The Truth about the Earl (Whispers of the Ton #1)

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

“ W e shall have to make our way after them, Lady Essington. Do be careful.”

“Norah, please.” Swallowing against the tightness in her throat, she tried to smile as Lady Gillingham looked over at her. “If we are to be in such a situation, I would think that familiarity is expected!”

Lady Gillingham smiled, which knocked hard against the anxiety that currently flooded Norah’s frame. “But of course. Come. You need not look so fearful! All we are doing is stepping out into the gardens and seeing precisely what Lord Jennings is attempting, given that he has walked out with Miss Longford without her chaperone.”

Norah frowned. “We do not want to ruin the young lady’s reputation, however, surely?”

“No, indeed not! Oftentimes, a young lady will behave foolishly and I am certainly reluctant to place all such blame on a gentleman’s shoulders but, in this case, Lord Jennings is well known to be a gentleman eager to steal affection from whatever young lady he can!”

Norah’s stomach knotted. “I see.”

“Therefore, we will walk out discreetly and make certain that Miss Longford is quite safe and given every opportunity to escape his company without any grave difficulty.” Putting one hand on Norah’s arm, Lady Gillingham looked into her face, a seriousness pulling her brows low over her eyes. “In all things, you must be discreet. Yes, I have been writing such news with a false name but that does not mean I have not had to be careful. If I was not, then someone might easily have connected what I wrote about with my presence there on a particular occasion.”

Nodding, Norah tried to smile but her nerves were stretched so thin, it was an impossibility. “I understand.”

“Good. Then come.”

Following after Lady Gillingham, she held one hand pressed lightly to her stomach in an attempt to push away some of her swirling anxiety. Noticing how Lady Gillingham walked quickly while at the same time keeping as close to the shadows in the room as she possibly could, Norah attempted to do the same. Yes, she garnered one or two glances from two particular gentlemen who were standing nearby but neither of them let their gazes linger for long. Their looks merely brushed over her and were gone, telling Norah she would not be remembered by either of them come the morning.

Stepping out into the gardens, Norah let the cool evening air brush against her hot cheeks as she took in a long breath. Lady Gillingham walked with the confidence of someone who had done such a thing many times before whilst Norah was busy looking in all directions, a little afraid that she would be noticed.

“I should return to my mother.”

The plaintive voice of someone Norah presumed to be Miss Longford reached Norah’s ears and, in an instant, her anxiety and fears shattered, being chased away by the horrifying realization that the young lady was being kept away from the ball by Lord Jennings.

Norah’s brows drew together as she followed after Lady Gillingham, who was beckoning her to the left. The garden path became hidden in the darkness of the evening, although Norah could just make out the great wall of roses that stood just before them.

“There is no need, Miss Longford! Why do you look so frightened?”

Her stomach twisted and she made to step forward, only for Lady Gillingham to catch her hand and shake her head. A little confused as to why they would not intervene immediately, Norah forcibly held herself back, trusting Lady Gillingham’s judgment.

“I wish you to release my hand, Lord Jennings.” Miss Longford’s voice was wobbling. “I should not have allowed you to lead me out of doors.”

Lord Jennings laughed and Norah’s hand curled up tightly. “But now that you are outside with me, Miss Longford, why do we not take advantage of the solitude?”

“Because I do not wish to!” Miss Longford exclaimed aloud and Norah stepped forward, just as Lady Gillingham grabbed her wrist, tugging her back toward herself a little more. Anger piled into Norah’s veins but Lady Gillingham shook her head firmly, looped one arm through Norah’s, and then spoke in a loud voice.

“I am sure the roses were over here somewhere. I believe I can smell them!”

Norah blinked, confused by Lady Gillingham’s actions.

“Can you not smell them? They must be nearby. Oh, if only we had a lantern, then I am certain we would enjoy the sight of them as well as the smell.” Tugging Norah closer for a moment, Lady Gillingham whispered into her ear, helping her to understand.

“We cannot simply make ourselves known. It is a little too risky, for then Miss Longford would be afraid that we would ruin her, and Lord Jennings would know of our faces. It is best he does not know he has been overheard.”

“But Miss Longford –”

“Will have returned to the ballroom, I am sure. Lord Jennings will have been startled and allowed her free. We can go to make certain very soon.”

A little more satisfied, Norah, nodded. Walking a little more quickly alongside Lady Gillingham, she let out a quiet exclamation of satisfaction.

“Ah, here we are.”

“Of course. How lovely they must be in the daylight.”

They continued in this vein for a few more moments before Lady Gillingham suggested that they walk back to the ball. Norah tried not to hurry her steps as they returned, letting out a breath of relief as she saw Miss Longford now standing by her mother – although her mother was speaking rapidly and with fierce anger in her eyes that could not be mistaken for anything else. Evidently, she had been upset with her daughter’s absence.

