“We’ll have to stand,” Clem said to her mother.
Mama shook her head. “My knees are not what they once were. You take a seat over there and Ivy and I can go here.” She motioned to two seats at the end of an occupied row.
“I’d rather stand,” Clem muttered.
She could make a quick escape at the end of the talk and gulp down breaths of fresh air while she tried to forget the strange sensations Lord Rochdale’s touch created in her.
“Nonsense. Sit down here,” her mother ordered.
“I’ll stand,” Lord Rochdale offered, gesturing to the empty seats to the right of them.
“No, I insist.” Clem set her jaw and met his cool gaze.
“It’s hardly gentlemanly behavior to leave a lady standing.”
“There are enough chairs for us all,” Ivy said with a frown.
Clem glared at her sister.
“Come, the talk is starting, and we are drawing attention.” Mama tugged Ivy away, leaving Clem feeling open and vulnerable, as though she were a castle without a defensive wall.
And Lord Rochdale was most certainly a fearsome invader.
Drawing in a breath, she eyed the empty chairs. She could shift it over a little and then they’d barely be close. But she didn’t want to let him gain the victory.
“I’ll stand,” she repeated.
Lord Rochdale’s jaw worked. “No. I shall.”
“As my mother said—” she looked around the busy room, all eyes upon Sir Teddy as he introduced himself “—we are drawing attention.”
He scanned the room too and probably caught the lie, but his shoulders stiffened. She allowed herself a small smile. A man like Lord Rochdale would so hate to draw attention. However, instead of allowing her a win, he took her arm in his hand and tugged. Eyes wide, she found herself caught between tearing away or going along with him toward the chairs as though it was perfectly normal for a sworn enemy to be holding her arm.
She might be a Musgrave and she might be used to bold stares, but she wasn’t certain she wanted any gossip dripping off the tongues of those around them about her and Lord Rochdale. So she allowed him the tiniest victory and meekly sat, shifting the chair as far sideways as she could before he seated himself next to her. She rubbed her arm where he’d held her.
It was mostly Sir Teddy’s fault, of course, that she could not focus on the talk. Nothing to do with wanting to sneak glances at Lord Rochdale at all. The author seemed to spend a lot of time patting his hair and flashing smiles at the ladies in the crowd rather than talking of anything of substance. His reading was dry and the excerpt he chose forced Clem to smother a yawn.
Lord Rochdale leaned. “I take it Sir Teddy cannot persuade you he has anything of merit to say?”
“I feel as though I must be listening to something else entirely. Look how rapt he has everyone.”
He shrugged. “His books are simplistic and easy for a reader to slip into. I imagine that is the appeal. Not everyone enjoys Voltaire.”
Clem scowled. He couldn’t possibly know she had Voltaire at her bedside at present. “Well, it’s...” She huffed. “It’s not good writing,” she murmured, feeling the argument deflate in her chest. Lord Rochdale of all people had made her feel quite the snob. “I suppose you are a huge fan of his too,” she said. “Perhaps you see yourself as one of his heroes.”
He smirked. “Not at all. I’m not much a reader.”
She swung a look his way. From his exterior, one would imagine Lord Rochdale to be quite the studious man, especially considered his oft furrowed brow.
“Not enough time,” he added quickly, but there was something strange in the way his voice caught, as though he was making an excuse.
She might be a snob about Sir Teddy’s books, but she did not fault anyone for not enjoying reading. As much as she loved it, she thoroughly understood some hobbies not being for others. After all, it would be hypocritical for her to be aggravated with such people considering she gained and lost interest in dozens of things a year.
Sir Teddy started answering questions from the audience and Clem rolled her eyes when one man asked him what pomade he used.
“Why exactly did you come to this talk if you cannot stand the man?” Lord Rochdale asked.
“I promised Ivy I would accompany her in return for her coming to see Caroline Herschel in two days’ time.”