Lady Callander let out a small squeal, her hands pressed tightly to her lips for moment. She took in a long breath, set her shoulders and put her hands in her lap. “I believe that Lord Franks might very well be thinking of something of a more enduring nature when it comes to you, my dear friend.”
Carolyn did not immediately understand what her friend meant by such a remark, frowning hard only for her eyes to flare wide as a gasp of shock caught her frame. Her hands flew to her mouth as her friend laughed gently, but Carolyn found nothing but shock rippling through her.
“You cannot mean…..” She could not get the words from her lips, could not find a way to speak of what she believed Lady Callander meant.
“I am sure he intends to seek your hand in marriage, given his eagerness to speak to your brother,” Lady Callander said, getting up and coming over to embrace Carolyn, who sat frozen in her chair. “What else could explain it?”
Carolyn swallowed hard, a lump in her throat. “It cannot be that,” she said, hoarsely, as Lady Callander laughed and shook her head. “We are only just acquainted.”
Lady Callander waved a hand and sat back down in her chair. “But that makes no difference to many gentlemen,” she said, as though Carolyn ought to already be aware of this. “They might find a lady that they deem suitable through only one or two meetings, and then decide to propose,” she said calmly. “If you are from a good family and have a decent dowry then that might be all that Lord Franks requires. He might consider your character to suit him quite adequately and, given that he will require an heir, he cannot perhaps afford to take a good deal of time in such matters.”
Carolyn closed her eyes tightly, not quite sure what to make of all that was being said. This was more than astonishing, it was quite overwhelming. Yes, she had wanted to have gentlemen calling upon her, walking with her, dancing with her, but she had never once expected a gentleman to want to marry her so quickly!
You cannot refuse him.
Those words rang around her mind with such force that it brought an ache to Carolyn’s head. Rubbing at her forehead, she let out a long breath, opened her eyes and looked up at her friend.
“Then I suppose I must prepare myself for traveling to Scotland,” she said, not revealing to Lady Callander just how fearful that made her. “How very odd that I shall be so far away from all that I know and hold dear.”
Lady Callander’s smile became compassionate. “But you will have your own home and be mistress of it,” she said, quickly. “There will be more for you there than you could ever have here.”
Carolyn nodded and tried to smile. “Of course,” she said, trying to force herself to appear cheerful. “You are quite correct, Bridgette. I thank you for your wise counsel.”
Lady Callander got up out of her chair again to embrace Carolyn once more, clearly aware now that Carolyn had been very much surprised to hear what she had said. “You will be very happy indeed, I am sure of it,” she told Carolyn, who nodded quickly, feeling the lump return to her throat. “Lord Franks is known to have a good character. I am sure you will be quite contented as Lady Franks.”
“Lady Franks,” Carolyn repeated, finding the name bitter on her tongue and wincing inwardly as she smiled at Lady Callander. “Yes, indeed. I am sure I shall be very contented indeed.”
Chapter Five
This was now the second visit he had made to Miss Hemmingway in two days. Taking his leave of her, Robert reflected on how different she had appeared today. Rather than being the bold, forward young lady that he had expected, she had been much more reserved, looking at him with large eyes as though she was waiting for him to say something of great importance.
Shaking his head to himself, he quickly took his leave and walked smartly through the front door. Miss Hemmingway, he found, was something of a mystery. One moment, she was bold and unexpected, whereas the next, she was quiet and reserved. He could not work out what made the difference and found himself rather irritated that he was spending far too much time thinking of her and allowing his thoughts to run towards her.
“Ah, there you are.”
He looked up, seeing Lord Millerton coming towards him, but hurried his steps so that he would round the corner, entirely out of sight of Miss Hemmingway’s home. “Millerton,” he said, greeting the fellow. “Are you prepared?”
Lord Millerton, who had been eager to help Robert with the next stage of his plan, nodded quickly.
“How is your shoulder?”
“Almost recovered completely,” Lord Millerton replied, which Robert was quite certain was not at all the truth. “But I am more than able to provide a distraction.” His eyes lifted towards the house where Robert had just come from. “And you are sure Lord Hamilton is not at home?”
Robert nodded, wincing inwardly as he remembered just how much of a cake he had made of himself the first time he had called upon Miss Hemmingway. Instead of being focused on Miss Hemmingway, he had allowed himself to become entirely distracted by the thoughts about Lord Hamilton’s whereabouts. On top of this, of course, he had found himself almost a little nervous about calling upon a lady, given that he had not needed to do so for some time and thus had been very poorly prepared for it. His recent engagement—the one that had ended without explanation—had not required him to do a good deal of conversing or the like, for the match had been made without too much effort on his part. He had spoken to his betrothed at length, of course, but there had never been that awkward tension that he had felt with Miss Hemmingway. Thankfully, however, Robert felt as though he had managed to bring things to rights in the end of his first visit and his second visit had been better than the first—even if Miss Hemmingway had been rather quiet.
“You are sur
e?”
A trifle irritated, Robert sent a sharp look in Lord Millerton’s direction. The young man was a fairly new addition to The King’s League and whilst he could not blame him for being rather overeager, he certainly did not appreciate being questioned in any way. He had thought this out very carefully indeed, and whilst he would have preferred to make his way to Lord Hamilton’s rooms and searched for the handkerchief there, he knew very well he would have far too much difficulty climbing the staircase and stealing inside the bedroom before returning to the front door again. Therefore, he had decided that a quick search of Lord Hamilton’s study would be the most suitable and feasible thing to do.
“I am sure Lord Hamilton is absent from the house,” he said, rather pointedly. “Now, if you would…..?” He gestured towards the house, waiting until Lord Millerton had begun to walk towards it, before joining him and painting an expression of grave concern on his face.
Lord Millerton immediately began to sway, his face stating that he was evidently in quite a good deal of pain.
“Good gracious!” Robert exclaimed loudly, seeing one or two passers by looking at him. “Are you quite well, Lord Millerton?”
Lord Millerton let out a loud groan, making it plain that he was not at all well. Looking all about him as though in desperation, Robert led Lord Millerton carefully up the stone steps he himself had only just come away from some minutes ago, rapping smartly on the front door.