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Authors: Annie Burrows
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a table at Tortoni's. But she did not appear to be enjoying it much. She was still ill at ease in his company. The truth was that much of the behaviour upon which she had to judge him might well have given her a false impression of his character.
He shuddered, recalling that excursion beyond the city boundaries to the guingette , where ordinary working people went to spend their wages on food, drink and dancing. Felice had made it seem like such fun, and in its way it had been. But Heloise, he suddenly realised, watching as she daintily licked the confection from her spoon, had not only refused to join in the hurly-burly, but would never have cajoled him to attend such a venue. He would have to reassure her that he would never so browbeat her again.
'Since I have been in Paris,' he began, frowning, 'I have done things I would never consider for a minute in London. Things that are breaches of good ton '
Heloise tried not to display her hurt that he should regard marrying her as a breach of ton. She already knew she was not at all the sort of wife an English earl ought to marry. His infatuation with Felice would have been much easier for society to forgive, given that she was so very enchanting. But nobody would be able to understand why he had picked up a plain little bourgeoise like her, and elevated her to the position of Countess.
'Allow me to be the first to congratulate you,' a voice purred. Dropping her spoon with a clatter on the table, she looked up to see Mrs Austell hovering over their table, her beady eyes fixed on Felice's emerald ring. 'Though I had heard...' She paused to smile like a cat that had got at the cream, and Heloise braced herself to hear whatever gossip had been noised abroad concerning the Earl and her sister. 'I had heard that you were going to make an announcement at the Dalrymple Hamilton ball.'
'Circumstances made it impossible for us to attend,' Charles replied blandly.
'Ah, yes, I hear there was some unpleasantness in your family, mademoiselle ?'
Laying his hand firmly over hers, Charles prevented her from needing to answer. 'Mademoiselle Bergeron does not wish to speak of it.'
'Oh, but I am the soul of discretion! Is there nothing to be done for your poor sister? Too late to prevent her ruination, I suppose?'
'Oh, you have the matter quite out. The affair is not of that nature. The young man fully intends to marry my fiancee's sister. Has done for some considerable time. It is only parental opposition that has forced the silly children to feel they needed to run off together in that manner.'
Heloise marvelled that he could appear so unconcerned as he related the tale. Deep down, she knew he was still smarting. But. it was this very sang-froid she had factored as being of paramount importance to her scheme. Why should she be surprised, she chastised herself, when he played the part she had written for him so perfectly?
'A little embarrassing for me to have an escapade of that nature in the family,' he shrugged, 'to be sure. But it is of no great import in the long run.' With a smile that would have convinced the most cynical onlooker, Lord Walton carried Heloise's hand to his lips and kissed it.
'Of course I never held to the prevalent opinion that you would make the younger Mademoiselle Bergeron your wife,' Mrs Austell declared. 'A man of your station! Of course you would prefer the more refined Mademoiselle Bergeron to her flighty little sister. Though I must warn you — ' she turned to Heloise, a malicious gleam in her eye ' — that you ought not to make your dislike of Wellington so apparent when you get to London. They idolise him there, you know. If anyone were to catch a glimpse of that scurrilous drawing you made of him...' She went off into a peal of laughter. 'Though it was highly entertaining. And as for the one you showed me of Madame de Stael, as a pouter pigeon!'
'I collect you have had sight of my betrothed's sketchbook?'
'Felice handed it round one
He shuddered, recalling that excursion beyond the city boundaries to the guingette , where ordinary working people went to spend their wages on food, drink and dancing. Felice had made it seem like such fun, and in its way it had been. But Heloise, he suddenly realised, watching as she daintily licked the confection from her spoon, had not only refused to join in the hurly-burly, but would never have cajoled him to attend such a venue. He would have to reassure her that he would never so browbeat her again.
'Since I have been in Paris,' he began, frowning, 'I have done things I would never consider for a minute in London. Things that are breaches of good ton '
Heloise tried not to display her hurt that he should regard marrying her as a breach of ton. She already knew she was not at all the sort of wife an English earl ought to marry. His infatuation with Felice would have been much easier for society to forgive, given that she was so very enchanting. But nobody would be able to understand why he had picked up a plain little bourgeoise like her, and elevated her to the position of Countess.
'Allow me to be the first to congratulate you,' a voice purred. Dropping her spoon with a clatter on the table, she looked up to see Mrs Austell hovering over their table, her beady eyes fixed on Felice's emerald ring. 'Though I had heard...' She paused to smile like a cat that had got at the cream, and Heloise braced herself to hear whatever gossip had been noised abroad concerning the Earl and her sister. 'I had heard that you were going to make an announcement at the Dalrymple Hamilton ball.'
'Circumstances made it impossible for us to attend,' Charles replied blandly.
'Ah, yes, I hear there was some unpleasantness in your family, mademoiselle ?'
Laying his hand firmly over hers, Charles prevented her from needing to answer. 'Mademoiselle Bergeron does not wish to speak of it.'
'Oh, but I am the soul of discretion! Is there nothing to be done for your poor sister? Too late to prevent her ruination, I suppose?'
'Oh, you have the matter quite out. The affair is not of that nature. The young man fully intends to marry my fiancee's sister. Has done for some considerable time. It is only parental opposition that has forced the silly children to feel they needed to run off together in that manner.'
Heloise marvelled that he could appear so unconcerned as he related the tale. Deep down, she knew he was still smarting. But. it was this very sang-froid she had factored as being of paramount importance to her scheme. Why should she be surprised, she chastised herself, when he played the part she had written for him so perfectly?
'A little embarrassing for me to have an escapade of that nature in the family,' he shrugged, 'to be sure. But it is of no great import in the long run.' With a smile that would have convinced the most cynical onlooker, Lord Walton carried Heloise's hand to his lips and kissed it.
'Of course I never held to the prevalent opinion that you would make the younger Mademoiselle Bergeron your wife,' Mrs Austell declared. 'A man of your station! Of course you would prefer the more refined Mademoiselle Bergeron to her flighty little sister. Though I must warn you — ' she turned to Heloise, a malicious gleam in her eye ' — that you ought not to make your dislike of Wellington so apparent when you get to London. They idolise him there, you know. If anyone were to catch a glimpse of that scurrilous drawing you made of him...' She went off into a peal of laughter. 'Though it was highly entertaining. And as for the one you showed me of Madame de Stael, as a pouter pigeon!'
'I collect you have had sight of my betrothed's sketchbook?'
'Felice handed it round one
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