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Диксон Хелен
The Defiant Debutante
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Chapter Four
‘Come here, my dear, and let me look at you,’ said Patience with a gracious smile when Angelina entered. ‘I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you.’
Angelina moved towards her and found herself enfolded in a sweet smelling embrace. ‘I am happy to meet you, Lady Fortesque. Uncle Henry has told me so much about you that I feel I know you already.’
Patience stood back and smiled, approving of what she saw. Her features were delicate and pretty like Lydia’s, but there was something untamed and quite unique about this lovely young woman.
‘Your mother and I were close, Angelina. I was so distressed to hear of her death—and your father’s, my dear. Come and sit by me, and please call me Aunt Patience. We are related, after all.’
At that moment the door opened and Alex strode in. He was dressed in riding clothes, his crop still clasped in his hand. Angelina noticed how fiercely elegant he was in his immaculate coat and polished brown boots, and the way his breeches fit his thighs like his coat fit the breadth of his shoulders, without a wrinkle—and, if they were inclined to do so, they wouldn’t dare on so formidable an owner.
Closing the door and advancing into the room with ground-devouring strides, his cool gaze swept over the three occupants, pausing a little longer on Angelina before moving on to his aunt.
‘Why, Alex, how lovely to see you,’ said Patience, her face shining with adoration as she looked up at her handsome nephew.
Bending his tall frame, Alex lightly kissed her offered cheek, and as his head passed close to Angelina she caught the spicy aroma of his cologne mingled with leather and horses. As he was about to stand up straight he turned his head and looked at her, his eyes on a level with her own and no more than a foot away. Finding herself in such close proximity to him brought an indignant flush to her cheeks, which Alex observed and brought a slight smile to his lips, his silver eyes gleaming with knowing amusement.
Her contempt met him face to face until he straightened, looking down at her from his daunting height, seeing turbulent animosity burning in her dark eyes. She looked serene and almost coy, and yet he had the feeling that it was a charade, and that the environment forced upon her was too restricting for her ebullient nature. She made him feel alert and alive, and curiously stimulated.
‘I really should scold you,’ Patience went on, her eyes following her nephew as he strolled towards the fireplace, where he took up an infuriatingly arrogant stance beside Henry’s chair, resting an arm on the marble mantelpiece and crossing one booted foot casually over the other, looking every inch the master of the house. ‘You did promise to visit me at Richmond while Henry was away.’
‘Forgive me, Aunt. I had pressing matters to take care of.’
‘So I understand,’ Patience replied with a note of reproof, having heard all about his affair with Amelia Fairhurst. ‘I had hoped that with all your years of experience you would have learned to conduct your affairs with a little more discretion, Alex.’
‘The pressing matters I spoke of were purely business, Aunt. And if you are referring to my friendship with Lady Amelia Fairhurst, I assure you it was nothing more than a harmless flirtation and was blown out of all proportion. I did not think you paid any attention to gossip.’
‘I don’t, as a rule, and I’m certainly not going to become embroiled in your personal life. Next you will be telling me that you took pity on her and were trying to console her in her marital unhappiness. But what may seem amusing and harmless to you, dear boy, others may find offensive and insulting—which was the case with Lady Fairhurst’s husband by all accounts, when he demanded satisfaction and challenged you to a duel.’
Chagrin and irritation flickered across Alex’s face. ‘And no doubt you heard that the old fool died of an apoplexy the night before. Amelia Fairhurst is a proficient flirt. You should know by now not to worry about my reputation, Aunt. You must know that most of what you hear is nothing but gossip and wishful exaggeration.’
‘Are you telling us that you have been unfairly maligned, Lord Montgomery?’ Angelina asked, gazing at him with an amazingly innocent smile on her lips, and an insolent light in her eyes. ‘That what people say about you dishonouring every woman who is foolish enough to fall for your golden tongue is not true?’
Content to sit back and listen to the interchange in an amused silence, Henry met his sister’s smiling, conspiratorial gaze, each admiring Angelina’s courage for daring to speak out, while Alex favoured her with an icy stare that was meant to put her firmly in her place. But she merely held his gaze with open defiance, which told him that her proud nature knew nothing of compliance or submission.
‘Not entirely,’ he replied tersely, his jaw rigid. ‘I see you have met our colonial cousin, Aunt.’
‘Yes,’ she said, smiling at Angelina and taking her hand in an affectionate clasp. ‘I came just as soon as I received Henry’s note telling me he had arrived back in London with Angelina.’
‘And?’
‘And what?’
‘Is she all you expected her to be?’
‘Yes, she is. Angelina is very much dear Lydia’s daughter.’
‘Tell me, Uncle Henry—was your nephew obnoxious as a boy, too?’ Angelina asked boldly.
Her question earned her a broad smile of admiration from Henry. ‘Why—I do believe he was.’
She frowned, feigning sympathy. ‘How distressing for you all.’
‘So distressing that both Uncle Henry and Aunt Patience have complained bitterly over the years and threatened to disown me,’ Alex retaliated calmly, ‘but as you see, Miss Hamilton, as a family we have a way of sticking together.’
