Wallflower (Old Maids' Club, Book 1) (24 page)

The poor dear had assumed
only Jo, Helen, and Tabitha would be shopping. Jo had purposefully
left him in the dark that she had organized an outing for seemingly
half the ladies of the
ton
. Indeed, when he had come down
the stairs of his townhouse and discovered his parlor overflowing
with frills and lace, he stopped dead in his tracks to stare for a
moment.

“
I noticed you’d only
ordered one carriage,” Jo had called to him out over the din, “so I
took it upon myself to ask Uncle Drake and Uncle Jasper if we could
borrow theirs as well. I hope you don’t mind.”

Christopher had not responded; he was
too busy scanning the throng of females filling his parlor, in an
apparent effort to decipher just how many ladies he would be
responsible for escorting on a shopping excursion that
afternoon.

When they’d piled into the
conveyances, Tabitha took his arm with a chuckle and led him to the
one she intended to ride in. At least she could provide a calming
influence for him, amidst the miles of ribbons and lace and the
host of hats and bonnets he was bound to be holding before the
afternoon came to a close.

So now, as the carriage rolled on its
way, she sat with Christopher and Helen sharing a bench with her,
and the Countess of St. Benedict and Baroness Uppington (complete
with a lorgnette hanging about her neck) seated on the opposite
bench.

“
Your husband is quite a
prize, Lady Claremont,” Lady St. Benedict said, leaning across to
grasp Helen’s hand. She was older than Tabitha by a few years, but
not too many, yet her face wore a fair few creases that had not yet
made their appearance in Tabitha’s. “I daresay St. Benedict would
rather tackle a roomful of babies in dirty nappies than accompany
such a sizeable group of ladies as they shop.”

Helen smiled. “Claremont likely would
not have done, if his sister had informed him more baldly what he
was agreeing to do.”

Christopher grunted, garnering a peal
of laughter from Lady St. Benedict and Lady Uppington.

Tabitha patted the back of
Christopher’s hand consolingly. “My cousin knows ways of getting
what she wants where her brothers are concerned. She’s had long
years of practice.” Tabitha would know. They’d perfected their
techniques together.

Lady Uppington clucked her
tongue. “I’ll have to ask for Miss Faulkner’s advice, then. I can
hardly get Uppington to take
me
out for an afternoon, let alone an entire group
of ladies.” She turned a thoughtful eye on Christopher, then raised
her lorgnette to him. “Unless, of course, you would care to offer
your assistance in that area, Lord Claremont.”

The carriage slowed to a stop, saving
Christopher the necessity of answering. Before the driver could
come around to open the door, Christopher clambered down himself
and set out the steps. He assisted each of the ladies out in
turn.

Tabitha winked at him as she took his
hand and descended. “I promise not to spend all of my pin money in
a single day. I doubt I’ll purchase more than a single ribbon,
which I can surely carry on my own.”

“
Any chance you can
convince the rest to follow suit?” Christopher’s look of sheer
terror was amusing, to say the least.

“
Don’t count on it, but
I’ll do what I can.”

Lady St. Benedict beckoned to her from
up ahead. “Lady Tabitha! Come and walk with me. I want to learn who
has fashioned such exquisite new gowns for you.”

With an apologetic shrug of her
shoulders in Christopher’s direction, Tabitha hurried along and
hooked her arm in Lady St. Benedict’s. “Jo and I decided to use
Madame Duchesne for all of our gowns this Season,” she said
conspiratorially. “We can stop in her shop this afternoon if you’d
like. I’d be glad to introduce you.”

She spent the next hour walking from
shop to shop with Lady St. Benedict, discussing everything from
Madame Duchesne’s skills as a modiste, to the likelihood of
Christopher ever agreeing to accompany his sister on a similar
excursion again. Lady St. Benedict made a purchase in nearly every
shop they entered. She deposited several of her purchases with
Tabitha’s cousin, beleaguered as he may be, and tugged Tabitha
along with her to the next destination.

