The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody (3 page)

Jane stiffened and looked up into his direct gaze.

“For me that is so. I will not be any man’s wife. Not until our society recognises woman’s equality to man.”

He looked at her speculatively, leaned forward, not touching her, and spoke quietly in her ear. “Does that mean you would choose to be a man’s mistress and thereby free from his power through law? By this means you would remain free and equal.” He was so very close that she felt the whisper of his breath upon her ear and the puffs of his words made the velvety curls gathered on her neckline quiver, sending a shiver of awareness down her spine.

Jane stepped back in shock and looked at him aghast.
Oh, how very aggravating he was!
“How can you ask that of me? To be your, or any other man’s, mistress would be to utterly place myself in that man’s power!” She had started to believe he was a man of principle. How disappointing to find he had feet of clay.

“Pity,” he murmured, leaning away. Before she could answer his voice returned to his previous tone, “Of course, I ask these questions only to understand your view on the matter - as a means of scientific enquiry into your beliefs.” He turned and strode back behind his desk. “So, how can I be of assistance? We don’t agree on any of the fundamental issues so far canvassed.”

She took several deep breaths and her mind took control again. “We need you Lord Dalton. To spread our message and gain respect.”

“I ask, who needs me most? My country needs me – I will serve in the parliament. My family needs me – I pay the bills and keep the family business profitable. My sister needs me – I assist her in her charities and escort her in society. Now you say your society for women’s rights needs me to sell your message. Why? What is in it for my country? My family? My sister? Me?” His tone softened. “Do
you
need me, Miss Brody?”

“I do not need, nor want, your flirtation Lord Dalton. What I need from you is your respect as from one equal human being to another. What the Society for the Equal Rights of Women needs is your support in changing the attitude of society to women so they are treated as equal to men. Once that has occurred all the other changes – to education, limiting family size, employment in public roles and female independence – will flow on from it.”

“Miss Brody, we live in an age when all men are not equal. In fact, all men are not fully employed. If, as you say, this change will lead to women taking public roles, how will those men, who have wives and children who don’t want public roles and education, support them if there are even fewer jobs for men?” His face was unreadable.

She felt indignant. “Women must have the choice of being able to support themselves and their children when there are no men to support them. Otherwise we have the situation that currently exists that good, honest and chaste women are forced to lie, steal and prostitute themselves to just survive!” Her tone was edging towards exasperation.

He stepped back to lean upon his oak desk. “All right Miss Brody, I will consider your proposal.”

Jane got to her feet swiftly, thanks ready on her lips, but Lord Dalton’s next words cut her off.

“However, I give no guarantee that I will assist you, only that I will consider doing so.” He paused. “We will have to continue our discussion of the issue
and
the ways and means by which it may be best to further your cause
should
I agree.”

“Yes, of course my lord.”

“Are you attending the charity ball being held tomorrow evening at Mrs Courtice’s home? I am escorting Lady Elizabeth as our aunt prefers to attend only private ton events.”

Jane nodded.

“Ah… well, I shall see you there then Miss Brody… unless I can interest you in accepting my escort as well? In which case I shall collect you from your home.”

Jane hesitated, but capitulated because the offer would give her another opportunity to convince Dalton to support the woman’s cause. “Thank you Lord Dalton, I would be honoured. However, my sister Anna is also to attend. Would you have room for her?”

“Indeed. I would be happy to escort your sister Miss Brody.”

He offered her his arm. “Let me take you back to my sister. She is probably in the morning room.” He opened the study door and drew her outside. He waved Jones away as he approached. Lord Dalton strode along the hall to the appropriate door and turning to Jane, he took her hand from his arm, retaining her hand in his as he bowed over it. “I wish you good morning Miss Brody. I look forward to accompanying you and your sister to Mrs Courtice’s ball. Please reserve the first dance and the supper dance for me.” He smiled warmly at her with his deep dark eyes.

