Earl Lessons by Valerie Bowman
Chapter Thirty
The weddings were lovely. Three brides. Three grooms. Three sets of vows and three couples promising to love each other for all eternity. As the bishop performed the ceremony the next morning, David couldn’t help but glance toward Annabelle. He’d glanced at her a hundred times already and she’d never once been glancing back.
Annabelle sat between her mother and Lord Murdock, who wore an obviously false grin on his face, especially during the parts of the ceremony when Lady Julianna declared her love for Lord Worthington. Annabelle’s countenance didn’t change, however, as she watched the couples declare themselves. She sat ramrod straight in her chair and stared directly ahead with a perfectly proper look on her face.
When it was Beau and Marianne’s turn to recite their vows, David was convinced he’d got something in his eye. He was beyond happy for his sister, who looked gorgeous on her special day. Marianne wore a lacy white gown, a white veil, and she carried a bouquet of lilies. She’d never looked lovelier. If their parents and Frederick were still alive, they would all be as proud as David was.
After the ceremony, a large breakfast was served in the great hall. After that, most of the guests retired to their rooms to rest and prepare for the night’s grand wedding ball.
David didn’t even attempt to rest. Instead, he took a walk through the nearby woods, picking up sticks and evaluating them on their merits for whittling projects. But he had no interest in keeping any of them. Instead, he tossed them each back onto the ground with a curse.
Last night had been both the best and the worst night of his life. Making love to Annabelle had been perfect. He’d loved every moment of it. But afterward, the dream had turned into a nightmare.
David scrubbed a hand through his hair and flung another stick away. Why? Why was Annabelle so set on remaining a spinster? There had to be a reason. Did she want to retain control of her life? He had no intention of telling her what to do. Was she frightened of childbirth? It was true that many women died while giving birth, but her own mother had had two successful births. There was every reason to believe Annabelle could, too.
It certainly wasn’t that she was unattracted to men. He knew that for certain. She hadn’t mentioned any grand desire to study a subject, or travel the world. What was it that made her intent upon remaining a spinster?
The image of her crouching beside the bed last night haunted him. He winced every time he thought about it. Annabelle had been frightened. Of him. She’d truly thought he was going to strike her. But why? He certainly had never done so before—to any woman—or given her any reason to believe he might.
Damn it. There were no answers. Only more questions.
He grudgingly made his way back to the house. He had a book to study.
* * *
The grand ballroomof Worthington Manor was filled with flowers, candles, and over five hundred wedding guests all celebrating the marriages of three of the most handsome and eligible bachelors of the ton, to three of the most beautiful and accomplished ladies.
David made the rounds as Marianne’s only living family member. He greeted people, spoke to them, asked after their health, and even made plans to meet some of them again in London. He downed glass after glass of champagne to stave off his nerves, but he forced himself to speak to most the ballroom’s occupants. He’d spent the afternoon studying that damned Debrett’s so he wouldn’t embarrass himself or Marianne on this night.
He danced with Lady Julianna and Lady Frances, wishing them well on their nuptials, and finally, he escorted his sister to the floor.
“You look beautiful, Marianne,” he said as they twirled around in a waltz. “Mama, Papa, and Frederick would be proud.”
Tears glistened in Marianne’s bright blue eyes. “Oh, I hope so, David. I’m so thankful that you’re here. I nearly lost you, too. There’s nothing more comforting to me than knowing you are no longer in harm’s way. I’m not certain I could live without my entire family.”
David’s breath caught in his throat. All this time he’d been wanting to return to the army, to the battlefield, to the place he knew best, where life made sense to him, but that would be selfish. If he put himself in harm’s way, Marianne might end up completely alone. She would have Bell, of course, but her family, the family who’d raised her, would be entirely gone. Marianne had saved his life once…with a book. He would never purposely cause his beloved sister that sort of pain.
He twirled her around and around in three-step count, as a wide smile spread across his face. “For the first time, I can honestly say, I’m glad I’m here, too, Marianne.”
His sister returned the smile. “Good, because while I may have been quite preoccupied today, I didn’t fail to notice you’ve looked as if something has been troubling you.”
He sighed. “Nothing I don’t deserve.”
“I doubt that,” Marianne replied. “But after this, do ask Lady Elspeth to dance. She’s been watching you like a dog watches its meal all evening.”
David chuckled. “I will.”
When the dance with Marianne came to an end, David did exactly that. He didn’t have far to look to find Lady Elspeth, who was only too pleased to accept his invitation to dance.
He escorted her to the floor as the musicians struck up another waltz. She began to prattle about the details of the wedding and David did his best to follow along until Murdock and Annabelle twirled past them on the dance floor.
He immediately fell silent, and Lady Elspeth did not fail to notice.
“Are you quite all right, my lord?” she asked, tipping her head to the side to look at him.
“Yes. Yes, of course.” But he couldn’t even manage a fake smile. It drove him mad that Annabelle was dancing with Murdock. She’d told him last night she didn’t even like the man. She’d called him an ass. What was her game now? The woman was maddening.
“It’s Lady Annabelle, isn’t it, my lord?” Lady Elspeth asked next in a resigned voice.
David expelled his breath. It was time to admit the truth. Lady Elspeth deserved better than a man who was in love with another woman. He had no hope of winning Annabelle any longer, but he had no intention of courting Lady Elspeth, either, and he needed to be honest with the young woman. “Yes, Lady Elspeth. It is Lady Annabelle.”
“You fancy her?” Lady Elspeth said, a resigned though disappointed look on her face.
“I’m sorry, Lady Elspeth. I don’t want to give you false hope.”
Lady Elspeth lifted her chin and stared past his shoulder. “I see,” was all she said, her face a mask.
When the music stopped, David escorted Lady Elspeth back to her mother. He thanked her for the dance, and she curtsied to him prettily, while he executed his most formal bow. Then he took his leave, a feeling of relief rushing through him. At least he’d managed to do one thing right at this house party. Set Lady Elspeth free. It was the right thing to do when all he could seem to think about was Annabelle. Inconvenient and fruitless as it was.
Two hours and five more glasses of champagne later, David was propped against a wall in the ballroom standing next to a potted palm. The palm was some of the best company he’d enjoyed all evening. It didn’t speak and it didn’t seem to mind that he didn’t either. He’d made the rounds earlier for Marianne’s sake, but he was quickly wishing he could sneak off to his bedchamber and fall into a blissful, forgetful slumber.
Downing the last bit of champagne in his glass, he pushed away from the wall, intent on doing exactly that.