He offered Lady Ellen his arm, and she took it reluctantly. She said nothing as they waited for several other couples to go ahead of them before they passed through the door that went through to the dining room. He looked for her name card and saw that they had been seated beside each other. “How convenient. I see we are to be partners for the meal,” he said.
Lady Ellen let go of his arm and allowed him to help her scoot her chair in after she had been seated. “Thank you,” she mumbled, giving a tight-lipped smile.
He sat down, shifting so he could better see her. However, he could not think of anything to say. His old insecurities were starting to creep up on him, forcing him into silence. She did not seem inclined to converse with him anyway, as she refused to meet his gaze.
She looked down toward the opposite end of the table, wishing she had been placed anywhere else, no doubt. He faced forward, meeting his father’s gaze. He nodded to him encouragingly, urging him with his eyes to make conversation with his future bride.
Simon cleared his throat. “So, I hear you are as unsure of this marriage as I,” he said, baiting her.
That got her attention, and she quickly turned her attention to him. “What do you mean, sir?” she asked, her eyes flashing with fire.
Simon shrugged, leaning a little closer. “I heard everything you said to Golda. I think it very poor to judge someone because of things wholly out of their control, but then again, I am not as old and wise as you.”
Her face went white with shame, and she hung her head. He held back a laugh and looked around at the thirty or so guests that had gathered there. “Very bad form, if you ask me.”
“I could argue that it is just as bad form to eavesdrop on someone else’s private conversation,” she said, looking thoroughly chastised. “Why did you not make yourself known?” she whispered harshly.
“It can hardly be deemed private when one is practically shouting their opinions across the room.” Simon shifted uneasily. This was not what he had promised his father. He was making a mess of things, and he knew it. But she had made him angry with her judgmental words. Reluctant as he was to admit it, her rejection stung.
Ellen clamped her mouth shut, turning away from him. He gazed at her lovely profile for a moment. Her dark, thick lashes moved up and down as she blinked rapidly. Was she trying to hold back tears?
Feeling embarrassed for allowing his pride to get the better of him, he looked away. He had not meant to make her cry.You have done it now, Simon.He could have kicked himself for being so insensitive. No matter what Ellen had said or done, he should not have embarrassed her. He would not blame her if she thought the worst of him, for he had shown her only the worst.
Sighing heavily, he decided to keep to himself through the rest of dinner. He would not push her and risk making an even bigger nuisance of himself. He turned to the lady on his left and struck up a conversation with her.
“How do you do? My name is Simon Grant,” he said, introducing himself.
“Lady Eloise Foster. Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir,” the middle-aged woman said. Her smile was genuine, and he felt himself relax. At least he would not have to spend the whole dinner sulking in silence.
“As am I,” he replied. “How do you know Lord and Lady Semple?”
She waved him off as if it were the most ridiculous question she had ever heard. “I am an old friend of Lady Semple,” she replied. “I have heard much of you, Lord Simon. I believe my goddaughter is a very lucky young woman.”
He raised a brow. “It depends on who you ask, I suppose.”
“Oh?” she asked, scrunching up her nose. “The whole family is very pleased with the prospect.”
“All except Lady Ellen, I think,” he whispered, leaning close. “She does not seem pleased in the slightest.”
Lady Foster shook her head. “All she needs is someone who is not afraid to dish back a bit of her stubbornness. She is entirely too independent, in my opinion.” She stopped for a moment to study him. “You have the look of courage about you. You will make a fine sparring partner for Lady Ellen,” she said with a wink.
Simon had to laugh at this. “I suppose marriage is a battle at times, is it not? Of course, I have no experience yet.”
“Indeed, it is. But a battle worth fighting. There were days I wanted to throttle my dear departed James. I look back on those times and realise how silly our quarrels were. I would give anything to go back and do them over.”
“I am sorry,” Simon said. “How long ago did he pass?”
“Oh, thirty years ago, now. We had seven wonderful years together. Much too short. But when you are blessed enough to have a love match like he and I did, even seventy years would have been too short.”
Simon warmed to her even more. “You never remarried?” he asked.
She shook her head, smiling up at him. “Ahh, no. I had no reason or inclination. He made sure that our two sons and I were well taken care of.” She leaned forward a little to look past him, and he saw that she was studying Ellen. He leaned back to give her more room. She nodded once with a determined air.
“Yes, firm hand. That is all she needs. Do not let her bully you,” she whispered. “Gentle but firm. She will come around.”
Simon thanked her and turned the conversation onto more safe subjects. He did not want Ellen to overhear that they were talking about her. However, he needn’t have worried, for she spent the rest of dinner talking to the young man on her right. He might as well have been sitting at the other end of the table.
He was glad when dinner was over. He offered Ellen his arm, and they walked through to the drawing room, where she quickly extricated herself from him and moved away to join her sisters. He let out a breath. This was going to be much more difficult than he could have imagined.