Jane almost gasped in surprise.

“So that we may talk at our leisure about your cause, of course,” added Lord Dalton smoothly.

 
Three

At eight o’clock a loud rap on the knocker of Reverend Brody’s front door sounded and the housekeeper, Mrs Creevy, hastened to answer it. Jane was still upstairs assisting her sister with her hair combs. She heard a masculine voice and assumed the coachman’s offsider had come to the door to inform them of the carriage’s arrival. She immediately collected her reticule. “Anna, come downstairs as soon as you’re ready. I’ll tell his lordship’s man to wait.” She hurried down the staircase only to halt halfway down the last flight of stairs, pinned by the arrested look on Lord Dalton’s face as he stood in the hallway below looking up at her.

Feeling her face heat up, she knew a pink blush was spreading across her cheeks. This evening she had allowed her sister to dress her hair in an elaborate upswept Grecian knot from which her golden hair curled down to dance around her neck.

“Miss Brody, good evening. I trust we are not too early. May I complement you. You are looking quite spectacular. That shade of pink suits you very well. Does it not, Elizabeth?” He half turned revealing his slight sister in his shadow.

“Oh, indeed Miss Brody. Ashes of roses must certainly be your colour.”

“Thank you. My sister will not be much longer. Our apologies for delaying you.”

A door nearby opened and Reverend Brody stepped into the hall. He appeared a little confused by the appearance of two extra people in his house. Jane introduced her father to Lord Dalton and his sister. “Dalton, you say? I believe I knew your mother when she was Miss Amelia Lansdown. Was a friend of my wife’s from their first Season in London. Lovely woman. Had eyes for no-one but your father – married him at the end of the Season. It took me a little longer to convince my Constance to have me as I was only a younger son and a clergyman. Her family hoped for a better match. A pity your mother passed away so young. My Constance missed her fearfully.” He paused and considered the pair in front of him. “You look a lot like her, Lady Elizabeth.”

“You are very kind Reverend Brody. I’m afraid I never knew my mother as she died when I was born. But my brother remembers her well as he is ten years older than me.”

A small silence followed. The appearance of Anna at the top of the staircase, dressed in white with her hair simply arranged with a silver ribbon threaded through her blond waves, relieved the awkward pause.

“Here comes Anna,” said Jane.

“Ah my dear Anna, you look splendid,” said the Reverend. “Have a wonderful time at the ball.”

“We will Papa,” she responded.

Gathering the ladies together and wishing Reverend Brody a good evening, Lord Dalton led them to the carriage where his coachman stood by the open door.

Lord Dalton handed each lady into the carriage and Jane seated herself on the comfortable leather seat facing the front.

He then stepped into the carriage and seated himself beside his sister directly in front of Jane.

As he stretched out his long legs he bumped Jane’s before his limbs came to rest close to her own. She felt the heat from his stockinged calves warming her own as he lounged at his ease.

An occasional waft of the sandalwood-scented soap he used tickled her nose. She liked the pleasant aroma. The light of a lantern illuminated the interior of the carriage from time to time, briefly revealing his face with his dark eyes concentrated on her. She found it discomforting and bewildering to be the focus of this man’s attention. She wondered if he was intentionally making her aware of him or was it just her imagination?

They travelled through the darkened streets for a few minutes before the carriage halted and light flared inside as the coachman opened the door and let down the stairs for their exit.

After leaving their cloaks with the porter and proceeding towards the brightly lit ballroom, the noise of a hundred voices talking at once assaulted their hearing. Mrs Courtice, as President of the charity group, greeted them at the door. “Such a pleasure to see you again my lord. I hope your presence here is an indication of your intended greater involvement in our cause?”

“My dear Mrs Courtice, I am here to enjoy the ball and act as an escort to my sister. Nothing more; nothing less. I have every expectation of having an enjoyable evening.”

