were attending. "And what happened?" She shooed him away as he attempted to assist her. "I am forty, George. I am not some simpering old lady who needs help all the time."
What foolishness was this? "Mother, you are over sixty! Or need I remind you?"
Her jaw dropped. "George Verl Hamson, if you utter such lies around the staff, I shall have you horsewhipped. Now, head to the drawing room. I will have tea brought in, and you and I shall discuss all that has happened with Miss Hemming and her mama. Even the final preparations for the ball can be postponed for this news."
George sighed. Why were women so difficult? "I cannot stay long. I must be home to prepare for the ball myself."
"So you shall. So you shall. I only ask for a flash of your time. Now run along as I give the last of these instructions, and we will take an opportunity to take respite and cease for a minute or two."
CHAPTER TWENTY:
George helped himself to a few finger sandwiches, as well as some sliced fruit and cold meat as he cooled his heels in his mother's drawing room. He had nearly finished the sandwiches by time she came in.
"Oh, perfect! I see Cook has outdone herself again.” She sat down on the chair nearest him. "I do not know how that woman does it. Never have I had a cook who works such miracles. All of my acquaintances are madly envious—as they ought to be!" Lady Hamson gathered up some meat and fruit from the tea tray upon the small table at her right. "Though I did tell her she could hire as many people as she needed to help with the dinner we have for our guests tonight. No fewer than three turkeys, six pheasants, and eight Guinea fowl, as well as all the other courses. You are remaining for dinner, are you not, George? It will upset my table completely if you did not stay." She passed him a cup and saucer.
He swallowed down a sip of tea. "Of course I am coming. I know your rules well, and I would much rather have my hide intact tomorrow. You are always quick to remind me that you will guarantee not a stitch of my hide is left if I were to abandon you before dinner."
"You are very wise, George." She grinned and then sipped her tea. "I think you will be very happy you have planned to stay, since I am seating you next to Lady Romney throughout the meal."
He nearly dropped his cup. "Are you jesting?"
Lady Hamson set her tea down and placed her hands on her lap. "Anyway, I have an apology to give you. I am doing my best to make amends so as not to harm those you care for."
"Mother?"
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Indeed, he had never seen her look so unsettled before. When her gaze met his, he was astonished at the depth of emotion he saw within them. "I was cruel to mention Lady Romney in such a light earlier. You were correct to leave me in a huff. I would have done the same, had I come to someone I loved and asked for guidance only to be scorned and my choices mocked."
"Do not be so hard upon yourself. You are not the only one who has such thoughts about her."
"Yes, dear, but I should have been the one to champion you." She reached over and clutched his hand. "I was worried for you and did not want to see you throw away your future. In my own conceit, I had forgotten you were a grown man, wise enough to make your own decisions."
He looked down at their joined hands. "Nay, not very wise. I fear I harmed her most bitterly."
"George, no!" She squeezed his fingers. "Did you tell her what had been said?"
"Only that others were saying it, not whom."
She shook her head. "I feel so much worse now. The poor dear. How did she react?"
"With more grace than anyone I know." His gaze connected with hers. "Yet that is not all. Indeed, it is much worse." He did not know how he was to bring up the details of her marriage, but he felt his mother must understand this small portion. "I fear the old earl never touched her. Not once.”"
She gasped. "No." She sat still for some time, contemplating
What foolishness was this? "Mother, you are over sixty! Or need I remind you?"
Her jaw dropped. "George Verl Hamson, if you utter such lies around the staff, I shall have you horsewhipped. Now, head to the drawing room. I will have tea brought in, and you and I shall discuss all that has happened with Miss Hemming and her mama. Even the final preparations for the ball can be postponed for this news."
George sighed. Why were women so difficult? "I cannot stay long. I must be home to prepare for the ball myself."
"So you shall. So you shall. I only ask for a flash of your time. Now run along as I give the last of these instructions, and we will take an opportunity to take respite and cease for a minute or two."
CHAPTER TWENTY:
George helped himself to a few finger sandwiches, as well as some sliced fruit and cold meat as he cooled his heels in his mother's drawing room. He had nearly finished the sandwiches by time she came in.
"Oh, perfect! I see Cook has outdone herself again.” She sat down on the chair nearest him. "I do not know how that woman does it. Never have I had a cook who works such miracles. All of my acquaintances are madly envious—as they ought to be!" Lady Hamson gathered up some meat and fruit from the tea tray upon the small table at her right. "Though I did tell her she could hire as many people as she needed to help with the dinner we have for our guests tonight. No fewer than three turkeys, six pheasants, and eight Guinea fowl, as well as all the other courses. You are remaining for dinner, are you not, George? It will upset my table completely if you did not stay." She passed him a cup and saucer.
He swallowed down a sip of tea. "Of course I am coming. I know your rules well, and I would much rather have my hide intact tomorrow. You are always quick to remind me that you will guarantee not a stitch of my hide is left if I were to abandon you before dinner."
"You are very wise, George." She grinned and then sipped her tea. "I think you will be very happy you have planned to stay, since I am seating you next to Lady Romney throughout the meal."
He nearly dropped his cup. "Are you jesting?"
Lady Hamson set her tea down and placed her hands on her lap. "Anyway, I have an apology to give you. I am doing my best to make amends so as not to harm those you care for."
"Mother?"
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Indeed, he had never seen her look so unsettled before. When her gaze met his, he was astonished at the depth of emotion he saw within them. "I was cruel to mention Lady Romney in such a light earlier. You were correct to leave me in a huff. I would have done the same, had I come to someone I loved and asked for guidance only to be scorned and my choices mocked."
"Do not be so hard upon yourself. You are not the only one who has such thoughts about her."
"Yes, dear, but I should have been the one to champion you." She reached over and clutched his hand. "I was worried for you and did not want to see you throw away your future. In my own conceit, I had forgotten you were a grown man, wise enough to make your own decisions."
He looked down at their joined hands. "Nay, not very wise. I fear I harmed her most bitterly."
"George, no!" She squeezed his fingers. "Did you tell her what had been said?"
"Only that others were saying it, not whom."
She shook her head. "I feel so much worse now. The poor dear. How did she react?"
"With more grace than anyone I know." His gaze connected with hers. "Yet that is not all. Indeed, it is much worse." He did not know how he was to bring up the details of her marriage, but he felt his mother must understand this small portion. "I fear the old earl never touched her. Not once.”"
She gasped. "No." She sat still for some time, contemplating
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