Angelina sensed there was a hidden message for her in his words, which she prudently ignored. Looking at Patience, she smiled shyly. ‘I can see Lord Montgomery’s affairs both concern and embarrass you, Aunt Patience—so you must be relieved to know that he is considering marriage.’
‘So Henry was telling me just before you came in. Is this true, Alex?’
‘That is so, Aunt,’ he replied, tapping his boot with his riding crop, sorely tempted to use it on the softest part of the chit’s anatomy. ‘I am considering it.’
‘Lavinia Howard?’
‘That is the young lady I have in mind.’
‘A sensible choice. The title and position she will acquire if she marries you will delight her family—especially her mother,’ she said with a faint trace of irony, ‘for she has long been desiring a match between you. However, I’m glad to know you are thinking of settling down at last, Alex.’
‘Thank you, Aunt,’ he replied drily. His smile was sardonic. ‘I shall endeavour to do my duty and produce an heir.’
‘Nevertheless, it will hardly be a love match,’ retorted his aunt with a note of disapproval in her tone.
‘No, but I have a high regard for Lavinia.’
‘Poor Miss Howard,’ murmured Angelina. ‘I doubt she knows what a cold and cruel fate awaits her if she takes you for a husband.’
Alex looked at her coldly. ‘There are very few men who love their wives, Miss Hamilton.’
‘Or women who love their husbands, it would seem. If Miss Howard will not be hurt by your indifference, she must be very unhappy or very cold.’
‘She is neither,’ Alex countered.
‘Henry tells me you are to give a small weekend party at Arlington to which she is invited,’ Patience put in quickly in an attempt to relieve the situation. ‘I shall look forward to meeting her again. In the meantime, I am so looking forward to getting to know Angelina better—which is why I shall be staying here until it is time for us to leave for Arlington next week.’
‘You are?’ Alex asked with some surprise.
‘Of course. Angelina cannot remain in this house with you and Henry alone. Her reputation would be beyond recall if it gets out.’
‘Then the obvious solution to that is for you to take her to Richmond. The park is lovely at this time of year. I’m sure the air will be more conducive to Miss Hamilton’s health and temper than it is here in town.’
‘There is nothing wrong with my health or my temper that a distance away from you would not cure, my lord,’ Angelina countered.
The bright silver eyes considered Angelina without a hint of expression, then with slow deliberation. Had it not been for the coldness that came into them, his reply might have passed as a flippant remark. ‘Then I shall have to take that into consideration and adjust my affairs accordingly to assist you in your cure, Miss Hamilton.’
Patience looked from Angelina to Alex crossly. ‘Good heavens! What is this nonsense? Why so formal? You must address one another by your given names if you are to get on.’
Both Angelina and Alex disagreed. Formal address conveyed neither affection nor intimacy, which suited them both.
‘Come, now, what do you say?’ Patience persisted.
Unwillingly, Alex conceded. ‘Very well, Aunt.’
‘Thank you. Now, in answer to your question, I did consider taking Angelina to Richmond, until Henry told me he is to visit Lord Boothroyd in Cornwall shortly. He has been away so long that I would like to spend some time with him before he goes. Besides, I would like to take Angelina shopping before we leave for Arlington. The clothes Henry had you fitted out with in Boston were adequate for the voyage, my dear, but I shall see you have some more day dresses for Arlington. When we return to London my dressmaker will fit you out for a whole new wardrobe. However, I shall ask her to call before we leave for Arlington and take your measurements so she can make a start.’
Alarm bells began ringing in Angelina’s head and she could see the excited gleam of future arrangements in the older woman’s eyes. ‘Oh! But I—I explained to Uncle Henry that I—’
‘Have no wish to be introduced into society.’ Patience smiled. ‘I know. Henry told me,’ she said, glancing meaningfully at her brother. ‘Tell me, have you not considered having a Season just for the fun of it, Angelina?’
Angelina’s expression became grave. ‘It’s a long time since I did anything for the fun of it, Aunt Patience.’
‘Launching a young woman into society is a serious and expensive business, Aunt,’ Alex stated sternly. ‘I dare say it can be “fun”, but one must not forget that all that time and effort is taken for the sole purpose of procuring a husband.’
Angelina glared at him. ‘I know that, which is precisely why I told you yesterday that it would be a waste of both time and money.’
‘Well—whether you have a Season or not is immaterial, my dear,’ said Patience lightly, attempting to defuse a situation that threatened to become explosive. ‘As the ward of the Duke of Mowbray you cannot hide yourself away indefinitely. It is imperative that you have a fashionable wardrobe.’
‘To pass her off in society, Aunt, she will need more than a fashionable wardrobe to be accepted,’ Alex said curtly. ‘She will also need instruction on manners and breeding, which, in my opinion, will take some considerable time.’
Patience studied her nephew’s stony countenance with something akin to surprise. ‘I disagree. Henry and I intend to employ a tutor to instruct her on all she needs to know. She is highly intelligent and cultured—which is more than can be said of some of the vain henwits who are turned out year after year for the Season, so it will take no time at all. What do you think, Angelina?’
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