How to Heal the Marquess by Sally Forbes
Chapter Three
Tobias spent the following two days trying to avoid the chaos as his mother and grandfather tended to the planning for the dinner ball the duke was hosting. He could not recall the last time his grandfather had planned to host such an event, and it still seemed strange to Tobias that he would do so.
Even if the duke wished for Tobias to get involved with some of his business associates, it made more sense for the duke to arrange private business meetings with them rather than hosting a large, grand ball.
Perhaps, Tobias mused with apprehension; the duke really was absolutely set on seeing his grandson married? But then, why not simply send him out to every ball and party to which he and his family were invited?
Tobias stayed in his bedchambers all day on the day of the dinner ball. Truthfully, his presence was not needed, as his mother was overseeing all the last-minute arrangements, and his grandfather was locked in his study, no doubt rushing through work that needed to be completed before the party began. When, at last, he could put it off no longer, Tobias reluctantly dressed in the plainest black suit he could find.
All the suits were crisp, clearly recently purchased, and they each had different colored cravats and trim. But he cared little for any social event, and as such, he was not interested in making much effort with his appearance.
He would look presentable, even what society would consider handsome and respectable. For him, that was enough. After dressing, he ran a comb through his ash-blond hair and straightened his cravat. Then, he went to the drawing-room to await the arrival of the guests.
When he reached the drawing-room, he found his grandfather seated there. The duke rose, appraising his grandson and nodding approvingly as he briefly embraced him.
“You look very dashing, my boy,” he said, smiling warmly at Tobias. “You are sure to catch the eye of many a young lady this evening.”
Tobias gave him a strained smile, but inside he was screaming. He did not want the attention of any young women. In fact, he did not like to attend the ball. He wanted to be back at his country home, with his horses and his gardens and his open fields. But he loved his grandfather dearly, as dearly as he had loved his late father, and he would do as he was asked.
Besides, he was very curious to figure out the mystery behind the duke’s decision to host such a grand party, especially around the same time as summoning Tobias back to London. Perhaps he was making too much of it, but his intuition told Tobias that something more than a simple family reunion was at play.
As the guests arrived, the duke smiled and nodded and greeted them all in turn. But when one pair, in particular, approached Tobias and his grandfather, the duke suddenly beamed brightly. He made an exaggerated point of gesturing to them, grinning at Tobias. Then, he turned back to the pair and bowed, shaking the gentleman’s hand when he straightened again.
“Lord Alwater,” he said with immense gusto. “I am so glad you could come.”
Lord Alwater smiled, dipping his head politely.
“It is a pleasure to attend an event hosted by the esteemed Lord Berbrook,” he said. “We thank you very kindly for inviting us.”
Tobias stood straight, anticipating the introductions, which his grandfather wasted no time in making.
“This is my grandson, Tobias Peyton, Marquess of Penwell,” he said. Then, he turned to Tobias, gesturing toward the other two people with an open, palm-upward hand. “This, my boy, is the Earl of Alwater and a very well trusted business partner of mine. And the lovely young lady beside him is his daughter, Lady Selina.”
The duke let his gaze linger on Tobias’s face for a moment, leaving Tobias confused. Then, he glanced at the earl and his daughter and saw their expectant expressions, and he understood at once what was happening. The duke had been quite serious about seeing Tobias married during that Season, it seemed, and he had to force himself to smile.
“It is a pleasure to meet you both,” he said, bowing deeply as he struggled to keep his mind clear and free from the pressure he was beginning to feel with three eager sets of eyes on him.
“Tobias, you look dashing,” the dowager marchioness said, suddenly appearing at Tobias’s side.
Tobias turned to kiss her cheek, feeling a sudden surge of guilt for not waiting for her to be ready so that he could escort her to the drawing-room. Make that four sets, and he thought with an inward groan as he saw his mother glance at the young lady his grandfather had called Lady Selina and then looked back at him with curiosity.
Briefly, Tobias introduced the father and daughter to his mother, feeling awkward since he had only met them himself. But his grandfather smiled on proudly, as though Tobias had done precisely as he had hoped. Now, he merely wished everyone would stop staring at him as though he was some kind of oddity. Fortunately, the duke struck up a conversation with Lord Alwater, and some light banter began, which drew the attention of the others to the two men.
Moments later, the butler entered the room, gently ringing a bell to get the guests' attention. He announced dinner was ready to be served, and Tobias’s stomach rumbled in reply. He had been unaware that he was hungry until that moment, and he could hardly wait to begin the feast. But before he could prepare to file out of the room with the other guests, he noticed that the small group around him was looking at him expectantly once again. His grandfather most of all.
“Tobias,” he said, grinning. “Would you kindly escort Lady Selina to the main dining room?”
Tobias instantly understood why everyone had been watching him so carefully after his introduction to Lady Selina. He knew his grandfather had mentioned him finding a potential bride while he was in London, but he had not thought the duke would be so actively trying to make matches for him.
He supposed it made sense, however, as Lady Selina was the daughter of his business partner. But he could not help wishing his grandfather had at least mentioned the introduction to him before putting him on the spot, as he now was.
With a forced smile, he nodded, turning stiffly to Lady Selina and offering her his arm.
“May I?” he asked, still too caught off guard to think of anything else to say.
