To Suit a Suitor Page 5

  Mr. Chamberlain bowed and said, “Miss North,” but she could see the amusement on his face at the irony of the formal introduction.

  Julia curtsied and muttered reluctantly, “Lord Chamberlain.”

  “Henry just goes by Mr. Chamberlain,” said Martha.

  Julia looked from her cousin to Mr. Chamberlain with curiosity and Martha explained. “He has the lesser title now, but one day he’ll inherit his father’s title. And in the meantime, it’s just too confusing to have two Lord Chamberlains in the neighborhood. Now sit and tell me what happened when you met at the inn.” Julia didn’t want to admire him, but it seemed his character must at least have a small streak of humility to forego being addressed with his title.

  Julia replied to Martha’s request, anxious to speak before Mr. Chamberlain could, “Nothing happened, Martha … Well, it was so insignificant. He was kind enough to educate me about horseflies after I received a bite from one.” Julia should have left it at that, but she was feeling defensive about the whole situation, besides what she had overheard, so with an arch look for Mr. Chamberlain she added, “It would have been more fortunate if he had told me before I received the bite.”

  Julia knew it was a mistake as soon as she said it. It was as though she had given him permission to tease her about it, and he proceeded by saying, “Ahh, but I saw the look of the hunter in your eyes. I’ve seen that look too many times on young ladies’ faces; it’s clear that you would let nothing stop you from catching your prey.” It annoyed her completely that he had made the connection between catching a fly and catching a man, but she would never admit it. With real incredulity in his voice he added, “I must admit, I never dreamed you would succeed. It’s the first time I’ve ever underestimated a lady.”

  Martha seemed thoroughly confused by his response and asked, “I feel I’ve missed something. What was she hunting?”

  Again Julia answered before he could. “Not hunting, really, it was just that … all my attention was on one thing,” she began. She was looking at Mr. Chamberlain as she spoke and his green eyes stole her attention now. They were just as mesmerizing in the dim sitting room as they had been at their first encounter. She struggled to recall what she was saying. “… and I was so focused that I, um, disregarded everything else and was therefore, inadvertently, bitten by a horsefly.”

  Mr. Chamberlain was smiling now as if remembering a fond memory. Martha noticed his look and then turned to Julia and asked a bit skeptically, “All your attention on one thing, was it?” Julia had no clue what her cousin was implying, but she just nodded and hoped fervently they could stop talking about it.

  Martha seemed to finally understand that Julia wasn’t keen to discuss it and her deliberate change of subject was anything but subtle. “The weather has been awfully cold this spring, don’t you think, Henry? I hope it won’t affect the harvest.”

  Mr. Chamberlain responded appropriately and Julia felt her solid footing return, although she couldn’t really feel comfortable again in his presence. He was on his way soon after and Julia walked into the hall with him to see him out. His arm brushed hers in the narrow hallway, and when they reached the door he casually sniffed as he passed by her and asked, “Do I smell onions?” Julia’s heart was already beating faster at his nearness, but she managed to give him the glare he must be expecting. She was relieved that Martha was out of their hearing.

  “I hope you’re finished now. Surely you’ve squeezed all the entertainment you possibly can out of one trivial little thing.”

  “On the contrary, Miss North, I was just getting started.”

  She narrowed her eyes at the threat, hoping it was a joke, but his close proximity distracted her from any retort she had ready. Of all the handsome men she had ever met—and London had quite a few to offer—this one was by far the most perfect of his kind. Julia could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes, which must surely be the reason his eyes seemed to have a knowing gleam in them. His smile and the quirk of his eyebrow told her he knew quite well the effect he had on her.

  Julia wanted to find her earlier defiance and remove that look from his face, but she didn’t get a chance. He bid her farewell and pulled his hat on as he stooped under the doorframe and began walking away. Julia again wanted to have the last word, but restrained herself from saying something to his departing back, remembering that last time it had just made her feel foolish. Unfortunately, he turned back and caught her staring after him from the doorway and she felt foolish anyway.

