Before the Season Ends (10 page)

Ariana remembered Mr. Pellham’s remark about seeing “sights” among the
ton,
and had to concur that it was so. Astonishing, she thought, that to most of the people present, the extreme examples of fashion were perfectly ordinary.

At length Miss Herley suggested they see more of the property. Wide-eyed, Ariana agreed. As they started off, she noticed a particularly fine gentleman who stood out from the midst of a cluster of men.
She wondered if perhaps this was the famous Mr. Brummel, for his handsome demeanour, dark blue square-cut tailcoat with its high collar, immaculate white starched shirt, and beautiful cravat with a neat small knot fit everything she had ever read about him in the
Times.
As she considered this he suddenly looked up and their eyes met.

She read a look of faint surprise on his face, no doubt for her boldness. She meant to immediately drop her eyes, but somehow they lingered long enough to appreciate that his gaze was brooding, but intelligent. There was more than a hint of hauteur about the handsome face, and yet it seemed that if he would only smile, his would be an exceedingly agreeable smile.

She waited for it. Somehow she thought he was going to do it, smile at her, which made it difficult to pull her gaze away; until the look in his dark eyes became suddenly forbidding. She blushed and looked away then, feeling disappointed, and shaken by the sudden severity she had read on his countenance.

Miss Herley called, “Miss Forsythe!” at the same moment that Ariana suddenly collided into someone provoking a startled, “Oh-mmph!”

The lady she walked into gasped loudly, then stood, hands on her hips, glaring at Ariana. She was younger than Ariana’s aunt, more near her mother’s age, but dressed loudly in chartreuse and with an enormous bonnet upon her head. Some dark hair peeped out here and there in an untidy pattern, though her face was that of an aging beauty. The woman parted her lips indignantly and said, in loud, hollow tones, “I-beg-your-pardon!” She brushed off her gown as if contact with Ariana had tainted the fabric.

“Oh! I am sorry! I beg
your
pardon,” Ariana cried.

“I daresay you should!” Still glaring at Ariana and with her hands on her hips she waited, apparently expecting her accoster to display deeper contrition. Not knowing what else to do, Ariana added, “I must be more careful; I do apologize.” The woman showed no sign of softening, however.

“What is your name?” Her tone was imperious, and louder than Ariana liked.

“Miss Ar—Miss Forsythe, ma’am.” She sensed that people were beginning to stare. Miss Herley stood by loyally, looking miserable. Propriety dictated that the older woman must dismiss her before she could leave, but horrified at the prospect of drawing such attention to herself, or of displeasing her aunt, Ariana took the moment to bob a quick curtsey, grab Miss Herley’s hand, and make an escape.

“That was Lady Covington!” Miss Herley hissed, as soon as they were out of earshot. She turned and looked back in the direction of the mishap. “She wanted you to apologize more prettily, I think. She used to be a foremost hostess of the
ton
and is still one of the patronesses of Almack’s! Without her approval, you may not get in!”

Ariana was only mildly daunted; Almack’s was an establishment of spotless reputation with stringent standards of admission. Needless to say, if one was accepted there, one was accepted generally. But Ariana was determined to enjoy the day’s outing and cared little about such a thing. After all, she had apologized. How elaborate must her apology be for a minor infraction?

“She wasn’t hurt,” Ariana replied, considering the matter. “She could have been more gracious.”

“Of course she could have, Miss Forsythe, but that is one of the privileges of the nobility, is it not?” Smiling, Miss Herley continued, “To be as disagreeable as one wishes, without suffering the least consequence or loss of stature in society! If for nothing else, I wish I had a title simply to be as unreasonable as I chose, and with no one to gainsay me.” Smiling, they walked on, and she added, “Well, let us hope Lady Covington forgets the incident. It cannot be good for you when you are new to society to begin with an enemy such as her.”

“Enemy! Surely that is coming it strong!”

Miss Herley looked thoughtful. “Perhaps, but I daresay I would have tried to
seem
more sorry, to satisfy her, even though I was not.” This was a gentle reproach, and Ariana laughed softly. “I shall apologize again when I see her next.”

The other girl smiled. “Good. I should not want to see you absent from her routs, for Mama always makes us go.”

They continued walking and chatting, and sooner than Ariana would have thought it possible to suggest, Miss Herley ventured, “Would you—would you like to call me—Lavinia?”

“Thank you, Lavinia,” Ariana returned. “I should be glad to. And you must call me Ariana.”

“Thank you,” she said, with a pleased little smile. “What a fabulous name. It reminds me of Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos.”

“Who fell in love with Theseus, ran off with him, and was abandoned by him later!” finished Ariana, in a droll voice. “I do hope we have no connexion other than like-sounding names!”

They then came upon a row of tight, tall, box hedges and Ariana wondered aloud what was behind them. “I have no doubt it must be a delightful garden,” she mused.

“Perhaps statuary,” suggested Lavinia, her eyes alight. “Shall we find the entrance?” Ariana nodded, and both girls giggled at the delightful mischief they were undertaking. The wall of greenery went on for quite some time with no break but after a sudden bend, Ariana pointed.

“Oh, there! It looks like a break in the hedge!” They picked up their stride. With a growing excitement, as if on cue, the two clasped hands and began running. In seconds it became a race. They dropped hands, lifted their skirts and, aching with laughter, ran wildly ahead. All thoughts of the finery they wore disappeared, and Ariana might have been in the little park surrounding her own home, so free she felt.

“I’m ahead!” Miss Herley was only a few steps behind.

“Not for long!” As Ariana careened around the corner of the hedgerow, for the second time that day she collided with another person. To her horror, it was the finely dressed gentleman she had seen earlier. His eyes did not hold the faint disapproval she had seen before; instead, they were ablaze with reproof.

