entered the room. She did not know him and it gave her the excuse she had been looking for to avoid answering. ‘I do not believe I know that gentleman….’
Harry looked across the room and smiled. ‘That is the Earl of Ravenshead,’ he told her. ‘He is newly come into the title, for his father died a few months ago; I think he has been busy sorting out the estate. He returned from France, I think, where he had been staying for the past year or so. He came to town some days ago, but has not accepted many invitations, for at first he intended to return home almost at once.’
‘I did not think I had seen him before. He looks…nice.’
Harry smiled. ‘Gerard is a year or so older than myself, but a great friend. I must go and greet him, because it was I who persuaded him to come this evening. Will you forgive me if I leave you, Miss Hampton? I shall see you later this evening—perhaps at supper, if not before?’
Susannah nodded, watching as he left her to greet his friend. The warmth of their greeting left no doubt in her mind that they held each other in high esteem and, intent on observing them together, she was not immediately aware that Amelia had come up to her.
‘Are you enjoying yourself, Susannah?’ Amelia asked.
Susannah turned to her at once. ‘Yes, of course. It is a very pleasant evening.’
‘I thought you looked happy.’ Amelia glanced across the room. As her gaze fell on two gentlemen talking, she seemed to stiffen for a moment and her cheeks paled. ‘Oh…’
‘Is some thing the matter?’ Susannah asked. Amelia seemed distracted and did not answer. Susannah looked at her and saw that she had turned pale. ‘Are you unwell? Should you like to go home?’
Amelia blinked, looked at her and smiled. ‘No, nothing is the matter, my dear. I have just seen someone I once knew, but it is not important.’
Susannah followed her gaze and saw that Lord Pendleton and the Earl of Ravenshead were still talking. It must be the earl who had caused Amelia to look startled and turn pale. He was the only newcomer that evening. Her gaze narrowed in thought as she remembered Amelia’s confidences.
‘Do you mean the Earl of Ravenshead?’
‘Oh…yes, though he was simply the earl’s son when I knew him,’ Amelia replied. The colour had returned to her cheeks now and she had recovered from her slight shock. ‘I had heard that his father had died.’
Susannah knew immediately who the earl must be. For Amelia to have received such a shock, the gentleman must have been important to her. He was the man she had wished to marry—the love that had been denied her. From the stricken look in her eyes at the moment she saw him, it was clear that she still cared!
‘He and Lord Pendleton are good friends, I think?’
‘Yes, I believe they always were, despite the difference in age. I believe Ravenshead is slightly older.’
Susannah wrinkled her brow. ‘Do you think age difference is important in marriage?’
Amelia gave Susannah her full attention. ‘I think the gentleman should be a few years older,’ she said. ‘Though I do not believe in marrying very young girls off to men old enough to be their grandfathers! That is a disgusting practice in my opinion! But age is not important if there is love and mutual respect. Without it, life would be intolerable, I think.’
‘I do agree with you,’ Susannah said. She had the feeling that Amelia was talking for the sake of it, as though she were trying to calm herself. ‘I believe they are about to begin the music once more. Shall we take our places?’
‘Yes, certainly,’ Amelia said. She turned away at the same instant as the Earl of Ravenshead became aware of her. Susannah was watching both him and Lord Pendleton and saw the way his expression changed. He seemed stunned and then concerned, and he spoke urgently to Lord Pendleton.
Susannah was thoughtful as she followed her friend to a small couch near where her mother was already seated. The
Harry looked across the room and smiled. ‘That is the Earl of Ravenshead,’ he told her. ‘He is newly come into the title, for his father died a few months ago; I think he has been busy sorting out the estate. He returned from France, I think, where he had been staying for the past year or so. He came to town some days ago, but has not accepted many invitations, for at first he intended to return home almost at once.’
‘I did not think I had seen him before. He looks…nice.’
Harry smiled. ‘Gerard is a year or so older than myself, but a great friend. I must go and greet him, because it was I who persuaded him to come this evening. Will you forgive me if I leave you, Miss Hampton? I shall see you later this evening—perhaps at supper, if not before?’
Susannah nodded, watching as he left her to greet his friend. The warmth of their greeting left no doubt in her mind that they held each other in high esteem and, intent on observing them together, she was not immediately aware that Amelia had come up to her.
‘Are you enjoying yourself, Susannah?’ Amelia asked.
Susannah turned to her at once. ‘Yes, of course. It is a very pleasant evening.’
‘I thought you looked happy.’ Amelia glanced across the room. As her gaze fell on two gentlemen talking, she seemed to stiffen for a moment and her cheeks paled. ‘Oh…’
‘Is some thing the matter?’ Susannah asked. Amelia seemed distracted and did not answer. Susannah looked at her and saw that she had turned pale. ‘Are you unwell? Should you like to go home?’
Amelia blinked, looked at her and smiled. ‘No, nothing is the matter, my dear. I have just seen someone I once knew, but it is not important.’
Susannah followed her gaze and saw that Lord Pendleton and the Earl of Ravenshead were still talking. It must be the earl who had caused Amelia to look startled and turn pale. He was the only newcomer that evening. Her gaze narrowed in thought as she remembered Amelia’s confidences.
‘Do you mean the Earl of Ravenshead?’
‘Oh…yes, though he was simply the earl’s son when I knew him,’ Amelia replied. The colour had returned to her cheeks now and she had recovered from her slight shock. ‘I had heard that his father had died.’
Susannah knew immediately who the earl must be. For Amelia to have received such a shock, the gentleman must have been important to her. He was the man she had wished to marry—the love that had been denied her. From the stricken look in her eyes at the moment she saw him, it was clear that she still cared!
‘He and Lord Pendleton are good friends, I think?’
‘Yes, I believe they always were, despite the difference in age. I believe Ravenshead is slightly older.’
Susannah wrinkled her brow. ‘Do you think age difference is important in marriage?’
Amelia gave Susannah her full attention. ‘I think the gentleman should be a few years older,’ she said. ‘Though I do not believe in marrying very young girls off to men old enough to be their grandfathers! That is a disgusting practice in my opinion! But age is not important if there is love and mutual respect. Without it, life would be intolerable, I think.’
‘I do agree with you,’ Susannah said. She had the feeling that Amelia was talking for the sake of it, as though she were trying to calm herself. ‘I believe they are about to begin the music once more. Shall we take our places?’
‘Yes, certainly,’ Amelia said. She turned away at the same instant as the Earl of Ravenshead became aware of her. Susannah was watching both him and Lord Pendleton and saw the way his expression changed. He seemed stunned and then concerned, and he spoke urgently to Lord Pendleton.
Susannah was thoughtful as she followed her friend to a small couch near where her mother was already seated. The
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