  She shut the door harder than it needed and returned to the sitting room, hoping to distract her cousin with talk of anything besides her earlier encounter with Mr. Chamberlain. Martha, however, had other plans.

  “What did you think of Henry?” she asked without preamble.

  Julia had sensed while eavesdropping that Martha had a high regard for Mr. Chamberlain, but she thought that it was very unlikely that her cousin would want her to make a match with him. Martha had barely mentioned that the Chamberlains had two sons, while she had described most of her neighbors and friends to Julia in detail. These clues led her to think that her cousin didn’t want Julia chasing after her neighbor. Besides the humiliation she experienced every time she even thought about him, this made her answer easy to give. “I think his good looks have given him too much confidence, bordering on conceit.” She sounded a bit haughty, she knew, but Martha just shook her head.

  “Don’t set your sights on him, Julia. It will only lead to heartache.”

  Feeling slightly offended, she replied, “I’ve just told you, I think he’s arrogant and being too handsome hasn’t done him any good. Why would you think I need to be warned away from him?”

  “Because I saw you looking at him, and I can see that look in your eyes even now. Henry would be quite a prize for any young lady, but he has a very good reason for not being interested in love or marriage, and there have been many young ladies with broken hearts to prove it.”

  Julia probably should have guessed as much herself. He was far too everything to be a bachelor still, unless it was by design. She wished she didn’t care, but her curiosity got the better of her and ignoring Martha’s comment about how she had looked at him, she asked, “Why doesn’t he want to marry? What is the reason?”

  Martha heaved a big sigh before saying, “It was about three and a half years ago that he met a young woman named Miss Corey when he was in Bath. She and her mother were invited to stay at Barrington Court for a house party that summer, so I had the opportunity to meet her and it looked to be an ideal match. Every young lady was in love with Henry, and Miss Corey was no different. The remarkable thing was that Henry was in love with her too. I’ve known him all his life and I’ve seen the admiring girls come and go without ever holding his attention for any length of time. Miss Corey was the one who finally touched his heart. Before the end of Miss Corey’s stay, Henry had proposed and she had accepted.

  “Lord and Lady Chamberlain were pleased with the match. She had a large dowry, but her lineage was nothing to speak of. I don’t think Henry gave a single thought to dowries or lineages. He had fallen in love and would have pursued Miss Corey no matter what. Luckily for them, both families were pleased and nothing stood in their way.

  “Miss Corey and her mother were shopping for wedding clothes in Bath several weeks before the wedding. The consensus later was that their coachman was probably drinking while he waited for them to finish shopping. When they set off for home, their coachman let the horses travel too fast down a hill. He lost control at a corner and that was that. A farmer heard the crash and came running, but the coachman, Miss Corey, and Mrs. Corey had all been killed.

  “Henry found out the next day. He only stayed in England long enough for her burial. He was so heartbroken that he left for the continent immediately after and stayed away for months. It was understandable that he needed time and distance for his broken heart to heal. Upon his return, everyone thought he must be ready to proceed on with his life. He is
Lord Chamberlain’s heir and the neighborhood talked it over and decided he would marry another. But it’s been three years now since he returned and Henry feels no obligation to please the neighborhood, or his parents. He attends all the balls and parties, where he socializes with all the young ladies who bat their eyes at him, but he is very careful to never give too much attention to any one of them. He was a catch before with his looks, and his title, but now he is the ultimate prize. Every young lady imagines herself as the one who will heal his poor heart, but I’m telling you now, Julia, don’t let yourself get involved. If you fall in love with Henry Chamberlain, you will leave Barrington broken-hearted.”

  As she finished speaking, she looked directly into Julia’s eyes with a stern look to add conviction to her words. Julia hadn’t realized that she was leaning forward and biting her nails as the story unfolded. At her cousin’s stern look, she quickly lowered her hands and smoothed them down her skirts. She couldn’t help but be fascinated by Mr. Chamberlain’s story.

