A Broken Betrothal: Convenient Arrangements (Book 1), page 5
A slow flush began to creep up Augusta’s neck as she considered this. “What if he pretends he does not recall me again?” she asked, feeling that same twinge of embarrassment. “I am sure he did so purposefully the first time, and I am afraid that he might do so again.”
A spark flew into Lady Mary’s eyes. “Then why do you not do something similar?” she asked, making Augusta frown heavily. “If he has brought you deliberate embarrassment, then surely there is scope for you to retaliate.” She laughed and lifted one shoulder. “That is one way to garner his attention, I am sure!”
Augusta’s frown deepened, but she did not immediately ignore or push aside the idea. Even when Lady Mary began to protest that she had been teasing, that she had not meant for Augusta to take such a suggestion seriously, Augusta found herself considering this idea for a good few minutes, her eyes flicking back towards her betrothed before returning to Lady Mary’s face.
“It would be childish,” she began slowly as Lady Mary nodded fervently. “It would be a little ridiculous even to consider, and yet...”
“No!” Lady Mary protested, her hand now on Augusta’s arm. “You must not, Lady Augusta! I was only jesting, truly!”
“But it would force him to notice me,” Augusta interrupted before Lady Mary could say more. “It would make it quite clear that I do not believe, as my father does, that he ought to be permitted to enjoy all the attention society brings so that he might laugh, converse, and even flirt with the young ladies who come near to him, all eager to fawn over his every remark so that they might have a little hope of becoming his marchioness.”
A dull anger began to settle in her stomach, surprising her at the force of her passion as she looked back to Lord Leicestershire, seeing him now bowing over another young lady’s hand. “You are right, Lady Mary,” she finished as her friend shook her head fervently. “I should do something to gain his attention and to remind him that I am still betrothed to him, even though he has not yet sent the papers to my father.”
So saying, she turned towards him and began to make her way across the floor, with Lady Mary having no choice but to trail after her. Augusta walked with purpose, her eyes fixed to Lord Leicestershire who, after a few moments, caught her gaze. She held it tightly, only for him to look away and to laugh at something someone had said, seeming eager to ignore her as he had done once before. Augusta’s anger burned hotter and she held her head high as she marched towards him, having no specific intention other than to ensure he greeted her this time.
“Good evening, Lord Leicestershire.”
She did not wait for him to bow and certainly did not dip into a curtsy, aware every eye from within the small group was now fixed to her.
“I am afraid you cannot pretend you do not recall me this evening, Lord Leicestershire, since my father has made quite certain to remind you of our previous introduction. And might I introduce my dear friend, Lady Mary.”
Lord Leicestershire stared at her for a moment before clearing his throat and stammering awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. He bowed stiffly. “Yes, yes, of course, Lady Augusta,” he said as a few of his companions exchanged glances. “I must beg your forgiveness for my prior foolishness. Of course, we had been introduced. It was my sluggish mind that was to blame, I think.”
“Indeed,” Augusta replied dryly, not having any belief in what Lord Leicestershire said. “Well, I am glad that you are able to confess now that the fault was yours, Lord Leicestershire.” She arched one eyebrow, looking up into his face and finding the way his eyes darted from here to there to be satisfying in its way. There was an awkwardness that still lingered over him in the way that he shuffled his feet, the way he did not quite meet her gaze, and Augusta felt proud of such a thing. No one else in the small group said a word to her, watching this interaction with great interest and waiting desperately for someone to speak as the tension mounted higher and higher.
“Should—should you like to dance, Lady Augusta?”
Lord Leicestershire’s voice was a little higher than before, and he inclined his head as he spoke to her in what she took to be an expression of contrition.
“But of course, Lord Leicestershire,” she said, trying to inject a little warmth into her voice. “That is, if there are any remaining!” She laughed as she handed the card to him, waiting for him to look at it before writing his name down. He said nothing, grimacing to himself for a moment or two as though deciding which dance would be the quickest so that he might extract himself from her company just as soon as possible. With a wry twist to his lips, he scribbled his name down and then handed her back the card.
“The country dance,” she murmured, a sudden ache hitting her chest as she looked up to see Lord Leicestershire’s brow lifting, a sardonic smile on his lips. “I see.” It was the dance they had danced together when he had been first introduced to her, the one where they had said not a word to each other all the way through the dance. She had been silent, disliking the fact that her father had thrust her into this betrothal without even talking to her about it first, and Lord Leicestershire, she was sure, had been able to feel the resentment that had been pouring off her in waves. It was no mistake that he had chosen this particular dance for her, and, much to her embarrassment, Augusta felt heat climb up her neck and into her cheeks.
“I look forward to it, Lord Leicestershire,” she murmured, unable to find anything else to say and deciding quickly to turn around and remove herself from him almost at once. Her heart sank as she saw the concerned look in Lady Mary’s eyes, hardly able to find the words to express the humiliation she felt.
