“I thank you,” she murmured eventually, dropping into a quick curtsey as she turned to Lady Hayward and to Selina. “As I have said, we must have accidentally left my brother’s company without realizing it. I am very grateful that you came to join us when Lord Telford was present.”
Selina, who did not believe a word that came from Lady Amelia’s mouth, nodded and then forced a smile to her lips.
“But of course,” she said, as Lady Hayward caught her eye. “We shall leave you to your conversation now. Good evening.”
“Good evening,” Lady Hayward added, turning on her heel and coming to join Selina as they made their way back to where Selina had been sitting.
“Goodness,” Lady Hayward murmured. “It appears that Lord Telford is a gentleman we must be wary of, Lady Selina. Lord Barrington certainly appeared to think so!” She smiled at Selina as they sat down together, with Selina’s eyes drifting back towards Lord Barrington, who was now, it seemed, quietly berating his sister all over again. “You did very well, Lady Selina. I commend you for your concern and for your actions.”
Selina shook her head.
“I am sure anyone would have done such a thing,” she answered, seeing how Lady Amelia now dropped her head, no longer staring defiantly back at her brother. “I do hope that he is not too harsh with her.”
“I hope that he is!” Lady Hayward replied, with a small smile. “I believe that Lady Amelia is the sort of young lady who will do whatever she wishes without hesitation, unless she is checked. And that, Lady Selina, is a sure path to disaster and disgrace.”
Letting out a long breath, Selina sat back in her chair and nodded, surprised that there was no longer any weakness or fatigue in her limbs. Rather, she now felt like rising to her feet and joining the other guests, so that she might converse with them. Perhaps being in Lord Barrington’s company and forcing herself to speak with both confidence and strength had done her more good than she had at first realized!
“Lord Barrington was grateful to you,” Lady Hayward murmured, as Selina frowned, catching Lady Hayward’s knowing look. “He might well come to seek you out again to thank you once more, the next time we are at the same social occasion as he.”
Laughing, Selina shook her head.
“He may very well do so, Lady Hayward, but I highly doubt that he will have any genuine interest in me, and certainly I have none for him!” Recalling how he had frowned at her when she had first been talking to Lady Amelia, as well as the way that he had allowed himself to be dragged into conversation with someone else rather than finish what he was saying to Selina, she shook her head again, although with a little more fervor this time. “I shall be quite glad to know Lord Barrington, certainly, but there will be nothing more than an acquaintance between us.”
“Are you quite certain of that?” Lady Hayward asked, but Selina nodded her head.
“I am,” Selina declared, with a small smile lighting her lips. “And for myself, I shall state that I have no interest in furthering an acquaintance with him regardless.” She looked across the room at him once more, taking in his dark expression, his heavy brows and the firmness about his mouth. “No, certainly not,” she murmured, half to herself. “Such a thing shall never be. I am certain of it.”
Chapter Four
Charles cleared his throat, grasping both his mother and his sister’s attention. They glanced at each other, and Charles was well able to see the fear in his sister’s eyes.
He did not care. Whatever his sister had said to their mother, whatever excuses they had devised together, he was not about to allow such a thing to happen again.
“Last evening,” he began, slowly, “you chose to step away from both myself and mama, in order to pursue conversation with a gentleman who, I am sure you are fully aware now, is entirely unsuitable.” Amelia said nothing, although she did hold his gaze rather than drop it to her plate or to her lap. Charles was not certain whether or not he ought to be irritated by this, wondering silently if his sister was about to defend herself to him yet again. “Lord Telford, I believe, came to speak to you for the sole purpose of settling himself into your affections,” he continued, one hand curling into a fist as he spoke. “Whilst I had no choice but to introduce you at last week’s ball – for he approached, if you recall, and expressed a keen desire to know you – that does not mean that he is a gentleman whom you should further an acquaintance with.”
His mother shook her head.
“Your sister did not know such a thing, Barrington,” she said, reproachfully. “How can she understand such an important matter if you do not take the time to explain it?”
Charles looked to his sister and saw a faint touch of color come into her cheeks.
“That is where you are mistaken, mama,” he said, quietly. “I did explain this to Amelia. I informed her of it, last week at the ball, the moment Lord Telford departed, as well as once more, when we returned home.” He smiled grimly as he saw his mother’s eyes flare and a small exclamation leave her lips. Whatever Amelia had said to her was now being proven to be quite incorrect. “Is that not so, Amelia?”
His sister let out a heavy sigh and shrugged.
“I do not know,” she stated, with a glance towards her mother. “There have been so many gentlemen that it is difficult for me to recall them all.”
“That is not the truth and you well know it,” Charles replied, grimly. “You deliberately left my side last evening to go with your friend in the hope
