Sara sat backin her chair, her eyes moving about the room, although she did not look at anyone. Her mind was much too caught up with thoughts of Lord Stoneleigh to be paying much attention to anything or anyone else. Her mother no doubt would have a great many things to say about her lack of consideration once they returned home, but Sara found that she did not care. It was as though Lord Stoneleigh had taken hold of her, turned her around in a great spin, and then let her go again without permitting her a single moment to catch her breath. In speaking to Miss Cartwright, she had found herself determined once more not to turn her back on him, even if he wished to turn away from her - but that determination would do no good as she had no idea of where he was at present.
“You appear to be sitting here quite alone, Lady Sara.”
Sara lifted her head sharply, her eyes rounding as she caught sight of none other than Lord Coatbridge.
Fate is not to be kind to me this evening, then.
Her stomach twisted, and she immediately turned her head away.
“I have no eagerness to speak with you, Lord Coatbridge,” she responded firmly. “Good evening.”
“Pray do not behave so.” Lord Coatbridge’s castigating tone had her eyes flaring in shock as he came a little closer to her. “I understand that things have changed between us, but that does not mean that you need to behave with such disrespect.”
Such was Sara’s shock that she could not quite catch her breath for some moments. Silence grew between them, covered only by the murmur of conversation from those around them.
And then she let out a breathless laugh.
“You truly think that you can speak to me ofmybehavior after what you have done?” She did not move from her seat, but looked up at him, her eyes burning with a sparkling anger. “You have no right.”
“You would not understand the reasons which required me to make such a decision,” Lord Coatbridge returned, a hot flush coming into his cheeks. “Young ladies such as yourself have no interest in, nor even willingness to understand, the strain that a gentleman is placed under when it comes to such things as matrimony.”
“Again, you dishonor me with such inconsideration.” Sara flung up one hand towards him and he recoiled. “I amverywell aware of the strain that the requirement to marry places upon one’s shoulders. What I do not understand, however, is the need to court one young lady only to turn around and betroth oneself to another!”
Lord Coatbridge turned his head to one side, sniffing indelicately.
“Your lack of compassion speaks poorly of you.”
“Yet again, another accusation which I could lay at your feet,” she retorted, unwilling to allow him a single moment of victory. “Do you not think that I have suffered and struggled at the news of your betrothal to another, only the day after you called at my father’s townhouse to inform me of just how much you had come to care for me?” Her heart twisted as he looked away. Had she ever realized before just how much of a coward he was? “You do not wish me to speak of such things?”
“I did not mean to injure you.”
“Pah!” Waving a hand, she dismissed his words. “Do not pretend that you feel anything for me, Lord Coatbridge, for I will not believe you. And do not give me your excuses as to why you must betroth yourself to another so quickly, for I will not accept them.”
His head turned back towards her.
“Then what will you accept? An apology?”
Her stomach began to swirl.
“Your apologies mean nothing to me. I do not wish to be in your company again. I have no eagerness for any of your words or conversation. You have made your choice, and you have treated me with disdain. I can only hope that you will treat your wife with a good deal more consideration than you have shown me and that such consideration isobvious.”
Lord Coatbridge’s expression darkened, his jaw jutting forward as he took a step forward, lowering his head.
“My betrothed is not your consideration.”
“That is not what I meant, as well you are aware,” she shot back. “I shall not seek to injure her nor harm her. I spoke much too freely before, but I will not do so again. We need never be in company again, Lord Coatbridge. That is the greatest desire in my heart.”
“Thisis why you could never have made me a pleasing wife,” Lord Coatbridge spat back, clearly eager to injure her. “You speak your thoughts much too freely when no one else has ever asked to hear them. You believe that your opinions are of importance, whereas I can assure you that they are not.”
“They are to me.”
A quiet voice interrupted their conversation and Sara’s eyebrows rushed up towards her hair as she looked into the face of Lord Stoneleigh. He was not looking at her, however, but was instead gazing fixedly at Lord Coatbridge, who had suddenly gone a furious red.
Silence spread between the three of them for some moments. Lord Stoneleigh looked from Lord Coatbridge to Sara and back again, whilst Lord Coatbridge simply glared at Sara. Sara held his gaze steadily, not wishing to look away for fear of appearing weak, tilting her head a little and lifting one eyebrow gently, which seemed to infuriate him all the more, given that his color changed to a deep scarlet that burned through every inch of his face.
“Is there anything else you might wish to say, Lady Sara?”
Lord Stoneleigh moved forward, coming to stand behind Sara and looking at Lord Coatbridge.
