and reasonably wealthy man such as Sir Rufus still being unwed at the advanced age of eight and thirty.’
‘In what way odd?’ she pounced.
Nathaniel seriously regretted even broaching this subject. Not because he did not wish to turn Elizabeth’s sympathy away from Sir Rufus—because he most certainly did—but Giles Tennant taking his own life had left a nasty taste in the mouths of all in society.
Affairs in society, and there were many, were usually conducted behind closed doors, well away from prying eyes and the sight, if not the knowledge, of one’s spouse. That Giles Tennant had not only conducted such an affair with a married woman, but that the woman in question had actually deserted her husband and children to be openly at his side, had shaken society to its very foundations.
The two had been ostracised totally, of course; affairs were an accepted part of society, but a young man living openly with a married woman who had deserted her husband and children was not.
Even so, the two had remained in London, seemingly too much in love with each other to care that society now shunned them. And so Sir Rufus Tennant had been called upon to try to talk some sense into his younger brother. Which he had obviously failed to do; the couple had continued to live openly together for several more weeks before Giles had killed first his married lover, then himself.
Surely that was enough to unhinge even the most emotionally balanced of men, as Sir Rufus Tennant had always been considered to be?
‘Lord Thorne…?’
‘I apologise.’ Nathaniel shook off the darkness of his memories at Elizabeth’s softly spoken query; after all, it had been many years ago—he had only known Giles Tennant socially, and his married lover not at all. ‘I was merely wondering if perhaps the reason for Sir Rufus’s comments was because his own intentions towards you are no more honourable than he has claimed mine to be?’ he suggested.
Her eyes widened. ‘You believe he might offer to make me his mistress?’
‘It is a possibility,’ Nathaniel allowed grimly.
Elizabeth considered she had heard quite enough on that particular subject this evening! ‘Then it appears I would be well advised to avoid being alone in the company of both of you.’
‘Eliz—’
‘I wish you goodnight, Lord Thorne,’ she added firmly before turning swiftly on her heel and going back into the warmth and noise of the ballroom.
Well away from the disturbing company of Nathaniel Thorne.
Chapter Seven
‘I wonder if you would mind leaving us for a while, Letitia?’ Mrs Wilson smiled kindly at her cousin, as the three ladies sat together in the drawing room. ‘I wish to talk privately to Betsy for a few minutes.’
The day following Mrs Wilson’s dinner party had proved to be a busy one for Elizabeth, the morning spent, as she had predicted, in helping to tidy away, and the afternoon with receiving those ladies wishing to call and thank Mrs Wilson personally for such a wonderful dinner and entertainment the evening before.
Elizabeth had not seen Lord Thorne at all today, Sewell having informed Mrs Wilson at breakfast this morning that the earl had received several letters of correspondence that necessitated he spend most of the day in the library. Nor did he wish to be disturbed.
Weary from all the activity and visitors, Elizabeth had minutes ago excused herself from Mrs Wilson’s presence with the intention of taking Hector for his afternoon walk. Her employer’s request that she linger for a few minutes more so that she might ‘talk to her privately’ did not bode well…
‘Do sit down again for a few moments, my dear,’ Mrs Wilson chided gently as Elizabeth stood warily beside the doorway through which Letitia had just quietly left.
She sat down on the edge of a chair; Mrs Wilson was such a forceful woman it was impossible to ignore even her lightest request! ‘Have I done something to displease you?’ After the events of
‘In what way odd?’ she pounced.
Nathaniel seriously regretted even broaching this subject. Not because he did not wish to turn Elizabeth’s sympathy away from Sir Rufus—because he most certainly did—but Giles Tennant taking his own life had left a nasty taste in the mouths of all in society.
Affairs in society, and there were many, were usually conducted behind closed doors, well away from prying eyes and the sight, if not the knowledge, of one’s spouse. That Giles Tennant had not only conducted such an affair with a married woman, but that the woman in question had actually deserted her husband and children to be openly at his side, had shaken society to its very foundations.
The two had been ostracised totally, of course; affairs were an accepted part of society, but a young man living openly with a married woman who had deserted her husband and children was not.
Even so, the two had remained in London, seemingly too much in love with each other to care that society now shunned them. And so Sir Rufus Tennant had been called upon to try to talk some sense into his younger brother. Which he had obviously failed to do; the couple had continued to live openly together for several more weeks before Giles had killed first his married lover, then himself.
Surely that was enough to unhinge even the most emotionally balanced of men, as Sir Rufus Tennant had always been considered to be?
‘Lord Thorne…?’
‘I apologise.’ Nathaniel shook off the darkness of his memories at Elizabeth’s softly spoken query; after all, it had been many years ago—he had only known Giles Tennant socially, and his married lover not at all. ‘I was merely wondering if perhaps the reason for Sir Rufus’s comments was because his own intentions towards you are no more honourable than he has claimed mine to be?’ he suggested.
Her eyes widened. ‘You believe he might offer to make me his mistress?’
‘It is a possibility,’ Nathaniel allowed grimly.
Elizabeth considered she had heard quite enough on that particular subject this evening! ‘Then it appears I would be well advised to avoid being alone in the company of both of you.’
‘Eliz—’
‘I wish you goodnight, Lord Thorne,’ she added firmly before turning swiftly on her heel and going back into the warmth and noise of the ballroom.
Well away from the disturbing company of Nathaniel Thorne.
Chapter Seven
‘I wonder if you would mind leaving us for a while, Letitia?’ Mrs Wilson smiled kindly at her cousin, as the three ladies sat together in the drawing room. ‘I wish to talk privately to Betsy for a few minutes.’
The day following Mrs Wilson’s dinner party had proved to be a busy one for Elizabeth, the morning spent, as she had predicted, in helping to tidy away, and the afternoon with receiving those ladies wishing to call and thank Mrs Wilson personally for such a wonderful dinner and entertainment the evening before.
Elizabeth had not seen Lord Thorne at all today, Sewell having informed Mrs Wilson at breakfast this morning that the earl had received several letters of correspondence that necessitated he spend most of the day in the library. Nor did he wish to be disturbed.
Weary from all the activity and visitors, Elizabeth had minutes ago excused herself from Mrs Wilson’s presence with the intention of taking Hector for his afternoon walk. Her employer’s request that she linger for a few minutes more so that she might ‘talk to her privately’ did not bode well…
‘Do sit down again for a few moments, my dear,’ Mrs Wilson chided gently as Elizabeth stood warily beside the doorway through which Letitia had just quietly left.
She sat down on the edge of a chair; Mrs Wilson was such a forceful woman it was impossible to ignore even her lightest request! ‘Have I done something to displease you?’ After the events of
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