He was glad this was a private meeting otherwise this information would be even now making its way around the room.
“Oh, you are, are you? Well, sounds like someone is trying to make a pretty penny out of thetonand I’m guessing it isn’t you, young lady. So, while Bellamy here lines his pockets with the King’s coins you gain an even worse reputation.” Lady Fortesque threw a disgusted look at Oliver.
Well, that was certainly a direct shot.
“I am also called the Black Raven by those same people. I have ceased to care one whit what they think. Lord Bellamy is…”
“Annoying and irritating in the extreme? A wastrel and a fool?” Oliver supplied.
She flung him an angry look. “I was going to say a gentleman.”
“Oh.” Oliver wanted to laugh at that one. He was sure she wanted to say at least one of his suggestions.
“You two may find this all a great lark to pull the wool over the eyes of theton, my dear, but believe me it will not only be you that ends up hurt by this prank. I would have thought you would know better by now that what you do reflects on all of us, especially your sister.” She peered at the both of them over her patrician nose as they stood together. She humphed. “You should marry; you look well together.”
Lisbeth and Bellamy shared a confused look.
“Yes, a June wedding, that will put things to rights.”
“I don’t think…” Lisbeth began.
“Why are you shaking your head, Bellamy? Are you saying she is good enough to bed but not to wed?”
“I won’t be marrying Bellamy. Or anyone for that matter,” Lisbeth answered.
Lady Fortesque did not seem surprised by her denial and pinned her gaze on Bellamy. “Leave us now. I have things I need to discuss with my granddaughter.”
“With all due respect, Lady Fortesque, I will leave only on Lady Blackhurst’s request.”
Lisbeth turned to him, took his hand. “I’m all right, Bellamy. I will join you shortly.”
“Are you sure?” he asked eyeing Lady Fortesque.
“Yes.”
He gave her hand a squeeze, bowed to the two ladies, and left to take up his post at the side of the room.
“He seems very protective of you. It would do him good to be settled and seeing, as he is the only man you have let come within a foot of you in years, I thought… Oh well, it matters not now.”
“No, it matters not. You gave up any right to counsel me. You have no say in who I do, or do not, marry.”
“You are right. What you do is on your head, which is why we must remain distanced from you. Do you have no inkling of what you put us through?”
Lisbeth held her tongue. Every fiber of her being wanted to scream at the woman before her. She knew that the shame of her accusation had caused a scandal. How could it not? But, she was innocent. A court of law had decreed it for all. Where had her family been then? Their lack of support at that time only fueled the flames of scandal that she had somehow gotten away with murder.
“And now you want to pull poor Bellamy through your muck as well? Not that he seems to care. I may not have met him before tonight, but I know of him, of his family. He deserves better but he has no one to direct him, does he?”
“What do you mean? Are you talking of his brother?”
“I was talking about what happened to his parents. He lost his mother, father, and younger sister in a shipwreck over a decade ago. The poor boys, and that’s all they were, had nothing to bury either. Such a pity. Lady Bellamy had been such a beauty too.”
Lisbeth instantly searched for a glimpse of Bellamy. “I only knew of his brother’s accident a few weeks ago. I had just assumed… He is all alone?” Why did she feel the need to go to him, wrap her arms around him, and comfort him? Was it because she knew what it was to be alone too?
“There is an aunt, Lady Whitely. Although, she may have passed too.”
“No family at all,” Lisbeth said in a whisper.
“This seems to have surprised you. Did he not tell you?”