“Well done, Norah. You have done very well.”

“I am only sorry that we did not say anything to Lord Jennings. I am sure he would have been most embarrassed.”

Lady Gillingham laughed softly and shook her head. “You are mistaken in that, I am afraid. He would have merely laughed and then continued with whichever young lady he considered to be of interest to him next! However, with our article, the ton will know of his actions and will be very wary when it comes to permitting him conversation and company with their daughters or sisters.”

This sent a warm wave of satisfaction over Norah’s heart and she smiled. “I find myself a good deal of contentment with that, Lady Gillingham.”

“And we do not need to inform anyone of the young lady’s name nor her part in all of this.”

Norah nodded. “I quite agree. Miss Longford was a little foolish to depart with him as she did but I do not think she thought he would lead her out of doors.”

“And once one is out-of-doors, it can be very difficult to return. Without a chaperone or companion, eyebrows could be raised or even a lady walking alone could be easily noticed. This is the best way for us to make certain that Lord Jennings does not continue to behave in such a manner again.”

With a newfound sense of resolve, Norah drew in a long breath, set her shoulders, and spread her hands. “Then I must ask when we are to write this piece, Lady Gillingham, for I find myself very eager indeed!”

Lady Gillingham laughed, although her eyes were bright with both happiness and hope. “Tomorrow?” she asked, as Norah smiled her agreement. “I shall call upon you as early as is convenient.”

“As early as you wish, Lady Gillingham,” Norah replied, firmly. “I find myself very eager to write of this just as soon as we are able.”

Lady Gillingham smiled. “I am very glad to hear it,” she answered warmly. “Then I shall come tomorrow to write with you, as early as I can manage.”

Looking down at the paper, Norah smiled, sighed, and set her quill down. “There. It is done.”

She tried to ignore the four other scrunched-up pieces of paper that she had thrown across her writing desk as Lady Gillingham laughed and shook her head at Norah’s determination to write both distinctly and with as much clarity as she could manage.

“You have done very well, Norah. I think this is an excellent piece.”

Norah wrinkled her nose as she read over it again one final time. “I am certain I shall become a little more adept with every piece I write.”

“This is quite perfect, just as it is, I assure you.” Lady Gillingham’s hand settled on Norah’s arm. “For whatever reason, I could tell that you were the right person to take over this from me. I think this has proven to me that I was quite correct!”

Norah smiled, pulling her eyes away from the paper for if she read it again, she was quite sure she would find something to be displeased about and would attempt to write it out for what would be the fifth time! “I thank you.”

“Now, you are to fold it up and seal it just as you usually would, although I would not press your seal into the wax.”

“Oh?”

“It is to make certain that no one can identify your letter,” Lady Gillingham explained. “If it is known that you are sending special letters to the newspaper, then the ton would be most intrigued and then greatly displeased, I should think. I would also advise sending a different boy with your letter each time or paying one of the ragamuffins on the street to take it for you. They are easily trusted so long as you withhold the coin until after they have returned from their errand.”

Norah took careful note of each of these suggestions in her mind so that she would not forget them. The severity of what it would mean should she be discovered suddenly thrust itself upon her shoulders and she caught her breath, looking down at the letter as though for the first time.

“Are you quite all right?”

The memory of Lord Jennings coercing the young lady to stay with him rather than returning her to the ballroom as she had requested burned in Norah’s mind.

“Yes, I am quite all right.” Setting her jaw, she folded up the letter and then dripped a little hot wax onto the fold. “Thank you for all of your advice, Lady Gillingham. I do hope I can do just as well as you have done.”

“I am sure you will do even better,” came the reply. “Come, let us have your letter sent, and come the morrow, you will find your first article written in the London Chronicle Society pages – and all of London will know that Lord Jennings is not a gentleman to be trusted.”

Norah set her shoulders and rose to her feet, making her way across the room so that she might ring the bell. “Indeed,” she replied, emphatically. “This is for a good purpose and I am very glad indeed to have been given the opportunity to do so.”

Walking through the park, Norah took in a deep breath and smiled to herself. After her confusion over whether or not she ought to take on the task of writing as Mrs. Fullerton, she was now much more at peace. Her first article had been printed in the newspaper only yesterday, and she was very pleased with it. Whether or not the ton would find it so enjoyable was quite another thing, however, but as yet, Norah had not had an opportunity to speak to anyone.

Keeping her face tilted away from the sun, Norah smiled and nodded at two older ladies who walked past her, arm in arm. They did not stop to converse given that they were already deep in conversation but Norah did not mind. She was quite contented to walk alone.

