SWNOVELS A Spinster for the Earl: Chapter 14
“Isaac!” Adam called, pulling Isaac in for a close handshake.
Although Isaac was nervous about his mother meeting all the people in his life, for fear of judgment, he was relieved to see a friendly face.
“Adam, this is my mother, the Dowager Countess of Ramsbury. Mother, this is Lord Adam Weston.”
“Oh.” Arabella smiled lightly. She hadn’t stopped shaking since they’d arrived, but now with Adam to focus on, she looked a little less nervous. “You are Isaac’s friend,” she said.
“Unfortunately.” Adam flashed her a wink which caused even her to smile.
Adam was a great friend and a good man. His gregarious nature was certainly the best icebreaker that Isaac could have asked for, and even better, he didn’t have to ask. Adam came over just to be a good friend.
While the two of them spoke, Isaac glanced across the ballroom, in hopes that he might see Lucy. He knew that she would be here tonight, but with his mother’s unexpected attendance, he wasn’t sure if he could really spend much time with her. The last thing he wanted was his mother’s reintroduction to Society to end in another fight about whom he was choosing to spend the Season with.
He would have to find a moment at some point, however. He couldn’t fathom being so close and yet not getting to even say a word to Lucy. He had to see her.
“Lady Stratham!” Arabella called out, waving her hand in the air.
Isaac felt relieved to see her calling an old friend over. She was definitely warming up better than he had expected her to. The Baroness of Stratham was delighted and squealed. She took her daughter, Miss Kitty Barrington, by the arm and pulled her toward the group.
“Look who it is!” Lady Stratham exclaimed, clasping Arabella’s hand between both of hers.
Isaac took in a sharp breath. He offered Kitty a smile and a short knowing laugh. She huffed, giggling beside him. The two had danced once before. She had seemed so sweet to him, but the entire time they had danced, he had been thinking about Lucy.
Sure, Kitty was beautiful and sweet, but after he had met Lucy, he found it difficult to be captivated by anyone else.
There was certainly something about Lucy. Her fire for achievement, her passion for knowledge, and her eagerness to live weren’t something he’d seen in anyone else. For every perfect, sweet, kind thing about Kitty, there were just several more exciting things about Lucy.
Isaac wished he’d cared for Kitty more. That would have made everything a lot easier. His mother would be happy, and it was already clear to him that in the grand scheme of things, she would be a good match. And, most of all, it seemed that if he asked her tomorrow if he could court her, she would likely say yes. But it didn’t matter. He was keenly aware that she wasn’t Lucy just as much as he was aware that Lucy wouldn’t marry.
“You look lovely tonight,” he said.
Kitty wore a light pink dress that made her look just as sweet and girlish as she acted.
“As do you, My Lord.” She curtsied. Then, she turned, finally setting her eyes on Adam. Although she tried to conceal it, Isaac heard a small gasp slip out from between her lips.
“Oh, pardon me,” Isaac said. “Miss Barrington, this is my friend, Lord Adam Weston.”
Kitty curtsied again. Isaac could have choked on his drink. He’d never seen Adam look quite the way he did, as if he was staring at one of the natural wonders of the world. Adam offered her his hand, and when she accepted it, he placed a kiss on her wrist.
“I love this song!” Arabella gushed, a smile glowing on her face. “You should dance,” she said to Isaac. “What do you say, Miss Barrington?”
Isaac gritted his teeth. He couldn’t have felt more annoyed at his mother’s intrusion. He tried to stay calm, he didn’t want to fight with her. He might have asked Kitty for a dance himself, just to give her another chance. She was sweet enough.
He looked back at Adam. He wasn’t sure if he had misread the look Adam and Kitty had shared, but he didn’t want to risk any upset.
Adam smiled. “Come on,” he said, brushing off Isaac’s furtive glance. “Gives me an excuse to ask Lady Ramsbury.”
“Me?” Arabella’s eyes widened. “I—I have not danced in years!”
“I can teach you,” Adam offered.
She laughed, accepting his hand.
Isaac turned to Kitty. “Would you—”
“Yes,” Kitty said, but once she realized how eagerly she had accepted, her cheeks grew a little pink.
Whenever Isaac had made Lucy blush, it had awoken something in him. He loved to be the reason she felt nervous, or passionate, or wanted. But with Kitty, it couldn’t have affected him any less. Why was he like this? All he could think about was the woman who wouldn’t marry him.
“Yes, you would like to dance?”
She nodded.
Isaac guided her out to the dance floor, and they joined hands. He tried his best to smile and be as charming as possible. His mother was at least right about how foolish it was to court a woman who didn’t want to be courted. Kitty actually liked him, however. It was funny how the sweet, seemingly well-behaved ladies were always the ones that wanted him without much effort.
It didn’t matter how much anyone told you to behave, everyone wanted to feel wanted. It was only human. Maybe the old Isaac would have liked that thought, but the only woman he could dream of touching was Lucy. Ever since he’d met her, it had only been her.
“It is so nice that your mother has come this evening. She’s a very beautiful woman,” Kitty said. “I cannot say I am very surprised.”
