She’d been posted in front of his door for no more than a few minutes when Mary’s older sister, Lady Julianna, came floating up the staircase. She was wearing a lovely white gown with a gauzy, embroidered overskirt and looked as if she’d just stepped off the pages of a lady’s fashion periodical. Frances watched in horror as the engaged woman glanced her way, took another quick look, and proceeded to glide toward her.
Frances bit her lip and looked in both directions. It would be awkward to use her excuse that she was waiting for Mary, but what other choice did she have?
“Oh, Miss Wharton, not you, too?” Lady Julianna said as soon as she’d come within earshot.
Frances blinked and glanced in the opposite direction. Lady Julianna had said her name, but was it possible she’d been mistaken? There was no one behind Frances, however, and she was forced to turn back and face Lady Julianna as that woman came to stand directly in front of her.
“‘Not me,’ too?” Frances echoed, her brow furrowed.
Lady Julianna gave her a conspiratorial grin, stepped forward, and looped her arm around Frances’s. She tugged her gently into a walk beside her. They headed toward the lady’s end of the corridor.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know you were standing in front of the Earl of Kendall’s bedchamber door?” Lady Julianna whispered as soon as they’d taken a few steps.
Frances felt herself blanch. She was torn between denying it and asking how Lady Julianna happened to know which door was his.
“It’s… I… Well… How did you know?” Frances finally blurted. Very well. She wasn’t a particularly good actress, was she?
Lady Julianna’s conspiratorial grin widened, and she glanced behind them to ensure no one else had entered the corridor. “I’d heard he’d arrived. It’s all the other ladies are talking about today. The location of his room is a much-discussed topic downstairs.”
“I’d gathered the ladies were excited,” Frances agreed, feeling a bit ill to learn that Lord Kendall’s bedchamber was a topic of anyone’s conversation. Why, she’d been fortunate that she hadn’t run into other young ladies hovering about for much different reasons.
“You’re not excited?” Lady Julianna gave her a skeptical glance.
Frances let out a long sigh. There was no help for it. “There’s every reason you won’t believe me, Lady Julianna, but I fear I must tell you the truth or risk you thinking the worst of me.”
Lady Julianna’s sparkling laughter filled the space around them. “Why, if you’re willing to tell it, I’m more than willing to hear it, Miss Wharton.”
Frances quickly discarded a few introductions to the subject before deciding to be as direct as possible. “I know it’s difficult to believe, but I want to speak to Lord Kendall about his Employment Bill. The one’s he’s presented to the House of Lords.”
Lady Julianna’s eyes widened, but ultimately, the look on her face could only be described as…admiration?
“I must admit that was the last thing I thought you’d say,” Lady Julianna replied, still gently pulling Frances along beside her. They’d only moved a few paces, but they were still headed toward the lady’s end of the corridor.
Frances winced and bit her lip. “Do you believe me?”
Lady Julianna patted her hand. “Absolutely, I do.”
This time Frances’s eyes went wide. “You do?”
Lady Julianna laughed softly. “Of course I do. Who would make up something so unexpected?”
Frances expelled a relieved sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Thank heavens. It is the truth, I swear it.”
“Of course it is,” Lady Julianna replied, “but you must tell me, what do you intend to say to Lord Kendall about the law? Now I’m intrigued.”
“Do you know anything about it, Lady Julianna?” Frances prompted.
“I’m afraid I don’t.” She shook her head.
“Well, it’s a ghastly bill that will hurt the poor.”
Lady Julianna sucked in her breath. She stopped walking for a moment and looked squarely at Frances. “I’m surprised to hear that.”
“Why?” Frances asked, frowning again.
Lady Julianna resumed walking. Still clutching Frances’s arm, she graced her with another lovely smile. “I’ve met the Earl of Kendall and he seemed like a decent man to me.”
Frances couldn’t help but stick her nose in the air. “Well, he isn’t. I’ve never met him but believe me, he’s awful. I’m convinced he’s pudgy and hideous-looking too.”
Lady Julianna’s soft laughter followed. “Who told you that?”
Frances gave Lady Julianna a guilty smile. “I’m only guessing based on the contents of his law.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to continue to wait for him if you really feel you must, but take care. I suggest you wait over by the chair on the opposite wall. It’ll provide you with more of an excuse if someone else happens past.”
Frances glanced behind them. Indeed, there was a chair nearly directly across the corridor from Lord Kendall’s door. Earlier, she’d been too preoccupied with practicing her speech to notice it.
“That’s an excellent idea, Lady Julianna. Thank you.”
Lady Julianna dropped her arm and turned to face her. “I’ve been worried about you, Miss Wharton.”
“Worried? About me?” Frances pointed at herself and blinked. She’d no idea until today that Lady Julianna knew her name, let alone would worry about her.
“Yes,” Lady Julianna replied softly. “I’ve seen you at dinner. I’m afraid your mother is doing her best to match you with Sir Reginald, and I don’t think you two would make each other very happy.”
Frances nodded. “I couldn’t agree with you more, Lady Julianna.”
Lady Julianna searched her face. “Sir Reginald’s favorite subject is himself, while you seem to me to be an introspective, intelligent young woman. I doubt you’d enjoy a life listening to his dull stories.”
Tears burned the backs of Frances’s eyes. How kind of Lady Julianna to say something Frances needed so much to hear. “You know, for so long I’ve felt as if I was being disloyal to my mother for not immediately seeing his good qualities…or trying to at least.”
Lady Julianna gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her hand again. “Take care, Miss Wharton. I know we ladies don’t always have a choice in matters of the heart, but I would hate to see you miserable. You’ve always been so kind and friendly to my sister.”
“Likewise, your sister has been nothing but kind to me as well,” Frances murmured.
Lady Julianna drifted away toward the end of the corridor, but not before she waved and said something that Frances was almost certain was, “If Kendall has any sense, he’ll scoop you up the moment he sees you on his doorstep. The man’s in want of a good wife, you know.”
Frances shook her head. No. She couldn’t possibly have heard the woman correctly. And besides, even if that was what Lady Julianna had said, the last man she wanted to ‘scoop her up’ was Lord Kendall. She shuddered. No, indeed. She must return to her watch post and recite her speech in preparation for her confrontation with the odious man.