There is such freedom in walking so. The thought made her smile all the more. When she had been in London as a debutante, there had barely been a moment when she was allowed to be alone – and she certainly never would have been permitted to walk in the park without a chaperone! Her mother had been the very best of ladies, making certain that Norah was always presented properly and that there was never anything to be questioned about her. That had been just as Norah had expected but there had come with it a sense of restriction that she had sometimes struggled against. Her whole life had been set out for her. Her father had decided she was to wed his old friend, Lord Essington, and despite Norah’s protests – and her mother’s upset – the marriage had gone ahead. She had never really had an opportunity to build friendships with other young ladies, to be courted by the various gentlemen of the ton nor found any real enjoyment from the Season. It had all been outside of her control.

But now, there was nothing to prevent her from doing what she wished whenever she wished to do it! The smile on her face broadened as she tipped her head back toward the sunshine, heedless as to the effect it might have on her skin or the dangers of freckles appearing. No longer did she have to worry about keeping her skin pale and without blemish! Now all that concerned her was whether or not she would have enough coin to keep her in comfort for the remainder of the year – but with her writings for the newspaper, Norah had very little to concern herself in that regard any longer.

“Good afternoon, Lady Essington! You look to be in fine spirits this morning.”

Norah stopped abruptly, having been so lost in thought that she had not noticed a lady and her two daughters approaching. Quickly trying to recall their names having only been introduced to them last evening, Norah smiled brightly whilst her mind flung itself around in an attempt to remember who they were.

“Good afternoon. Yes, you find me in excellent spirits this morning, Lady Woodley.” A flood of relief coursed through her veins, letting her smile grow all the more. Now all I need to do is recall the names of her daughters!

“I am very glad. My two girls are a little fatigued after last evening but I have warned them that a thing is to be expected!”

“Indeed it is.” Norah gave them both a warm smile and the two young ladies smiled back at her, although she did note the light blue smudges under their eyes. “I always think that if one can look back on an evening with delight then it is worth the weariness that comes the following morning!”

The two girls exchanged a glance and then let out a giggle which made their mother smile.

“You are very good to say so, Lady Essington. Although did you hear the news about Lord Jennings?” Her smile faded and her eyes rounded as she leaned closer to Norah, as if she were to impart a very great secret. “It was in the society pages this morning.”

Norah, who obviously knew everything that had been said of Lord Jennings given that she had been the only one to witness it, kept her face impassive. “Is there something wrong?”

“Oh yes, indeed, Lady Essington! I have told both my girls that they are to stay far from him and I would beg for you to do the same. There is no saying which sort of young lady he might pursue next – and a widowed lady of the ton such as yourself might well be a consideration!”

Reminding herself that she was to pretend she did not know anything to do with Lord Jennings, Norah widened her eyes slightly. “Is Lord Jennings not a respectable gentleman, then?”

“He attempted to ruin the reputation of…some young lady. I do not know her name but the writer was very clear in what she stated about the gentleman.”

“Goodness!” Norah pressed one hand to her heart and Lady Woodley shook her head in the most solemn fashion. “And can such a writer be trusted?” This was her opportunity to make certain that ‘Mrs. Fullerton’ had a trustworthy reputation and from the way Lady Woodley was nodding fervently, it seemed that it was so.

“Mrs. Fullerton – whoever she may be, for there is no such lady in society – has written time and again about such things and has always been proven correct. I said to both my girls that they are not to speak to Lord Jennings and certainly should never accept a dance from him. I am horrified to hear he would not let that young lady free so she might return to her chaperone, just as she ought! What sort of despicable gentleman must he be?”

Norah nodded fervently, seeing the two young ladies now glancing at each other. There was a slight paleness to their cheeks which she had not noticed before, but now Norah wondered if it came from the fierceness of their mother’s determination for them not to go near to Lord Jennings.

“I am sure you will both stay far from Lord Jennings.” Smiling as warmly as she could, Norah almost dropped with relief when their title flew into her mind. “Miss Steepleton and Miss Steepleton,” she looked at them each in turn, “you must be on your guard. It is a little disheartening to hear, certainly, but there are more gentlemen of Lord Jennings’s ilk within London. You must be always very careful indeed.”

They both promised they would do so as they nodded, their eyes a little wider than before. Norah did not regret speaking so bluntly. It would be good for them to think about what she had said and take it to heart.

“Make sure you heed Lady Essington.” Lady Woodley’s finger waggled up and down and both her daughters nodded fervently again. “Thank you, Lady Essington. You have been very helpful.”

In more ways than you could know. Norah thanked them and took her leave, her smile even brighter than before. To know she had done some good in writing her article brought her a great sense of purpose and joy and for that, she was very grateful indeed. With this newfound freedom and intention, Norah considered that the remainder of the Season would go very well indeed.