Ashington’s carriage wasn’t outside and to that I was relieved. My morning had been taxing enough. I was here for two reasons and seeing Ashington was not one of them. However, finding out how last night went was one of them. The other was completely selfish. I wanted to see Miriam. I was an honest man, at least I was honest with myself. Others, it was give and take.
The butler led me to the drawing room, and unlike the last time, I did not have flowers to enchant Miriam with nor was she entertaining a suitor. Instead, Miriam sat on the settee with a book open in her lap and what appeared to be a chocolate in her left hand.
Her eyes widened at my arrival and she sat both the book and chocolate down before standing up. “Mr. Compton,” she said in way of greeting although it was neither warm nor inviting. I had come past the typical visiting hours and it was clear she was quite comfortable. I enjoyed seeing her this way and I was glad I’d chosen to stop by, even if it was uncustomary.
“My aunt will be right back, she just left to go find a letter from her sister,” Miriam explained. “I wasn’t expecting company.” There was a cautiousness in her eyes I truly hated to see there. She was not happy to see me nor did she trust me.
“It’s past the typical visiting hours I realize, but I was passing by and wanted to see you. Seems I missed your conversation. My morning has been rather dull,” I explained.
Miriam studied me as if she wasn’t sure what to believe. “I thought perhaps you might be lost,” she replied, not willing to pretend she was pleased with my company. I liked that fire. It was one more thing to like about Miriam Bathurst. As if I needed more encouragement.
“I am not lost, I can assure you. I’ve thought of little else but speaking to you after our last encounter.” I decided a little bluntness was in order to get her attention if not to soften her as well. I didn’t believe easing back into her good graces would be easy.
Surprising me, she motioned for the high back chair across from her. “Please have a seat. I shall ring for tea. Tis a bit early but biscuits must be better for me than the chocolates Aunt Harriet keeps around.”
Smiling, I took the chair she motioned toward. “Thank you. Tea sounds good. As does your company.” I hadn’t expected to be offered a seat until her aunt’s arrival in the room. This had to be a good sign.
Miriam took her seat again and didn’t reach for the book or chocolate she had been holding when I arrived. “Is it my company you seek or are you here to find out about your brother’s business?” she asked me directly without blinking.
There it was. The lady was indeed fearless. She got to the point and didn’t feign ignorance to appear attractive. Something I had never understood anyway. Her offering me tea meant nothing. She had simply decided to deal with me head on. Lead the attack by making me uncomfortable. Had she hoped that would send me running? Surely not. She was much too smart for that.
“Both,” I replied just as directly. If there was a chance that Miriam would be in the crosshairs of a revenge meant only to harm my brother then she deserved my honesty when requested. I wanted nothing more than for Ashington to choose Lydia. However, I could easily see my brother being bewitched by Miss Bathurst.
She nodded. “I thought so.”
“Why does this not surprise me?” I asked.
She lifted a shoulder and sighed. “I don’t know, perhaps because your charming smile and pretty face don’t distract me from your true intentions. I am aware you will unleash your best work on whoever can best assist you in your games.”
“Pretty face? I don’t know if I should be insulted, horrified, or flattered. No woman has ever labeled me as pretty before, Miss Bathurst. Why is it with you I always experience a first?” I had chosen to ignore the part about my true intentions. It appeared Miss Bathurst understood way more than I had believed. I had to protect my plan for revenge. Even from her.
She scrunched her nose playfully. “Most people use the word pretty as a feminine description but the definition is not necessarily the case. Handsome is a harder more rugged description while you have such perfect features women find themselves swooning over your appearance alone. It is rather shallow.”
My laughter wasn’t forced or part of an act. It was real and it seemed that only in the presence of Miriam Bathurst did I feel any positive emotions at all. She reminded me of happiness and light. She made me want to be a different man. One that I was sure I could never be. Not even for her. However, in the moments I was with her, I wanted to forget that and just soak in the feeling of all that was Miriam.
Miriam, however, did not smile. It was almost as if she knew of my desire to see her smile at me again and was punishing me. I regretted the fact one day soon she would want nothing more than to forget me. I had no doubt she would accomplish just that. However, I knew forgetting her would be an impossible task. Miriam Bathurst may just haunt me for eternity.
Chapter Sixteen
Miriam Bathurst
“I have the grandest of news, honey! Your sister is to come for a visit! Isn’t that the most spectacular thing? I have been sending requests to your mother as has your uncle since the beginning of the season and we finally got a response. She is a rather difficult lady, isn’t she?” Aunt Harriet came barreling into the drawing room, not only speaking so loudly in her excitement that it could be considered shouting, but she was also in her bare feet with a piece of chocolate in one hand and another shoved in the side of her mouth so she could speak while she read the letter in her other hand.
Unfortunately, she didn’t take a moment to look up from the letter she was reading as she continued to speak rather loudly in her American accent whilst eating the chocolate in her mouth. “She says right here that Whitney will require proper attire if we wish to take her out into the city but request that if we do not plan on buying her new gowns to keep her indoors unseen. Can you believe she’d say that? I mean of course we will provide the darling with gowns but that we should-” She stopped mid-sentence as she finally lifted her gaze from the letter in front of her to find I wasn’t alone.
Her eyes went so wide as her mouth dropped open in surprise. There was a moment of silence and I knew the small facts of her bare feet and chocolate stuffed mouth were all beginning to dawn on her. As I saw the light in her eyes, I began to giggle. I couldn’t help myself. Aunt Harriet was rather comfortable in her home and held no stock in formality. My gaze swung over to see how Nicholas Compton was taking this and I found that it was taking much for him to keep from joining me in laughter. I hadn’t felt like smiling much less laughing since his arrival but leave it to Aunt Harriet to change that.
It was in that moment laughter did join mine, but it wasn’t Mr. Compton’s. It was Aunt Harriet’s. She let out one of her loud belly laughs and finished eating the chocolate she’d had stuffed in the side of her cheek while speaking. This only fed my laughter more but then there was the reason she had come in here so rashly and in a hurry to tell me the news that also had me suddenly feeling buoyant and full of joy.
I stood then and walked over to her. She stopped laughing and smiled at me as I stood in front of her. “Tis true. Whitney is coming?” I asked.
She nodded her head vigorously. “And we will buy her the most beautiful gowns. She will feel like a princess,” my aunt promised.