  “Of course I won’t fall in love with him. As I said, he seems quite arrogant to me, probably the effect of all the attention he receives. But I’m glad you told me his history. It will be quite interesting to be an outside observer of it all during my stay here.”

  Martha looked at her through narrowed eyes, surely wondering if she should believe her, so Julia added, “Really, Cousin, if I can make it through three London seasons without ever falling in love once, I’m sure I can handle a couple of months in Barrington with ease.” Julia was as confident as her words. And when the two months passed without incident, perhaps Martha would let her stay.

  It seemed as though Julia had finally convinced her, for she replied, “I’m pleased that you can be so level-headed about it all. Truly, it’s for the best.”

  Julia smiled and let the subject drop there. If Martha thought she should stay away from Henry Chamberlain, then she would. Whatever it took to earn an opportunity to stay with Martha permanently, she would do it. Picking up a book that she had begun earlier, it took some time for her to focus on the words. She had a hard time turning her thoughts away from Mr. Chamberlain and the tragedy that had ruined his perfect existence.

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  Chapter 7

  Julia’s first ball after arriving in Barrington took her by surprise before it even began. It was to begin with the primary families in the neighborhood dining together at the Martock priory and then continue through the evening. The greater part of the day would be spent in company. Julia hadn’t anticipated being invited out during her stay in Barrington at all, but to be spending practically an entire day in society was quite unexpected.

  When she had so readily agreed to take her mother’s place by staying with Martha, she felt sure that it would be a two-month break from the incessant social activities of the last three years. But apparently even in the country they seized every opportunity to have a party.

  Julia left London wanting that break, but now, knowing Mr. Chamberlain’s history as she did, and despite her embarrassment in his presence, she was curious to see him again. It would be interesting to watch how he interacted with all the women vying for his attention as Martha had claimed was the case. His tragic loss along with his physical perfection and aristocratic status was such an intriguing combination. She knew her cousin’s advice was sound—falling in love with him would be a mistake—but she wasn’t worried. One very compelling reason to avoid him was that she wanted to stay with Martha forever, so she would stay away from him to please her cousin. Only slightly less compelling was the fact that he had seen her humiliate herself and seemed to enjoy reminding her of it. But being intrigued because of his circumstances was certainly not love, so Julia looked forward to the evening more than she thought she would.

  As she arrived at Martock priory, Julia noticed that it was an ancient building, but once inside it was less obvious. Most of the walls were covered with tapestries and the floors with rugs wherever one would fit, effectively protecting the occupants from the cold stone walls and floors. But more than the furnishings, Mr. and Mrs. Stephens made it feel warm. They were gracious hosts and behaved toward Julia as though she was an old family friend rather than a new acquaintance.

  Julia looked for Mr. Chamberlain as soon as she arrived, but couldn’t see him anywhere. Her anticipation for the outing had been because of Mr. Chamberlain, and without him it was all for nothing. She wanted to observe how he interacted with an adoring crowd. When the large group all made their way to the dining room and found their seats, she could see that he really wasn’t present and couldn’t quell her disappointment.

  She wasn’t seated next to her cousin or she might have asked where he was, but then even if she could she shouldn’t. She didn’t want to betray her interest and ask Martha where he was, so she resolved to endure not having her curiosity satisfied.

  After dining in their great hall, Mrs. Stephens took Julia under her wing for a bit. She pointed out several people, but the crowd was too large to make introductions. She particularly caught Julia’s attention when she pointed out Lady Chamberlain. Julia had assumed that because her son, Mr. Chamberlain, wasn’t present that the whole family must be absent.

  Mrs. Stephens led Julia through the large room and introduced her to several other young ladies. Then, leaving Julia to these new acquaintances, Mrs. Stephens moved on to ensure the comfort of her other guests.

