A Brooding Christmas Promise (Christmas Matches of Worth #2)

Chapter Ten

“ What ?”

“Do quieten yourself!” Samuel exclaimed, as Lord Trenton stared at him, his eyes huge. “Yes, I did something foolish but now I must find a way to reverse that very thing. Can you not help me instead of practically shouting your astonishment to the very top of Whites?”

Lord Trenton said nothing for some moments, simply staring back at Samuel, not speaking a single word. His mouth opened and then closed again multiple times and Samuel, growing weary of this, eventually sighed and rolled his eyes, trying to hide his own embarrassment.

“It was only because Lady Grifford asked me to meet with her,” he muttered as Lord Trenton coughed and then shook his head again. “There was no forethought.”

“I cannot quite believe you did such a thing.” Lord Trenton shook his head again. “I thought you a good deal more sensible than that.”

Samuel scowled. “When it comes to Lady Grifford, it appears that I am nothing but a simpleton.”

Lord Trenton shook his head and let out a long breath. “My goodness, you have twisted yourself up into all manner of trouble, have you not?”

“Not intentionally.” Samuel rubbed one hand over his eyes, feeling them gritty and tired. “Miss Millerton was greatly upset, I should add. She did remarkably well in front of Lady Grifford so that the latter now believes that I am betrothed, just as was said, but thereafter, she became quite upset. Not that I am in the least bit surprised or upset by that, of course!” He winced as he recalled how her green eyes had sharpened, how there had been anger in her expression and in her voice. “I do not even know her very well and that is what I said? Goodness, looking back, I wonder how I ever thought to speak such nonsense.”

“Such serious nonsense,” his friend muttered, before snapping his fingers at a nearby footman so that there might be drinks brought. “Miss Millerton is the one who has already promised her aunt she will stay unwed, yes?”

“Her stepmother,” Samuel corrected, “but yes, that is she. Her father evidently requested it of her in his will and she has felt herself obliged to that.”

“Little wonder that she is upset, then. Other young ladies might have been quite delighted at the prospect and you would find yourself with the opposite problem.” He chuckled a little ruefully. “Mayhap you ought to be grateful, in a way!”

Seeing what he meant, Samuel nodded and then took the glass of brandy from the footman. “Perhaps. Though now I must think of what to do, for I cannot simply go to Lady Grifford and state that what I said was not the truth, for then that will give her the wrong impression.”

Lord Trenton’s expression grew suddenly serious. “Ah, indeed. She will think that either you were betrothed but have ended it because she has returned to London and is free to marry, or she will think that you are telling her the truth because you desire to connect with her again.”

“Precisely.”

“But then, if you do not say anything, there is the chance that Lady Grifford will do what you do not want her to do and will tell others around her that you are engaged.”

Samuel nodded, his heart sinking as he realized just how much difficulty he was in. There appeared to be no easy answer, no way to escape this. It was a mess he had made himself and with no simple way to set it all straight again.

“Though,” Lord Trenton continued, a little more slowly, “might this not have an advantage to it?”

With a frown, Samuel looked back at his friend. “An advantage?”

“Yes.” Lord Trenton’s expression brightened as he sat forward in his chair. “You have been eager for the ton to leave you alone, have you not? You want them to step back from you, not to push their daughters, sisters or nieces into your company, so why do you not continue on with this betrothal?”

Samuel blinked quickly, then shook his head. “I cannot. Miss Millerton does not want to be engaged… and I have already determined not to be either.” A little surprised at how little the thought of marrying Miss Millerton appeared to upset him, Samuel took another sip of his brandy. “That is not a solution.”

“Oh but it is!” Undaunted, Lord Trenton’s voice grew a little louder, his fervency increasing with every word. “If you convince Miss Millerton to continue on with this engagement, knowing that, at the end of her time in London, you will both mutually bring it to a close, then you will find yourself without the difficulty of Lady Grifford pursuing you and the ton seeking to press their interests upon you also!”

The idea was not as dreadful as Samuel had expected and, letting it sink into his mind a little more, he considered it silently for some minutes. Lord Trenton, now grinning, sat back in his chair and watched Samuel as he thought, clearly quite certain that what he had suggested was the very best solution to all of his difficulties.

“I would need to convince Miss Millerton to agree,” he said slowly, as Lord Trenton shrugged. “You think that it would be that easy?” A laugh broke from his lips. “I hardly think so. She was already upset with me for suggesting that to Lady Grifford, I cannot imagine that she will take well to the thought to the entirety of the beau monde being aware of it!”

“I am sure you could convince her,” Lord Trenton said, dismissing Samuel’s concerns with a few words. “All you need to do is ask.”

A little interested at how nonchalant his friend appeared to be – and how simple he thought the solution was – Samuel looked away and let his gaze rove around Whites. Yes, he considered, it would be very easy indeed for him to be engaged to Miss Millerton for a time and it would be an excellent thing also given what it would do to the ton and their expectations of him. For Miss Millerton, however, it would do precisely the opposite. She might find herself in yet more difficulty with Lady Foster and even her stepmother! What of her family? Would they understand what had happened? Would they accept that this pretense was justified or would there be an unhappiness about it all?

