Frederick nodded.
“If you please. Thank you, Lady Pleasance, for all that you did in entertaining Lady Follet. I do not think I would have been able to salvage Miss Fairley’s reputation without your efforts.”
“I was glad to do it,” Lady Pleasance replied, quietly. “I do hope that she will be all right.”
“As do I.”
“We would speak with Lord Wellbridge.”Frederick lifted his chin as the butler glanced from Frederick to Lord Pleasance. “Now.”
“I am afraid that Lord Wellbridge is not able to take callers at the present moment.” The butler bowed. “I am sorry. Can I-?”
“We are going to speak with him whether he wishes it or not,” Frederic interrupted. “Now, either you tell us where the gentleman is, or we will go and find him ourselves.”
The butler’s mouth opened and then closed again, his eyes still looking from Frederick to Lord Pleasance and back again, as though, somehow, he would be able to ascertain whether or not they were being honest. Frederick snorted and stepped forward, only for the butler to speak.
“If you were to search the house, you might find him in the study,” he murmured, before melting back into the shadows.
Frederick lifted an eyebrow in Lord Pleasance’s direction. When a gentleman’s servants were so willing to set aside their loyalty to their master, it did not speak too highly of the gentleman himself!
“The study, then. Come, I know where it is. I was at a soiree here last Season.” Leading the way, Lord Pleasance made his way down the hallway as Frederick followed him, attempting to control the anger that had not left him since he had first flung open the door of Lord Wellbridge’s carriage. He could still see the fright on Miss Fairley’s face, and that only added to his fury. “Here we are.”
Without hesitating, Lord Pleasance opened the door and stepped inside and Frederick, following suit, saw Lord Wellbridge half rise from his chair, only to sit back down again, his face going rather pale.
“Wellbridge.” Frederick stormed across the room and, leaning across the table, grabbed Lord Wellbridge by the collar and hauled him to his feet. “Would you care to explain what it is that you were doing with Miss Fairley, Lord Wellbridge?”
“Steady, old chap.” Lord Pleasance put a hand on Frederick’s arm and he released Lord Wellbridge, albeit a little unwillingly. Lord Pleasance fixed Wellbridge with a stern glare and spoke, his voice full of barely repressed anger. “So, Wellbridge. I hear that you are in the business of capturing young ladies in your carriage?”
Lord Wellbridge put one hand to his throat, gasping and coughing, though both Frederick and Lord Pleasance remained unmoved. Eventually – perhaps seeing that he was not about to be given any sort of sympathy – Lord Wellbridge sat up straight in his chair and smoothed his shirt, though his face still remained rather pale.
“I was merely desirous to express my feelings to Miss Fairley.”
Frederick’s eyebrows shot towards his hairline.
“Your feelings?”
Lord Wellbridge lifted his chin.
“Yes.”
Shock was like a knife through his chest.
“What are you talking about?”
“I have been interested in furthering my acquaintance with Miss Fairley for a long time,” Lord Wellbridge said, his chin lifting as he shot a narrowed look back toward him. “I was uncertain about my interest last Season, though I did find myself continually drawn back towards her. This Season, however, Iwas determined to pursue her, only for her then to suddenly disappear from society events! I did not understand it and sought out her sister to find out where she had gone – without making myself too obvious, of course. I did not want to damage my reputation if there was something of concern.”
“You… you were seeking to court MissEmmaFairley since last Season?” Frederick could hardly believe his ears, for even though Lord Wellbridge had stolen Miss Fairley away, had pulled her away from her mother and even from him, he had never once suspected that Lord Wellbridge had held such a prolonged interest! The way that Lord Wellbridge had spoken when Frederick had asked Miss Fairley to court suddenly became clear. “Your interest appeared to be very firmly fixed upon Miss Martha Fairley.”
Lord Wellbridge snorted and rolled his eyes.
“No, no, you are mistaken. Miss Martha Fairley was always more interested in my company than her sister but that did not mean that I reciprocated that! In truth, I found her – Martha, that is - a little irritating. She was always ready with a smile, hanging on my arm, expecting me to dance with her. I did, of course, but it was not without reluctance. Besides which, as I have said, I was doing my utmost to make certain of my feelings first, though I appeared to have taken a little too long.” Scowling, his lip curled. “I wanted Miss Fairley to know that I was the better-suited gentleman for her. She did not know of my feelings and thus, I thought it only right to tell her.”
“By stealing her away?” Frederick exclaimed, throwing up his hands, his anger returning swiftly. “By pulling her into the carriage and then holding her fast so that she could not escape?”
“She was always meant to have been mine!” Lord Wellbridge protested, his eyes wide as though Frederick simply did not understand. “Had I taken hold of my affections and considered them with a good deal more gravity and seriousness than Idid, then she would have known of my intentions, would have accepted me, no doubt, and would never once have considered you!”
“That does not make what you did the right thing,” Lord Pleasance growled, making Lord Wellbridge jerk in surprise, as though he had forgotten that Lord Pleasance was present. “How could you think to do such a dreadful act? You would have ruined Miss Fairley’s reputation, had she been discovered!”
“But that would not have mattered,” Lord Wellbridge protested, as though Frederick and Lord Pleasance did not understand. “Even if her reputation had been a little tarnished, I was already there, waiting for her to accept me. Nothing would have gone wrong! We would have stepped out into a happiness which would have lasted until the end of our days.” The light smile on his face dropped away as he threw a scalding look towards Frederick. “Butyouhad to ruin the situation for me.”