  Julia applied her attention to her peers and she was surprised how much some of them reminded her of acquaintances from town. One young lady was overconfident but tried to disguise it by acting demure; another girl was too solicitous, and another was acting bored. Julia wondered if these roles were almost requisite for their society to function or if rather society was what created these roles for them to fill. Julia’s role was the one she should have been most interested in, but she found she didn’t want to fit into place. Even after they moved into the great hall where they could converse more easily, she found herself necessarily with the group of young ladies, and though she felt herself above it, she couldn’t help but listen with interest when their conversation quickly turned to Mr. Chamberlain.

  There were four young ladies but Julia could only remember one of their names. Miss Dripple, with her constant dull expression, just seemed to fit her name so well, and so it had stuck with her. But the lady who seemed to know the most about Mr. Chamberlain’s every move Julia just referred to in her head as “Miss Pathetic.” It was she who spoke with authority about why Mr. Chamberlain wasn’t here yet this evening. “He left for Devon last week and Papa says he must have been meeting with Mr. Dunn, who has stubbornly held onto the land that borders Lord Chamberlain’s to the west,” Miss Pathetic rolled her eyes at the stubborn Mr. Dunn. “No one knows if he’s returned yet and I’m sure Mama will be so angry if he doesn’t turn up tonight because I’ve skipped all my lessons for the last week so that I could finish my gown for this evening especially so he could see it.” She smoothed the folds of her burgundy gown as she spoke and the other young ladies began complimenting her on the fine stitching and lace overlay, as the girl had probably intended them to do.

  Just hearing that Mr. Chamberlain might still turn up returned Julia’s previous anticipation and her thoughts went not to Miss Pathetic’s dress, but to her own. She couldn’t deny that she wondered for a very brief moment what Mr. Chamberlain would think of her own gown. It was one of her newest dresses, a white gown with a delicate pattern in blue across the bodice and the hem and a matching blue sash at her waist. She was pleased that the style was simpler this season with fewer frills and ruffles on the gowns; it suited her better.

  Banishing that thought, she informed her new acquaintances about Mr. Chamberlain’s return. “Actually he is back from Devon. He called on my cousin yesterday.” Innocent as the remark was, Julia immediately regretted volunteering even that much information as four pairs of very suspicious eyes turned on her.

  Miss Dripple quickly demanded, “When did you see him?”


  Julia pulled back slightly in surprise at the intense question that seemed out of character for her new acquaintance. Miss Dripple seemed to realize her rudeness and took a step back as she looked down, probably in order to recover her listless expression. The others still looked at her with expectant glares.

  “It was yesterday morning … He was there when I returned from a walk,” Julia hesitantly replied.

  Miss Pathetic, whose possessiveness of Mr. Chamberlain seemed the strongest, was condescending as she said, “Are you sure it was Mr. Chamberlain?” She turned an amused smile to her companions, and then looked back at Julia, “You wouldn’t really know, would you? Seeing as you are so new to the neighborhood, you probably wouldn’t even recognize the Chamberlain crest if you saw it.”

  Julia was torn between wanting desperately to give Miss Pathetic a set down and not making enemies in such a small town as this. Luckily her more rational self prevailed and she merely responded, “My cousin introduced him as Mr. Henry Chamberlain, the Baron of Eldridge.” She kept her smile complacent, not wanting their ire for merely knowing Mr. Chamberlain’s name, and asked, “Is he who you were referring to?”

  They did not look pleased, and Julia began to turn away, hoping that she could escape. But Miss Pathetic stopped her with a hand on her arm and asked, “What did you think of our Mr. Chamberlain?” The possessiveness of her tone and her hand still on Julia’s arm made her realize just how serious Miss Pathetic’s pursuit of Mr. Chamberlain was. She was intense and obviously saw Julia as a threat. If only she knew that Julia had the ability to scare away suitors without even trying, she would know how little of a threat Julia truly was.