Managing Miss Watson (Ladies of Scandal Book 1) by Cassandra Morann

Author:Cassandra Morann [Morann, Cassandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The butler entered the parlor and handed a card to Elinor. She hated herself for the name she hoped to see and knew she would not, but was disgusted when she read the actual lettering.

"I don't want to see him," Elinor said coolly. "Tell him I am not at home."

That pronouncement effectively ceased all other conversation in the drawing room.

"Bagby, who is it?" Lady Marchand asked the butler.

"Lord Harper, Milady," he said.

"Lord Harper! Well for heaven's sake send him in!" cried Lady Marchand.

Lady Marchand’s look at Elinor attempting to convey "you don't refuse to see a Viscount! Didn't they teach you anything you stupid girl?" interrupted Elinor's own attempted glare of "you faithless wretch, you sold me out!" directed at Bagby. Neither intended blow found purchase.

So a few moments later, Lord Harper was ushered into the parlor. He looked quite the worst Elinor had ever seen him. His loose, devil-may-care attitude was replaced with a tense, nervous manner as he twisted the brim of his hat in his hands. Greetings were quickly exchanged and niceties offered.

“Won’t you sit?” offered Lady Marchand.

“Thank you,” he said, though he remained standing. Lord Harper was plainly too agitated to sit and was shifting from foot to foot.

"Ah, Miss Watson," he said. "I saw some very lovely gardens on my way in–" which was actually impossible as the gardens were in the rear of the house and he'd come by the front door “–If you'd care to take a walk in them."

Elinor cast toward her companions a helpless look inborn into all women, a plea not to be left alone with a man whose attentions she did not want to entertain. But Vesper simply smiled and said nothing. Elinor cursed her silently.

"Of course," Elinor stood, laying aside her needlework.

She glanced back at Vesper’s gleeful smile, and Elinor knew plainly that Vesper was no manager and likely would never be. Vesper was only a meddler, happy as long as she had some pot to stir.

"I must apologize for my most beastly behavior at the picnic," said Lord Harper as soon as they were out of earshot. "The entire situation unsettled me, and I am ashamed of the hurt it caused you."

"Then why did you do it?" Elinor had no intention of making it easy on him.

Lord Harper wasn't the worst offender in the slightest, but still, she'd felt betrayed, and he was standing in front of her, so she had the opportunity to aim and fire at close range, which was more than she’d gotten with Harold Laurel. After everything, he’d practically gone into hiding; Elinor had not seen him once. Mr. Kline had revealed himself to be a boaster and a liar, and he was now a greater laughing stock than he was before. Elinor could even muster a bit of sympathy for him, though he had made his own bed in that arena. The other men had avoided Elinor at all costs. She’d slipped a few casual words to society mamas to be

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