Letitia giggled behind her fan. The moment he had arrived home after he acquired permission from Evan to court Augusta, Benedict had gone in search of his mother and sister to tell them the news. He could still remember the excited look on their faces when he told them who it was that he was courting.
“I cannot wait to see her again and be formally introduced,” Letitia said, rocking on her feet as, just like him, she scanned the faces in the ballroom.
Benedict did one last sweep of the ballroom. He had hoped to formally introduce her to his mother and sister. However, now that she was absent, he did not know whether she had opted out from attending the ball or was simply somewhere else but he could not find her.
He looked around for her family, spotting Lady Nancy dancing with an older gentleman he’d often seen around but wasn’t quite an acquaintance of.
Seeing her confirmed what he already suspected. Augusta was at the ball but as her reputation alluded, she was likely off somewhere, saving an unsuspecting lady from the hands of a rake.
“Oh, she is such a curious one. I cannot understand why she continues to court trouble with her actions, however noble they may be.”
Benedict’s steps slowed when he heard those words. There was only one person he knew that fit that description.Has she been involved in any heroism today?
“She has made it her mission to prevent the rakes from hurting any debutante. There are so many speculations as to her reason behind it but none worth mentioning. I also heard them say that she refuses to allow herself be linked to any man, and as such she refuses all callers.”
“Oh dear. Do you think she was hurt by someone?”
Benedict turned away from them. There was not much to learn from their conversation, much to his disappointment. These debutantes, just like him, knew nothing about the reason for her actions.
Just as he turned away to focus on his sister, a familiar face caught his attention. Benedict smiled as he approached.
“Matthew?” he called. The Earl of Lowstones turned, his eyes wide as he regarded Benedict.
“Benedict, what are you doing here?” he questioned in a shocked tone. “You are the last person I expected to see at a gathering like this, especially at a time like this.”
Benedict exhaled. “I wish I did not have to, but it is my sister’s first season and I wanted to be present for it.”
“Oh, has she come of age already? I did not realize that she had aged so quickly,” he said, smiling fondly.
The earl and Benedict had grown up in the same environment, seeing each other often. They had soon become fast friends, often inviting the other into their homes.
“Yes, she has. Mama is here too,” he said. “Perhaps you could come say your greetings to them later.”
“Certainly,” he nodded.
“So, tell me, dear friend. How was your trip to India? Was it all you hoped it would be?” Benedict asked.
“Oh, it was absolutely incredible. The people are far more welcoming and they do not judge you as much as the English do. I was free to be myself, unrestricted because they welcomed me as themselves too. And do not get me started on their food and tea. I do believe they put England to shame,” he said excitedly.
“The only thing that cut my stay shorter was the dratted weather. It was so bloody hot for this Englishman that I was happy to be seen off by the time we had to leave,” he laughed at himself.
“I am glad that you enjoyed your time. I hope your work did not suffer as a result of all the pleasure you experienced there?” he asked, looking around the crowd once again.
He frowned. He had tried to refrain from looking for her again but it did not seem like that was to be a possibility. She worried him with her actions. The last thing he wanted was for her to anger the wrong man and live to regret it.
“My work was the first thing on my mind by the time I finished receiving their welcome. How else was I supposed to have fun if my work kept me feeling guilty?” Matthew paused, his mouth opening over and over again. “I did notice that you have been looking around since we began to talk. I would be offended if I did not know the predicament you faced.”
“I apologize for my distraction, my friend. My mind is otherwise occupied. There is someone I have been hoping to see all evening but I haven’t quite found her yet,” he said, unable to stop himself from taking another cursory glance.
“Ah, I see. I did hear that she would be attending this season. I cannot believe she would do something like that but I do have to say, as your friend, I don’t think you should look for her. Nobody will blame you for what happened if they were to find out the truth,” he said, looking at him with concern.
“Although if you do wish to go after her still, I believe I saw her somewhere in the ballroom. She should not be hard to find.”
Benedict shrugged off his concerned look and shook his head as he remembered his sister mentioning the fact that Juliet would be joining the season.
Perhaps he had prepared himself unconsciously, or maybe he simply did not care anymore but the mention of her did not cause his heart to raise, nor was he bothered by the thought of bumping into her.
“You are mistaken,” he said. “I was not looking for her.”