“I feel as though he has bested me already,” she told her friend, reluctantly slipping her dance card back onto her arm. “He has chosen the very dance that we danced when we were introduced, when I am certain he knew very well that I was not at all happy with the engagement.” She wrinkled her nose. “I will not pretend that I behaved well, however, for I was not at all contented or welcoming.”
Lady Mary sighed and shook her head, although Augusta did not miss the twinkle in her friend’s eye, nor the way that her mouth tipped up on one side. She stopped and turned to face her friend whilst Lady Mary put on an entirely innocent expression.
“You think this a little ridiculous, I think,” Augusta said firmly. “What advice would you give me then, Lady Mary?”
Lady Mary considered this, not denying that she was filled with mirth, tilting her head to one side for a moment. “I would advise you not to do anything more to either frustrate or irritate him, to step away from your plan to do precisely that—but I fear that my words will fall on deaf ears.” She smiled, and Augusta sighed and looked away, knowing that her friend was right. “You will toy with Lord Leicestershire in whatever way you intend, as I fear he will do the very same to you.” The light faded from her eyes and she looked at Augusta with concern. “I am not certain that it will lead you towards a happy and contented state of marriage, however.”
Augusta thought for a moment, then shrugged. “I will not allow Lord Leicestershire to simply ignore me and delight himself in all the other attention that will certainly come his way,” she said decisively. “If I am to be his wife, then I expect him to attempt to show an interest in me that is becoming of a gentleman seeking to know his bride, even if our engagement is not yet known.” She lifted her chin, a sense of certainty surrounding her now. “And I will get his attention one way or the other.”
As the music came to a close, Augusta felt a warm glow of satisfaction settle within her chest as she looked up into Lord Millerton’s face, seeing how he smiled at her.
“I thank you for a wonderful dance, Lord Millerton,” she said with as much eagerness as she could. “I have always enjoyed the country dance.”
Lord Millerton beamed at her. “I was very glad to step in,” he said, bowing to her. “What a disappointment that your partner did not come in search of you!”
Augusta sighed dramatically as she rose from her curtsy. “Indeed,” she said, making no mention of the fact that she had deliberately placed herself directly across from Lord Leicestershire, with a very large gap between to the two of them so that she might hide away and make quite certain that he could not find her when the time came. “I cannot think where Lord Leicestershire would have gone to. Surely he knew that it was time for our dance?” Painting on a mournful expression, she took the proffered arm that Lord Millerton held out to her and began to walk back to the rest of the guests, leaving the dance floor empty for the next dance.
“Lord Leicestershire ought not to have behaved with such inconsideration,” Lord Millerton said firmly. “That is not at all becoming.”
“Well, I am truly grateful for your company,” she said, feeling contented with herself. “I thank you, Lord Millerton, for coming to my aid as you did.”
“But of course.” He let go of her arm and bowed once more, leaving her to stand by Lady Mary, who herself had only just been returned from the country dance. She looked at Augusta sharply, her lips pulled taut and with no need to express the fact that she found what Augusta had done to be somewhat displeasing. Augusta opened her mouth to state that she did not feel any embarrassment, only for Lord Leicestershire to suddenly appear at her side.
“Lady Augusta!” Lord Leicestershire protested, throwing up his hands. “I looked for you, but I could not find you anywhere. And then I see you standing up with another gentleman entirely!”
Augusta blinked rapidly in evident surprise at the sharpness of his tone. “Lord Leicestershire, I hardly think you can hold me responsible for accepting the offer of another gentleman’s company for the country dance when you yourself were entirely absent!” She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head to one side. “I waited and waited, but you did not appear!”
Lord Leicestershire glowered at her. “I tried to seek you out but—”
“There is no need for any such excuses,” Augusta interrupted, now holding up one hand, palm outward and towards him. “I have already been humiliated enough. I am only grateful that Lord Millerton stepped in when I needed someone to remove my shame from me.” Managing to have a little break in her voice, Augusta looked away as though she was deeply distraught. “Was that your intention, Lord Leicestershire? To offer me the country dance to remind me of my less than welcoming behavior towards you when we first met, only to throw me aside and leave me to stand there alone instead of coming to dance with me as you ought?”
Lord Leicestershire glared at her, his face now a little flushed. “I do not know what game you are playing, Lady Augusta, but it will not wash with me.”
“Game?” Augusta’s head shot up, all upset gone. “It is not I who is playing a game, Lord Leicestershire, but you.” She saw his eyes flare and his lips thin but pressed on, speaking her mind without hesitation. “You pretend as though you are not engaged to be married, refusing to give the betrothal papers to my father so that the ton does not know of the agreement in any form. Instead, you desire to enjoy yourself during this Season, to lap up all the attention and the interest that comes to you from every direction. You mock me, trying to humiliate me in front of your peers by pretending that we are not introduced, as though I deserve such a thing from you.”
Lord Leicestershire’s eyes darkened, and his brow furrowed. “I do not think I need to remind you, Lady Augusta, of your behavior when we first met?”
