Gritting his teeth, Adam dropped his head, a low groan escaping him.
“I take it that she also saw fit to declare thatyouwere the gentleman who had previously proposed?”
With a nod, Adam dropped his head all the more, his chin to his chest, unable to even look at his friends.
“Yes, Campbell, she did. I was spoken to by three ladies as I took my leave of the ball this evening. I do not doubt that, by tomorrow, everyone will be whispering about my declaration of love for Lady Margaret. Lady Farlinger has been telling her friends how ardent I was in my affections and how heartbroken I was at her refusal.” Taking a sip of his brandy, he continued. “This is all to benefit her daughter, of course, to make her appear the most desirable young lady in all of London. Mayhap, upon hearing this, a Duke will pay attention to Lady Margaret, and thereafter, her betrothal to this Marquess will end.”
Lord Dennington lifted an eyebrow.
“It is not like you to speak so harshly.”
Given the dark mood he was in at present, Adam did not care.
“You were not present to witness how mockingly Lady Margaret looked at me, nor were you there when I was forced to stand and accept sympathies over my supposedly broken heart.” With an effort, he lifted his head and looked at his friends. “You did not hear the dismissiveness with which Lady Margaret, and now Lady Farlinger, spoke of my affections. It seems that I am going to be mocked over my declaration, and that leaves me all the more frustrated, especially since I feel no lingering affection for the lady. Indeed, I am quite certain that there is no such thing as a true affection. Love is an imagined emotion without any real substance.”
His friends looked at each other, then returned their attention to him.
“I do not think that you are speaking or thinking clearly,” Lord Dennington stated, as Lord Campbell nodded fervently.
“Indeed, none of this is your fault. To have affection for a young lady is quite common, I am sure.”
Adam shook his head.
“Mayhap it is, but it is certainlynotcommon to discover that the lady in question is quick to dismiss such notions, I think.”
“Certainly, it is not. When the time comes and you find yourself in such a position again, then I am sure that the response you receive from the young lady will be the exact opposite of that you received from Lady Margaret.”
With a curl of his lip, Adam’s jaw tightened.
“You may say so, but I do not think you can speak with any certainty on the matter. You cannot know the mind of every young lady in London.”
“Youarein a dark mood.” Lord Campbell shrugged and looked away, letting out a long sigh. “That is to be quite understood, I am sure, but all the same, you ought not to permit yourself to have no hope. Lady Margaret treated you poorly, certainly, but that does not mean thateveryother young lady will treat you with such inconsideration.”
Adam snorted.
“You do not think that I will ever permit myself to have such feelings again, do you?” He shook his head dismissively. “I willnotallow myself to be drawn to another young lady again. I have already been mocked once. I shall never be so again.”.
“Now wait for just a moment.” Lord Dennington put one hand to his arm, but Adam shook it off. “You are responding to this much too severely. I thought you desired to marry a young lady who truly had an affection for you, and you for her. Pray, do not allow that desire to fade simply because of Lady Margaret.”
Squaring his jaw, Adam looked away from his friends. They were trying far too much to encourage him, and he did not want to hear it at this present moment. Rather, he wanted only to sit in the shadows and allow them to settle over him.
“Lord Campbell is quite correct.” Lord Dennington picked up his glass and took a sip before spinning the remaining liquid around in the glass. “Lady Margaret was the exception. Not every young lady is like that, I am sure.”
“And what would you know of it?” With a sharpness to his tone, Adam twisted his head back towards his friends. “Neither of you have been eager to court a lady– although for different reasons, certainly. Neither of you are wed, nor even betrothed! How can you speak with any certainty about thesesupposedyoung ladies who will be willing to fall in love with me? As far as I am concerned, they are just as likely to be as Lady Margaret was. I could have no trust in them.”
At this, Lord Dennington’s brows dropped low as Lord Campbell’s eyes flashed with a sudden spark.
“You need not speak so harshly to us.” Lord Dennington’s brows pulled even lower as Adam scowled. “We seek only to aid you.”
Adam thought to say more, anger beginning to burn through him, but instead, he snapped his mouth closed and rose from the table, just as his anger began to bubble into shame. He had done wrong, he knew, but he was not in the correct frame of mind to even think about how to apologize for such a thing.
“You are quite right, I am nothing but disagreeable.” With a tilt of his chin, he turned his gaze away. “Excuse me, I think I shall make my way home.”
He paused for a moment, wondering if either of his friends would encourage him to remain but, instead, they looked at each other and said nothing. Embarrassed now by his foolishness, and frustrated at his foul temper, Adam stormed out of White’s to discover that dusk had fallen. Taking a breath, he made directly for his carriage.
“Would you like a copy of ‘The London Ledger’?”
Something was waved in his face, and Adam snatched at it without even looking. Reaching his carriage, he climbed inside, the footman shut the door, and within only a few moments, they were pulling away.
