Jonathan passed one hand over his eyes. Miss Fullerton was a rather pretty young lady and that had not escaped his notice. He was not a man inclined towards dalliances and certainly, he would not do so with any young lady who had been forced into becoming a companion rather than take their place in society as they ought. All the same, Jonathan was quite certain that the young lady would become something of a distraction for him, should he permit it. Letting out another groan of frustration, Jonathan gave himself a shake and then walked directly back to his study.
This Season was going to be difficult enough with his mother present, but now, with Miss Fullerton residing with him, Jonathan was quite sure that it would be all the more trying. Slamming his study door shut, Jonathan stalked towards his desk and sat down before reaching for his decanter and pouring himself a brandy.
This was going to be a very complicated Season indeed.
Chapter Two
Deborah pinched her cheeks and then immediately dropped her hands, grimacing. It was no good. Regardless of what she tried, she still looked very pale indeed and, no doubt, Lady Havisham would remark upon it, just as she had done every previous morning since they had arrived.
Sighing, she folded her hands in her lap and considered her reflection. She was still rather tired from the long carriage journey to London but, in addition, there had been a great deal to do in the days following. They had now been in London for a sennight and had been out in town every single day. There had been various shops to visit, walks to take, and carriage rides to enjoy, although Lady Havisham seemed to spend most of her time peering out of the window and banging on the roof of the carriage in an attempt to get the driver to slow down even more.
There had been very little time spent in Lord Havisham’s company.
Do you think him handsome?
Deborah tilted her head, considering the question she had asked herself. She had been all too aware of his presence when they had first met, for Lord Havisham was quite a bit taller than herself, with broad shoulders and a solidness about his frame which made him something of a formidable presence. His eyes were a very vivid green, standing out starkly against the white gold of his hair. There was certainly a similarity in his coloring with that of his mother, but Deborah supposed that the square jaw and broad, slightly crooked nose came from his father. If she were to speak honestly, then Deborah would have to admit that there was an attractiveness in Lord Havisham’s features and his dress.
The gentleman was always very well dressed and was certainly very fashionable in terms of the cut of his clothing, but there was an air of smugness about him which Deborah disliked. Whenever he came into a room and saw that she or his mother were present, he would lift his head a little higher and drop his shoulders a little lower as though to look down upon her as he walked past. He had never enquired after her health, showed no interest in her presence, and spoke to his mother only of his own interactions or present interests. It was as though she were quite invisible to him and that irritated Deborah terribly. Yes, she was a companion, but that did not mean that she was not to be acknowledged! Even an occasional ‘good morning’ would suffice. Her lip curled slightly.
Handsome but arrogant.She shook her head.Which does not make him particularly likable.
Sighing, Deborah rose to her feet and tried to push away her thoughts. Lady Havisham had not mentioned the subject to Deborah as yet, but she was all too aware that the lady still had every intention of having her make a match with Lord Havisham – and to Deborah’s mind, the idea itself was quite preposterous.
“Enough, now.”
Making her way to the door, Deborah drew in a long breath, set her shoulders, pasted a smile onto her face, and walked out of her bedchamber. Her slippered feet were quiet as she made her way to the staircase, her hand gliding down the rail. Lady Havisham would be in the dining room, Deborah expected, and they would break their fast together as they had done all of the previous mornings. Deborah liked to be there a few minutes before Lady Havisham, as a good companion ought, and so she quickened her steps, making her way past Lord Havisham’s study.
The door opened unexpectedly, and Lord Havisham strode out, his head bent forward, muttering aloud – and walked straight into Deborah.
Something cold splashed over her gown and Deborah fell back with the force of walking straight into such a solid and tall person. A yelp of surprise escaped her as she stumbled against the wall.
“Good gracious!” Lord Havisham jumped forward – but it was not to catch Deborah. Putting out one hand towards a large, beautifully decorated china vase which was sitting atop a small, wooden table, he waited until he could be certain that it was neither going to wobble or fall, leaving Deborah to try to gather herself and recover from the shock of what had taken place. Her eyes strayed to the empty glass that Lord Havisham held in his other hand. Whatever had been in there was now soaking through her gown. That, as well as her cold skin, sent a shiver all through her. “Whatever were you doing, Miss Fullerton?”
Lord Havisham’s voice was hard, his eyes a little narrowed as he gestured towards the china vase.
“You could have knocked this over completely! It would have hit the floor and broken into a dozen pieces!”
Deborah blinked rapidly. The heat of anger was beginning to warm her skin already, her stomach twisting this way and that at the lack of consideration in his response to her.
“I do believe, my Lord, that you were not looking ahead of you,” she responded through gritted teeth, forcing herself to speak quietly and without any hint of the rising anger that she felt. “You were unaware of my presence, I think.”
Lord Havisham’s frown darkened, his jaw tightening for a few seconds before he responded.
“Miss Fullerton, you may have been used to wandering through my mother’s estate without a care, but in this house, you ought to be a good deal more aware!” His eyes traveled to the large damp stain on the waist of her gown and the heat of her anger swiftly turned to embarrassment. “Perhaps then you would not be required to return to your bedchamber to change and be late to join my mother!”
With that exclamation, Lord Havisham moved quickly away, walking past her without so much as a glance or a murmur of concern for her situation. Deborah’s hands tightened but she closed her eyes and kept her mouth closed for fear that, in her anger, she would say something inappropriate to Lord Havisham.
How dare he blame me?
She would have to change her gown, but Deborah had no intention of being tardy for Lady Havisham. Walking forward, she continued to the dining room and, upon entering, was relieved to see that she was the only one present.
“I shall beg to be excused for a few minutes once Lady Havisham has arrived,” she murmured, glancing at the large mirror on the wall and finding the heat of embarrassment again beginning to bite at her cheeks.
“Good gracious, Miss Fullerton!” Deborah turned just as Lady Havisham came into the room. “Whatever has happened, my dear?”
Deborah opened her mouth to state the truth, such as she had seen it, but then quickly closed it again. It would not be wise to speak poorly of Lord Havisham to his mother.
“An accident only.” She smiled ruefully, then spread her hands. “I must beg to excuse myself.”