Not knowing nearly drove Drake mad, and he found that standing immobile on the side of the ballroom was nearly impossible. Energy hummed up and down his muscles, urging him to move, to do something, to pound someone into the ground. But who? Never before had he experienced such outrage and aggression toward someone he could not identify.
With his arms linked behind his back, Drake watched as Sedgwick entered the ballroom. The man cast a brief glance in the direction of Lord Whickerton and his family; however, his attention only lingered for a short moment before he turned toward a group of friends. For all intents and purposes, it seemed as though the man had accepted that Leonora did not harbor affections toward him. Still, Drake could not help but wonder if Sedgwick was merely pretending.
As the evening progressed, Drake’s eyes moved from observing one lord after another and occasionally strayed to Lord Whickerton and his family. Judging from the carefree expressions upon the faces of Leonora’s parents, Drake concluded that she had not yet spoken to them. In stark contrast to them, Phineas and his wife as well as Lady Christina appeared somewhat on edge. They never moved far from Leonora’s side, their eyes as watchful as his own.
“She’s strong, my granddaughter,” the dowager countess suddenly spoke out from behind his shoulder. Drake turned to look upon her, surprised that such a frail, old lady, leaning heavily upon her cane, would be able to approach him without drawing his attention. Perhaps Leonora was distracting him more than he was aware of. “She’s stronger than you might think.” Coming to stand beside him, the dowager swept her eyes over Leonora before she returned them to him.
Drake inhaled a slow breath. “She is indeed quite capable.” He watched her as she stood among her family, her hands tightly linked, but her chin raised in defiance of the threat lingering somewhere unknown. “Only for a moment there, it seemed that she herself had forgotten that.”
A thoughtful expression came to the dowager’s eyes, and she nodded in agreement. “You have been watching over her,” she said, her words a statement and not a question. A moment passed, and then she turned to look upon him, her eyes as watchful as Leonora’s often were. “Have you ever dared ask yourself why you champion her cause? Why you are here again today, watching out for her?”
Drake shifted from one foot onto the other, disliking the dowager’s way of knowing exactly what to say to make him uncomfortable.
A knowing smile came to her lips. “I suggest you find an answer to these questions before it is too late.” Her gaze widened imploringly before her head turned back toward her family. “Before my granddaughter makes a decision that you will both come to regret for the rest of your lives.”
Following the dowager’s gaze, Drake felt a jolt go through him when he saw Leonora standing with Lord Gillingham. Her family was not far off, her sisters casting watchful glances in her direction, while she and Gillingham spoke in a rather animated way as though discussing something of mutual interest to them. Drake could not help but tense at the thought of a connection between them, something that she shared with another.
“She is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” the dowager said admiringly, her gaze once more turning to meet his. “Yet, when it comes to our hearts, do we not all act as fools upon occasion?” A sigh drifted from her lips, and she leaned more heavily upon her cane. It was clear that she would not be able to support herself for much longer; yet, it seemed that an iron will ruled her and that she was determined to get her point across no matter what it would cost her. “She’s frightened and finds herself facing an uncertain future. What she seeks beyond all else is someone who will stand by her side.” Her brows rose imploringly. “If she cannot have the one she wants, I’m afraid she is willing to settle for another.” After casting him another meaningful look, the dowager turned and hobbled away, the eldest Whickerton sister assisting her back into the armchair placed upon the edges of the ballroom for her.
Shaken to his core, Drake did not cherish the thought that the dowager would continue to watch him from across the ballroom. And so, he moved and found his way through the crowd of people to a spot that seemed rather hidden from sight. Standing behind the column, Drake cast careful glances at Leonora and Gillingham while her grandmother’s words continue to echo in his head.
The one she wants.
Leonora did her best to focus her attention on Lord Gillingham. Indeed, it was most pleasant to be speaking of matters that had once been of the utmost interest to her. It was distracting, and she found her attention momentarily fixed upon the gentleman in front of her. Nonetheless, part of her always seemed to be reaching out to the man watching over her from behind a column.
The moment he had moved, the little hairs on the back of her neck had teased her as though she could feel him even from this far away. Somehow, she always knew where he was, knew the moment his feet carried him onward, knew when he turned to look at her. Leonora could all but feel his gaze like a caress upon her skin. A shiver would dance down her spine, and she would grit her teeth, forcing her attention to return to the here and now, to the man speaking to her in a most amiable way.
“Perhaps at some point we could attend a lecture together?” Lord Gillingham inquired, eagerness in his gaze. “I must admit, I quite cherish the thought of discussing these matters further. Would you be amenable to such a proposition?”
Leonora nodded. “Indeed, it is a wonderful idea, my lord. Lately, I have found myself distracted and never quite found the time to focus my mind on matters of psychology or physics or mathematics. I admit, I quite miss that single-minded focus.”
Lord Gillingham chuckled. “It is as though the rest of the world ceases to exist, is it not?”
Leonora felt the corners of her mouth curl up into a wide smile. “You have felt it to?”
Lord Gillingham nodded. “I remember days when I could not have said with certainty whether or not the sun had risen because I found myself so immersed within my studies that I did not take notice of the day passing.”
Leonora laughed. “My family always worries about me for I sometimes even forgot to eat.”
Their conversation continued in a pleasant manner, and with each word spoken, Leonora found herself relax a bit more. Indeed, once, she had been able to speak freely to whoever had cared enough to hear her opinions and offer up his own. And then everything had changed, the world had turned upside down, and she had lost a part of herself. Now, here, in this moment, speaking to Lord Gillingham, Leonora wondered if perhaps she would be able to reclaim it after all.
Always had Leonora wished for a friend with whom to discuss these interests of hers. Unfortunately, though, women were generally not encouraged to dwell upon such subjects and discover that they might hold meaning for them. Although certain men did take an interest, Leonora knew of only a few examples where men and women were simply friends. In these instances, it was most often the case that the two had known each other since childhood, which had allowed them to form a bond much like that of siblings. However, for a man and woman to meet in adulthood and then simply become friends was something quite unheard off. Yet, was it possible?
For the simple truth was that whenever Leonora looked at Lord Gillingham, her thoughts turned toward friendship. Thus, she was genuinely shocked when he suddenly took a step toward her, the look in his eyes changing. Where before there had been amusement and the joy of conversation, there now was something different. Something much more intimate. Something that did not speak of friendship.