The Unaccomplished Lady Eleanor (5 page)

Eleanor gasped loudly, completely taken aback at the old woman’s frankness. 
‘
I’m afraid that
will not be possible, Godmother. 
You see,
I have
absolutely
no wish to marry.
’

‘
No wish to marry?
’
repeated
Gertrude, wrinkling her
large nose
, with an angry pimple on the end of it
. 
‘
But if you do not marry then what on
earth
will you do?
’

‘
I shall return to the co
untry and carry on exactly as I was
,
’
replied Eleanor obdurately.

Felicit
y tossed back her ringlets
. 
‘
Good
l
ord
.  H
ow very tedious.  Why on earth one would wish to remai
n a spinster and bury oneself
in the country when there are so many balls and parties to attend is quite beyond me.  Personally I can think of nothing more boring,
’
she continued,
setting down her
glass on the
table in front of her. 
‘I cannot wait to be married with a
home of my own – a very large one of course.
’

‘
Oh yes,
’
piped up Gertrude
. 
‘
Felicity
was saying
only yesterday that Whitlock would suit her very
well indeed
, weren’t you, Felicity?
’

Eleanor turned her head to
wards
the trio just in time to see Lady Carmichael giving her youngest daughter an admonishing nudge in the ribs, whi
le her older sister flashed her
a censorious glare.

‘
What I
actually
said
,
Gertrude,
’ corrected Felicity, ‘
is that something about the
size
of Whi
tlock would be ideal.  I didn’t,
of course
,
mean Whitlock itself, Lady Ormiston,
’
she clarified with an
affected laugh.

The
dowager
rega
rded her with a look of
incredulity. 
‘
I should think not
. 
For that would mean you would have to marry-
’

She broke off
as the door was thrust open and all four heads swung
around
in unison to see the young man Eleanor had ‘met’ earlier, strutting confidently towards them.  Eleanor
’s
heart s
ank
to her feet
.  A
s if the wretched evening wasn’t bad enough.   The man came to stand in front of the fire, facing the small party. 

‘
Good evening, my ladies,
’
he said,
ignoring Eleanor and bowing deeply to La
dy Carmichael and her daughters. 
‘
And may I say how
beautiful
you are all looking
this evening
.
’

Eleanor rolled her eyes and began studying her fingernails, which
were
infinite
ly more interesting
.  Obviously not of the same opinion, Gertrude and Lady
Carmichael both flushed an
unattractive shade of
crimson
and giggled girlishly. 

‘
G
ood evening, Lord Prestonville,
’
cooed
Lady Carmichael. 
‘
I see you are looking as dashing as ever.
’

Clasping his hands behind his back, James inclined his head in acknowledgement of the compliment. 
‘
How very good of you to say so, my lady,
’
he replied - somewhat pomp
ously,
thought Eleanor. 
‘
And may I say how well that delightful shade of lemon suits you.
’

Gertrude and Lady Carmichael
commenced another bout of giggling
.  Amaze
d at their simpering behaviour
in front of the affected specimen
, Eleanor raised her eyes in order to examine him properly.  H
e looked well enough
,
she thought,
taki
ng in his shiny black hair,
dark
brown eyes framed by long lashes
,
and immaculate
evening
attire
topped off with a
n
elaborately set neck
-
cloth. 
But
how any woman could find someo
ne so conceited and arrogant
t
he least bit charming, was
beyond her.

The man turned his attention to Lady Ormiston. 
‘
Please
forgive the interruption, my dear Aunt,
’
he drawled
,
in his deep, well-modulated voice,
‘
however my plans for this evening ha
ve been changed rather abruptly. 
I wondered
, therefore,
if I might
have the pleasure of joining you lovely
ladies for dinner this evening
?
’

‘
O
f course, James,
’
replied
an obviously delighted
Lady Ormiston
.
 
