“Even if I were to do so, it seems as though Lord Hayman is eager to secure a husband for his daughter. A husband ofhischoosing, I might add.” To his surprise, neither of his friends appeared at all concerned. “You do realize what I am saying, do you not?”
Wondering how to explain himself, he blinked in surprise when Lord Campbell chuckled.
“I believe that both of us understand precisely what it is that you’re saying, but we do not see the difficulty.”
“How can you not?” Becoming a little exasperated Adam threw up both hands. “I have explained all to you. Lord Hayman is determined to find a suitable gentleman and -”
“And what makes you think that you arenota suitable gentleman?”
Adam stopped suddenly, his mouth closing with a snap. That was not something that he had considered.
“I… I do not have as much wealth as some. That is one of the reasons Lady Margaret rejected me.” Speaking slowly, he let his thoughts run together quickly. “That may concern him, iI may not have enough to satisfy him.”
“I assure you, you havemorethan enough wealth to satisfy Viscount Hayman,” Lord Campbell chuckled. “Lady Margaret was exceptionally greedy, and I am quite secure in saying Miss Millington is not so.”
Nodding, Adam let his gaze fall to the floor, his heart thumping wildly at the prospect of speaking honestly to Miss Millington, and to her father.
“So you think that I should go and speak with him about his daughter?”
“Yes, but you ought to do so with caution.” Lord Campbell held up both hands, one ticking off points on the other. “Firstly, you should inform him of your interest in his daughter. Then, you should make certain that all of your qualities are presented to him succinctly and, thereafter, you should make it plain what it is that you hope for. However,” he continued, dropping his hands, “You should tell Miss Millington everything first. You must explain everything to her, for surely you want her approval before you approach her father?”
Keeping his gaze fixed on the floor, Adam said nothing. So many emotions were swirling around within him - shock, astonishment, confusion – that he could not sort one thought from the next. Was this truly how a deep affection felt? Was this what he desired? For if it was, then what exactly would he do to grasp hold of it?
“I need a little time.” Rising from the table, he stuck out one hand to Lord Dennington and then to Lord Campbell, shaking both of their hands firmly. “I am aware that I have been something of a difficult sort this Season, but I am truly grateful for you both – for your long-suffering patience and your advice.”
“We are glad that you listened to us!” Lord Dennington chuckled. “But all the same, I do hope that this will help you secure a genuine happiness.”
Wincing, Adam shook his head.
“I am not certain that I deserve such things but, for the moment, I will take time to consider and then decide what I am to do next.”
“Do not wait for too long,” Lord Campbell warned. “From what I know of Lord Hayman, he is determined and quick to act. If he is firm in his intention to marry his daughter to a gentleman of his choosing, without delay – as you yourself have said – then he will already be acting upon it.”
“And it does not sound as though she will have either a choice or the opportunity to offer a word of complaint to her father.”
With a lift of his eyebrow, Lord Dennington’s quiet urgency had Adam nodding solemnly.
“I understand. I promise you that it will not take too long.”
Without another word, he turned and left, leaving his friends behind in White’s, his mind filled with so many tangled thoughts that he could not separate them. Everything he had told himself, everything he had been quite certain of, was now thrown into confusion. If love was as strong as Lord Campbell stated, if it was as real as Lord Dennington believed, then he had been a fool to ignore it.
And Miss Millington had been the one to suffer for it.
Chapter Fifteen
There are only two gentlemen left.
Constance was all too aware of the fact that she had only two other gentlemen to meet out of the five who had responded to her letter. A heavy weight settled on her as she made her way to Hyde Park, alongside her mother and father – but strangely, it was not these two gentlemen her thoughts rested upon. Instead, she thought only of Lord Seaton and his reluctance to consider love as even the smallest possibility, and she painfully realized just how much distance there was now between them.
She missed his company, missed his smile, and the way that his eyes lit up whenever he glanced at her. She missed how her own heart quickened, how exhilaration had run through her whenever she had danced in his arms.
“It is the fashionable hour, Constance.” Lord Hayman put a hand on her shoulder, catching her thoughts and throwing them away. “That means you must look your very best, which involves smiling.”
Constance’s breath hitched, her heart thundering at the understanding that her father was going to introduce her to another gentleman. Of course, she realized, this was why he had joined her and her mother in Hyde Park for the fashionable hour – there was a plan for her to meet someone.
“Who is it that I am to be introduced to, Father?”
His eyebrows lifted.