The young woman did not seem to mind, batting her lashes as she gently put her arm through his. He noticed again how lovely she was, and he allowed himself to think, at the very least, that she might make for a good conversationalist at dinner. He gestured for the others in their group to go on ahead, falling into line behind his mother as they made their way out of the drawing-room.
When they entered the dining hall, and Tobias saw he was to be seated beside Lady Selina, he was hardly surprised. That, too, was something his grandfather had surely orchestrated before the party began.
Tobias did not mind, however. He felt there was little harm in talking with the young woman. Perhaps he would even find a friend with whom to mingle at social events if they became too unbearable. It did not take him long to realize how mistaken he was, however.
“I do not believe I have seen you here in London before, Lord Penwell,” Lady Selina said, looking at him with wide, flirtatious eyes.
Tobias smiled and shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Mother and I have been living in our countryside home. I prefer to be there with my horses.”
Lady Selina’s smile remained, but the sparkle began to dim from her eyes.
“Horses are dangerous creatures, are they not?” she asked.
Tobias felt his own expression wilt.
“They are large creatures, to be sure,” he said. “But they are gentle ones if they are treated with proper love and given plenty of attention.”
From that moment on, Tobias did not get a word in edgewise with the young woman. She launched into telling him all about some of the latest gossips she had heard, much of which related to the Season. She also talked about some of the dresses she had purchased and how excited she was to begin searching for her future husband.
Tobias kept glancing at his mother, who was seated across from himself and Lady Selina, but she was engaged in conversation with a woman beside her whom Tobias only vaguely recognized. His grandfather was seated at the head of the table, which was just far enough away from Tobias so that he could not reasonably strike up a conversation with him without shouting over three other party guests. Silently, he prayed the evening would hurry along and come to an end soon.
As Tobias finished his prayer, the duke stood, raising his champagne glass, and calmly but authoritatively requested the attention of the guests seated around the table. Tobias could not help shuddering with relief as Lady Selina, following suit with the rest of the guests, fell silent and turned her attention to his grandfather.
“Lords and Ladies of the ton,” he said, smiling at all the faces staring up at him. “I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for accepting my invitation and joining me here this evening. It is a celebration that means all the more to me, now that my daughter-in-law and grandson have returned to London to spend some time with me.”
He paused, looking at Tobias and his mother with deep affection. Tobias raised his own glass, as did his mother, in a silent gesture of acknowledgment. The guests turned toward the marquess and dowager marchioness, giving them varying degrees of smiles, before returning their attention to the duke.
The older gentleman took a breath and opened his mouth to begin speaking once again. But suddenly, his face lost all color, and, instead of words, his mouth began to expel violent coughs. Tobias’s eyes widened, and he stared at his grandfather in shock. He held his breath, thinking the duke had simply choked on his saliva or that he just tried to take a breath and speak at the same time. But as the duke struggled to return to his regular breathing, Tobias’s stomach twisted into knots.
Another moment passed, and the coughing became increasingly more violent. Tobias leaped up from his seat, thinking to rush to his grandfather’s aid by offering him a sip of water and helping him to sit in his chair once more.
But Tobias was once more stunned with fear when the duke gasped one final rattling breath before collapsing, unconscious, to the ground. The other guests began gasping and murmuring, but it was his mother’s shrill scream that sent Tobias into motion.
Quickly, he hurried over to his grandfather, checking for a pulse. Tobias nearly collapsed himself with relief when he felt it, weak but clearly present. He gently shook his grandfather, patting his face and chest, while he tried to collect his thoughts and figure out what to do next.
He was so frightened and baffled that he nearly leapt out of his skin when a hand touched his shoulder. He looked up into the face of his mother, who, though clearly still distressed, had managed to collect herself before he had.
“The butler has sent for the doctor, darling,” she whispered.
Tobias nodded numbly, staring blankly into her face, unable to speak.
She touched his cheek, then glanced inconspicuously toward the table, where the guests were still buzzing with hushed conversation. Then, she rose, clasping her hands in front of her, glancing only briefly back down at Tobias.
It only took him a moment to understand what his mother was trying to tell him. He stood up, setting aside his own distress to smile kindly at all the guests.
“We do apologize for this sudden turn of events,” he said. “On behalf of my family, I would once again like to thank you for coming this evening. At this time, however, we must ask you to return to your homes so that we may appropriately care for my grandfather.”
When he had finished speaking, his mother took her turn to thank everyone and summoned some of the servants to escort the guests to the front door. The butler came to Tobias’s aid, helping him to carry his grandfather up the stairs and to the duke’s bedchambers.
It was quite a task, especially since the older man was completely limp, but they managed to get him comfortably into bed to await the physician's arrival. Tobias was turning to leave the room to attempt to compose himself before the doctor arrived when he was stopped in his tracks.
“Toby?” the duke croaked.
Tobias whirled around, looking into his grandfather’s now open eyes. Relief flooded him, and he had to grab a chair to keep himself upright.
“Relax, Grandfather,” Tobias said, smiling weakly at the duke. “The physician will be here shortly. Everything will be just fine.” But as he stared at his grandfather, who suddenly looked twenty years older, and as though he was on his death bed, he wondered if he had spoken the truth.