As they stepped out of Martinson’s
jewelry store, Lady St. Benedict toting two new packages, they
almost walked directly into Lord Devonport. He put out a hand and
caught Tabitha’s elbow before she lost her balance. A heated look
passed through his eyes so briefly, she wondered if she’d imagined
it.

“
My apologies,” he said.
When Lady St. Benedict fumbled with the packages in her hands as
she righted herself, Lord Devonport reached for them. “May I carry
these for you, my lady?”

“
Oh, yes, that would be
lovely,” the countess said and deposited her parcels in his waiting
arms. She glanced over to where Christopher stood with the drivers
beside the carriages, and Tabitha’s eyes followed her direction.
One carriage was already half-full with various bundles and boxes,
and he was struggling to unload the contents of his arms. The
drivers also held a number of purchases, awaiting their turn to be
packed away. “I’m afraid Lord Claremont might be a bit
overburdened.”

Lord Devonport chuckled. “He’ll
probably think twice before agreeing to such an outing again
anytime soon.” Turning his attention to Tabitha, he asked, “And is
there anything I can carry for you, Lady Tabitha?” He nearly
caressed her with his eyes.

“
She’s yet to lay out a
farthing of her pin money today,” Lady St. Benedict said before
Tabitha could answer for herself. “I’ve done my best to make up for
her lack of spending. And what brings you to Bond Street this
afternoon?”

“
The lady I intended to
call upon was not at home today,” he answered, passing an
ever-so-brief glance in Tabitha’s direction before returning his
attention to Lady St. Benedict, “so I thought to visit my tailor. I
need a new coat for my mother’s wedding next week.”

The past two evenings, he’d been at
the same entertainments Tabitha had attended. He had paid her a
visit at Shelton Hall yesterday afternoon as well, acting the
perfect gentleman during the half-hour affair. Tabitha held no
doubt that she was the lady to whom he referred.

Before he had taken his
leave, he had invited her to be his especial guest at his mother’s
wedding. She’d yet to respond. Allowing him to pay her court was
one thing; attending a family wedding, on his arm, was something
else entirely. In the eyes of the
beau
monde
, it would be tantamount to
announcing their betrothal.

“
Have you found nothing to
your liking?” When he faced Tabitha again, he cocked a brow. “No
bonnets or fabrics? Nothing new to wear when you come to the
wedding?”

Lady St. Benedict widened
her eyes, and then narrowed them shrewdly, looking between Tabitha
and Lord Devonport. Oh, good gracious. The countess intended to
leave them alone. Tabitha wasn’t sure she wanted that. Or perhaps
she just wanted it more than she
wished
she did. Lady St. Benedict
glanced back over her shoulder, where Jo was emerging from a shop
on the arms of Lady Sophia Hardwicke and her friend, Miss
Matthews.

“
Oh, dear me,” the
countess said. “I just remembered I need to speak with Miss
Faulkner about plans for our evening at Vauxhall. You are both
attending that, are you not? You’ll have to excuse me.” She bustled
off before Tabitha could voice an objection, without giving either
of them an opportunity to confirm or deny their attendance at her
upcoming entertainment.

“
I’ll just deposit your
packages with Claremont, then,” Lord Devonport called out after
her. Lady St. Benedict raised a hand in acknowledgement. “I think
she recognized you to be the lady I wished to call upon today.” He
slipped one of Tabitha’s hands into the crook of his arm and led
her toward the waiting carriages.

“
Devonport, thank God,”
Christopher said when they arrived. Desperation had brought a sheen
of perspiration to cover his brow. “Tell me you have a carriage
with you. I’ll never be able to transport them all to Burlington
Arcade when they’re done here with all of these purchases, let
alone back to the townhouse when they’ve finished their
shopping.”

Lord Devonport passed him the two
packages belonging to Lady St. Benedict. “My barouche is only down
the block. I can easily carry Lady Tabitha and two
others.”