“And so you think to retaliate?” Augusta spat, her anger sparking and boiling furiously. “Did you ever even consider that I might not wish for such an arrangement, Lord Leicestershire? That I was struggling with the fact that this betrothal had been made without my parents even considering mentioning it to me?” She saw him look away and felt her stomach turn over. “No, you did not,” she continued, seeing him glance towards the floor. “And yet, no matter what I say, you are still determined to do as you please so that you might enjoy the Season in your way, pretending to the beau monde that you are quite unattached while knowing full well that it is not so.”
For a few moments, Lord Leicestershire said nothing. His eyes were pinned to the floor, his shoulders lifted, and his head lowered. Augusta forced herself to remain silent, her chest rising and falling steadily as she fought to keep control of her composure. She did not know how many others had overheard their conversation, praying that none had given it very much attention, but did not dare look to the right or left, keeping her eyes fixed to Lord Leicestershire.
“You are not the sort of young lady I want as my bride.”
Lord Leicestershire’s voice was soft, and yet the words he spoke sounded like thunderclaps.
“I will not pretend that I have not signed the agreement, Lady Augusta,” he continued slowly dragging his gaze up towards her eyes, “for whilst I have done so, it has not yet been sent to your father.” His eyes were like deep pools, hiding all emotion from her and yet holding such a chill that she felt it run down her spine.
“I fully intend to withhold them for as long as I please,” he continued quietly. “I am easily able to convince your father that I need a little more time, but in truth, Lady Augusta, I shall be seeking a way to break the contract without any great difficulties or besmirching of reputations falling on either of us as a consequence.”
Augusta sucked in a breath, one hand pressed against her stomach as she stared at Lord Leicestershire, hardly able to believe what was being said. The humiliation that would follow should he manage to extract himself from their agreement was almost more than she could bear.
“I will be polite and considerate towards you, Lady Augusta, for the rest of the Season, of course,” Lord Leicestershire finished with a tight smile. “And since I fear that I will struggle to find a way to extricate myself from this agreement, we shall continue to converse and the like, but do not have any expectations or hopes that you will be able to change my mind on this. From what I have seen of you, from what I now understand of your character, I am sorry to say that I do not think you will make me a suitable match, Lady Augusta.” He inclined his head and looked away. “Good evening, Lady Augusta.”
Augusta watched Lord Leicestershire walk away from her, her feet fastened to the floor as she attempted to take hold of herself. It had come as such a shock that she could barely catch her breath, her chest heaving and her mind swirling with all manner of questions. She felt Lady Mary touch her arm, heard her ask if she was quite all right, but found herself entirely unable to answer. Closing her eyes, Augusta let out a shuddering breath, feeling her future evaporate into nothingness, a dark and empty void now in its place.
“Oh, Mary,” she whispered, opening her eyes but finding her vision blurred with unshed tears. “What is it that I have done?”
Chapter Five
“She made a mockery of me, Dryden.”
Lord Dryden said nothing, sitting back in his chair and sipping his brandy without making a single comment. Stephen glowered at his friend and attempted to allow the silence to fill the room, only for the urge to speak again to overwhelm him.
“I mean, she danced with another gentleman and then attempted to place the blame solely on my shoulders!” he continued, throwing himself out of his chair and beginning to march up and down the room. “I had been searching for her, and I am certain, given the look in her eyes, that she had hidden away deliberately.” He shook his head, his jaw working. “She attempted to pretend that she was greatly upset but I was not fooled by her theatrics.”
Lord Dryden looked at him, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. “This was a little over a sennight ago, was it not?”
Stephen threw up his hands. “And yet I am still irritated by it all!” he exclaimed. “I have seen her a good many times over the last few days, at almost every social occasion we have attended, and each time, she had turned from me and barely looked me in the eye. It is quite ridiculous.”
With what was another wearied sigh, Lord Dryden tipped his head and considered this. “What Lady Augusta did in dancing the country dance with another gentleman may have been nothing more than a childish attempt to humiliate you in the same way that you idiotically chose to mortify her by pretending that you were not acquainted with her,” he pointed out, making Stephen turn away, a little displeased.
“You did not consider that, I gather,” Lord Dryden said, one eyebrow lifted questioningly. “Goodness, you have made something of a rash decision, if I might be permitted to say so.”
Stephen grimaced, aware of the flicker of irritation in his heart over being berated by his friend.
“I do not need to consider it,” he said, a little tartly. “I have made a decision based on what I know of the lady, and thus, I have decided that she is not the sort of young lady that would suit.”
Lord Dryden snorted and rolled his eyes, turning Stephen’s irritation to anger. “I do not see what makes you think that you can react in such a fashion,” he continued, a little more loudly now. “You state that you know Lady Augusta a little better than I, but that does not mean that I cannot make a wise decision based on my impression of her.”
“What do you know of her, exactly?” Lord Dryden asked, clearly not at all affected by Stephen’s sharp words. “She may have made a poor impression upon you at the start but that does not mean that you know her at all.” One shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “And if I may be as so bold as to say, it is not as though you have made an excellent impression on her either.”
Stephen opened his mouth to retort, only to close it again at the knowing look that came to Lord Dryden’s eye. He could not deny that fact as much as he would like to.
