“Is it truly as serious as that?”
A heaviness settled in his stomach as his friend nodded, never once lifting his gaze, or letting a hint of a smile touch his expression. If Lord Elmsford had come all of this way, had come to call on him to bring him back to London, then mayhap itwasa good deal more serious than Hugh had at first thought.
“I will not force your hand, but I wanted you to know of my concerns, given that I am your friend.” Lord Elmsford reached out and picked up a cake from the tray, setting it on a plate, clearly hungry. “I will stay for a day or two and then return to London. It is my hope that you will join me.”
Hugh harrumphed.
“I do not wish to go to London,” he said again, making his friend grin ruefully. “What of the unfortunate young lady?”
“Of Miss Simmons?”
Nodding, Hugh frowned and looked away.
“I was acquainted with her, of course, but we were never very closely acquainted. To hear that she was the one who had supposedly been caught escaping from my house in the early hours of the morning made me so very embarrassed. I had to pray that she did not think thatIhad been the one to put her name to it.”
“I do not think that you need to have any embarrassment whatsoever,” came the reply, though there was a shadow in Lord Elmsford’s voice that Hugh had not expected to hear. “She did not think anything of you, I am sure. Her shame was enough to bear.”
A nudge of guilt pressed into Hugh’s heart, and he looked away again, realizing too late that he had been thinking solely of himself, and what Miss Simmons might think ofhim.He hadnot been thinking, instead, of the suffering which Miss Simmons herself might have endured.
“I presume she is not back in London?”
“Miss Simmons? No, not as far as I have seen. I would not expect her to be present, not after such a great and terrible rumor as that has been set on her shoulders.”
“But she has proven it to be false!” Hugh exclaimed as Lord Elmsford shrugged. “That seems deeply unfair. Why should a young lady be punished for what is nothing more than a rumor – and a false one at that?”
His friend tilted his head.
“That is something which mayhap you, yourself, can address when you come to London.”
Hugh rolled his eyes and laughed, even though his own heart and mind were deeply unsettled.
“That is an interesting way of attempting to encourage me to return to town.”
“It would be good for both yourselfandfor Miss Simmons,” his friend stated, firmly. “Even if she does not return to London, your presence in town and your attempts to quash all of the rumors will be of aid to her, I am sure. I, and your other friends, will aid you in this; we will say the very same thing as you and pray that thetonpays attention to all of us. That way, your name will be lifted to its rightful position and thetonmight forget entirely about Miss Simmons, who will then be able to step forward in confidence rather than be forced to cling to the shadows.”
Letting out a long, slow breath, Hugh shook his head.
“You do make some very convincing arguments, my friend.”
“Convincing enough to encourage you to do as I have suggested?” A light came into Lord Elmsford’s eyes. “Will you come with me back to London?”
“I will consider it.” Not all that easily convinced, Hugh smiled as Lord Elmsford’s face fell. “There is much I must think on, though I will say that I am grateful to you for what you have done in coming to me, and speaking to me of all of this.” His smile faded. “I would not have known of any of it – nor the whispers which continue to grow – had you not come.”
Lord Elmsford smiled.
“I came also for your brandy, given that you find the very best French brandy in all of England.”
Hugh snorted with laughter, the tension and strain disappearing already.
“Then you must have as much of it as you like these next few days,” he said, making his friend grin. “Though I truly am grateful. It has given me much to think on.”
Returning to London was not something that Hugh had even considered these last few months. To his mind, it had been nothing more than a thought – and one that he had tossed aside hastily thereafter. Now, however, Lord Elmsford’s concerns were forcing him to reconsider. He did not want his name to be splattered with the muddy whispers of theton.Lord Elmsford was quite right that it could very well pass on to his heir, should he live to have one, and that was a great concern to him. Sighing inwardly, Hugh rubbed his chin and turned his gaze to the window. Even though he was loath to do so, even though the entirety of his desire was to remain at his estate, it seemed now as though he had no other choice.
He would return to London.
Chapter Two
“There is no hope, Father.”
