There was an awkward silence.
Aaron could see that Judith was struggling. In fact, she was struggling more than he’d expected. Somehow, he’d assumed once she was past the initial awkwardness, she’d rise to the occasion and charm Henry into next Wednesday. Alas, the opposite was true. She appeared to be shrinking into herself.
“Lady Judith is among Society’s most accomplished young ladies,” he boasted, not certain if there was any truth to this.
“Is that so? Pray, what are your favorite activities?” Henry asked eagerly, his eyes resting on her.
Judith looked at Aaron, her eyes wide with panic. “Um, well, I enjoy reading, mostly. And, uh, embroidery. I… embroider. On… materials.”
What in the world was she doing? Hadn’t she assured him she knew how to find herself a husband? Perhaps Oliver had been right and she needed more help than Aaron had first imagined.
He decided to change the subject.
“Henry, have you heard about the new exhibition at the Royal Academy?”
Henry’s eyes lit up. “I have! Lady Judith, do you enjoy art?”
Judith’s eyes darted to Aaron, then back to Henry. “I… I do, yes.”
Aaron stared at her, willing her to say something more than just yes. But she stood like a statue, not even blinking.
He stepped in, trying to salvage the situation. “Lady Judith, Henry has a great appreciation for art. Which piece is your favorite?”
“I like… I…”
He saw a sweat pearl on her forehead and felt guilty now for doing this to her. Clearly throwing her feet first into the water had been a dreadful mistake.
“Perhaps a piece by Vermeer? I recall you…” Aaron started, but to his surprise, she turned and walked away quickly, leaving him and Henry standing there.
Henry looked at him, his brow furrowed. “Did I say something wrong?”
Aaron sighed. “No, Henry, it’s not you. I should have prepared her better. I didn’t know she’d be so…” He waved a hand. “Excuse me.”
Quickly, Aaron sprinted after Judith’s retreating figure, feeling a pang of guilt. He had hoped this introduction would go smoothly, but it seemed he had miscalculated her readiness for such an encounter. Not only had she made a cake of herself, but she’d also made him look like a fool for introducing her.
Then again, there was something rather amusing about the way she’d just turned and run away like a petulant child. He remembered her doing this when they were younger. Whenever she found herself confronted with a situation she could not control, she’d bolt.
As he followed her, the awkwardness of the situation was replaced by memories from their shared childhood, and by the time he caught up with her, he couldn’t help but see the little girl she’d once been. Especially as the pose she stood in—leaning against a tree with her arms and legs crossed and her bottom lip pushed out—conjured up many imagines from the past. She truly hadn’t changed much at all.
“Judith,” he said gently, approaching her, though he suppressed a smile. “I must beg your pardon. I did not mean to put you on the spot.”
Judith looked at him, her eyes glistening with an unexpected defiance. “Oh, did you not? For it seemed as though you all but dragged me into this meeting.”
And there she was, the petulant, hard-headed girl he’d always known. His sympathy evaporated rapidly.
“You told me you were ready to meet gentlemen,” he fired back. “Although to me, it looked as though you’d never spoken to a man in all your life.”
“On the contrary, I have mingled with London’s finest nobles. I have conversed with Italian counts, and… and… I was simply not prepared to be pushed into a courtship just like this. I am very sorry my brother imposed this on you, but I assure you, I do not need you. I am perfectly capable of?—”
“Finding a husband on your own? By butchering a gentleman’s name, stammering and praising your skillful embroidery of ‘materials’?”
He chuckled now because her pride seemed to have gotten the best of her, rather than a bout of despair he feared he’d brought on.
“You were presenting me to him as though I were a prized mare at the market,” she hissed. “Without letting me so much as collect myself. I dare say, if you wished to have a career in matchmaking, I’d urge you to reconsider, for you are terrible at it.”
“A governess, a matchmaker—have you any other suggestions for possible careers for me, Lady Judith?” he asked with a smirk.
She looked at him for a moment, her lips pressed together, and then a small smile appeared on her lips.
