Meet Me at Dawn

Chapter Twenty-four

Hey y'all! Here's the next part. Sorry it has taken me so long to get it up. Thanks for reading and putting up with my sporadic posts. Hope you enjoy it!

“Oh Reggie,” I began, exasperated, allowing myself to fall limply onto her bed, “I truly cannot abide that man! He is infuriating to no end!”

Reggie reclined thoughtfully on the divan. She appeared to tire increasingly often as our time at the Mayfield estate went on. I could only attribute it to the late nights spent in the company of the guests as well as her delicate state. I sat up and looked at her appearance carefully before continuing. I did not want to burden her with my predicament involving Sutherland. Her eyes had darkened circles beneath them, and the lines of her face almost seemed more pronounced. She raised her hand to cover her mouth as she yawned daintily. As she did so, she noticed my concerned scrutiny and blushed prettily.

“Forgive me Kit, I have not been resting well these past few days,” she said apologetically.

I shook my head. “No, I should be apologizing. I should not unburden myself to you when you have your health to think of. You require your rest. I will be going.” I stood from her bed and walked toward her, giving her a reassuring smile as I walked past to the door. I paused with my hand hovering above the handle. “Shall I tell Westover to come in?”

Reggie yawned again. “No, do not worry him any more than he already is. This will be the only time I can spend alone without him hovering and fussing over me.” She smiled, as if she secretly welcomed his superfluous attention. I nodded and supplied her with one last smile before departing and leaving her to rest.

I needed to think of a way to convince my grandmother that Sutherland and I did not suit, as it was painstakingly clear that he would not relent and cry off. I wondered at that--why did he not? He had done so not three years prior when Mama attempted to entrap him into marrying me. What made this instance different?

I walked along the corridor absent-mindedly, lost in my own thoughts until I heard voices coming from within one of the rooms further down. They were male voices, but I could not tell who, as they spoke tersely with anger laced into the voice of one. Curiosity getting the better of me, I sneaked closer to the closed door. As I inched closer, just short of pressing my ear to the door, I heard each voice succinctly and knew exactly who the conversants were.

“What in the devil are you about Sutherland?” his voice was slightly raised, sounding both incensed and incredulous. I heard the faint clinking of glass before Sutherland spoke.

“What would you have me do Westover? Be labeled a cad? This would be the second engagement that I have broken in naught but two days.”

“Better to be called a cad than enter into a marriage bound to be volatile. Why, the two of you cannot even bear to be in the same room together without inciting barbs against one another.” Westover made an exasperated noise before he continued. “Truly Sutherland, perhaps you should cry off and accept the damages done. All will be forgotten in a few short months if she does indeed leave for America. Reggie will be saddened, yes, but if that is what Kathryn wants…”

Westover paused, but I did not know why until Sutherland spoke once more. His voice now was full of venom, enough to illustrate his expression while I stood on the other side of the door. “Despite what you may think, I am not a cad, nor will I be sending her off just to quiet down the gossips.”

Westover sighed, sounding defeated, as if they had been arguing over this issue for quite some time now. “I will say nothing more of it. You know I value our friendship, but if you make her unhappy, you and I both will never hear the end of it from my wife. She will bend both our ears, and I will never have peace in my home. If you do manage to convince her, do not make her regret it. Mark my words Sutherland, if you do, I will be the one calling you out.”

I leaned against the wall just beside the door, still wondering why Sutherland was adamantly against crying off from the engagement forced upon us by my grandmother. What Westover said was indeed true. If I were to disappear to America, the gossips would lose interest far more quickly. Westover’s last words were more of a thinly guised threat than encouragement for Sutherland to proceed down this path of securing my hand. It gladdened me to know that he cared for me, yet also aggrieved me that he felt obligated to be my protector.

“She will not want for anything. You should know as well as anyone that I can provide her with all the ball gowns, ribbons and hats she so desires.” I almost scoffed aloud. What need would I have for such frippery when all I required was to purchase passage to America? I did not have to voice my opinion, as Westover was of the same mind.

“I find it highly doubtful that Miss Landon is of the mind to marry you for the simple reason of your monetary worth Sutherland. She most certainly not like the other debutantes of the ton. You and I both know that first hand. Why what other gentile young lady following the vogue in London and Paris would disguise herself as a stable boy to earn money?”

“You are right,” Sutherland answered with a chuckle, “ I have never known her to be conventional.” I found myself smiling at his admission and remained with my back against the wall, that small smile still playing upon my lips that I contemplated their conversation. That tiny bit of amusement quickly faded when I questioned why Sutherland should want to marry me. His main reason for not crying off was to avoid being labeled a cad. Yet again I was being forced to marry without love. I could not very well run from my problems once again. This time I would have to act. This time, I would either find love or not marry at all, but I would not run and disappear once again.

As I made my final declaration, the door opened, startling me out of my thoughts to reveal a surprised pair of lords looking at me quizzically.

Westover was the first to speak, as he seemingly had more wits about him than Sutherland and I. “I see you are still in the habit of spying, Miss Langdon,” his amused voice moved me to find my tongue.

“As I have said before, Lord Westover, I was not spying. I was merely passing through the corridor when I felt a pebble in my slipper. I had just removed it when you came upon me,” I lied and smiled prettily.

Though I believed that they both knew I was fibbing, they said nothing contrary and only nodded. Sutherland continued to stare at me as Westover continued speaking. “Well then, I suppose we should all be on our way to dress for this evening’s ball,” he said with a side glance toward Sutherland. Sutherland said nothing, but his gaze was telling. It was almost as if he wanted me to broach the subject of marriage once more, if only to begin another heated argument. I would not, however, give him such a pleasure. I simply stood before them with a pleasing smile, all the while silently willing them to both leave.

Westover cleared his throat, breaking the silence of the corridor and finally drawing Sutherland’s gaze away from me. “Ah, yes, please excuse us Miss Langdon. I trust we will see you later this evening?” Sutherland straightened and looked past me at the floral design of the wallpaper behind me.

I curtseyed prettily as I answered, “Yes, my lord, you shall.” And you shall rue the day you ever crossed me, I added silently. Both men bowed and took their leave, allowing me to collect my thoughts, as this whole affair was thoroughly confusing.