Honora looked down at the letter, unable to answer the latter question.
“He is asking if we might call on him and states that, whilst he would be glad to have called upon us here instead, he cannot do so at present, given the pain which lingers in his frame.”
“Pshaw!” Lady Langdon exclaimed, waving a hand as if there were a bad odor which had come into the room. “He has no one to blame for that but himself! What does he wish to hear from us – from you?” She eyed Honora sharply. “Has he written to you in the hope of garnering sympathy, knowing that I am less than inclined to grant him such a courtesy?”
“I cannot tell, aunt,” Honora replied calmly, for whilst she was more than astonished at the letter, she had to admit to feeling a twinge of curiosity within her heart. “He states that it is to explain last evening and finishes by writing that he is, of course, in our debt and would be more than appreciative if we could attend him as he asks.”
“Arrogant fool!” Lady Langdon cried, spinning on her heel, and marching across the room as though she wanted to take herself as far away from the letter as she could. “To think that we – thatI– would be willing to do that!”
Honora hesitated, looking up at her aunt for a moment before deciding to be honest.
“I should like to hear what he has to say, aunt.” She winced under her aunt’s sharp gaze, which was suddenly thrust towards her, knowing that she was angering her, but choosing to continue in her usual honest manner. “You are quite right in your suggestion that he has written to me in the hope of gaining my sympathy and, therefore, our acceptance, I believe,” she said, hoping that this would placate her aunt a little, “but the truth is, I should like to know what happened. It was a very unusual situation and –”
“You have no right to make any demands of me, Honora.” Honora pressed her lips together, dropping her head and feeling shame begin to creep into her heart as her lowered status was, once more, brought to the fore. She had no doubt now that Lady Langdon would refuse absolutely and was annoyed with herself for encouraging her aunt’s ire. A long and frustrated sigh poured from Lady Langdon’s lips. “I find Lord Crampton’s arrogance and pride truly dislikeable, but I do not want him to do harm to my reputation. He does, no doubt, want to make certain that we will not spread rumors of him and if I do not attend as he has asked, there is the chance that he might choose to repay my discourteousness by speaking ill of me. Therefore,” she finished, as Honora lifted her head, “we will go.”
Honora’s astonishment knew no bounds.
“Thank you, aunt.”
“But I will not sacrifice my own afternoon callsormy visit to Hyde Park!” Lady Langdon stated, finally sinking into a chair. “It must be tomorrow. Or the day after that.”
“Tomorrow,” Honora agreed, rising so that she might pen a response to Lord Crampton immediately and a little surprised at the relief and gladness that entered her heart. “Thank you, aunt. I am sure that Lord Crampton will be grateful also.”
Lady Langdon merely rolled her eyes at this, and Honora hid a smile, making her way from the room and wondering silently just what it was that Lord Crampton would have to say, and also thinking that it a little surprising that she was looking forward to seeing him again.
* * *
“Good afternoon.”
There was a stiffness in Lord Crampton’s movements which could not be hidden and yet, still, he managed to lift his chin a little higher as both Honora and her aunt entered his parlor - as if he did not want either of them to notice
“Good afternoon, Lord Crampton,” Lady Langdon said crisply said, as Honora murmured the same. “Thank you for receiving us.”
Honora expected him to thank them for calling, to thank them for replying to his note, but Lord Crampton said neither, gesturing for them both to sit down where they pleased. Exchanging a glance with her aunt and seeing the tightness about Lady Langdon’s jaw, Honora sat down carefully and then looked expectantly at Lord Crampton, her fingers twisting together as she held her hands in her lap. In the shadows of the room, his dark brown hair appeared almost black as it fell across his forehead, there were dark smudges under his blue eyes and a tension in his jaw and across his lips which left her in no doubt as to how he was feeling.
“Let me ring for tea.” Lord Crampton tugged the bell pull and then, finally, sat down himself, his fingers coupling together as he looked from Lady Langdon to Honora and back again. Honora waited expectantly, finding herself interested in what the man had to say by way of explanation and finding herself somewhat concerned for him. He had never appeared this contemplative, nor so silent, before and Honora’s concern only grew with every moment. She remained quiet, however, having been instructed by her aunt to say very little and allow Lady Langdon to work her way through the conversation. After all, her aunt had reminded her, she was a companion and a companion only. It was not her place to go speaking with any gentleman she chose, evenifthat gentleman had invited them to his home.
“You were going to speak to us about last evening, I believe?”
Lady Langdon’s voice was high pitched, her expression frozen in a look of disdain. Lord Crampton nodded and opened his mouth, only for the door to then open to permit the maid entry, bringing through the tea tray. It was clear by the exasperated sigh which fell from Lady Langdon’s lips that she was frustrated by the delay, but Honora used the opportunity to study Lord Crampton a little more. Whilst she was here, inhisabode, she found herself becoming more interested in who Lord Crampton was. He was, as far as she was concerned, rather ordinary, with nothing to make him appear radically different from any other gentleman of London. Just because he was in good favor with a Duke did not give him any greater importance in her eyes, although he was theonlygentleman who had made his way into her thoughts – wanted or otherwise.
“Might you pour the tea, Miss Gregory?”
Honora blinked in surprise as Lord Crampton asked her such a thing, looking sharply at him but seeing his head turn directly towards her aunt in what she took to be a dismissive gesture. Smarting from what, to her mind, was a clear lack of consideration and the horrid awareness that this was to be expected of a companion, Honora lifted her chin and sent him a hard look.
“I am afraid I am unable to do so at present,” she said clearly, drawing Lord Crampton’s attention in an instant. She watched his frown darken his features but felt her own lip curling, angry with him for his dismissive attitude “I do beg your pardon.”
Lord Crampton opened his mouth but then closed it again with a snap. His eyes caught hers but quickly looked away as he cleared his throat in a gruff manner. Honora said nothing further and gave no explanation for her inability to do such a thing, returning his look with a mere lift of her eyebrow. Lady Langdon, much to Honora’s surprise, did not appear to be at all angry with Honora’s decision to behave so, for upon her lips there came a small, triumphant smile. Honora’s spirits lifted and she shook off her dissatisfaction and simply waited for him to act.
Eventually, Lord Crampton did sit forward and begin to pour the tea without a word – although Honora noticed the stiffness in his arms and the way that he pressed his lips together tightly as he did so. In an instant, guilt washed over her, and her shoulders dropped. Regret seared her heart, making her face flush with embarrassment.What if he asked me to do so simply because he is in pain and would find it difficult to do so himself?Her eyes closed tightly as shame burned her cheeks. She had not even considered such a thing but had been fully resolved that he had asked her to pour the tea simply because of her lowly status. In her frustration and upset, she had simply reacted and now was ashamed of her response. Was it that she did not wish him to think of her a companion? And if that was true, then why should shewanthim to view her as only a young lady of thetonand not the companion she truly was?
“I wanted to thank you – and to explain – about last evening,” Lord Crampton began, his tone flat as he handed Lady Langdon her cup of tea, keeping his gaze towards her rather than looking back at Honora. “I believe that it was you who came to my assistance.”
“Yes, it was,” Lady Langdon stated, her words clipped. “It was very fortunate for you that my coachman chose to drive by White’s – and that he stopped as he did.”
There was no mention of Honora, no word about what she had done and how she had been the one to insist upon caring for Lord Crampton, and Honora felt herself sink down into her chair a little more, as though she were naught but a shadow.
Lord Crampton nodded but did not smile.