He nodded. “My mother usually keeps to herself, but I know she has visited Lady Stratham throughout the years. Your mother has been a great help to mine.”
“My mother always spoke so highly of you, so I was happy to learn that you had plans to join the Season. I sincerely hope you have found what you are looking for?”
Isaac swallowed hard, knowing that she was trying to ask as politely as possible if he was as taken by her as she seemed to be with him. All he could do was offer a smile. “What do you like to do in your spare time?”
“Oh…” She smiled, obviously a little taken aback that he hadn’t answered her question. “Well, I like the piano. Horses. Oh, I just love horses.”
“How serendipitous. Not to bore you with business, but I am an investor at Weston Downs.”
“Weston Downs, as in Lord Weston?”
“Yes,” Isaac said. “He bought it several years ago.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “I should love to go.”
Isaac nodded. “Maybe I should take you one day. It is great fun.”
“I would love that!”
Just then, he spotted Lucy stepping onto the dance floor with Lord Langley. Lucy hated Lord Langley, and now she was dancing with him? The way Lord Langley put his hand on her shoulder made Isaac hate the man even more.
“My Lord?”
“What?” Isaac looked back down at Kitty, and she smiled warmly. “I asked what you like to do in your free time.”
“Uhm.” He tried to collect himself and stay focused on her. “Sometimes, I box. I like philosophy, I’ve been trying to brush up on what I learned from my studies.”
“Philosophy,” she repeated, her voice dropping with uncertainty. “Like… thinking?”
“Philosophy is the study of reality, existence, and the nature of humanity, and morality.”
“Ah.” She smiled. “So, thinking about… thinking?”
He opened his mouth to respond but decided it was best to let it go. “It’s complicated,” he said. He paused, panicking at the grimace on her face.
She didn’t look disapproving, but she looked uncomfortable, such as the way one might appear in a conversation about something they knew very little about.
“I like horses too. I ride occasionally.”
“You do? How great!” She beamed, her eyes lighting up as she looked over his shoulder.
She giggled into her pristine white glove. Isaac turned to see what had made her laugh. Adam was dancing with Arabella. While everyone else was so focused on looking elegant and poised, he was only interested in having fun.
Isaac sighed. It was so nice to see his mother laughing again and having fun. It brought him back to when he had been young and he would catch his parents standing on the balcony when they had thought they had been alone, talking about anything and everything, and laughing like nothing could hurt them. His mother used to be so joyful, and here she was, after sixteen years, having fun again.
He had been so worried that she would be awkward and abrasive, but it seemed like all of that energy was only reserved for him. When they got home, would she just go back to acting the same cold, aloof, vicious way he was so used to?
“He is so funny!” Kitty laughed, her eyes following Adam as he twirled Arabella around like a top. “I feel like I must have met him at some point, but…”
“He’s very social but has never been terribly involved in the Season.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he has not been well-acquainted with the marriage-minded crowd. It hasn’t been for him.”
“Oh, so he’s…” Kitty paused, still looking at Adam. “He must be such a great friend. The way he’s making your mother comfortable is so chivalrous.”
The song ended, and Isaac let go of her immediately, his eyes darting around to see how Lucy had ended her dance. Lucy didn’t look very amused with Lord Langley, although he was flashing that grin that showed how boastful he was being.
“Are you well?” Kitty asked.
Isaac looked back at her. “Pardon me.” He bowed.
Kitty looked over her shoulder but didn’t seem to catch that Lucy was the reason he was so distracted. When she turned back, her eyes were cast on the floor, her lips pressed together in disappointment. “You seem so distracted when we are together,” she noted.
“I apologize,” Isaac said, his hands held politely behind his back, and bit his cheek.
She was right. He had once again wasted an entire dance comparing her to Lucy. It had to be simple to explain. He was certain that if he progressed their arrangement, then he could move on. He was probably still stuck on the thought of wanting her. The novelty of someone new always went away eventually, at least for him. Before, he would have been very interested in a girl like Kitty. Eventually, he would have to come back around.
“No, I am sorry.” Kitty closed her eyes to collect herself. “Of course, you’re distracted, considering your mother is finally here tonight. You care about her, and you love her. You are equally, if not more, chivalrous.” She took a deep breath. “Let us return to the group.”
Isaac offered her his elbow and led her back to their companions. He hated that she had called him chivalrous. Would she still think that if she knew about Lucy? If she knew the way he craved her, the way he’d kissed her, and the things he planned to do to her?
He shouldn’t have been spending time with Lucy while trying to convince Kitty that he was nothing like the rumors suggested. When he saw the smile on his mother’s face, however, he felt like he had done right by her. This was what she wanted for him. She wanted Kitty Barrington to be the new Countess. She had made that very clear.
The group excitedly chatted back and forth, and Adam kept everyone laughing with ridiculous jokes. When Isaac looked back at the floor, he saw Lucy once again. This time, Lord Clifton was speaking with her.
Isaac had given his mother the dance she had wanted. If he stole one dance with Lucy, surely she wouldn’t mind. Maybe she wouldn’t even notice. Besides, if she wanted him to be more attentive toward Kitty, then she would have to allow him just a little more time with Lucy.