Mrs Courtice may have answered but before she could do so, he continued, “And I fear we must leave you as I can see sets forming for the first dance.”

Turning to his sister he asked, “Do you have a partner Elizabeth?”

“Oh yes,” she replied looking around. “Dr Logan… and here he is.”

They greeted the slender gentleman with greying hair and moved off to join a set. Lord Dalton led Jane to the line of ladies. Her eyes then followed his retreating back as he strode off to take his place in the gentleman’s line, admiring his well-cut black coat stretched across broad shoulders. The orchestra played the opening bars of a familiar melody. The dance began and Jane was soon performing the complicated movements in synchrony with her partner, his warm large hands grasping and releasing hers as they came together and separated with the steps.

The ballroom glittered with the light of hundreds of candles which warmed the air and intensified the scent of the late blooming flowers. A chandelier lit the centre of the room, its light shining on the dancers below. The orchestra on its dais played two of Jane’s favourite tunes for their country dances. An audience arranged itself on the sofas and chairs at the sides of the ballroom, talking and waiting for the return of their protégés.

The half hour passed quickly and Jane was soon watching a new set of dancers array themselves on the dance floor. Dr Logan returned a blushing Lady Elizabeth to her brother’s side and asked Jane for the next set. Lord Dalton didn’t appear to have noticed his sister’s heightened colour. The group changed partners, with Lord Dalton escorting his sister onto the floor. As she danced, Jane thought about Dr Logan and Lady Elizabeth. Curiosity and speculation warred with each other in her mind. Awake now to their interest in each other, she cautiously watched their behaviour. From time to time she saw each one’s glance towards the other when thought unobserved. She wondered how Lord Dalton and Lady Mulgrove would react to this mutual interest. She hoped it wouldn’t end in sadness for them both. Meanwhile, the opportunities for Jane and Lord Dalton to converse were cut short by the changing moves of the country dance, limiting their speech to small talk about the evening.

A quick succession of partners made Jane’s evening fly past in an eddy of music, colour and laughter. Before she realised it the supper dance was next and Lord Dalton was asking her to accompany him. She placed her hand on his outstretched arm, feeling the warmth and firmness of his forearm beneath her palm.

With the first bars of the waltz, Lord Dalton offered his left hand to her as he slid his right arm onto her waist. Her skin warmed at his touch and she glanced up into his dark eyes to find them gazing at her intently. Flustered, she looked down and found herself staring at his sapphire-studded cravat pin. With a brief pause to coordinate their start, Lord Dalton firmly whisked her into the dance. She gave herself up to his direction and felt her feet skim across the polished ballroom floor, lights and sounds whirling around her. She was conscious of his sandalwood scent at this close proximity.

“Well Miss Brody, how are you enjoying the evening?” he asked.

“So very much Lord Dalton. Balls are sufficiently infrequent in my life as to make them exciting.” She smiled up at him wondering whether such a gauche-sounding answer would make him disdain her.
Too bad
!

Lord Dalton passed no comment, merely smiling in response and they lapsed into silence again. Jane felt relaxed and secure in his arms as he guided her around the ballroom. Swirling colours and candlelight danced around her partner as they circled the ballroom. She closed her eyes briefly to enjoy the feeling of movement. Before Jane realised what was happening Lord Dalton had danced her through the French doors leading onto the balcony. She felt a rougher, cooler surface beneath her thin slippers. Her eyes opened with a start to find she had been seamlessly swept through the double doors and was being waltzed along the balcony above the garden. The air felt cool on her arms. As they continued to dance she relaxed her wariness. When after a few minutes away from the ballroom Lord Dalton circled his right arm around her waist, drawing her closer and moulding his body to hers, she was caught off guard. Pinned in a compromising position, her steps faltered and Lord Dalton stopped their progress. His handsome face loomed close in the half-light.
Was he going to kiss her?

Shocked and breathless she asked, “What are you doing?”

