Or am I nothing but a fool?
Her eyes closed.
“Surely this is a ploy, Lord Brookmire.” She let out a long breath, opening her eyes to see him shake his head fervently.I ought not to trust him.“I have been unwilling to countenance your company, and thus you are now attempting to find a way to force it upon me. Is that not so?”
Her lips pressed tightly together, and she was angry at herself for being so easily manipulated but, again, Lord Brookmire’s hand found hers.
“It is not.” Again, he stepped a little closer and, as her eyes danced down his frame, she caught sight of how tightly his hand was clenched. “I have been betrayed, I have been blackmailed, and it has all been achieved by taking advantage of my foolishness. I have been thinking of ways to extricate myself, only to realize that I have none. However, I then was reminded of the London Ledger, of how certain things were printed within it, and I can only pray that either yourself or Lady Yardley might be able to aid me in this. I am not known to her and wanted to ask if you would introduce me, for I have no other recourse. If I am left to face my situation alone - a situation which I will confess to be entirely my fault - then I will be ruined and….” Swallowing, he stopped for a moment, and Deborah took a breath, a little overwhelmed by how much he had disclosed to her in a short space of time. “I will be ruined,” he said again, a good deal more quietly this time as his head hung forward “And not only myself, but a young lady. A young lady who has done nothing other than find herself betrayed by a gentleman she thought to trust. It is for her sake – and the sake of others – that I come to you.” Taking a breath, he looked back at her steadily, his face still very pale indeed. “It is for his own ends and for his gains that the man who blackmails me does this, and therefore I am quite at a loss as to what to do. I fear that he will continually place this guilt upon me until I am quite ruined – and the lady also – and will, no doubt, take great pleasure in it also.”
Her heart ached as Deborah waited for a response to come to her, a response which she would fling in Lord Brookmire’s face, telling him that she had no desire to be anywhere near him, that she did not believe a single word of his account and that she certainly had no intention of wasting her time with his difficulties… only for those words to fade away. There was something about him that was different, something in his expression that demanded she believe him. It was most extraordinary, for everything within her told her that she would be foolish to accept even a single word that he said. But yet, despite such an awareness, her head ended up falling into a nod and, instantly, Lord Brookmire’s eyes immediately closed.
“I…”
She had no ability to say it, so she nodded again.
“You will help me then.”
There was a slight tremble to his voice, which had Deborah’s eyebrows lifting and she shared a look with Lady Elizabeth, who, in the interim, had gone quite silent. It appeared that she also was both astonished and somewhat confused by Lord Brookmire’s words, given the line which had formed between her brows. Her feelings corresponded precisely with all that Deborah herself held within herself.
“I do not say that I will help you, only that I will speak with Lady Yardley for you.” Deborah took a step back, making sure to stand closer to Lady Elizabeth and away from Lord Brookmire, silently praying that her mother had remained unobservant. The last thing she wished for was her mother to march across the ballroom and remove Lord Brookmire from her company, for that in itself would cause something of a scene! “You are not a gentleman whom I ought to trust.”
Lord Brookmire lowered his head.
“I am well aware of that. Trust is not something that I demand from you, Miss Madeley. If it were, then you would find me at your feet, determined that I would gain what I desired from you in any way possible - but that is not the case, I can assure you. I want nothing from you other than to beg of you to speak to Lady Yardley and, thereafter, introduce me to her, should she be willing. I deserve none of this, of course. I know that my behavior has been utterly despicable - both last Season and this - but I cannot help but seek aid. No doubt, you will say that this dark situation is a consequence of my own choices, my trials due to my own foolishness, and I will readily accept that from you. As I have said, however, I have no desire for this young lady to be injured further than she already has been. Lord Anderton was cruel to her, as he has been cruel to me, and I am only regretful that I ever believed him.”
None of this made any sense to Deborah, and she let out a slow breath, again looking to her companion, who still remained entirely silent.
