“But I am not to be considered anything near to your equal, Lord Crampton,” she said, as a pinch of color came into both cheeks. “I am only a companion. Society thinks less of me because of my situation. You yourself have thought so also, have you not?”
Robert knew that he could not deny this and spread his hands wide.
“My judgment has been poor,” he told her, frankly. “Ihavethought your manner and your freedom of speaking to me to be quite rude and improper, I will not lie about that.” Miss Gregory’s eyes flickered but she said nothing in response. “After our first meeting, I told myself that a companion ought to treat someone such as myself with more respect – that Ideservedthat from you – but my opinion on that has slowly begun to change.”
“Oh?”
“I have been wrong in my consideration of you, and in my actions, Miss Gregory. I will again beg for your forgiveness. Your words are honest, and they are painful to me, but I am slowly becoming grateful for them. I wish to speak with you again for fear that the gentleman I am at present is not the gentleman I ought to be.” He ran one hand over his eyes, wanting to quell the stream of words that flowed from his lips. “There is more to my story than I have revealed to you, also. There are reasons behind my eagerness for thetonto think well of me, reasons that I am only just considering. The weight of my thoughts is binding my mind and bringing a despondency to my soul, yet I do not turn from it. I will not shy away from whatever you have to say, I assure you.”
Miss Gregory drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, carefully considering. And then, she spoke.
“Tell me something, Lord Crampton – and you must be truthful with me, I beg of you.”
He spread his hands.
“Of course.”
“Is what happened in the carriage a few days ago just as you said?”
A frown pulled at his brows.
“You mean when you and your aunt discovered me?”
He was very relieved that no whispers had spread through thetonabout his difficult evening and cursed himself silently for not, as yet, thanking Miss Gregory for keeping silent.
“Yes, that is what I mean.”
Robert nodded, spreading his hands.
“It is exactly as I said, Miss Gregory,” he promised, praying that, somehow, she would see the truth in his eyes. “I have not told you a lie.”
She considered this for a few moments, looking back at him carefully, her eyes searching his face as her lips pursed gently.
Then, she smiled.
“I shall be glad to talk with you again, whenever you wish it, Lord Crampton, if you are truly willing to speak to a mere companion,” she said, bringing forth a great wave of relief into Robert’s heart as he saw the twinkle in her eye. “Even though I feel that I should warn you that you will not, most likely, be glad to hear what I say.”
“I shall do my best to endeavor not to react in a poor fashion,” he promised, as she nodded, spreading out one hand towards her aunt. “And now, I have kept you for too long. I do pray that your aunt will not berate you for your tardiness, which was entirely my doing. Good afternoon, Miss Gregory.”
Her smile was a genuine one and, despite his confusion over his own desires and expectations, Robert smiled back.
“Good afternoon, Lord Crampton,” she murmured, before turning away and returning to Lady Langdon.
Chapter Eight
“Iam astonished.”
Honora laughed.
“As was I, I confess it,” she replied, as Lady Albina stared back at her with wide eyes. “I did not think that he would ever wish to be in my company again after I spoke to him so sharply at his townhouse!”
Lady Albina shook her head in seeming disbelief, whilst Honora herself merely smiled and considered, yet again, what it was that Lord Crampton wanted by such an association. There was, she knew, no delight on his part when it came to her frankness but yet, for whatever reason, he appeared to want to talk to her again regardless.
“You say that he had been walking with Lord Venables?”
“He stated that he had asked his friend to step away for a time, for I believe Lord Venables was being rather forthright and Lord Crampton had, therefore, a good deal to think on,” Honora replied, shrugging one shoulder and, at the same time, glancing all around her for fear of being overheard.
Lady Albina nodded slowly, tilting her head to one side, her eyes searching Honora’s.