She laughed and the tension that had been swirling between them washed away in a moment. “You have not proved yourself to me yet, Lord Weston,” she said, with a hint of teasing in her voice. “But nor have I.” Her smile softened, and she looked at him again. “Thank you, Lord Weston.”
“I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Wells,” he replied honestly, smiling back at her before she turned away to re-join her mother.
“You seemed greatly caught up in your conversation with that plain creature.”
Lady Reid’s voice caught Thomas’s ears, her voice loud enough for Miss Wells to hear. Thomas had not known that she had drawn near to him, recalling how Miss Wells’ gaze had been drawn to something over his shoulder. Miss Wells clearly heard Lady Reid’s words for her back stiffened and her steps faltered for a moment – and Thomas felt himself tense.
“I would not call her plain,” he replied, a trifle more loudly than Lady Reid. “Her eyes, for example, are remarkably beautiful.” He kept his gaze upon Miss Wells as he spoke, seeing her throwing a quick glance over her shoulder as she looked back at both himself and Lady Reid. Her cheeks were bright red, and she turned away quickly, hurrying to her mother’s side and leaving Thomas battling with his anger.
“Your tongue can be more than cutting, Lady Reid,” he told the lady, turning back to face her. “There was no need for such a remark.”
Lady Reid’s delicate brows rose. “Are you defending such a lady?” she asked, sounding more than a little surprised. “She is not the sort of young lady you often seek out for your company, Lord Weston.”
Thomas shook his head, remembering that he was meant to be courting Miss Wells out of nothing more than winning a wager and that Lady Reid could be a much greater conquest than Miss Wells. Why did he feel so angry over Lady Reid’s harsh words to Miss Wells? Miss Wells was meant to mean nothing to him, for he was meant to be feigning his interest in her, was he not?
“You have a kind heart underneath all of your grandeur and bluster,” Lady Reid continued, now sounding rather mirthful. “You hide it well, Lord Weston, I must admit.”
Pushing aside his desire to state that he was speaking in such a way in order to defend Miss Wells as best he could, Thomas simply gave Lady Reid a rueful smile and tried to return to his playful, jovial appearance that he had so often held. It was more difficult to return to than ever before, for a vision of Miss Wells and her reddened cheeks kept nudging at his heart, making his anger continue to flare.
“Come, Lady Reid,” he said, offering her his arm and seeing her accept it at once, a thin smile on her face as though she knew she had succeeded in this matter. “We should return to your friends. I have not spoken to them as yet.”
“That is because you were so eager to speak to Miss Wells that you practically ran from my side,” Lady Reid replied tartly. “Might I ask what was of such urgency that you could not resist going to her?”
His mind began to whirl with responses, trying to find a good excuse that would satisfy Lady Reid.
“I-I am acquainted to her brother and sought to discover whether he was to come to London this Season,” he replied, lying quickly and easily. “It seems he is not however.”
Lady Reid threw up an interested glance. “Her brother?” she replied. “The newly titled Lord Whitehaven, I believe.”
“Indeed,” Thomas answered, aware that should she question him further, he would have no answer as to the character nor even the description of the gentleman’s features, for he had never once met the fellow. “However, as I have said, it seems he is not to attend the Season this year.” Silently, he prayed that such a thing would not occur, for then Lady Reid might become suspicious of him and his reasons for seeking out Miss Wells. “There is nothing to concern yourself with there, Lady Reid.”
She laughed then, a slight tinge of mockery to the sound that set Thomas’s teeth on edge.
“I hardly think I should concern myself with someone as plain and as uninteresting as Miss Wells,” she replied, her arrogance once more showing its face. “But I thank you for your concern, Lord Weston.” Her hand tightened on his arm, as if she could see the displeasure that he was battling so hard to hide. “Come now, let us enjoy the rest of the afternoon with no more talk of this creature.”
Thomas’s smile was tight, but he placed it upon his lips anyway. The urge to come to Miss Wells’ defense still rattled around within him, but he pushed it aside with an effort. The only thing he needed to do was concentrate on Lady Reid. Miss Wells would not mean anything to him in the long term, whereas an arrangement with Lady Reid could last a good deal of time and would be most satisfactory.
The only thing that that held him back from feeling satisfaction at the present moment, however, was the realization that he was now looking forward to meeting with and walking with Miss Wells whenever he could arrange it. In fact, he realized, his smile slowly fading, he was looking forward to it a great deal more than he had been in walking with Lady Reid.
What was happening to him?
Chapter Ten
“You have a letter, Merry.”
Merry got to her feet at once, reaching to grasp the letter from her sister’s hand as a flurry of expectation brushed over her.
“Something you have been expecting, mayhap?” Catherine asked with a small sidelong glance, as she moved to sit by the small fire in the grate, for the day was not particularly warm.
Looking down at the letter, Merry ignored the glance and turned to sit in the window seat, her heart fluttering a little. Was this letter from Lord Weston? She could not forget how he had hurried towards her in the park only yesterday, for she had seen the urgency of his steps and the eager expression on his face as he had done so. What had made it all the more interesting was that he had been walking with Lady Reid at the time and had left her side in order to come towards her. Lady Reid had appeared to be quite disgruntled, for she had begun to approach Lord Weston soon after he had begun to speak to Merry herself but, surprisingly, Merry had not felt any jealously nor irritation towards either Lady Reid or Lord Weston. Instead, she had felt herself aglow with pleasure at Lord Weston’s willingness to not only speak to her but also to listen to her apology. He had been very gracious and considerate – gentle, in fact, in his manner towards her. It was markedly different to the first time they had met, and Merry found herself beginning to be inclined towards him. That was why she had accepted his request to call upon her and walk with her in the park one day soon.
And mayhap this letter was to arrange such an invitation.
Catching her breath, Merry told herself quietly to quell her excitement before breaking open the seal. Unfolding it quickly, she spread it out and began to read.
‘My dear Miss Wells,’ the letter began. ‘I must apologize profusely for any embarrassment that was caused by Lady Reid’s unfair words yesterday afternoon. I must also hope that you have not set your mind against me because of it, for I would be grievously disappointed if that was to occur.’