“I do not comprehend anything of what you have said.” Spreading out both hands as Lord Brookmire groaned and passed one hand over his eyes, she tipped her head gently. “However I can speak to Lady Yardley and ask if she is willing to be introduced to you. I will also state that you seek her aid and the aid of ‘The London Ledger’ in whatever situation you face.”
Lord Brookmire nodded.
“That would be of the greatest assistance, Miss Madeley.”
Deborah took a breath.
“Then I will speak with her now.” Looking around the room, seeking to locate Lady Yardley, she caught her mother’s glance, and winced, realizing that her mother would be wondering why she had not returned as yet. “You may follow us, Lord Brookmire but stay a short distance away.” Taking Lady Elizabeth’s arm, she gave him the smallest of smiles. “We must first go to my mother so that she is aware that I have returned to her side. I shall ask then to go to stand with Lady Yardley for a time and, when I have spoken with her, I shall indicate whether or not you are welcome. I warn you, however,” she continued, a slight fear rising in her mind, a fear that he would turn around and, with a broad smile, declare that he had somehow managed a victory when it came to their previously cold acquaintance. “Lady Yardley is not as easily persuaded as I am and, mayhap, I am being foolish in this.” She lifted a shoulder. “Mayhap you wish to declare it a victory that you and I have become a little better acquainted. Or perhaps it is that you will not speak with Lady Yardley at all but will instead simply laugh at me from across the room for believing your portrayal of a desperate man.”
Lord Brookmire moved so close to her, there was barely a handspan between them. The scent of pine assailed her and Deborah’s breath hitched, fresh warmth curling up like smoke from the pit of her stomach. His nearness to her was both overpowering and horrifying at the same time. Why was she responding to this gentleman in such a manner? He was a scoundrel, and she certainly did not trust him. Why should his nearness rob her of speech?
“I assure you that I shall do none of that.” Lord Brookmire’s hands now found hers and he squeezed her hands gently, sending a tremor up through her frame. “You will not find your trust in me misplaced.”
Deborah, gathering herself, laughed and slid her hands from his.
“I think you will find, Lord Brookmire, that I do not trust you at all,” she replied acerbically. “You may end up speaking with Lady Yardley, but I will have very little interest in whatever it is you have to say. I can assure you that, if Lady Yardley can aid you, then she will do so - but for my part, I do not think that we shall have any need to linger in conversation, nor in company. Do excuse me.”
Aware that her words did not match the odd sense of longing which now swept through her as she left his side, she kept her head held high as she walked away. The desire to return to his company, the flicker of interest in hearing more of his situation and his explanation for his circumstances, grew with every step she took away from him. The two friends walked in silence as they made their way back towards their respective mothers, but Deborah’s mind was so filled with heavy thoughts, she did not take in anything else which swept all around her.
This was a most extraordinary circumstance for, only some minutes ago, she had been saying to Lady Elizabeth that she had no intention of allowing Lord Brookmire anywhere near her and had been prepared with a set down should he attempt to approach her. Instead, she was now helping Lord Brookmire with a difficult circumstance - one he admitted he had brought upon himself. Has he truly had such a change of heart? Or could it be that Lord Brookmire’s presence affected her more than she wanted to admit, even to herself?
Chapter Six
Phillip pushed one hand through his hair, then the other. Pacing backward and forward at the edge of the ballroom, he continually slid glances towards Miss Madeley as she spoke to Lady Yardley. Thus far, this evening had been a complete disaster and, given what he had discovered, he now found himself in a situation where he had very few people to whom he could turn. When his thoughts had turned to Lady Yardley, he had gone hot all over with faint relief. Lady Yardley wrote ‘The London Ledger’ and therefore, she knew a great deal about society and those within it. Surely there was something she might be able to do to help him?
But only if she will speak with me.
Frustrated, he dropped his head, silently cursing himself for listening to Lord Anderton in the first place, and for refusing to listen to his inclinations, his doubts, and indeed to Lord Marchmont.
“You look particularly energetic this evening.”
