“Of course I do. I think I even suggested it some time ago! Come and find me later this evening, once you have greeted all of your guests.”
Hugh smiled and promised that he would, ready then to greet his next guest in the welcoming line. This evening, thus far, had been a success, given that those he had invited had all come to attend his ball, rather than rejecting it for fear they would be standing in the ballroom with a pauper who had been unable to match their expectations. Some, he was certain, had come out of nothing more than curiosity, wanting to seewhether he would truly be able to throw a spectacular ball, and Hugh was silently pleased to see their wide eyes and hear their excited exclamations. He had spent a great deal on decorating the ballroom, so there were now silk drapes pulled into long loops along the walls themselves, interspersed with fresh flowers and cuts of ivy. The orchestra was the very finest London could produce and the champagne was the very best – and certainly would not be watered down! This was a chance to show thetonthat he was not without coin, and he was certainly not in fear of lacking wealth and Hugh had given a great deal of money to it.
He was certainly proving his point.
“Good evening, Lord Blackmore.”
Hugh inclined his head.
“Lady Hastings, good evening.”
The lady’s lip curled.
“Is it true that you have thrown yourself away on a young lady unworthy of you, Lord Blackmore?”
A little surprised at the direct comment, given that a simple greeting was all that was required at this juncture, Hugh paused for a moment, wondering if Lady Hastings would move away, but she did not. Instead, she glared at him as though he had done something wrong, leaving him both confused and uncertain.
“I am betrothed to a very worthy young lady, Lady Hastings, I thank you.” Keeping his tone cool and his words a little clipped, Hugh lifted his eyebrows and gazed back at the lady resolutely, refusing to be cowed. “It is a great disappointment when members of thetonare inclined towards listening to gossip and continuing to cling to it, even when it is proven, beyond all doubt, that there is no responsibility to be borne by the person in question.”
Lady Hastings clicked her tongue.
“You are anEarl,Lord Blackmore,” she said, as though Hugh was somehow unaware of this. “You ought to be marrying a young lady of quality, one who is of the same status in terms of her breeding as you are. Miss Simmons is only the daughter of a Viscount and, given what is currently clinging to her, is certainly not the right choice when it comes to being your bride.”
Hugh frowned.
“I also have rumors clinging to my name, Lady Hastings. Some believe I am a scoundrel and a rogue. That was the whisper from last Season and this Season - I am meant to be an impoverished fellow, someone who cannot keep a bit of coin in his hand, given my debt to some gambling den or other.”
To his surprise, Lady Hastings only laughed and waved a hand.
“My dear Lord Blackmore, it is foolish to evensuggestthat those whispers are true! Your character is well known, and it is now said that it must simply have been an error in observation on the part of whoever watched Miss Simmons… or whoever it was, removing themselves from that townhouse.” Her face flushed, but her eyes remained steady. “And as for the lie that you are impoverished, all one need do is look at this ball! It is quite clear to me that you have more than enough coin to pay for all of this and, therefore, I do not believe a word of that rumor either. Therefore, Lord Blackmore, as I have said, it is not a wise match for you. You would be far better to consider someone who is of the same standing as you, and who does not have even a single piece of gossip attached to their name.” Her eyes slid left and with a smile, she inclined her head. “Good evening, Lord Blackmore.”
“Good evening.”
Frowning, Hugh turned to Lady Tabitha who had been waiting patiently beside her mother for some minutes. She was pink-cheeked, a smile on her face, and her eyes held fast tohis, just as her mother’s had done. A heavy weight dropped into Hugh’s stomach as he bowed over her hand and murmured a greeting, though he was relieved when she hurried after her mother almost at once rather than lingering in conversation.
Was Lady Hastings trying to suggest that her own daughter might be a good match for him? A shudder passed through his frame, and he threw the thought away almost as quickly as it had come, turning to greet the next guest with as much of a smile as he could muster. And, as he did so, all that he found within him was a great and desperate longing for Miss Simmons’ company. There was so much for them to say to each other and, in truth, he did not even know how she felt about their betrothal. It wasshehe wanted to speak with, only her company that he desired, and with desperate, searching eyes, he gazed down the line of guests waiting to greet him, only to be disappointed.
Miss Simmons was not there.
“Good evening, Lord Blackmore.”
Rather tired from the long, exhausting requirement to greet every guest, Hugh went to smile a little dispassionately at whoever it was greeting him now, only for his eyes to flare and his heart to leap so fervently, he was forced to catch his breath.
“Miss Simmons!”
“I do hope that you will forgive me for being tardy,” she said, as Lady Grant hovered a few steps behind her. “The truth is, I was aware that a good many people would wish to speak with me, and I wanted to avoid being the center of everyone’s attention for as long as I could. I thought that once the ball was well underway, the rest of the guests might not pay me as muchattention.” Her smile twinkled up into her eyes. “I am glad to say that I have been proven correct, thus far.”
“I am relieved for you.” Hugh offered her a slightly wry smile. “I have had many a person seek me out to ask me about something or another related to our betrothal.” His smile fell away as her gaze tugged from his. “We have not spoken of it together, I know, but at the moment, I did wonder if–”
“I have no intention of refusing or begging to end our betrothal,” she interrupted quietly, making his breath rush out of him in one long sound. “I am quite agreed that we shall wed. Though I have some things I should like to discuss with you.”
“Of course, of course.” Putting one hand to his heart, Hugh closed his eyes briefly and smiled. “I will speak to your father also. I must apologize to him for not going about this the correct way.”
Miss Simmons laughed, and Hugh grinned, the sound delighting his heart.
“I can assure you, my father will do nothing other than thank you, as I ought to do,” came the reply, though her face began to flush gently as she looked up at him. “It was unexpected, certainly – for us both, I think – but you have offered me something that I had begun to fear I would never be able to have. Instead of seeing the future as nothing but darkness and solitude, I have it now filled with light and companionship. That is truly wonderful.”
When she reached out and touched his hand with hers, when her fingers caught his and held there, something so profound occurred, Hugh could neither speak nor move. It was as if he had stepped into the sunshine, but sunshine such as he had never known before. It was brighter, warmer, and more pleasant than anything he had ever experienced, and the joy of it completely stole away every part of his senses. His breath swirled in his chest, his blood thundered in his veins, and as his fingerstightened around hers, the rush of desire to pull her into his arms became so strong that he had to curl his toes in his boots to prevent himself from doing so.
