The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,11

maid, who was still busy cleaning off the floor. “I—I did not intentionally…no.” I laughed, a weak means of defending myself. “You must see I was not attempting to win his attention.” I did not want his attention, nor would I ever have it again.

The ladies exchanged smiles amongst themselves before the tall one cast me a look of pity.

I looked down at the floor, trying to imagine myself any place but here. There would be no victory to tell Jessie of. She and Sophia had both been wrong to put their faith in me. When I glanced up, Mr. Hill’s piercing blue eyes were still fixed on me. His voice, deep and soft, met my ears. “You have won my attention, nonetheless.” He winked again, and this time I was sure I had not imagined it.

He turned away in one swift motion, facing Mrs. Ollerton. “Please excuse me.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Mrs. Ollerton fluttered her hands about herself as if unsure whether to allow him to leave or not, before giving a resolute nod. With so much jam and tea all over his clothing, he must have been eager to change.

And eager to escape me.

The moment Mr. Hill left the room, Mrs. Ollerton’s exhale turned to something of a groan. “Miss Sedgwick…” she began in a reprimanding voice.

I squeezed my eyes closed, shaking my head at the floor. “Forgive me, Mrs. Ollerton. Perhaps I am a bit tired from my journey, after all.” I put a hand to my head, hoping the gesture would add credibility to my claim. A familiar pounding headache had started creeping up my temples again, but this one had surely been brought on by embarrassment. Mr. Hill’s sharp gaze still lived in my mind. What had he meant when he said I had won his attention? That had been the very last thing I had hoped to do.

“It may be wise for you to spend the rest of the day relaxing in your bedchamber.” Mrs. Ollerton’s thin lips were pressed together, her brows drawn down. “Perhaps tomorrow you will awaken with a bit more elegance and grace.”

I drew a heavy breath, nodding my agreement. “I do become quite ungainly when I am tired.”

Mrs. Ollerton’s eyes rounded. “Do you? Oh, I am quite glad to hear that behavior like this will not be a common tragedy.”

Was this her idea of a tragedy? A pot of spilled tea and a few tartlets? I had seen far more tragedy in the form of poverty and desperation, lives destroyed and lost, loved ones cast away to prisons where they had little hope of escape, and every expectation of execution or starvation. My heart ached, the sting spreading over my arms and tingling into my fingertips. I dropped a curtsy. “I thank you for understanding, Mrs. Ollerton.” I kept my voice meek and reserved.

“I will have a tray sent to your room for dinner, and you may spend the rest of the evening to yourself. I will give your excuses to Mr. Hill, though your absence at dinner may come as something of a relief to him after the events of this afternoon.” She spoke casually, but the other four women in the room erupted in quiet laughter.

Mrs. Ollerton seemed to remember they were still there, for she turned around in a quick swish of her stiff taffeta skirts. “In the chaos, I’m afraid I neglected to introduce you to my other guests,” she said in a methodical tone. “Allow me to present Miss Joanna Benham.” Mrs. Ollerton gestured to the brunette woman, who was the shortest of the four, and the most extravagantly dressed. She then introduced Miss Lydia Coppins, who was petite with honey-blonde hair, and seemed to possess a great deal of energy. The next was Miss Mary Taplow, the woman with the deep auburn hair, the quietest of the four, and then Miss Caroline Downsfield, the tall blonde who had made the remark about my desire for attention. She gave me a polite smile with Mrs. Ollerton watching, but as soon as the woman’s back was turned, her expression transformed to one of disdain and condescension.

After the introductions were complete, Mrs. Ollerton dismissed me to my bedchamber, enlisting the maid who I had caused to trip to lead me there. She did not seem very pleased with me, and understandably so.

Thankfully Jessie was inside my room to greet me, finishing unpacking my trunk.

“You did not have to do that for me.” I shook my head,