“I suppose I ought to go,” he whispered softly. “It wasn’t very wise of me, was it?”
“No,” she agreed, blushing. She was still smiling, however. “I don’t like to think what Mama would say, were she to find you in here. You’d best go. But I am glad you came.”
“As am I.”
She blushed again and, before he could think about it, Hal kissed her cheek. She let out a little “o” of surprise, her lips making a perfect circle that begged for him to kiss it. He dragged in a breath and hurried for the door.
“Farewell, my dear Hestony,” he said, his voice raw. “I will see you soon.”
“I will wait for your arrival,” she said softly. The sweetest smile spread across her face and her hand lifted in farewell.
Hal was still grinning bemusedly as he drifted out through the front door.
“Bring my horse, please,” he asked the stable-hand, who was looking at him as if he was decidedly odd in the head.
I suppose I must have cut quite an odd figure, riding in here as if I were at the head of an army.
Hal threw himself up into the saddle with a wry grimace and rode off at a slower pace back towards Westmore House. He hadn’t noticed if Cousin Luke and Emilia were still visiting Hestony – they certainly weren’t in her bedroom, but that was all he knew.
He bit his lip. “It’s just as well Cousin Emilia wasn’t there. I shudder to think what she would have thought if she had found me there.”
He had dismissed it lightly at the time, but he knew full well that he had done something that could have serious consequences, should anybody else hear about it.
“I should do the honorable thing.”
He hadn’t even gone to her mother to request formal permission for courtship! Much less did he have any sort of right to be in her bedroom unaccompanied. He closed his eyes a moment, considering the sort of trouble his rash action could cause her. He should have approached Lady Hartfield an age ago.
“To be honest, I’m scared.”
His horse snorted and he patted his neck. They were almost home. As he rode the last mile, he mused about Lady Hartfield and the various ways he might be able to approach her regarding asking to court Lady Hestony.
He looked over the cornfields to where he could just see Westmore, perched on its hill amid the woodlands. He knew that his family was respectable, and that Lady Hartfield should have no objections to him on that front – yet, he felt she still would.
“Cousin Luke is the earl – I am the only son of Baron Carisbrooke. I’m not what she wants for her daughter.”
He knew Hestony, and barely knew her mother, yet he knew of her – enough to know she was ruthlessly ambitious. He would never have said it to Hestony, but he could see how determinedly her mother introduced her to circles in which she could meet dukes and earls, marquesses and counts. He was just outside the boundaries of her ambitions, and he had no doubt at all he would meet with short shrift from Lady Hartfield were he to ask for her hand.
I should do it anyway. I’m just a dreadful coward.
He cantered up the slope, impatience driving him to a haste he didn’t feel. He had always felt his father reckoned him as somewhat ineffectual. He desperately did not want to live up to his father’s meager expectations. He was better than that.
“I’m going to ask Luke what he thinks.”
Drawing a deep breath of fragrant summer air, he rode the last few feet to the wrought iron gates that led to Westmore House.
Mr. Halston opened the door to him. Feeling somewhat embarrassed for his earlier conduct, Hal shouldered past with a gruff greeting and headed up the stairs at a swift trot.
“Cousin Luke?” he called as he ran up the steps to the drawing room. “Are you here?”
“Hal!” Luke strode out with his face wreathed in smiles. “It’s wonderful to see you! I worried I would miss your arrival – Emilia and I were at Amhurst Heights.” His face fell. “Lady Hestony, I regret to say, is…”
“I know,” Hal said swiftly. “Sorry,” he added when his cousin looked a bit hurt. “When I arrived, Mr. Halston informed me. I rode there directly. I had to see her,” he added, hanging his head. Somehow, he felt as if news of what he had done would already have carried this far, and he felt shame for having placed Hestony in such an awkward position.
“Of course, you did, cousin!” Luke frowned at him. “What’s the matter? You look most distressed.”
“I just…Is Emilia in?” he looked around the drawing room, but could not see any hint of his cousin’s wife’s presence.
“She’s upstairs,” Luke said. “She’ll be so pleased to hear of your arrival.”
“I’m glad,” Hal said sincerely. “But, Luke…May I have a word quickly?”
Luke frowned. “Of course, Hal. What’s the matter?”
Hal stepped into the drawing-room and shut the door. A fine wide space with the south side almost covered in windows, it was empty. He leaned on the door and coughed.
“Um, Luke…what do you think is the likelihood of Lady Hestony’s mother agreeing to my courtship of Lady Hestony?”
Luke’s brows rose. “My dear cousin! I’m so happy you have found a girl you want to court!”
Hal blushed. “That’s nice,” he said sincerely. “But…Luke – really. What chance do I honestly have with her?”
“With Lady Hartfield?” Luke looked dubious. “Hal, my friend…you’d do better to ask Emilia about that. She’s her aunt, and…”
“I don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize how Lady Hartfield might answer,” Hal said swiftly. “I mean to say…not that Lady Westmore would purposely betray me to her aunt. I just…would prefer not to risk word getting to Lady Hartfield ahead of my request, lest it give her time to make a better-informed refusal.”
Luke looked at him askance. Then, to his surprise, he started to laugh. “Oh, Hal,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t think Lady Hartfield would be so dead-set on refusing you that she’d take days in constructing a counter-argument. But, at the same time, I think you are wise to go carefully. She is a lady who should not be crossed lightly.”
Hal swallowed hard. “So I have heard, cousin.”
Luke patted his arm encouragingly. “Never mind,” he said. “I’m certain that together there is nothing we couldn’t overcome. And you have a great fondness for the lady, clearly. So, I don’t think there is anything that isn’t possible, eh?”