In the Arms of an Earl (The Duke's Daughters Book 4)(9)
“I hope not,” Phillip said, before he could stop himself.
Lord Marshall chuckled, shaking his head. “You see? You have found a lady you might yet come to care for, Newford! She is not like the others in society, then? She is good enough for you?”
“Lady Harmonia is nothing like the other ladies who accost me, no,” Phillip said, firmly, not wanting to give away anything more to Lord Marshall, “and, for that, I am glad to have been introduced to her. She is a welcome relief from all the others, that is for certain!”
“Indeed,” Lord Marshall murmured, looking over at Phillip with a scrutinizing eye. He made to say more, only for the curtain to go up and the orchestra to begin to play, rendering him silent – for which Phillip was very grateful. He did not need to talk about the situation any longer. It was already too complicated in his mind.
Chapter Five
Harmonia let out a long breath and sat back in her chair, stretching languidly. The afternoon was pleasant, with the sunshine streaming through the window and bringing a smile to her face.
She had been enjoying the quiet of the day, given that both her father and Amelia had chosen to rest for most of the morning, and so had been quietly reading to herself as she drank her tea.
Glancing at her book, Harmonia chose not to pick it up again, deciding instead to allow her thoughts to drift towards Lord Newford. She had been both pleased and a little disconcerted on seeing him yesterday, especially when another lady had made a rather overt attempt to capture his attention. She had seen the way his face had masked with thinly veiled frustration as he had turned towards the lady, shaking off her grasp on his arm. That had brought Harmonia a little relief, as she realized that Lord Newford was not a flirt or anything like that, for otherwise he would have been quite delighted at the lady’s attention towards him. However, that also made her question as to whether or not she could ever really gain any kind of attention from him, since he was clearly so hotly pursued by so many others.
“You look as though you have something on your mind.”
Harmonia glanced up as Amelia entered the room, an inquisitive look on her face.
“Did you not enjoy the theatre last evening?” she asked, as the maid came just after her carrying another tea tray. “I thought you had quite a marvelous time.”
Harmonia waited until the maid left the room before replying. “I did, very much, aside from Luke’s constant attentions.”
Amelia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I know. I am sorry for that. I tried my best to keep him away from you, but he would not have it.” She eyed her sister suspiciously. “So, you were thinking of another gentleman? Is that what gave you such a confused countenance?”
Aware that she would not be able to hide the truth from her sister, Harmonia rolled her eyes and laughed. “You are very good, Amelia. Yes, I was thinking of Lord Newford. We met last evening.”
“I have had a few quiet conversations with a few intimate friends about him,” Amelia replied, leaning forward to pour herself a cup of tea. “I will, first of all, remind you that some of their responses are nothing more than gossip and should be taken as such.”
Something dropped into the pit of Harmonia’s stomach. “What did they say?”
Amelia looked a little uncomfortable. “They say that Lord Newford never lacks female company and that he is rather sought after. However, they did not ever suggest that he was a rake or anything of the like, so you need have no concerns in that regard.”
Her stomach swirled with confusion for a moment as Harmonia recalled what had gone on when she had been on her way back to her seat at the theatre. “Yes, I have seen him caught by a lady or two,” she murmured, turning her face towards the window as she thought carefully about what had been revealed.
“He is not known as a rogue or anything of the like,” her sister repeated, with a slight warning in her voice. “Do not consider him too badly, Harmonia.”
Harmonia nodded slowly, a small smile on her face as she turned back towards Amelia. “No, of course I shall not. I will need to simply converse with him a little more and consider his behavior before I make any decision on whether to continue our association.”
Amelia’s smile broadened. “I am glad that your interest has been fixed, Harmonia, although I applaud your wise attitude. Anyone is better than Luke as far as I am concerned.”
A small laugh escaped her as Harmonia poured herself some more tea, her confusion and upset leaving her. She would progress slowly through the Season and her acquaintance with Lord Newford, given that it was still so new to them both. She could not help but feel that there was something growing between them, as though they had been two strangers searching for one another without knowing. Her heart quickened at just the thought of him, her cheeks burning with heat. He was handsome and kind and, even if the ladies of the ton did seek him out, she knew he did not have a reputation as a rake. That in itself said a great deal about his character.
“We shall have to think about what to do with Luke,” Amelia continued, her countenance growing grave as she spoke. “He is constantly by your side and I find him much too possessive when there is simply nothing between you.”
Harmonia sighed heavily, sitting back in her chair and studying her sister with thoughtful eyes. “Do you think he will simply give up if I continue to ignore him?”