No.
No, it couldn’t possibly be. Yet there was no mistaking the sweep of sandy brown hair and the powerful arms pulling at his tailored dinner coat. But why was a gardener at supper? With a growing sense of dread, she realized Priscilla had referred to afamily dinner.
Alice’s head was spinning. Family dinner? But then, why . . . That must mean . . .
“I . . . I . . .,” she stammered out around the lump in her throat, embarrassed and distracted by what she feared ‘familydinner’ meant when it came to the other man standing in the room.
“Never mind all that,” Hampton said, striding over to stand beside the man from the glasshouse. “Let me introduce you to my cousin, Mr. Ethan Beaumont. Ethan, this is Miss Alice Pembroke, Priscilla’s cousin who is staying with us for a while.”
Alice could barely force her eyes to meet his across the table. Hampton was grinning as he slapped the other man, Ethan, on the back.
“He’s just taken over as estate manager, and I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Alice prayed that the floor would open up and swallow her whole. She had most comprehensively misinterpreted everything since arriving at Hampton House only hours before.
“Mr. Beaumont,” she managed to squeeze out of a tight throat while giving him the briefest of polite glances. She felt sure she was about to combust into flames from the heat of her cheeks. Thankfully, it was at that moment the butler gave Priscilla a nod that the meal was ready, and everyone took their seats before they could fully dissect her reaction to Mr. Beaumont. Shaking out her napkin, Alice took in her first full breath since entering the room.
She remained rather quiet during the meal, humiliated that the man she’d not only ogled in the garden, but whom she had also mistaken for a laborer on the estate was in fact West's cousin. Periodically, Mr. Beaumont would catch Alice’s eye from across the table and send her an impertinent grin as footmen cleared plates for the next course. Her cheeks continued to burn every time their eyes met, even for the briefest of seconds.
As the meal concluded and all rose from the table, he hastened to her side.
"Come now, don't be cross with me. It appears we're all family here, even if we didn’t realize it." His voice was low soonly she could hear, and Alice felt compelled to keep her voice quiet as well, even if it did come out as a muted shout.
"Don't be cross? Had I known who you were, I never would have spoken to you as I did." Alice noticed his eyebrows raise at her hostile tone. "Now I'm humiliated."
"But only because I'm related to the marquess?" he asked with a scowl.
"Yes, why else?"
"You should feel humiliated to talk to anyone that way, regardless of their station in society. Even if I were a common laborer as you supposed, I would still be a person and therefore worthy of being treated with a basic level of respect.” Shoving his hair off his forehead, Mr. Beaumont let out a burst of air and shook his head. “I came over here to make nice and apologize for not knowing who you were. Priscilla had mentioned her cousin’s arrival, but it slipped my mind and I wanted to try and repair your opinion of me after a less than impressive first encounter.”
Mr. Beaumont paused, and Alice hoped for a moment that they might be able to begin again. But he still looked supremely irritated, and she was stunned by the quick change in his tone from light and apologetic to accusatory.
“However, I’m not sure I care whether I have your regard if it’s only bestowed on those you deem worthy.”
With that astonishing final statement, he quickly left Alice's side. What on earth did he mean that she should treat an estate worker the same as a member of polite society?
Infuriating man! Nonetheless, he was West's cousin and would be around the estate during her stay, so she must get along with him for appearance’s sake, if nothing else. She’d simply try and avoid him as much as possible, which shouldn’t prove difficult because he’d most likely be on the grounds while she stayed with Priscilla in the house.
Shaking off the unsettling encounter, Alice made her way to the settee across from her cousin as West handed them small glasses of champagne.
“What’s this for, darling?” Priscilla asked, unable to hide her smile for her husband.
“I decided we should celebrate having Alice with us. I appreciate being able to have family around,” he said, clapping a hand on his own cousin’s shoulder. Alice hardly saw the gesture, though, as she was studiouslynotlooking at the man.
“And what exactly are you doing here?” Ethan asked, forcing her to look at him. She felt her cheeks coloring again, much to her chagrin.
“I’m . . .,” Alice started, clearing her throat that suddenly felt as if it were closing. How was she supposed to share her shame with this man who clearly already thought very little of her? “I’ll be . . .”
“She’ll be spending time with us until the season begins and making some connections,” Priscilla said warmly, stepping in to save her. “In fact, tomorrow we’ll be venturing to Althorp House. Lady Spencer is having a friendly, small gathering to show off her newly decorated parlor, and we’ve been invited.”
“Be sure to take notes, I know you have more rooms on your list for refurbishment here,” West said with a smile. “But we’ll leave the two of you to plan while Ethan and I discuss business.”
As Hampton passed behind the settee, he paused and laid his hand on Priscilla’s shoulder. She leaned her head back to look at him as he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her hairline. Priscilla smiled and closed her eyes, a look of bliss crossing her face at the tender gesture.
Alice was struck by their comfort with one another and how normal such an intimacy between them seemed. For just a moment, she wished her future could be different. But the reality was that she would have little choice in who she married—andshe certainly couldn’t afford for love to be a consideration. With the pressure of a second season, finding a match was imperative, as failure was out of the question. Who she gained the interest of was less important than the fact she generate someone’s interest at all.
Maybe tomorrow would bring a new connection and allow her to forget her uncomfortable start, Alice thought, sipping her champagne while decidedlynotlooking at Mr. Beaumont as he left the room.