“All you can do is suggest it and see what she says,” Lord Trenton said again, as Samuel continued to think hard about what he ought to do. “Have you any other solution?”

Samuel scowled. “You know that I have not.”

“Then?”

Closing his eyes and letting out a long, slow breath, Samuel shook his head. “I do not want to suggest this to her, Trenton, not after how much I have already upset her but it seems that I have no choice.” Letting out a sigh, he swirled the remaining brandy in his glass, his heart heavier than it had been before. “I shall ask her if this engagement can continue until she returns home with the full expectation that she will refuse.”

“Excellent!” Lord Trenton beamed, his eyes gleaming with evident delight that Samuel had taken on his solution. “And if she refuses, then we shall meet again at Whites and come up with another solution. Though, however, I do not think that you will need to.” He chuckled. “I think she will agree.”

“We shall see,” Samuel muttered, doubtfully. “We shall have to wait and see.”

***

“Miss Millerton, thank you for letting me call on you.”

The lady nodded but did not smile, settling herself back into her seat. “You will not mind, I hope, if my sister sits with us?”

Samuel looked to Lady Hesterway who was, it seemed, entirely at a loss as to why this meeting was taking place, given the strange look she sent her sister.

“No, not in the least.” He managed a smile but then let it fade, looking back at Lady Hesterway. “Might I ask what you know of the situation?”

Alarm clouded her expression. “Situation?”

“At the ball last evening,” he continued, only for Lady Hesterway’s eyes to widen, a quiet gasp escaping her.

“Did something happen with Lady Foster? Something I did not know about?” She made to rise, evidently going to sit near her sister but Miss Millerton quickly shook her head, gesturing for her to sit down again.

“No, Lady Foster had nothing to do with this,” she said quickly, just as the tea tray was brought in. “Do not be alarmed.”

“It was all entirely my own doing,” Samuel said, waiting for the maid to depart the room and close the door before he continued. “I spoke hastily, making a situation a good deal worse than it needed to be and I confess, brought your sister into it.”

Lady Hesterway blinked, just as Miss Millerton rose to pour the tea. “I do not understand.”

Samuel closed his eyes briefly, feeling the knot of pain in his heart as he thought of Lady Grifford. “Last evening, I was surprised by an unexpected presence. Lady Grifford came to speak with me. As you might well be aware, Lady Hesterway, she was once my betrothed – well, almost my betrothed. I had every intention of marrying her.”

“Yes, I am aware of that story,” Lady Hesterway said, looking almost a little guilty as she glanced away from him. “I believe she wed Lord Grifford, a gentleman who was nothing but the very opposite of you.”

“You are quite correct there,” Samuel answered, not in the least bit surprised that she knew the details. “Lord Grifford was a rogue and a charlatan. Whether he believed himself truly in love with Lady Grifford, I do not know but he certainly convinced her to trust him.”

“Was?” Lady Hesterway looked confused, a line forming between her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Setting the teacup down in front of her sister, Miss Millerton spoke up. “Lady Grifford informed us that he had died. I believe that was one of the reasons she came to speak with Lord Crestwood.”

“Oh.” Lady Hesterway’s eyes flared. “Oh!”

“Yes, your thoughts turn the same way as my own,” Samuel answered, quietly. “However, given the shock of coming face to face with the lady who had caused me so much difficulty and then to hear of Lord Grifford’s passing, I found myself in a very strange frame of mind. The truth is, I was not certain what to think and even less certain as to what to say!” Resisting the desire to tug at his collar with one finger, Samuel looked to Miss Millerton. “When Lady Grifford asked to speak with me alone, when her desire began to wind its way towards me, I am afraid that I introduced Miss Millerton as my betrothed.”

Silence filled the room, ballooning outward as Lady Hesterway stared at him and Miss Millerton looked away, her cheeks pink. Samuel could not move nor find a single word to say, holding his breath as he waited for Lady Hesterway’s judgement to fall upon him.

“You told the lady that you were engaged to my sister?” Lady Hesterway’s whisper finally broke the silence but did not make Samuel feel any better, still uncertain as to what her reaction was to this statement.

“I did and I am sorry for it,” he said, putting one hand to his heart. “I did not think clearly. I was much too confused, afraid that Lady Grifford was attempting to insert herself back into my life when that was the very last thing that I wanted. In wishing to make that desire clear to her, I used Miss Millerton as an excuse and for that, I am truly sorry.”

Lady Hesterway blinked rapidly, only to then turn to her sister though, Samuel noticed, the edge of her lips did quirk just a little. “Charlotte? You did not say anything.”

“That is because I wanted you to hear the explanation rather than throw a thousand questions at me,” Miss Millerton replied, picking up her teacup. “Now, however, you must help us see what we are to do next, unless you have come with another solution, Lord Crestwood?”

