AN: Sorry for the shockingly long gap between the last chapter and this one - life has been horridly hectic recently. It's not the balloon ascension yet, but a little filler that was a lot of fun to write...
One of the many wonderful things about Lady Radford was that she did not ask awkward questions. When Miss Evershed arrived at her home half an hour later, with red, swollen eyes - clear tokens of weeping - her godmother merely asked her abigail, Gibbons, to show Ruth upstairs to her bedroom and to bring some tea. Once both of these tasks had been completed, and Ruth had been settled in the drawing room, her ladyship began to talk of inconsequential matters, and an evening that Ruth had believed would be very gloomy, due to her loss of Elizabeth, passed off cheerfully and in great comfort. But despite all this, nothing could banish Ruth's weariness and by ten o-clock, she was fighting to keep her eyes open. At last, she rose, with difficulty, and bade her godmother goodnight.
Lady Radford kissed her cheek fondly. "Goodnight, my dear. I am so very glad that you are here." But, as Miss Evershed left the room, her ladyship was already looking forward to the day, which would come soon enough, when her goddaughter would leave her house forever, in the company of one of the ton's worthiest men…
After the tumult of the wedding, Miss Evershed permitted herself two days rest from society, which she occupied with reading, writing to Elizabeth and settling into her new home. In the evenings, she and Lady Radford talked, read aloud, or amused themselves with the pianoforte. But this peace could not last, of course. Lady Radford was a society hostess, after all, and despite the fact that Parliament had risen several weeks ago, enough people had been induced by the cooler weather to remain in London later than usual. Thus, several small gatherings were being held - card parties, dinners and even a ball. Miss Evershed attended these functions with resignation, unhappy to discover that Sir Henry had left town for a few days, in order to conclude some business regarding his country estate, and would only return in time for Tuesday's balloon ascension. She was fast becoming foolish enough that no social function could give her pleasure unless he too was present, for a short conversation, or the sharing of a jest regarding one or another of their mutual acquaintance, or even just for a snatched exchange of smiles across a room too crowded to be crossed. Lady Radford's acquaintance was, of course, large, and she determinedly introduced Ruth to whoever they met at these functions, fully aware even as she did so that her goddaughter would not be returned to spirits until Sir Henry was returned to London.
But it was at a card party held by some distant relation of Lady Radford, that Miss Evershed made her most significant acquaintance of those miserable days. She had just risen from a loo table, where she had been observing Mrs North, an accomplished player, and had turned towards the faro table, where Lady Radford was currently engaged, when a man of roughly the same age as Sir Henry approached her with an expression betokening a wish of speaking to her. She halted her progress and so too did the man, who offered her a glass of wine. Ruth raised an eyebrow and shook her head. He smiled thinly at her and introduced himself with a flourishing bow, "Oliver Mace. And you, ma'am, are Miss Ruth Evershed, Lady Radford's goddaughter."
Ruth frowned, disliking how much this man seemed to know about her. But the social niceties still had to be observed, so she curtsied politely and replied, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr Mace."
He shook his head and elaborated coolly, "I think not, Miss Evershed. You are rather wondering how I know so much about you, and why, with the experience of several seasons' behind you, you have not made my acquaintance before now."
Ruth looked away. He was sharp. So was Sir Henry, but his sharpness had never made her feel uncomfortable, as this man's did. Mace was watching her closely, and had Miss Evershed's eyes been upon him, she would have noticed the flicker of a nasty smirk play across his thin mouth, before his rich voice murmured, in barely audible tones, "I'm an old acquaintance of Sir Henry Pearce, Miss Evershed - a name which I think will be more familiar to you. You are, I believe, his latest paramour."
Ruth's head shot up and she turned to him with a stunned expression on her face. "You are mistaken, sir," she informed him firmly. "Sir Henry and I are good friends, and nothing more, despite what the ton may say."
Mr Mace laughed shortly. "Such a proper reply, Miss Evershed!" He withdrew a gold watch from his pocket and examined it for a moment before snapping it shut and returning it to its place. "Well, in any case, do pass on my regards to him when next your paths cross. I've been absent from England for so long, I sometimes thought I'd never have an opportunity of speaking with him again."
Miss Evershed inclined her head coldly, and Mace bowed and departed the room. She realised that her hands were shaking and the hairs on the back of her neck had risen. She certainly intended to mention Mr Mace to Sir Henry, if only to see the look on his face when she did. Something told her that it would not be one of pleasure.
AN: So, what will Harry's reaction be? I hope to get more written soon...