“Certainly, I will not.” the words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, aware of how sharply her eyebrows lifted. “I am afraid that I am very practically minded, Lady Cassandra. That is not to say that I will not support you and your idea, however, but for myself, I am entirely of the opposite view.” This conversation was quickly becoming mortifying, for his face began to burn as Lady Cassandra shook her head, sighed and turned away from him. For whatever reason, it seemed as though she was disappointed in him, and her response in turning away made his heart twist in his chest. He opened his mouth, his heart wanting him to say more, perhaps even to defend himself but, after a moment, he simply shrugged both shoulders and held his hands behind his back. Reminding himself silently that he did not need to defend his position to anyone, he nodded in Lady Yardley’s direction. “Please explain exactly what it is you wish me to do, if you would.”
Lady Yardley sat down, gesturing to a chair and waiting for him to take a seat as Lady Cassandra sat down too.
“Lady Cassandra’s friends will be here within the hour. I should like to suggest to them that I will find a way to make certain that the gentlemen they consider – or who seem to be considering them – are exactly who they appear to be. You know as well as I that oftentimes, gentlemen can hide their true selves, although, of course, ladies may also do so. Therefore, I wish very much to make sure that not only my cousin but also her friends, are given the opportunity to find a suitable match with a gentleman who is honest about himself and his character, so that they might give him their heart without any concern.”
Nodding Slowly, Jonathan began to understand what Lady Yardley meant.
“And you wish me to aid you in some way?”
She nodded.
“There will be times when I will miss something,” wincing, she gestured towards Lady Cassandra, “just as I did last evening. The truth is, I did not know about Lord Darlington’s reputation, butyoudid. Perhaps you would be willing to assist my niece, for example, in being aware of which gentlemen might truly wish her company, and which are paying their attentions to her only for their own gain. I would ask my husband but, given that he has gone back to the estate, there is no one else to turn to.”
“I would be so very grateful.” Lady Cassandra spread out both hands. “There are so very many gentlemen, and I think the three who gave me specific compliments last evening do not have any goodness in their character, even though I initially believed them to be genuine.”
Frowning, Jonathan tilted his head.
“Dare I ask which gentlemen they were?”
Lady Cassandra hesitated, but then gave him the names of two others aside from Lord Darlington. Jonathan could only nod, not wanting her to think that he was criticizing her in any way for accepting their compliments, but inwardly realizing just how much Lady Cassandra needed assistance.
“I am sure that you will tell me that none of those gentlemen truly sought my company and that none of them had any real interest in furthering their acquaintance with me.”
The hopelessness in Lady Cassandra’s voice had Jonathan’s heart burning with sympathy, but he forced himself to be honest.
“I am afraid it is so, but that is not to say it is your fault. It is something that every young lady who comes to London must learn.” Sighing heavily, Lady Cassandra closed her eyes.
“If you would be willing to help guide both me and my friends, Lord Sherbourne – despite your disbelief in love matches being a wise choice – then I would be so very grateful.”
The weight in her expression and the sadness in her voice had his heart leaping toward her and he found himself nodding before he had truly made a decision.
“Yes, of course. Whatever I can do to be of assistance to you.”
In an instant, the heaviness was gone from her features as she smiled at him… only for her eyes to flare and her smile to fade a little.
“But we will not be keeping you from your own attempts at finding a match, I hope?”
At this, Lady Yardley began to laugh but rather than join in with her, a frown crossed Jonathan’s forehead.
“You need not worry about Lord Sherbourne, my dear.” Lady Yardley remarked, either not seeing or ignoring his frown. “He is not interested in considering matrimony as yet. Is that not so?”
Jonathan wanted to tell her that yes, in fact, hewasconsidering matrimony and that yes, he would be seeking out a bride for himself simply to chase away the laughter, but his untruths could not be brought to the fore. He had just finished arguing with his mother over whether or not he was soon to bring a bride back to his estate, and could not speak falsehoods now.
“Is that so, Lord Sherbourne?”
Lady Cassandra’s quiet question seemed to stab at his heart and he looked away. For some reason, he could not seem to look into her eyes, and yet she seemed determined to gaze into his.
“That is so.” His jaw felt tight, the words burning, struggling to escape from him, but he spoke them, nonetheless. “I have no intention of matrimony this Season.”
“Oh, how wonderful!”
Much to his surprise, Lady Cassandra smiled warmly at him. A surge of hope raced through his veins, as, for a moment, he thought that she was about to say how relieved she was, in the hope that they might begin a closer acquaintance. Ofcourse, that was not what she had been planning to say! Such a thought was a very strange one, and Jonathan threw it aside, just as Lady Cassandra expressed how grateful she was to know that his assistance would not bring him any particular difficulty of his own. Of course, she would not express a desire to draw closer to him! That was foolishness indeed and why he had ever thought of such a thing, he did not know.
“I am very grateful to you.” Lady Yardley smiled gently. “I will call for some refreshments, for the other young ladies will be here very soon, and should you wish to stay, you are most welcome. Otherwise, you and I can speak again very soon.”
Finding that he was greatly confused by his current feelings towards Lady Cassandra and the hope which had surged through him, Jonathan quickly got to his feet.
“I shall speak to you again at another time.” He gave Lady Yardley a quick bow, flicked another glance towards Lady Cassandra, and then hurried from the room. It was only when he had stepped into the hallway, however, that somebody called his name. Turning his head, he discovered that Lady Cassandra had come out of the drawing room and was hurrying towards him. There were two footmen in the hallway, both standing ahead of him but, all the same, Jonathan found his heart quickening a little. He did not want to be in any way improper, but being practically alone with Lady Cassandra, albeit for only a few moments, was a little thrilling. “Lady Cassandra?”