‘
Stevens!
’
she roared, causing the entire party to jump again and Stevens to visibly quake in his buckled shoes.
‘
Set another
dinner
place for my nephew immediately.
’

‘
So, James,
’
twittered Lady Carmichael, whipping open her fan and fluttering it furiously,
‘
to what do we owe this unforeseen but most welcome pleasure?  Don’t tell me you are alre
ady bored with the Season? 
I should have thought there were any
number of young ladies
at functions
acros
s London this evening
desperate to set eyes on the Marquis of Rothwell.
’

A knowing smile spread across James’s face, as he raised his brows in mock innocence. 
‘
Why,
Lady Carmichael,
’
he replied, tuggin
g down the ends of his cravat, ‘I have
absolutely no idea from where this ridiculous preconception of my popularity with the fairer sex emanates.
’

Lady Ormiston took a
slug of brandy. 
‘
I would think, dear nephew,
that
it emanates from
the
fact that you are one of England
’s
most eligible, handsome bachelors and that there has already been a mountain of caps set at you this Season.  No
t just by the young chits
, but by t
heir prowling, ambitious m
other
s
who are desperately hoping you’ll be casting your eye in the direction of their simpering daughters.  Am I correct
,
or am I not, Cynthia?
’

‘
Oh, I’m, e
r
,
sure you are, Lady Ormiston,
’
flustered a blushing
Lady Carmichael
.

‘
And let’s not forget
,
James,
’
continued Lady Ormiston,
‘
that
once t
his dreadful
‘
title
’
business
is sorted
out
, you will also be one of the
richest
bachelors in England
.
’

Lady Carmichael cleared her throat. 
‘
M
ay I
, um,
ask what the latest situation is regarding the
‘
title
’
business
, Lady Ormiston?
’

‘
Indeed you may not,
Cynthia,
’
replied the
dowager
stoutly.
‘
Our solicitors have recommended we do not speak of the matter until it is
concluded
and I wholeheartedl
y agree with them.  W
e all know only too well how much the gossips would love to find out all the intimate details and then twist and turn them for their own entertainment.  Am I correct or am I not, Cynthia?
’

The flush in Lady Carmichael’s cheeks deepened. 
‘
Well,
I have no doubt you
, um,
are, Lady Ormiston,
’
she muttered, shifting awkwardly in her seat.

‘
Anyway,
’
cut in James, lightening the tone,
‘
enough of boring legal matters.  Now tell me, what were you charming ladies discussing before I so rudely interrupted you?
’

‘
Oh,
’
rasped Gertrude
,
‘
we were discussing marriage, my lord
. 
Lady Eleanor was just telling us how she has no wish to marry.
’

James lifted his brows as he turned to Eleanor. 
‘
Was she indeed?
’ he remarked, with a sardonic glint in his eyes.  ‘
T
hen may I recommend we keep such devastating news to ourselves
?
  After all,
’
he continued, deliberately moving his dark gaze to the stains on the front of her gown, from which, thanks to the heat of th
e fire, a little steam was now rising
,
‘
we would not wish to disappoint the great number of gentlemen who have been eagerly awai
ting the arrival of such a …
sophisticated
and …
highly accomplished
young lady.
’

The
sarcasm in his tone was lost on neither
Felicity nor Eleanor as Felicity
released a rude snort of laughter and
Eleanor
threw him a contemptuous glare. 

Lady Carmichael’s fan fluttering increased
in speed
. 
‘
And what of you, James
?
 
How do you feel
on the subject of
marriage?
’

James threw her a disarming smile.
  ‘
I
think
it is a most delightful
institution,
’
he replied smoothly.

‘
Oh
,
’ she cooed, her small blue eyes shining brightly.  ‘S
o does that mean that you yourself may be considering entering into such a delightful institution soon?  After all, James, I would consider eight-and-twenty to be the ideal age for a gentleman to marry.
’

James pulled a rueful face. 
‘
Alas,
my dear lady,’ he sighed wistfully, ‘
as ideal as my age may be, I can state most definitively th
at I have no plans to become
shackl
ed for the foreseeable future.
’

‘
But perhaps,
’
added Lady Carmichael optimistically,
‘
should you meet the right young lady, then you may change-
’

A sudden knock at the door caused her to break off as all attention was diverted towards Giles, entering the room bearing a silver salver upon which rested a single white envelope.

‘
Forgive the interruption, my lord,
’
said the butler, bowing his head,
‘
but
an urgent note has just been delivered for you.
’