H
aving come round the hedge as fast as she could, Ariana ran smack into the man. Why, oh, why did it have to be the same one she had seen earlier? Fortunately, he had lightning-quick reflexes, and broke the impact by instantly grasping Ariana’s arms as she rushed against him. His grip was strong. His look severe. He was about to speak when Lavinia added to the insult he’d already endured by exploding pell-mell against them both, this time pushing Ariana right up against him.

“Do you
never
watch where you are going?” His voice was icier, if that was possible, than his eyes, which in themselves were ferocious. Oddly, however, she could only give heed to the fact that the gentleman, imposingly handsome from a distance, looked distressed at close range, as if the finery he wore belied the truth of a painful existence. The shock of seeing him this close had the uncanny effect of drowning out the regret she ought to have felt at her impropriety.

There was something fascinating about him, she had sensed that earlier. Time froze somehow while she took in a pair of brilliant gray-black eyes, deep with sparks, sparks of feelings, it seemed to her. They were intelligent eyes, and startlingly penetrating, and—
angry.
Suddenly she was back in the moment, and blushed deeply. She took an involuntary step back from the severe countenance. “We were searching…for an opening in the hedge. We didn’t mean—I beg your pardon!”

“Yes!” squeaked Miss Herley. She was aghast, and hadn’t spoken at
all. The man smoothed his fine coat, his eyes still drawn in disapproval, and straightened his cravat.

“You were racing.”

“Well—yes.” Ariana’s cheeks were burning hotly, both from the exertion of running and her embarrassment. She and Lavinia were still catching their breath.

“Racing,” he repeated, disdainfully. “A child’s game. Perhaps you had best race back to your mamas. They will undoubtedly be missing you.”

Miss Herley immediately took Ariana’s arm to obey, but Ariana stood her ground. She was shocked by his incivility, and as she had dealt so unsuccessfully with Lady Covington, something akin to determination rose in her breast now. She had to try more earnestly this time.

“Please; allow us to apologize!” She put a hand on Lavinia’s arm as if to reassure her, for she could feel the other girl tugging at her to leave the scene. Wistfully, she added, “We meant no harm.” The man did not soften his gaze, but raised one thick dark brow slightly, almost imperceptibly; but Ariana had seen it, and was encouraged enough to continue. “It was inappropriate for us to be running. I was at fault.”

Miss Herley gasped, “Me, too!” Ariana glanced at her companion and conceded with a nod; she then turned back to the gentleman.

“We’re terribly sorry.”

“Yes, indeed!” Miss Herley’s voice was higher than it had been earlier. Ariana could see that her friend, who had been so at ease when they’d met, was suffering a great deal of anxiety. Having no audience now (as there had been when she stumbled into Lady Covington) Ariana was not similarly afflicted. She was certain she was doing a superior job of smoothing things over with this gentleman. But he was scrutinizing her with fresh disgust.

Alarmed, she added, plainly, “Please say you’ll forgive us!” and she tried to make light of it with a chuckle. “Surely you would not—”

“Enough! You have no business in this area of the estate. Go back to your mamas before I take you back!” At this outburst, Ariana lost her
resolve to make peace—as well as her patience. He was no more civil than Lady Covington. Did these people think so highly of themselves that no one else’s feelings mattered at all?

She crossed her arms and looked up at him with asperity. “
You
have no business speaking to us in such a manner! We meant no harm, and we have apologized!” Miss Herley stared at her friend in dumbstruck horror, while the gentleman, surprised, eyed her with a hint of a smile about his mouth.

“Your apology is not accepted; be
off
with you both!”

These words came out as something of a growl and Miss Herley turned immediately on her heel, not waiting for her companion this time. Ariana hesitated, searching his eyes for a moment—such rudeness seemed out of place in one so obviously refined. He raised an eyebrow at her and put his head back as if he, too, was taking stock of her. But Miss Herley had had enough, and if Ariana lacked the sense to move on before the situation grew worse, she did not, and she hurriedly went back and took Ariana’s arm. With a sidelong timid glance at the man, she pulled Ariana on.

“Come!”

Ariana allowed herself to be moved along and fought the instant temptation to turn around and look back at the strange, beautiful man who was so thoroughly rude. When they had got out of earshot, Miss Herley said, “My word, but you frightened me! I thought I might swoon! A debutante standing up to Mr. Mornay!”

Ariana halted like one struck by lightning. “Mr. Mornay? Was that indeed
the
Mr. Mornay?” She was filled with a sudden dread.

“I thought you knew!…No wonder…” and she lapsed into silence.

“My aunt cautioned me to avoid him at all costs! And now—oh, I am certain to have ruined everything!”

“But he did go easy on us,” Lavinia said softly. “He is a frightful fellow and capable of much worse. In fact,” and her tone became philosophical, “having received a set-down from Mr. Mornay is rather like enduring a rite of passage, and other people will adore hearing about
it!” Her face brightened. “Now we’ve had the ‘rite,’ I daresay it will give us a reason to draw some attention at our next social engagement. You’ll see; women are all ears when it comes to the Paragon.”

Ariana’s large eyes were puzzled. “My aunt maintains that his disapproval is disastrous.”

“But he disapproves of most everyone; He is disastrous only when he gives set-downs publicly.”

“I see.” Ariana had something to muse upon. To learn and understand if she was to make her way in this social world. She thought back on the encounter. “Dressed in perfect style, and yet without manners! Why is it always so?” Ariana spoke as though she had run into a hundred gentlemen and been subject to such treatment by them all.

“We did run
into
him,” Lavinia reminded her, with a wry smile. “I am surprised he didn’t take us by the arm and force us back to the company. That indeed would have been utterly humiliating!” They walked in silence for a ways. “He is a handsome man; do you not think so?”

Ariana smiled. “I suppose one must grant him that.”