When Betsey opened the door to my bedroom, I began my attempt at finding happiness in the midst of what was surely very tragic indeed.
“Miss, are you ready to get dressed?” Betsey asked with a small nod of her blonde head.
I smiled brightly at Betsey and stood up. “Yes, please. Make me as remarkable as you can. I am told Mr. Compton is one of the most eligible bachelors in London.”
Betsey giggled then. “Oh, he is, Miss, and awful nice to look at too, he is.”
My smile was genuine this time. Yes, Mr. Compton was very nice to look at and he well knew it. He was also not in the market for a wife. When one spends as much time reading as I have then you notice more and talk less. I was observant and I was well aware that Nicholas Compton was up to mischief.
“You like the slightly unkempt look of him then?” I asked her in a teasing voice.
She blushed brightly. Her cheekbones were highlighted with round red splotches against her freckled pale skin. “Yes, Miss. I do believe he is most handsome as do everyone else.”
I laughed at that. She was right. I might not be planning on getting a proposal from Nicholas Compton, but he was handsome. Almost too handsome. He could even be described as beautiful. I didn’t say as much to Betsey, though. Maids gossiped and that was not knowledge I wanted making its rounds through the London households.
“Do you think I’ll blend in with the grass, Betsey?” I asked her then as she picked up the green dress my aunt had chosen.
Betsey frowned at me as if I had spoken a language she didn’t understand. “No, Miss. You’ll be beautiful for sure. You always are. Come and let’s get you ready to make that Mr. Compton fall in love with you.”
I almost laughed loudly then. The full-bodied kind that caused one to bend at the waist. One thing I was most positive about was that Nicholas Compton was not a gentleman to fall in love, at least with only one woman. I believed perhaps he loved us all.
Chapter Nine
Mr. Nicholas Compton
More than once I had questioned my reasoning for this outing. Being seen with Miriam Bathurst in the park or the square was indeed enough to feed the gossip mill. My brother would hear of it by nightfall, if not sooner. However, I wasn’t so sure Ashington was still planning on pursuing Miss Bathurst. I had decided it was very unlikely; yet, I had still invited her to join me for a walk.
I knew from talk already circling that Ashington had left 18 Mayfair and gone directly to the Ramsbury’s residence. Lady Ramsbury had made sure everyone knew about it. No doubt she was already planning a grand wedding in her head while visions of her daughter as a countess fed the flame. I wondered how long it would take before she found out Ashington had chosen to pay a visit to Miss Bathurst first. The thought made me grin.
With this knowledge, it should have also been where I had visited once I left Miriam and her aunt’s delightful company. However, I’d done no such thing. Now, I had plans with Miss Bathurst and no reason for them. Ashington was very unlikely to spend any more time getting to know Miriam. If he were indeed in search of a countess, then Miriam Bathurst wouldn’t have met his criteria. She would never be one to fit into the small uninteresting mold that London society demanded. I liked that about her, and dammit, I enjoyed her company. No harm there. It wasn’t as if I, myself, would court her, but I could enjoy her company.
Turning my attention to Lydia Ramsbury would be difficult after time spent with Miriam. However, I would do just that. I was here to humiliate Ashington, not find a future wife. Cringing at the thought, I forced myself not to think of today’s outing as anything more than a one-time event meant only to amuse me.
What I didn’t consider was that the sight of Miss Bathurst would quite nearly take my breath away. How did she do that? Appear so utterly beautiful. The sort of beauty that made a man do stupid things. I had known many beautiful women and enjoyed them with pleasure, however something about this one was different. It was as if she were a magnet and one couldn’t help but be drawn to her side. If only to admire her for a moment.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Compton. I am so pleased the weather is perfect for a stroll in the park,” Lady Wellington said with her overly bright smile. “I would so hate to have been confined to a carriage today.”
“As am I,” I assured her, while forcing myself to meet her gaze instead of taking in the vision Miriam Bathurst presented. “It is a lucky man indeed that is given the opportunity to enjoy such fine weather with true beauties beside him.”
Lady Wellington blushed brightly and waved a gloved hand in my direction. “Oh, you. It is Miriam who is the beauty.”
I looked at Miriam then to see her studying me closely as if she were reading my thoughts. There was no hint of color on her cheeks or shy smile on her full lips. My flattery hadn’t affected her in the least. She appeared to be appraising me. Measuring my words and my worth. Most interesting female, this one was. She would be hard to stay away from.
“You are quite a vision.” I agreed with her aunt but kept my eyes locked with hers.
Miriam gave me a small smile, but her eyes didn’t twinkle with delight but rather with mischief. As if this were a game and she were part of it. “Thank you,” she said simply. “It’s the dressmaker’s talents, I assure you.”
The emerald walking gown she was wearing was indeed stunning, but it was not the gown. Miriam Bathurst would be a vision in rags. The sparkle of intelligence in her eyes and the way she held her shoulders with confidence was enough to draw any man’s attention. Yet there was true simple beauty in the line of her jaw, the curve of her lips, the slant of her eyes, the small tip of her nose. She was flawless and no amount of demurring would change that fact.
“It’s pointless trying to complement her, Mr. Compton. She doesn’t see herself clearly, I’m afraid,” Lady Wellington said with a tsk and shake of her head. “I try to get her to open her eyes and peer closely into the looking glass, but she does not see what the rest of us do. It’s a pity and a blessing, I’ve decided.”
I wanted to have Miss Bathurst alone so I could ask her about this. Why did she not clearly see what others did? I also wanted to touch the clear creamy skin of her cheek and press my lips against hers to see if they felt as lushly plump as they appeared. None of this would happen for it would disarm all I had come to do. Letting lust get in the way of revenge was stupid. I’d enjoyed enough lust in my life to ignore this temptation. Even if this temptation was the sweetest ever to be dangled in my path.
“Tis a pity,” I said low enough just for Miriam’s ears then held out my arm. “Shall we?”
Miriam studied my arm a moment then slid her hand to rest in the crook.
“I’ll just enjoy the nice warm day and stay back here far enough to give you a bit of privacy,” Lady Wellington said with a smile in her voice. I felt guilty for giving her aunt hope for something that wasn’t going to be. No more would come of today. Miss. Bathurst didn’t appear as pleased as her aunt about our walk, so I was relieved of the guilt where she was concerned. Instead, I was ridden with curiosity. There would not be another young lady in London society who wouldn’t be pleased by my attentions. Yet, this one was not.
We walked toward the park in silence for a short time. Perhaps I should have made conversation, but I wanted Miss Bathurst to do so. She had said very little since I’d arrived at her home. It didn’t take long for her to appease me.