Percy stood there as the three Dennis siblings left the greenhouse, wondering how such a decision had been made without his permission. Then again, there was a small part of him thatwantedto see what Anna made of his residence, and his curiosity was greater than his desire to protest.
Perhaps, he might even hear the end of the question that she had been about to ask about the Orangery. And perhaps, with no hope toward her feeling the same way, he might muster the nerve to tell her that it was the one thing he would never regret.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
They did not leave by two o’clock, as Max had suggested. Indeed, they were not at all ready until six o’clock that evening, by which time Max had decided that it would be too late for them to journey on the road. Anna had retreated to her chambers to read her personal, annotated copies ofPride & PrejudiceandThe Mysteries of Udolpho, imagining what Percival would make of them, while the men had seemed to enjoy a pleasant evening in the drawing room.
By two o’clock the following day, however, two carriages had set off from Harewood Court. The three gentlemen were in the leading carriage, while Anna was in the second, accompanied by her lady’s maid.
She could not help but feel it had been done deliberately, for she could scarcely remember a time when they had not all journeyed together during the summer months. Indeed, it had often been a sore point for her, as the greatest amount of teasing never failed to happen while they were all stuffed into a small space, where she could not escape.
As such, it was a dull, silent sort of carriage ride, and as Westyork came into view many hours later, she had never been more excited to see something other than hedgerows and sheep.
“Do you think we should have written first?” Max asked, appearing at Anna’s carriage door to help her down.
Anna breezed past him, half-running toward the entrance of Westyork. “Not at all!” she called back over her shoulder. Although, for the first time, she doubted whether or not she would be welcome at that grand manor.
She was greeted at the door by the butler, who politely ushered her into the drawing room while he went to see “if Lady Caroline was indisposed or not.” From the hallway, she could hear Max, Dickie, and Percival speaking with Daniel. Their rumbling laughter was an enviable sound, while she sat on the settee and smoothed out her creaseless skirts a hundred times or more.
It was almost ten minutes before the drawing room door opened again, though it was not the butler who stepped inside. Caroline quietly closed the door behind her and walked to the opposite settee, sitting down with a stony look. Upon a face so sweet and flawless, it was rather jarring to behold.
“I am sorry, Caro,” Anna blurted out. “Truly, I am sorry for… interfering. It is not something I have done very often, but I knew that Perci—I mean, I knew that the Duke of Granville was not right for you. It is easy to become overwhelmed during one’s first year in society, and to see romance in every gentleman that tries to woo you, but… in this case, I know you both very well, and I knew you would be a terrible match.”
Caroline shook her head slowly. “Then you should have said, as yourself. You should not have hidden behind The Matchmaker.”
“I am aware of that,” Anna replied, “but would you have listened to me?”
Caroline’s smooth brow creased into a frown. “I like to think that I would. We are friends, and I always listen to my friends.”
“But I could not rely upon that, not when I knew of The Matchmaker’s influence. I had to make certain that you did not proceed in a courtship with Percival, and though I know you are furious with me, and you have every right to be, I kept you safe from making a mistake.”
Turning her gaze out of the drawing room window, a muscle twitched in Caroline’s jaw. “How can you be so sure that His Grace and I are not well matched? What… intuition told you so, when I have never been made to feel more comfortable by a gentleman?”
“Because of things I heard him say,” Anna admitted. “Things that would undoubtedly embarrass him if he knew you had heard of them through me, so I would prefer not to reveal it. That being said, if you believe The Matchmaker made a mistake, Percival is here at the house right now. I am sure Phoebe would not mind chaperoning if you wished to… speak to him.”
And he will remember why he favored you, and he will ask for your hand, and you will be happy in your own way, and I will have upheld my end of the bargain.Her heart ached, imagining what it would be like to attend society gatherings where he would be a part of the extended family of the Spinsters’ Club. Would it hurt to see him with someone else? How badly?
Caroline huffed out a breath and turned back to look at Anna. “Are you quite serious, Anna? Are you truly going to sit there and pretend that you did not intervene becauseyoufavor him?” She tutted under her breath. “I am not even the most furious about your intervention. I am angrier that you did not then tell me whoismy true love match! I waited for another letter from The Matchmaker. I waited and waited, and it did not come.”
“There is no need to pretend,” Anna replied sheepishly. “I truly didnotintervene because I favor him. Indeed, I do not favor him. It would be foolish for me to favor anyone. And… I am so very sorry I did not send another letter, as I am sorry that I do not know who your true match is. I shall ponder it some, though I doubt it will be of any use to you now.”
Caroline scoffed. “Why would it be foolish to favor someone? Do not tell me you have allowed that weasel, Lord Luminport, to cloud your judgment? Can you believe he had the audacity to approach me and attempt toflirtwith me, after Iheardhim spread that awful rumor about you? I was right there when he blurted out that lie! Of course, I told him to leave me be, or I would set the husbands of the Spinsters’ Club upon him.”
“Awful rumor?” Anna’s heart lurched into her throat.
“Yes, about you stealing away with the Duke of Granville, alone.” Caroline turned up her nose. “The countess squashed it immediately, of course, and asked Lord Luminport to leave. Yet, he attempted to call upon me yesterday! Daniel wasquiteincensed.”
Anna had not realized that the rumor had been deliberately spread, nor had she known that Simon was the source of it. She had assumed it was something more akin to hearsay, which was why it had not been mentioned in more detail in the scandal sheets. Indeed, if she had not already seen the scandal sheets, in which her encounter with Percival had been described as a business meeting, she would have truly been panicking.
Anna dropped her chin to her chest. “I take it you heard that he used me to get closer to you?”
“I did.” Caroline paused. “And I am sorry for that. It is despicable. Why, you are one of the most beautiful, most radiant, most wonderful people I know, and to think that you left that ball wounded—it tempered my anger, in truth. I just wish you had sent me another letter, for… navigating this world is more difficult than I ever anticipated. I needed The Matchmaker, and she abandoned me.”
Anna nodded. “I can only apologize and beg your forgiveness, and promise that as soon as my work is permitted to continue, you will be my first priority.” She hesitated. “So, you arenotinterested in Percival?”
“I could never be interested in the man that has captured the attention and heart of a dearly beloved friend,” Caroline replied, with a mischievous smile. “Nor wouldIintervene in something that would bring a much-deserved lady such enormous happiness.”
Exasperated, Anna wished she had some tea or something to distract herself. “Caro, my dear, dear Caro, there is nothing between me and Percival. There is to be no happiness for me—not in the romantic sense. My greatest love has always been my friends, and I am quite satisfied for it to remain so.”
