~~H~~
Confrontation
After yet another failed attempt to engage the gentleman in a conversation, which touched upon subjects which were more personal, Alexandra was ready to scream in frustration and confusion.
He side-stepped, avoided, prevaricated or was perhaps genuinely obtuse.
What was she doing wrong? Or was she doing everything right, and Marcus simply was not interested? Damn propriety, which insisted that it was wrong to speak openly about one's feelings. Or at least it was improper for women to do so.
If she spoke, would being too forward chase Marcus away?
If she did not speak, would she ever discover how he felt about her?
Her education had focused on running the estate and the Earldom. She thought that while she had perhaps not mastered every aspect of her duties, she was confident that on the whole she was doing a good job.
And yet, when it came to personal matters, she was fumbling around in the dark. All the confidence she had when dealing with business matters, escaped her when it came to matters of the heart.
What was the right thing to do? Should she speak or be silent? Alexandra was at the point where she wanted to throw things and beat her head against a brick wall.
~~H~~
It had started so well. Arriving at the stables to go for her morning ride, she had encountered Sir Marcus saddling his own horse. Seizing the opportunity, she had invited him to join her on the ride.
'Sir Marcus, tell me about your family. Do you have any siblings?'
'I have but one much older sister. My parents were greatly relieved by my arrival since our title and estate are entailed to the male line.'
'Was your sister greatly disappointed to learn that she could not inherit?'
'Thankfully, not at all. She told me that even from a very young age, all she ever wanted was a husband and a houseful of children.'
'In that case, your sister is the exact opposite of mine. I suspect that the main reason she has no interest in marriage is, that she does not like children.'
Without considering the implications, Marcus asked, 'what about you, Lady Alexandra, do you like children?'
'I do indeed. While I may be in an unusual position due to my circumstances, I do still have many of the same interests as the majority of my sex.'
Realising that he was straying into dangerous territory, Marcus changed direction and teased, 'I must compliment you; you are exceedingly proficient in hiding your love of lace and fripperies.'
'You have my father to thank for this. He abhorred over-ornamentation, and even though my mother's taste was more elaborate, she acquiesced to his preferences. In many ways I believe they were quite mismatched, but my mother accepted my father's eccentricities, and they appeared to be happy.'
Marcus used this comment to relate anecdotes about the eccentricities of several acquaintances, and for the rest of their ride, avoided awkward subjects.
~~H~~
That outing set the tone for all their other encounters.
Alexandra often invited Marcus to join her for walks. Whenever possible she invited him to sit next to her at meals. She engaged him in conversation whenever the opportunity arose. All to no avail.
Admittedly, Alexandra was treading a fine line. She was trying to engage the gentleman as much as possible, but without making it seem as if she was hunting him.
When they had gone for walks, he had politely offered his arm, which she had been happy to accept. They spoke about many things.
Alexandra was pleased to discover that their tastes were very similar in many respects. They had the same core values. She was able to discuss the issues she had with some of the men, who were uncomfortable in having to deal with a woman in her position.
Sir Marcus had been open-minded, easy to talk to and sympathetic. But he had never taken any of the opportunities to direct the conversation to the subject she most cared about.
Marcus always emphasised his delight in their friendship.
Alexandra was ready to strangle him.
~~H~~
After another frustrating day, Lady Alexandra retired for the evening and changed out of her formal attire into a comfortable dress she used for lounging in her rooms.
She was curled up on a sofa in her sitting room with a book to try and forget about her irritation with Marcus, when she heard a commotion in the corridor before someone was hammering on her door.
When she pulled the door open, she saw the maid Jenny with her hand raised to knock again. Her other arm was being grasped by none other than Lord Bassington.
Jenny looked somewhat dishevelled and one of her sleeves was torn.
'What is the meaning of this?' demanded Alexandra, although the tableau in front of her was rather obvious.
'Nothing to concern yourself over, Lady Alexandra,' replied Lord Bassington. 'I was just reprimanding your maid for sloppy and unsatisfactory service.'
Jenny gave him a disgusted look, before turning to her Mistress. 'Lady Alex, the unsatisfactory service His Lordship is complaining about, is my refusal to warm his bed.'
'I gather you were rather persistent about it?' She asked the… young man.
'So what. That is part of her job. But would you believe she had the temerity to kick me in the shins,' complained Bassington.
'Well done, Jenny. Please send two footmen to me,' requested Lady Alex of the maid, who wrenched her arm from her accuser's grip and stormed off.
'Well done? How can you condone such behaviour from your staff? To attack a guest in your house,' exclaimed the outraged Lord.
'I do not condone attacks in my house,' explained Lady Alex.
'Good. I expect you to fire the little wildcat.' Lord Bassington looked satisfied. Since the little wretch would not do his bidding, he wanted to be revenged for her slight towards him.