“
Consider me one of the
two.” Christopher glanced over his shoulder. Tabitha assumed he was
looking to be sure Helen was not directly behind him. “I’m close to
carting myself off to Bedlam within the next hour as it is. Remind
me to strangle Jo later,” he said to Tabitha. “It wouldn’t do to
commit murder on the streets like this. The ladies might faint or
something.”

“
I’ll be sure to do that,”
she said on a laugh.

“
When do you plan to leave
for Burlington Arcade?” Lord Devonport asked.

“
Half an hour. Can you
have your barouche brought around by then?”

“
Of course. I’ll be sure
to return with Lady Tabitha in time to assist you.”

Return with her? Where did he think he
was taking her? “But this is a ladies’ outing, my lord,” she
protested.

He started to walk with her hand still
tucked firmly in the bend of his arm. She must either go with him
or create a scene. “Indeed, it appears to be so. Surely the other
ladies will not miss you for a half hour, though.” When they had
moved out of hearing distance of the others in the party, he
slowed, taking smoother, longer strides. “You still have not given
me an answer about Mother’s wedding. Will you accompany
me?”

“
I agreed to allow you to
pay me court, my lord, and I have followed through with that
promise. I’ve danced with you when you have asked and talked with
you when you have called.”

“
Why do I sense a
‘however’ in the near future?” Lord Devonport asked. He gazed down
upon her with a hangdog expression. “Am I not acquitting myself
well enough? Have I done something to earn your
displeasure?”

It was infuriating how he looked so
perfectly kissable when he was irritated. The downturned corners of
his mouth practically begged her to caress their frown away, which
would be altogether inappropriate considering they were walking
down a public street in Mayfair. “You’ve done nothing wrong,” she
replied once she regained her bearings. “However, permitting you to
court me is an entirely separate matter from giving society the
impression that we are affianced.”

“
And is there a problem
with fostering such a notion?” he asked.

“
I told you before that I
will not marry. That has not changed.” It could not change, no
matter how much she may wish otherwise. Tabitha would never go back
on her word to Jo and Bethanne. Not for any man.

Lord Devonport stopped and pulled her
around to face him. They stood before a haberdashery shop, while
horses and carriages clattered down the road and shoppers bustled
in and out of storefronts all around them. “Is there nothing I can
do to change your mind?” He locked his gaze to hers, entreating her
to reconsider.

“
No, my lord.” A piece of
her heart broke off and withered away at the anguish her
pronouncement brought about.

He looked back to where they had come
from. “We should order my barouche brought around.”

Tabitha placed her hand on his arm
again and followed his lead as he headed in the opposite direction.
She didn’t know what to say, so she remained silent.

Several minutes passed before they
reached his carriage. “Our half hour is nearly gone,” Lord
Devonport said. “We should ride back instead of walking.” He took
her hand and assisted her up, then gave the driver instructions
before joining her on the same seat. The barouche lurched into
motion when he was seated and ready.

“
What would you have me
do, then?” he asked after her uncommunicativeness had gone on for
several more minutes. “If you’ll not marry me, what is our
relationship to become? I fully intend to continue courting you. I
plan to kiss you again, and often. I want there to be more than
that, even. And if you deny you want the same, I’ll call your bluff
right here in the middle of the street where everyone can see. So
what then, Lady Tabitha?”

A flutter of emotions coursed through
her body and landed with a thud at the bottom of her stomach. Was
he asking her to become his mistress? A clandestine lover? Aunt
Rosaline had carried on affairs with no regard for her reputation.
Was Tabitha prepared to follow in that same course? “I don’t know.
I don’t know how to answer your question.”

They drew up alongside the carriages
which were rapidly filling with the other ladies. As the barouche
came to a stop and Christopher led Helen over to them, Lord
Devonport stifled a groan of sorts. “You need to come up with an
answer soon.”

~ * ~

Noah downed the whiskey before him in
a single swallow. It had burned his throat and caused his eyes to
water when he first started that night at White’s, but the
discomfort ceased sometime after his fourth. He couldn’t say how
many he’d had at this point as he gestured for Leith to pour him
another.