Finally, with both herself and Lady Ann securing dances from Lord Nottingham and Lord Swiftson, the three ladies were able to step away, leaving the gentlemen behind.
“I must hope that you do not mind our company, Lady Serena,” Catherine said, laughing as the young lady smiled at her. “You seemed to be a little absent from their conversation.”
Lady Serena laughed but the smile did not enter her eyes. “That is quite true, to be sure,” she answered honestly. “My brother is not the sort of gentleman who would be inclined toward considering what I might need. Sometimes I believe he even forgets that I am present.”
Lady Ann sighed dramatically and shook her head. “That is true of many gentlemen, I think, Lady Serena,” she told the young lady, wincing as though such a thing had happened to her many times. “That is why it is all the more important to search for good company, which I hope we shall be to you.”
“Indeed,” Catherine answered with a laugh. “I was speaking to another acquaintance recently—a Lord Rutherford—and in the midst of our conversation, he turned from me to speak to another. I could hardly believe it.” She laughed again, shaking her head as though this was something to be ridiculed. “Needless to say, I have not sought him out for another conversation since.” Quickly, she darted a glance toward Lady Serena, but saw that the lady’s face was set. There was no happiness or sorrow there, no sadness or frustration. Rather, it was as though Lady Serena had reached into her pocket and pulled out a mask, placing it onto her face so that she might have the appearance of serenity and disinterest.
It was not an expression Catherine believed.
“Are you acquainted with Lord Rutherford, Lady Serena?” Lady Ann asked, throwing a glance toward Catherine. “I myself have not been introduced and I confess that, after what my sister has said, I find myself more than a little disinclined toward him.”
Catherine saw Lady Serena frown, her eyes a little narrowed. There was a momentary pause, as though she were deciding what to say, before the lady answered.
“I have been introduced to him, yes,” she admitted with a small shrug. “But I cannot say I care much for the association.”
“Then you and I feel much the same way,” Catherine agreed with a chuckle. “Now, Lady Serena, let us speak of other things rather than the gentlemen we dislike.” She grinned, and finally, Lady Serena’s expression shed her mask and she smiled, a flicker of tension still lingering in the lines around her eyes.
“I would be very glad to do so,” Lady Serena answered as Lady Ann looped her hand around Lady Serena’s arm. “Should you like to share with me how long you have been in London? And if you have been enjoying the Season thus far?”
The conversation soon turned to other things and Catherine forced herself to join in with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. However, she held securely in her mind the fact that Lady Serena had been rather tense and less than willing to speak of Lord Rutherford. There was clearly something between Lady Serena and Lord Rutherford—a deep dislike, mayhap—but Catherine did not know what it could be. Resolving to speak to Lord Rutherford about it further, Catherine forced such thoughts to the back of her mind and threw herself into the conversation with Lady Serena. The time for such a discussion would soon be at hand but for the present, she had to be nothing more than a friend to this young lady, in the hope that, mayhap in time, she might express a little more about Lord Rutherford than she had done at present.
“I must say, you dance rather well, Lady Catherine.”
Catherine arched one eyebrow, looking up into Lord Nottingham’s face and waiting for him to realize what she thought of such a remark. It had been said with a hint of surprise in his voice, as though he had expected her to be a very poor dancer indeed.
“That is,” Lord Nottingham blustered, releasing her as the waltz came to an end, “that is to say, I am honored that such an accomplished young lady would be willing to step out onto the floor with me.”
She laughed, her eyes bright as they held his. “You need not worry, Lord Nottingham,” she said, dipping into a curtsy. “I am not insulted in the least. It is kind of you to say.”
Lord Nottingham looked somewhat relieved and an idea struck Catherine as they walked from the floor together.
“Indeed,” she continued quickly, “I do not think I have been insulted by any gentleman with whom I have danced, save for one.”
“Oh?” His interest was immediate, and Catherine could not help but smile to herself, glad that she had managed to bring the discussion around to Lord Rutherford so quickly.
“It was Lord Rutherford,” she said in what she hoped was an injured tone. “I do not know if you are acquainted with him, Lord Nottingham, but I found him to be very rude indeed.” She gave a small sniff and shook her head, as if it had been nothing less than a disgrace. “He could barely place his feet in the correct position given just how much liquor was in his veins and when he grasped my hand, he did so with such force that I had no other choice but to try and keep him upright.”
Lord Nottingham’s brow flickered with a frown and he looked down at Catherine without comment.
“I have a singular determination that I shall never again stand up with him, of course,” Catherine finished with a firm nod of her head. “He made me out to be quite ridiculous and I cannot thank him for it.”
“Indeed,” Lord Nottingham said with a shake of his head. “I will confess to you, Lady Catherine, for I do not want to hide the truth from you, that I am well acquainted with Lord Rutherford.”
She looked up at him with feigned interest. “I see.”
“I will also confess that we are friends,” he continued, now looking a little abashed. “But that I do not agree with his behavior. The way he treats certain ladies has been quite irredeemable.”
“At least he is not here this evening,” Catherine replied as he delivered her back to her sister and Lady Serena, who had, it seemed, become very good friends in what had only been a short space of time. “In fact, I do not think I have seen him since the soiree which we both attended.”
Lord Nottingham shrugged, looking away with disinterest. “I confess that I have not any particular notion as to where he might be,” he replied, sounding bored. “Most likely, he is simply recuperating from a very… interesting… night, which has taken him a good few days to recover from.”
“I see,” Catherine replied with a sigh of relief. “Then let us hope that it may take him a little more time to fully improve, given that society does not miss him,” she said, sending a sidelong glance toward her sister, who nodded feverishly, as though trying to convince Lord Nottingham that she, too, felt the very same thing. “We do not need any more rogues or rakes in London at the present.”
“Indeed, we do not,” Lord Nottingham agreed with a very deep bow. “And now, Lady Ann, I believe it is to be our dance.” He smiled and held out one hand toward Lady Ann, who gave it to him without hesitation. Together, they stepped out onto the floor, leaving Catherine and Lady Serena standing together.
Catherine felt a slowly growing sense of disappointment. Whilst she had managed to ensure that she had furthered her acquaintance with Lord Nottingham, he had shown no concern for Lord Rutherford’s whereabouts and indeed, had not even seemed to have noticed his absence from town. What would Lord Rutherford have to say about that? Would he be upset that his friends did not care? Or was it something that he would expect?