An Expectation of Love (Landon House #6) - Rose Pearson Page 0,1
to be a small frown forming between her brows. Her eyes held no laughter and there was nothing that spoke of mirth or even good humor. Dorothea frowned and returned her gaze to her plate, feeling, for whatever reason, a little embarrassed.
“I am sure all will go splendidly well,” Lady Hayward murmured, as she set down her knife and fork. “I look forward to another Season in London, Your Grace.”
“And you will return here, once it is at an end?” he asked, a look in his eyes that Dorothea could not quite make out.
Lady Hayward nodded and smiled. “Indeed,” she said, as Dorothea looked on in both confusion and uncertainty. “And with me, I shall bring another engaged and very happy young lady.” She looked at Dorothea and smiled, no trace of a frown lingering on her face. “What say you, Lady Dorothea?”
Dorothea chose to smile, setting aside the strange intimacy that she had witnessed between Lady Hayward and her father. “I think that would suit me very well, Lady Hayward,” she replied, as her father beamed with evident delight. “I look forward to our time together in London.”
“And when are we to go into town?”
Lady Hayward laughed as Dorothea spoke with great eagerness, her excitement more than apparent.
“We have only just arrived in London, Lady Dorothea!” Lady Hayward exclaimed. “Are you not fatigued from the journey?”
“Not even a little!” Dorothea declared, as Lady Hayward continued to chuckle. “I am so very excited about being here in London, I can hardly wait to make my way into society!”
Lady Hayward’s smile began to fade as she sat down in a chair near to the fireplace, which, much to Dorothea’s relief, had been lit in preparation for their arrival. She could not imagine how cold the house would have been, had the staff not done so! After all, whilst it was the summer months, the house had been entirely empty over the winter, for Lady Hayward had returned to her son’s estate for Christmas and Dorothea had remained at home with her father. The chill would have taken some time to remove itself from the house, making Dorothea all the more grateful for the warmth.
“There is much that you need to be careful of, Lady Dorothea,” Lady Hayward said, quietly. “Whilst society might look wonderful and grand, there are a great many pitfalls that can strike you without warning.”
Dorothea frowned and sat down opposite Lady Hayward, not quite understanding what she meant. “But society is quite wonderful,” she argued, as Lady Hayward shook her head. “I have heard my sisters speak of it in the most glowing terms.”
“I am sure that there were other aspects of society that were also mentioned, Lady Dorothea,” Lady Hayward replied, carefully. “Do you not recall?”
Dorothea was prevented from answering immediately by the arrival of the tea tray, which was set out before them. The small cakes, biscuits and steaming teapot made Dorothea realize just how hungry and thirsty she was, and for some minutes, she was taken up solely with pouring the tea and serving the refreshments to Lady Hayward as well as to herself.
“Lady Dorothea?”
Looking up, Dorothea saw Lady Hayward looking at her questioningly. It took a few moments for her to realize what the lady meant by such a look, recalling the question that had been asked of her.
“In truth, Lady Hayward, I did not pay much attention to any particular warnings or the like that were given to me,” she said, speaking truthfully. “I was much more interested to hear of all the delightful things that had taken place!” She clasped her hands together at her heart, a rapt expression on her face. “It has given me the most wonderful picture of what I am to expect this Season.”
“Indeed.” Lady Hayward looked a little dismayed at this remark, her blue eyes a trifle clouded as she returned Dorothea’s gaze. “And might I ask what you anticipate, Lady Dorothea?” She spread her hands. “It is not so that I might criticize you in any way but rather so that I am fully aware of your expectations.”
“Oh, of course.” Dorothea picked up her tea cup and took a small sip before setting it down again. She had spent many years dreaming of what her Season might be like and now, finally, it was her time. “Well, I know that there will be a great many social occasions for me to enjoy and, as you know, I have had lessons from the dancing master.”