Titania, of course, ploughed in with further questions, saving Eliza the trouble of finding the correct way to ask for further information.
“He is not a well-respected, gentleman, then?” Titania asked, eagerly. “I confess I know him very little.”
Lord Franks chuckled. “He is a remarkable gentleman, that is for certain,” he replied, easily. “Up to all sorts of things these last few years, although I will say that I am glad he has decided to settle down and pursue more…..important matters.” He smiled at Eliza who only just managed to smile back. She did not understand what any of them meant regarding Lord Montrose, beginning to wonder if they were speaking about an entirely different gentleman and had mixed him up in their minds with Lord Montrose. The gentleman she knew was not foolish, nor irresponsible. He was well-mannered, genteel and more than proper.
“I think we must take our leave of you now,” Titania said, dragging Eliza back to the present. “My sister is more than desperate to find a new book and I have promised her that we shall make it to the shop by the day’s end!” This was said with a twinkle in Titania’s eye and a light peal of laughter, which Miss Stapleton echoed.
“You shall never reach the bookshop if you continue to greet everyone you know, Miss Wells,” Lord Hollard replied, looking at Titania with a broad smile on his face. “Although I am very glad that you chose to stop and greet us.”
Eliza was surprised to see a slight dusting of pink rise in Titania’s cheeks at this remark, watching her younger sister take her leave of the two gentlemen and the young lady, before doing so herself. It was most unlike Titania to blush.
“That young fellow seems quite taken with you,” she commented, praying silently that this would be enough of a distraction to prevent Titania from discussing either Lord Avondale or what had been said about Lord Montrose. “How long have you been acquainted with him?”
Titania shrugged, not looking up at Eliza. “Not particularly long at all,” she replied, as though it did not matter. “He is very amiable, is he not?”
Eliza hesitated. “I cannot say, for I only spoke with him a short while,” she confessed. “Although if you find him so, then I am glad for you.”
Titania laughed and shook her head, although Eliza noted a slight sadness to her voice. “Lord Hollard is a much sought after gentleman, Eliza,” she stated, a hint of resignation in her voice. “He is rich and titled, handsome and kind in his character. I think he has a good many acquaintances, of which I am only one.”
“I see,” Eliza murmured, still a little surprised that her sister was so taken with the gentleman. “I do not think that such a thing puts you at a disadvantage, however. You are quite memorable in your own way, Titania.”
To her surprise, Titania looked up, nodded and then began to blink away her tears that had rapidly sprung into her eyes. She said nothing for some minutes but walked in silence, leaving Eliza questioning what she had said or done to upset her sister so.
“I did not mean to –”
“I am not upset, Eliza, with anything you have said,” Titania interrupted before Eliza could finish. “It is more that I find myself growing frustrated with my own thoughts, my own hopes and dreams.”
“Oh?”
Titania sighed heavily and tucked one red curl back under her bonnet. “I am fully aware that I can be overly loud, much too opinionated for someone of the gentler sex and, whilst I attempt to garner as much attention as I can, I am forever deciding against certain gentlemen simply because they do not fit the dream that I hold in my mind.”
Eliza was surprised, having never heard Titania speak so openly before. “I do not think that to have a dream about one’s future is an entirely bad thing, Titania.”
“It can become so, however,” Titania replied, firmly. “I fear that I often lack the sense and wisdom that you and Mama display with such ease.” She glanced up at Eliza, a rueful smile on her face. “Not that I should ever wish to become like Dinah, however.”
“No, indeed,” Eliza replied, seeing the hint of the smile on Titania’s face and knowing that Titania and Dinah did not have even the slightest friendship. “Although, if I may give you my opinion, Titania, I do think that Lord Hollard was a little taken with you.”
Titania scoffed at this, however. “I fear that Lord Hollard can be something of a rake,” she replied, shaking her head. “I think that he delights in the attention of others, that he seeks it out and revels in it instead of forcing himself to remain attentive to one particular lady. He will not settle down any time soon, I do not think. At times, I am quite angry with my reaction to his presence, to my eagerness to be in his company.” She glanced up at Eliza, a curious look in her eyes. “Although I do wonder what Lord Franks meant when he spoke of Lord Montrose.”
Groaning inwardly, Eliza pulled open the door of the bookshop and stepped inside, hoping that the quietness of the shop and the delight of hundreds of new titles to be explored would prevent her sister from asking her any further questions – but it was not to be so.
Even after they greeted the shopkeeper and began to quietly peruse some books, Titania’s determination to continue speaking on the subject became evident.
“Lord Montrose is not, mayhap, the gentleman you believed him to be?”
Eliza sighed. “I do not know of what they were speaking, Titania.” She gestured to the books. “But I am too busy to consider it at this present time.”
“But I am not,” Titania replied, rolling her eyes as tho
ugh Eliza was being quite ridiculous to put her books before thinking of Lord Montrose. “Come now, you cannot pretend you are not a little concerned about what was said?”
Eliza hesitated, turned towards Titania and sighed. “What is it you wish me to say, Titania? That I was surprised to hear what Lord Franks said about Lord Montrose?” She lifted one shoulder. “Indeed, I was more than surprised, for that is not the gentleman I know but, then again, I do not know him particularly well.” Turning back towards the books, she heard Titania sigh heavily.
“Shall you ask him?”
“Ask him what?” Eliza said, quietly, frowning at her sister. “Ask him if what Lord Franks said was true?”
Titania nodded eagerly. “What if he is a terrible rake and you have no knowledge of it? What then?”