And oh, how he avoided those blunter words.
No, Katherine Leigh was not his precious Mystery Lady. It was an impossibility. Thinking of Miss Katherine Leigh as his bride was laughable. Though the response was born more from surprise than the mockery with which others had dismissed her charms, Katherine’s heart still broke.
Their voices moved to the parlor door, and she lurched away, sneaking down the hall until she was out of sight. The gentlemen emerged, excitedly planning the rest of their afternoon, and she stilled, remaining fixed in place, just out of sight.
“What about a drive?” asked Benjamin.
“With such fine weather, we ought to make use of it,” said Mr. Archer. “But do you think we ought to invite your sister to join us?”
Words that would’ve warmed her heart mere moments ago now stabbed that brittle organ, and she kept out of sight as her brother climbed the stairs to seek out her bedchamber. Closing her eyes against the sound of Mr. Archer standing just out of sight, Katherine remained hidden and silent as Benjamin called out to her.
With hopping steps, her brother skipped down the stairs. “She doesn’t seem to be about.”
“That is too bad,” said Mr. Archer as the pair then moved to leave.
Once the front door closed, Katherine lurched from her hiding place and hurried up the stairs and into her bedchamber. With a flick of the key, she locked it tight against everything and everyone and dropped onto the bed. The book fell to the side, but she ignored it as she clutched a pillow to her chest, strangling it in her arms.
Her lungs heaved, and she focused on the movement. In and out. The clean air swept through her, and she blinked rapidly, forcing away the prickling in her eyes, but there was no stopping the blurring. Clenching her teeth, Katherine fought against the pressure building in her, but her control wriggled from her grasp.
A single tear was all it took for the torrent to sweep in, and she buried her face in the pillow, stifling the sobs that wracked her body. Her spectacles dug into her nose, and she ripped the wretched things free, tossing them on the side table before burrowing back into the bed.
Even friendship was not enough. Mr. Archer cared for her, but that powerful connection couldn’t outweigh her plain features. Had she truly believed that a man of Mr. Archer’s caliber would suddenly embrace her as though she were the most desirable creature in the world? That her sparkling wit was so great that it would overcome such an impediment? That a gentleman who could win the heart of any lady in town would ever lower himself to choosing a plain nobody like Katherine Leigh?
When no other man had ever looked at her as more than an annoyance, how had she believed Mr. Archer would ever love her as a woman and not as anolder sister?
Only fools ignored reality in favor of fantasy, and Katherine was a fool of the highest order. Else why had she ignored that Mr. Archer had never treated her as anything but a chum—until her face had been covered? Oh, no. Katherine had clung to false hopes, hoping and praying for the day when her friendship would outweigh her hideousness.
Vulnerable hearts were always crushed, and for all that she’d believed hers well protected, it now lay crumpled and cracked beneath Mr. Archer’s boot.
Chapter 18
When empty, the Garrisons’ drawing room was cavernous, the rectangular space seeming to stretch outad infinitum, but with dozens of chairs lined up like a battalion of soldiers and the hoard of people waiting to employ them, the room was filled, making it feel quite tight. Their hosts employed a veritable fortune in candles, but even that and the light blue walls didn’t alleviate the heavy feeling so many people instilled.
Shifting in place, David tried to ease the tension from his shoulders, but they were as rigid as stone. Managing Mother’s nerves had taught him much about the subject, and he’d honed those skills with his sisters. Thankfully, David hadn’t been cursed with an anxious demeanor, so he rarely felt overcome by the sentiment. Yet standing in the Garrisons’ drawing room, he was inexplicably on edge.
Clinging to the glass of punch, David focused on the task at hand, ignoring the prickle of anxiety that ran down his spine as he considered the coming evening. Weaving through the crowd towards his quarry, he cast a glance over the other guests, his gaze flicking across their faces. But Miss Leigh wasn’t there.
David forced a smile on his face and turned his attention to his destination, offering up the glass to the lady. “Here you are, Mrs. Ellery.”
“You are a dear, Mr. Archer,” she said with a smile before taking a sip. “That is perfection. Are you looking forward to the music?”
“Certainly,” he replied, availing himself of his drink. “I do not know why there aren’t more concerts. I cannot claim to be an expert at music, but I enjoy it when I hear it.”
“Then you are not musical yourself?” asked Mrs. Ellery, matching his bright expression.
“Not in the slightest,” he said, his gaze drifting from his companion to search the crowd. “And you? Are we to be graced with your talents?”
Mrs. Ellery laughed, shaking her head. “If entertainment is the goal for tonight, I am better left out of the program. That would be a disaster for all involved.”
David’s grin broadened, though his gaze continued to scour the faces around him. “I would say you are doing yourself a disservice, but you do not seem the type to feign insecurities.”
“I never have understood that behavior,” she said, taking another drink. “It is one thing to boast, but why do so many ladies insist on denigrating their talents? One can be humble and acknowledge one’s skill in the same instance.”
David nodded, his attention drifting to the gathering around them. His eyes darted to the edge of the room, though he knew he was unlikely to see Miss Leigh there—not when there were last-minute details to address before the concert began. Most of the musicians were occupied elsewhere, so it was little surprise that Miss Leigh was missing. Flora had gone straight to the staging area for the performers when they’d arrived, as well. David shifted in place, looking for any sign of either lady.
“Do forgive me for being forward, Mr. Archer, but is something amiss?” asked Mrs. Ellery, and when David met her gaze once more, she added, “You seem a bit anxious.”
He straightened and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. “I apologize, madam. My sister rarely performs in public but was prevailed upon to do so tonight. I fear she was a bundle of nerves when we arrived, and I cannot help but feel it by proxy.”
