“The Marchioness of Feverton died years ago, giving birth to her younger daughter,” Allan said. “I’m surprised you didn’t know. It’s widely known—but I suppose someone who doesn’t socialize much wouldn’t have heard those stories.”
Seth thought of the young lady he had met just a short time ago—Lady Edwina. She was the one, then, whose birth had ended her mother’s life. He felt deeply sorry for both sisters.
His own mother caused him grief sometimes, it was true, but he would certainly rather have her than be without her. Even when she was pressuring him to marry against his wishes, it was muchbetter to have his family, and he was grateful for the fact that his mother was in his life.
And it made sense of a lot of the things he had come to notice about Lady Lavinia. Of course her social skills were lacking. Of course she didn’t know quite how to present herself in public. Those were things a mother would have taught her daughter, and if Allan’s story was correct, Lady Lavinia would have lost her mother before she had become old enough to learn them.
It was much more difficult to feel judgmental now that he knew this. Of course Lady Lavinia struggled to know what to do with herself in society. It was rather a miracle that her younger sister didn’t seem to have the same struggles—but then, some people were born with charm and charisma, and some people had to learn those skills. Lady Edwina seemed to be the former type, and Lady Lavinia the latter. And she had had no one to teach her.
It was a sad thing to realize.
He looked over at Lady Lavinia and saw that she was shifting uncomfortably on her picnic blanket, picking at her gown as if something about it didn’t suit her. It looked as if she had never worn a gown like it before. Perhaps she hadn’t—he had never seen her in that style. But even so, she needed to stop doing that. The people who had been looking at her with admiration were starting to look away. Some of them were frowning.
“I wish she wouldn’t do that,” he murmured aloud.
“What?” Allan asked. “What are you talking about?”
“Lady Lavinia. Look at her. Look how she fidgets.”
Allan laughed. “You truly do have a lot of attention to give to one lady! I’ve never seen you like this, Seth. What is it about her that holds you so captivated?”
“I told you already?—”
“Yes, yes, I know. You’re trying to repay your debt to her. Well, wouldn’t you say the debt has been paid now? And more than paid, really. The cost of those gowns ought to cover the service she did for you. You ought to look the other way now. Stop worrying about her. Both of you should go on with your lives.”
But Seth shook his head. “She can’t go on with her life,” he said. “Pretty gowns aren’t what she wanted, Allan. That’s not what she cared about. You can say that the amount of money I spent is fair payment for the service she did me, but it’s more complicated than that. That’s not something she would have asked for as repayment.”
“We don’t always get to choose the way people compensate us for the things we do for them,” Allan said. “She ought to be happy that you’re tending to her needs at all—and I’m sure she is. It’s not as if she refused to wear the gown.”
“No, but she’s not comfortable in it, so it’s not showing her off to her best advantage,” Seth said. “Just look at her. You can’t honestly tell me that you believe anyone would see her fidgeting around like that and be interested in a courtship.”
“Well, she is a bit difficult to watch,” Allan said. “Hardly the picture of a well-mannered, alluring young lady. Still, I don’t find it impossible to believe that someone could take an interest in her—I think it could happen.”
“This is what she would want from me,” Seth said. “This is how I pay her back—not by spending money on gowns, but by helping her learn the lessons no one was ever able to teach her.”
“You mean to say that you’re going to instruct Lady Lavinia on the proper way for a young lady to comport herself in society?” Allan shook his head. “What do you even know about such things, Seth? No one ever instructedyouabout the right way for a lady to behave in society.”
“Of course they did,” Seth said. “My parents have been teaching me all my life about what I should look for in a lady. My mother has very specific opinions on the matter, and she’s made sure I know what they are so that I can follow them. And now, whether I agree with her ideas or not, Idoknow what’s expected of a lady. I’ll be able to help Lady Lavinia make herself at least a little bit better.”
“And you really think this is what she would want?” Allan asked. “More than gowns or gifts—she would want you to give her etiquette lessons?”
“Yes, I think so,” Seth said. “She finds herself in a dire situation, after all. She has to find a husband. I might be the best chance she has at achieving that goal, so that’s the best way I can repay my debt. She saved me from being ensnared in a lovelessmarriage. I can do the same for her—or at the very least, I can try.”
So saying, he got to his feet and left his picnic blanket. As he passed Lady Lavinia’s, he jerked his head to one side ever so slightly, indicating—he hoped—that he would like her to follow him.
He walked all the way down to the water’s edge before turning around, whereupon he was relieved to see that she had gotten up and was walking after him. She’d given him a good head start so that no one would see her and believe her to be following him. His estimation of her rose slightly. Whatever else she was, it was clear that she was clever.
She approached him beside the water, where they were concealed by trees from the view of the others. “You wanted to speak to me, Your Grace?”
“I’d like to meet with you,” he said quietly. “Alone.”
Her eyes widened. “Alone? You’re not afraid of a scandal? I thought that was what you feared most.”
She had him there. He couldn’t help smiling. “We’ll make sure not to be caught,” he said. “Come to the library tonight at the stroke of one. No one will see us then.”
She hesitated. “Why?”
“Have I led you wrong so far?”