Samuel licked his lips, his fingers twisting together as he held them in his lap. “It is not a solution, no, but rather a suggestion.”

“You are engaged to my sister?” Lady Hesterway exclaimed again, interrupting Samuel’s conversation with Miss Millerton. “Does the ton know as yet?”

“Not as yet, though I am certain they soon shall. Lord Crestwood here believes that Lady Grifford is not well enough known in society to spread such a story but I am not convinced.” Miss Millerton turned her sharp green eyes back towards him. “Well? What is it that you are thinking?”

Feeling his courage fail him, Samuel grasped a hold of what he had and spoke forcefully. “For us to continue. We will continue the betrothal until you return home, whereby I shall tell the ton that I was not worthy of you. The blame will fall on me and all will come to an end.”

For the second time that afternoon, silence held reign over the room. Lady Hesterway was, for whatever reason, smiling brightly as though this was the most wonderful thing she had ever heard, whereas Miss Millerton was slowly turning pale, her mouth in a small circle of utter astonishment.

“It is a favour I am asking of you, I know,” Samuel continued, a sense of shame beginning to wind through him. “Ever since Maria ended our connection and instead, eloped with Lord Grifford, I have found myself seeking solitude and refusing all manner of company… until this year. When Lord Trenton asked me to come to London to be a part of his festivities, something in me shifted. I wanted to attend, I wanted to be amongst society but I feared greatly the whispers and the gossip of the ton . I did not want to be scrutinized, I did not want to have various young ladies put under my nose for me to consider. I have been attempting to tell the beau monde that I have no interest in marrying but I do not think that it dissuades many. The whispers have persisted, as I knew they would but now there are those wondering if I am here in London again to seek for a wife.”

“And by engaging yourself to my sister, you would end that scrutiny and be able to enjoy all that the Christmas season has to offer you,” Lady Hesterway said slowly, that smile still on the edges of her lips. “I will not say that it is not a little selfish, Lord Crestwood but I can understand it.”

“As can I,” Miss Millerton said hastily, “but that does not mean that I need to accept the suggestion. Thank you, Lord Crestwood, but I – ”

“It is something that needs to be discussed and considered!” Lady Hesterway reached out, coming half out of her chair, to grasp her sister’s hand. “We cannot simply accept or refuse at this very moment, can we? There could be benefits for you also and –”

“I do not want to cause any difficulty. If Miss Millerton does not like the idea, then I will consider another way to end this charade before the whispers have even begun.”

Miss Millerton reached for her teacup again. “You could simply go to Lady Grifford and tell her the truth.”

Samuel nodded. “Yes, I could, though I fear what the consequences would be from that.” Shame bit at him and he dropped his gaze. “Though you must forgive me. I am speaking of things that do not concern you.”

Miss Millerton pressed her lips tightly together for a moment and then sighed. “You fear that Lady Grifford would think that your explanation was, instead, a desire to rekindle what you once had.”

“It is not your concern,” Samuel said again, refusing to answer the question. Instead, he got to his feet, a heaviness on his shoulder. “Forgive me, Miss Millerton. Had I not reacted as I did, had I given myself a little more thought, then I am certain I would never have involved you in such a thing as this. I am to blame and I must beg your forgiveness.”

Miss Millerton rose to her feet. “I will think about all that you have said, just as my sister has suggested, though I confess that my thoughts are not positive towards the idea as yet.”

Putting one hand to his heart, Samuel bowed low. “You are very good even to consider this, Miss Millerton.”

For the first time since he had sat down, Miss Millerton smiled and Samuel felt some of the ice which had formed between them begin to melt. Indeed, he had upset her and yet, despite that, she was still willing not only to listen but to consider what he had said while, it seemed, no longer holding anything against him. He shook his head, feeling himself deeply unworthy of such a remarkable lady.

“But of course. Might we speak again tomorrow, Lord Crestwood?

He nodded. “Are you to attend Lord and Lady Hickman’s soiree tomorrow evening?”

“We are, yes.”

“Then,” Samuel suggested, looking steadily at Miss Millerton, “might we speak there for a few minutes? Your sister will remain nearby, of course, for propriety’s sake.”

It took a few moments of silence but, eventually, Miss Millerton nodded. “I suppose that would be suitable. I will have made my decision by then.”

“Capital.” He cleared his throat, shifting one foot to the next. “I am also to have invitations sent out this afternoon. I would be very glad if you would all join me for a card party in three days hence.” So saying, he inclined his head and then made his way to the door, beads of sweat breaking out across his forehead. Swallowing hard, he hastened to the door, shivering as the icy draft rushed forth revealing the waiting carriage.

Will she accept? That question gnawed at him as he sat back in his carriage and it began to rattle across the London cobbles, wondering not only what it was Miss Millerton would give by her answer but also, why it was that he felt himself yearning for her to say yes.