Dalton released her and stepped back. “I beg your pardon Miss Brody, I allowed an impulse to overcome my good judgement. Shall we resume our dance?” His mellow voice was soothing.

“Only if we return to the ballroom. The air is quite chilly out here.” Jane’s tone matched the frosty air.

He silently led her into the ballroom and they resumed their waltz. This time Lord Dalton kept the required distance from Jane as he led her in floating circles around the dance floor. The warmth of his hand on her waist, the scent of his cologne and the blurred montage of colours in the ballroom filled Jane’s senses and she shivered with awareness of him. She gazed up in admiration at his long-lashed eyes, his straight nose leading to his smiling, sensual mouth. His hair curled across his temples in unruly deep brown waves, and his sturdy eyebrows seemed to arch in a query to her thoughts.

Too soon the final bars of the tune were played.

Dalton released her waist but kept hold of her hand and bowed to her, then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as he led her off to the adjacent supper room. “Now, Miss Brody, let me fill a plate for you then we can have a comfortable chat.”

He seated her at a small table in one corner of the room and strode to the buffet table. Jane looked around for Lady Elizabeth and wasn’t surprised to find her seated with Dr Logan at a little distance. She looked flushed with happiness, listening as Dr Logan explained something using expansive hand gestures.

Returning to their table, Lord Dalton placed a full plate of pastries in front of Jane. She thanked him.

He inclined his head. “You’re welcome Miss Brody. Now tell me about your family and how you became involved in all your causes.”

“First tell me about yours, Lord Dalton.”

He looked intently at her, hesitated, then began, “I have an indomitable aunt. She is determined that both Elizabeth and I make the greatest dynastic matches of the coming Season to those not only with vast wealth but address and looks to match.”

Jane smiled in amusement. “And will she succeed?”

“She may try! But for myself I believe I can determine my own best interest without her assistance. Nevertheless, she is like a terrier hunting a rat about the urgency of a marriage for the sake of an heir.”

“No doubt that is of great importance for your family.”

“It is because I have so many dependent female cousins!”

“I hope Lady Elizabeth’s choice for her own future happiness is given as much due as yours shall be.”

Lord Dalton considered her comment. “We shall see how well she chooses first.”

Jane persisted in her questioning. “And if her suitor lacks presence, power and wealth, will she be granted her heart’s desire?”

“I can’t promise that.” His brows snapped together to form a frown of annoyance.

“What of her rights – to make decisions about her life and her happiness?”

“Sometimes that is best determined for young women by their families, in particular, the head of that family.”

“You keep a lot of power over her for yourself in other words.”

“Indeed, and that is how it ought to be. Young women who are under age need some guidance. They don’t always make good decisions because of their youth. If your young sister was to choose an inappropriate marriage partner, would you not try to intervene or at least counsel caution?”

“Yes, of course I would, but I wouldn’t have the power to stop her.”

“Therein lies the difference.”

“But should there be a difference?”

“Of course. Men make decisions in this world. It is a woman’s role to obey.”

“Enough! You put me out of countenance. I am angry just to hear this talk.” Jane flourished her fork.

He disarmed her gently. “Let us change the subject, Miss Brody, before we come to blows. I can see that you are fuming. By the way, where is your sister at present?”

“She is seated with Lady Elizabeth and Dr Logan, and has been since shortly after you brought out supper. I am keeping my eye on her although not keeping her by my side.”

He looked over his shoulder and acknowledged the table of four comprising Mrs Courtice, Anna, his sister and Dr Logan. “Of course, I see her now.” He turned back to his conversation. “So, tell me about your good causes.”

Inhaling slowly Jane consciously took control of her anger and focused on his question. “My causes, as you call them, are a number of charities in which my father was involved until my mother’s death. Through them I met Mrs Courtice who, as you probably know, is a driving force in most of those organisations. Her energy is infectious. We wouldn’t achieve half that we do without her as the commanding officer.”