over by the terrace, presumably searching for any sign
of Augusta and Sir Samuel.

"There they are, at the camel entrance" Richard
stepped back and guided Muriel in front of him. "Get
your glasses, go on"

Muriel reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out her
opera glasses, pencil, and the folded paper with the list of
names. "Hold this, will you?" She handed him the collection and pulled the glasses free, raising them to her eyes.

She caught sight of the maze and moved down its
side, passing over the lion topiary entrance to the camel topiary where, at once, Muriel spotted Augusta and Sir
Samuel standing at the opening.

"What are they saying?" Richard asked quickly,
wasting no time, seeming as anxious as Muriel was to
know what transpired.

Muriel turned to face him, lowering the glasses. "I
cannot. I am forbidden to spy on my siblings. You know
that, Richard."

"He's going to ask her to marry him. I must know her
answer." He crushed the folded paper in his fist. The look
of concern on Richard's face and the emotional crack in
his voice was something Muriel had never heard. "Moo,
she is everything to me"

Muriel completely understood what this meant to
him, but shook her head, denying his request. "I cannot.
Please do not ask me again."

If Richard was angry, he did not allow it to show. He
simply held out his palm. "May I try, then?"

She laid the opera glasses in his hand and moved
back, allowing him to achieve the best possible position,
not that it would aid him in the least.

Sir Samuel Pruitt, only sixteen years of age, nearly
three years younger than Augusta herself, was ready to
do his duty. To carry on the family name. He currently
held one of his grandfather's lesser titles of baronet. He
was in line to take his father's title, Earl of Hampstead,
and when his grandfather expired, he would become
the Duke of Cubberleigh.

If Augusta understood correctly, he was most fortunate in finding a love match. But could Augusta claim
the same?

"Lady Augusta," Sir Samuel pleaded, imploring her
to give his troth proper consideration. As of yet she had
not answered, but all the same, he seemed to know her
doubts. "Tell me, is there truly no hope for me?"

"Sir Samuel .. "Augusta did not know how to phrase
her words. He had been devoted to her for so long, wishing and hoping that she might care for him above the
others. To be honest, she did not. "You have been the
most faithful, considerate, and amiable of the gentlemen.
You deserve so much better than- You need a lady who
adores you. I am not she"

"But I worship you!" he continued. "I could not hold
a female of my acquaintance in higher esteem"

"But I am afraid I do not feel the same" Augusta saw
the brightness in his eyes dim. "I am very sorry. You deserve so much more. You deserve to be happy, and I'm
sure one day you will find a wonderful woman. She will
feel respect and adoration for you as equally as you do
for her."

His head fell forward and she could not see his expression. Oh, how she did not wish to cause him pain. But
Augusta knew she could not accept his offer of marriage.

She smiled, trying her best to coax a smile from him.
"Please believe me. I think this is the best for both of
us" She nodded, renewed her effort to smile, and was
rewarded with his brightening expression.

"Perhaps next year ... if you should still wish to be
married." Sir Samuel straightened with the restored
hope. "I shall be seventeen by then"

"Your age does not concern me in the least. I simply
believe we are not meant to be married to one another."
She tried to bolster his confidence with, "You are very dear to me, and I should like to think of you as a great
friend. I, or either of my sisters, can rely upon you, for
both Charlotte and Muriel have only good accounts to
recommend you."

"Please tell me, is there someone else?"

"No, there is no one" And that was the truth. "The
house party has been an ill-conceived notion. I'm certain, as exceptional as the gentlemen are, I can honestly
say there is not one who has laid claim to my heart"

"I see" The sadness in his voice returned. "But you are
alone." His words sounded hollow, empty, just as she felt.

"I know," Augusta replied. She truly believed that being alone was far preferable to being with the wrong
person, with someone you did not love.

After parting from Sir Samuel, Augusta wound her
way into the maze and finally arrived in the center, feeling so very confused. She gazed up at the statue and
wished, truly wished, her mother were here.

Aunt Penny had been all that was loving and did a
wonderful job raising her sister's three daughters, but
through no fault of her own, their aunt was not their
mother.

Augusta sank onto the bench. At this moment, life
was very difficult. As delightful, exciting, and trying as
the house party had been, with fourteen eligible men in
attendance, Augusta had not managed to meet a single
man she wished to marry.

Emily and Lawrence Skeffington, how truly contented
they looked. It was wonderful they had found one another. Augusta looked forward to celebrating their engagement. How lucky for Emily. She deserved to be
happy in every way. As did her brother ... the thought of sitting at the same table with Richard and Olivia
Skeffington ...

Augusta did not think she could face them-

She froze when it suddenly dawned on her. Augusta
knew exactly ... But it could not be. She stood, as if
readying herself to run from the terrible truth that had
revealed itself.