“He seemed very determined to state his innocence, Lady Hayward. And to remain in London when he is clearly considered guilty must take great strength of character and surely must speak of his lack of guilt?”
Lady Hayward sighed and closed her eyes, opening them after only a moment. “You are interested in Lord Richmond, then. Quite what he has said to you to make you so eager for his company, I cannot imagine, for you were only together for a few minutes before I came to join you!”
“I am not interested in him in that sense,” Rebecca protested weakly. “But rather to know what it is that has caused such consternation.” Warming to the explanation she now clung to, she shrugged one shoulder. “I have never seen you behave in such a way towards a gentleman before, Lady Hayward. You can hardly expect me not to seek out the truth of this rumor given that it has practically pushed me from his company!”
This did not appear to convince Lady Hayward, who shook her head, ran one hand across her brows as she muttered something inaudible that Rebecca took to be nothing more than frustration. A knot of anxiety sat in her stomach as she waited for Lady Hayward to say more, wanting desperately to know now the truth of the matter.
“It is to do with a lady named Lady Kensington,” Lady Hayward said eventually, lifting her head. “She is, from what I understand, something of a…flirt.”
“I see,” Rebecca replied slowly. “And she is wed, I presume?”
“Yes, she is not a widow or any such thing,” Lady Hayward replied with a grimace. “She is wed to the Earl of Kensington, who is a very respected gentleman, although he is certainly a good deal older than his wife.”
This did not surprise Rebecca in any way, for she had been told that such things often occurred. A gentleman who had not married earlier in life would seek out a younger wife in order to produce both the heir and the required spare. Evidently, this was the case with Lord and Lady Kensington.
“However, given that Lady Kensington is known to behave so, it is wise for respectable gentlemen of the ton to remain out of her company should they wish to maintain their reputations. It appears that Lord Richmond was not doing so.”
A small frown crossed Rebecca’s forehead. “He was in her company, then?”
“When her husband—and everyone else, it seems—was absent,” Lady Hayward replied delicately. “It is not known the precise details, I will say, but the rumors have been flying around London for a few days now. It seems that Lord Richmond and Lady Kensington were discovered by her husband in a less-than-proper situation. Lord Richmond denies such a thing whilst Lady Kensington has said nothing and now remains steadfastly by her husband’s side.” She looked at Rebecca steadily. “Does that now satisfy your curiosity?”
There was no immediate response from Rebecca, who considered all that Lady Hayward had said without instant judgment. Lord Richmond had been quite determined to state his innocence, had been eager to impress upon them both that he had not done anything that the rumors suggested, and yet Lady Hayward was determined to take her from his company without any hesitation. That was, of course, very wise indeed, but there was still something within Rebecca that felt the unfairness of it all. She wanted to know whether or not Lord Richmond spoke the truth, for if he did, then was there any particular reason she could not be in his company?
Why are you so eager to see him again? came a quiet voice in her head. It is not at all sensible. You ought to be accepting of what Lady Hayward had said and, in doing so, remove yourself from his company. Why do you seek out more?
“Lady Rebecca?”
Taking in a deep breath, Rebecca gave Lady Hayward a tight smile, one that she had to force to her lips. “I understand why you wish me to remain far from him,” she said honestly. “However, I struggle to accept that a gentleman who states clearly that he has done no wrong should be so rejected by society, and by myself also.”
Lady Hayward’s brows lifted, and she spread her hands. “What else would you wish to do, Lady Rebecca?” she asked, as Rebecca frowned. “Continue to seek him out? To improve your acquaintance with him when the very act of doing such a thing might only damage your own, perfect reputation?”