Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave - Stephanie Barron [13]
But she appeared insensible of my words, absorbed as she was in some activity on the nether side of the ballroom. “Jane!” she whispered, clutching at my arm, her features whitening and her brown eyes grown suddenly large. “He is here. He has had the insolence to appear in my home, in the first days of my return, and without my invitation. Unless it be that Frederick—”She turned in search of her husband, who had vanished from sight. Swift as a bird, her countenance regained its composure and her eyes fixed once more on her first object. “Good God, will I never be free of him?”
I followed the direction of her gaze and saw with foreboding the face that had inspired such fear. He was a tall man of indeterminate age, and thin, in the manner of one who is much out-of-doors in pursuit of frequent exercise. His face was tanned, his appearance elegant, and his carriage easy as he paced the margin of the room, hands clasped behind his back and eyes roving through the crowd. I knew with certainty that it was Isobel he sought, and my immediate instinct was to shelter her from his sight. There was something in the gentleman's aspect—the hooded eyes under a sharp brow, the sweep of silver hair, the long scar that bisected one tanned cheek—that inspired fear. This was a man too much in command of himself; and such an one must always strive to command all the world.
“But who is he?” I asked my friend in a whisper, as though his ears might penetrate even our sheltered alcove.
“He is Lord Harold Trowbridge,” Isobel replied, her fingers pinching my arm painfully, “the Duke of Wilborough's brother. He is intent upon purchasing Crosswinds, my father's estate in the Barbadoes, which has suffered sad reversals in recent years. He gives me no peace, by day or by night.”
“I believe he has seen us,” I said, my heart quickening, as the restless dark eyes came to rest on Isobel. A slow smile curled at the corners of Lord Harold's thin mouth, and with the most gracious ease he made his way across the room to where we sat. There could be no flight; the wall was to our backs, and he was before us.
“Countess.” He bowed low over Isobel's hand. “It gives me such pleasure to welcome you to your new home.”
“I fear the duty must be reversed, Lord Harold,” Isobel said, with an effort at a smile; “and that / must welcome you. I have also the honour of presenting you to my dear friend, Miss Austen, of Bath.”
“The honour is mine,” Lord Harold said, with a penetrating look and a bow in my direction.
“And have you found everything to your comfort?” Isobel enquired.
“Indeed,” he assured her, “I arrived but an hour ago from London, at Lord Scargrave's invitation, and have been settled comfortably by Mrs. Hodges.”
At my friend's expression of surprise, I judged she had not anticipated that the man would be taking up residence; but his insolence was equal even to this.
“I confess, I should not have missed such an occasion for the world,” Lord Harold continued. “To see a lady so happily and advantageously married must be a joy to those who rank her security among their dearest concerns.” His voice, though low and refined, bore a note of mockery that was lost neither on Isobel nor myself.
“I rejoice to hear it,” Isobel told him, rising as if to depart, “for it is some time since I believed my security to be the very last of your concerns.” The words were abrupt and forced, a shock to my ears; but Trowbridge appeared unmoved. His tall form, fixed before us as steadily as a tree, prevented Isobel from passing in a most ungentlemanly manner.
“Countess,” he said, his voice as tight and cutting as a bowstring, “I would speak with you in private.”
Isobel's mouth had hardened, and her words, when they came, fell with the heaviness of stone. “You can have nothing to say to me tonight, Lord Harold, that cannot better wait until morning. A ball is hardly the hour for business.”
“And tomorrow, no doubt, will be no better once it dawns,” he replied evenly, and smiled. “I will not wait forever, my lady.“
“You will wait as long as I