Sighing, Delilah smiled and made to say something more, only to notice that the gentleman now approaching them was, in fact, the very gentleman they had been talking of only a few minutes before. Her stomach tightened almost at once, not quite certain where she was to look as Lord Coventry came closer to them, his eyes seeming to fix upon her. Whenever she glanced up at him, he was staring directly at her, his mouth a thin, grim line.
“Miss Mullins,” he said, not even looking towards Lady Newfield or Miss Jamieson. “Might I speak to you?”
She swallowed hard. “Good afternoon, Lord Coventry,” she said a little hesitantly as Lady Newfield nudged her gently. “Yes, I am certain that we—”
“Can it be Lord Coventry?”
The harsh, arrogant sound of Lady Parrington’s voice cut through their conversation, and Delilah saw Lord Coventry startle. Slowly, his eyes turned towards the lady, his face paling as he quickly bowed.
“Good afternoon, Lady Parrington,” he said, his voice low and filled with a gravity that sent a chill rushing through Delilah’s frame. “I did not know you were in London.”
“I have been in London for some weeks,” Lady Parrington replied, not curtsying towards him as she ought. “My husband brought me here so that we might enjoy the Season together.”
Lord Coventry flinched but replied quickly. “I do hope that you have an enjoyable time, Lady Parrington. There have been some wonderful occasions thus far.”
Delilah watched Lady Parrington smile cruelly, her eyes glinting as she looked directly at Lord Coventry, seeming to be enjoying his tension and awkwardness. Her own hands began to curl into fists. Finding herself wishing that she could say something—anything—that might help Lord Coventry in some way.
Instead, she remained silent.
“My husband was at the evening assembly last night,” Lady Parrington cooed with a wave of her hand. “You did not see him?”
Lord Coventry frowned hard, his eyes flint, his lips pulled into a taut line. His expression suddenly appeared angry, as though he suspected Lady Parrington of something but could not quite work out whether or not it was as he thought. “I did not,” he said slowly, searching Lady Parrington’s face. “I was otherwise engaged for the majority of the evening.” He took a small step forward and Lady Parrington, Delilah was pleased to note, lost something of her arrogant smile and began to look a trifle uncertain.
“Perhaps you already knew that I was otherwise engaged, Lady Parrington,” Lord Coventry continued, making Delilah frown as she tried to understand what he meant. “Were you also present last evening?”
Lady Parrington lifted her chin and looked directly up into Lord Coventry’s face. “I was not,” she said firmly. “Unfortunately, I had something of a headache and was forced to remain at home.”
There then came a short silence as Lord Coventry watched the lady for some moments, with Lady Parrington looking up at him with a haughty expression, her eyes glinting. Delilah did not know what to say, did not know what to do, for she found the conversation to be odd indeed. What was Lord Coventry trying to do? Was there something he was trying to suggest that only Lady Parrington knew about?
“If you will excuse me.” Lady Parrington arched one eyebrow and waited until Lord Coventry stepped aside. She looked up at him, reaching out to put one hand on his upper arm. Delilah felt something inside her twist as Lady Parrington did so, seeing the way Lord Coventry’s face reddened, how his eyes seemed to lose some of their anger as he looked down into Lady Parrington’s face.
She could still have an effect on him, it seemed.
“I do not think there will be much need for us to converse often, Lord Coventry,” Lady Parrington murmured, her voice smooth as silk but her words biting and cruel. “In fact, there is very little reason at all for any of us to be in each other’s company again.” Her smile was tight, her eyes a little narrowed. “Good afternoon, Lord Coventry.”
It took a moment for Lord Coventry to reply, but when he did, his voice was harsh and grating. “Good afternoon, Lady Parrington.” Delilah watched his expression change yet again, his brows furrowing all the more, his eyes fastened to Lady Parrington as she walked away from them. Now he seemed confused—and perhaps, she feared, even a little upset. Was he disappointed with the meeting? Or happy that there had been a conversation with the lady he had once seemingly adored?
Lady Newfield was the first to speak.
“A somewhat unpleasant encounter, Lord Coventry?” she murmured, snapping Lord Coventry’s attention back towards her and away, at last, from Lady Parrington. “Or were you glad to see her again?”
It was the very question that Delilah herself had wanted to ask. Her hands twisted together in front of her as she waited for Lord Coventry to respond, her heart beating so loudly that she feared he would be able to hear her.
“An encounter I was not expecting, Lady Newfield,” Lord Coventry replied with an ease of manner that Delilah had not anticipated. “I have not seen the lady since last Season and I certainly was unaware that she was—” He stopped and gave a small shake of his head. “I was unaware that Lord and Lady Parrington were back in London.”
“At least now you are prepared when it comes time to meet with Lord Parrington,” Lady Newfield said practically, looking all about them as though it bored her to stand in the same place for such a length of time. “Now, Miss Jamieson, shall we continue on our walk?” She looked pointedly back at Lord Coventry. “Lord Coventry, I believe you wanted to speak to my goddaughter?” Gesturing to Delilah, she gave him a small smile. “Do not remain far from us, if you would.”
For a moment, Lord Coventry appeared hesitant, making Delilah fear that he would not wish to converse with her any longer, that he would, instead, step away from her and excuse himself. Instead, however, he finally nodded and cleared his throat, holding out one arm towards Delilah with a small lift of his brow but no question on his lips. Realizing what was expected of her, Delilah took his arm and stepped forward, seeing Lady Newfield nod in satisfaction before stepping away from them both.
It was a very awkward silence that surrounded them both as she began to walk alongside Lord Coventry. He said nothing at all, and she, for her own sake, could find nothing to comment on. She did not want to bring up Lady Parrington, and yet that was all that was on her mind. The lady had not given an excellent impression of her character and Delilah was finding it very difficult indeed to consider that Lord Coventry himself had thought so highly of the lady.
“Miss Mullins, I thought it best to speak to you after last evening,” he said slowly, turning his head to look down at her. “I did not return for you when I promised that I would.”
Delilah felt a flush creep into her cheeks as she nodded, daring a glance up at him. “Indeed.”
Lord Coventry said nothing for a moment and when Delilah glanced up at him again, she was astonished to see a slight redness to his cheeks. Was he truly embarrassed over what he had done?
“You will not ask me why I dd not return?”
Now it was Delilah’s turn to flush. “I would not even dream of it, my lord,” she answered quietly. “Your business is entirely your own.”
“That cannot be true, Miss Mullins, if we are to be betrothed,” he said, making mention of their engagement for what Delilah thought was the very first time. “You have every right to ask me what I did and where I went. For my promise was for you, that I would return in a moment with an answer from your uncle.”