'You misunderstand, Bassington. I do not condone guests, who are enjoying my hospitality, to repay me by attacking my staff whilst under my roof.' Lady Alex, glad to have a legitimate target on whom to vent her frustration, gave him a look that should have turned him into an icicle.
Before Bassington had a chance to protest, Lady Alex saw two of her largest footmen arrive. 'Perkins, Smith, please take Lord Bassington to his room and ensure that the servant's door is locked. His Lordship will remain in his room for the rest of the night and leave at first light.'
Bassington looked at her in horror. 'You would evict me for expecting my rights from a servant?'
'You have no rights to help yourself to my servants. I employ the maids as maids, not as whores to entertain my guests.' Alexandra was furious with the man. He had seemed charming and good company. Now he was showing his true colours. While she had considered him as a potential suitor, she would never tie herself to a man who would treat anyone in this way.
Hearing that kind of language from the lady shocked Bassington to sobriety. During his visit he had seen a charming and witty young lady, whom he thought to charm into marriage, in the expectation that she would give him access to her wealth. Now he saw the strong Master of the Estate and realised that even if he had succeeded in wooing her, he would never have been in charge.
To a man who liked to have his own way, that would have been unbearable. He was only grateful that no one had witnessed his humiliation.
He had obviously done his dash, therefore there was only one thing to do to salvage some shred of reputation. Bow out gracefully. 'My apologies, My Lady. Your standards are very different from the ones I am used to. I will not trouble you with my presence again. Thank you for your hospitality. Goodbye, Countess.'
'Goodbye, Lord Bassington.'
Perkins and Smith, who had been waiting behind the gentleman gave each other satisfied looks. Their respect for Lady Alex had always been high, but now it climbed even further. She not only protected her staff but was prepared to face down the entitled son of a Duke.
Perkins, the more volatile of the two, almost hoped that the gentleman would try to give them some trouble. He would enjoy teaching him the error of his attitude. Since Lord Bassington went with them quietly, Perkins assumed that his lordship was a bully, who would only ever pick on somebody smaller and weaker.
No matter, by morning he would be gone.
~~H~~
Unbeknownst to the participants in this drama there was another witness after all.
Sir Marcus had been relaxing in his room thinking about his hostess.
This visit was both bliss and torture. He enjoyed the opportunity to spend so much time in Alexandra's company. The walks with her holding his arm. The conversations about anything and nothing in particular. The way she smiled at him. He felt privileged that she considered him her friend. He treasured every moment.
At the same time, it was also torture since he could never have her. It was out of the question. She needed to marry someone of her own station, not some minor Baron. Albeit a wealthy Baron, although most people were not aware of that fact, but still only a Baron.
He understood that this house-party was designed to help her choose a husband. He could not fault the selection of the young men who had been invited. According to their pedigree, any of the others would make a suitable consort for the Countess.
At the moment he was simply grateful that the lady had wanted the company of her friend.
He had taken off his coat and shoes and was lounging by the window when he heard a commotion in the hallway.
When he exited his room to investigate, he was just in time to see Bassington limp around the far corner of the hall. Being ever curious, Marcus followed Bassington to the family wing, where he heard frantic pounding. He was just in time to see Bassington grab hold of an obviously unwilling maid.
He was about to make his presence known when the door to the Master's suite opened and Lady Alexandra took charge of the situation.
Sir Marcus was impressed yet again by the polite but firm way in which the lady dealt with the situation. She was not cowed by Bassington's bluster. While most men would have been horrified to see a woman act in such a forceful manner, Marcus was delighted.
How he longed to have her by his side.
But he could never be more than just her friend. He could not aspire to her station and her wealth. Society would not allow her to connect herself with someone of his rank.
If she did, there would be malicious gossip about their relationship. While he did not care a pin about what people said about himself, the thought of this wonderful lady being maligned was intolerable to him.
He returned to his room feeling as conflicted as ever since discovering her identity.
~~H~~
At breakfast, the next morning the other guests noticed the absence of Lord Bassington. When Lady Cordelia commented on the missing gentleman, Lady Alex explained casually, 'apparently, Lord Bassington received a message last night that forced him to return home post haste.'
Sir Marcus, who had just taken a sip of his coffee, almost choked on his drink. But his coughing at least covered his laughter which tried to escape him. The clever minx, he thought, she is telling the complete truth and nobody except I and the footmen know that she was the one to deliver the message.
He glanced across the room where he had noticed Perkins earlier. The man swiftly turned and busied himself with the items on the sideboard, but not before Marcus spied a slight smirk on his face.
~~H~~
A/N I'm afraid that some prey is harder to catch…
~~H~~
Lady Alexandra's Hunt by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2021