Mr. Malcolm's List Page 3

  “Yes, indeed, sir,” Selina stammered, feeling suddenly gauche and unsophisticated. “And you?”

  “I am quite well, thank you.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause as Mr. Malcolm stood in front of Selina and Selina’s admirers eyed him jealously. All the seats near Selina were taken, and it was obvious none of the young gentlemen would willingly surrender his seat to Mr. Malcolm.

  “I hate to remove you from such pleasant company, Miss Dalton, but I am forced to remind you of our appointment.”

  “Our appointment?” Selina repeated, at a loss. She was further bewildered when one of Mr. Malcolm’s eyes quickly closed and reopened in a wink.

  “Surely you cannot have forgotten? You promised me the previous evening that you would drive with me today, when I was not fortunate enough to enjoy a dance with you.”

  Selina could not help but be flattered at Mr. Malcolm’s obvious ploy to remove her from the midst of her admirers. She shared a secret smile with him but, before she could reply, Julia once again intervened.

  “Selina, do not forget that you agreed to drive with Cassie this afternoon. He will be arriving at any moment.”

  “I am sure Cassie will not mind if Miss Dalton drives out with me. He had the privilege of dancing with her last night, whereas I was not similarly honored,” Mr. Malcolm said.

  “But when I asked Selina this morning if she was looking forward to her drive with Cassie she agreed that it was a good idea,” Julia said, her voice filled with meaning.

  Selina realized that she must have unwittingly agreed to pretend to be otherwise occupied if Mr. Malcolm invited her out. She understood Julia’s strategy in wanting her to appear to be unattainable to Malcolm, but she felt that Julia was in danger of going too far.

  “I am sorry, Julia. I’d forgotten I’d agreed to drive with Mr. Malcolm already,” Selina said.

  “Miss Dalton appears to be a very agreeable young lady,” Lord Sylvester said in his girlish voice. A few of the gentlemen dutifully laughed at his little quip.

  “That is certainly one way to describe her,” Julia said, glaring at Selina from across the room.

  “Miss Thistlewaite,” Malcolm said, with an impatient glance in Julia’s direction, “while I appreciate your loyalty to your cousin, I am sure Cassie will not mind if I take Miss Dalton for a drive. He is not here to claim the lady, and you know what they say about those that hesitate.”

  “I will collect my things,” Selina said, jumping up from her seat before Julia could come up with some other stratagem to keep her and Mr. Malcolm apart.

  Selina ran up the stairs to her chamber and quickly put on her hat and spencer. It was a warm afternoon in July and she would probably be hot, but she thought perhaps there would be a breeze when riding in the carriage. What’s more, her spencer had a standing lace collar and looked quite dashing in combination with her dress. She wanted to look her best for Mr. Malcolm, for reasons that had nothing whatsoever to do with Julia’s little scheme.

  Descending the stairs, she saw Mr. Malcolm waiting for her, silhouetted by the light streaming in from the fanlight above the door, and she thought once again how unfair it was for a man to be so gorgeous.

  “I am ready,” she said, stopping in front of him.

  “Not quite,” he said, and moved forward until there was not even six inches between them. Selina held her breath as his hands came toward her face and grasped her hat, tilting it a little to one side. “Now you are ready,” he said.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “My pleasure,” he said, and smiled. Selina thought he was entirely too close, his nearness was having an unusual effect on her and when a moment later Reeves cleared his throat she jumped at the sound. However, Malcolm seemed unperturbed, merely giving Selina his arm and leading her down the steps of the town house and towards his curricle.

  Selina had still not accustomed herself to riding in such a dainty, high-perched vehicle. The only time she had ever ridden in a curricle was with Cassie and, although he was a good driver, he became distracted too easily to inspire confidence. But Mr. Malcolm appeared to be very much in control, and soon Selina relaxed and began to enjoy herself.

  “Miss Thistlewaite appears determined to keep us from enjoying one another’s company,” Malcolm said to Selina, having safely negotiated them through some London traffic.

  “I beg your pardon?” Selina said, turning to look at him. But his expression gave nothing away.

  “Your friend Miss Thistlewaite. She appears to be manufacturing excuses to keep us apart.”

  “Really? I had not noticed,” Selina said, fidgeting nervously with her glove to avoid meeting Malcolm’s sideways glance.

  “You had to have noticed. It was obvious to the meanest intelligence. Miss Thistlewaite was not exactly subtle.”

  Selina realized she could no longer evade the topic by pretending to be ignorant of Julia’s behavior. “Perhaps Julia was merely looking out for my best interests,” she said.

  “How so?”

  “Well, you have a certain reputation as a—” Selina hesitated, searching for the correct, least offensive word.

  “Trifler?” Mr. Malcolm suggested.

  “Well, yes.”

  “A Breaker of Hearts?”

  “I suppose one could say that.”

  “A Destroyer of Young Women’s Dreams?” Malcolm recited.

  “That may be an exaggeration, but you have the general idea.”

  “And you believe this description of me?” Malcolm asked Selina.

  Selina hesitated, looking over at Mr. Malcolm. He looked as handsome and urbane as ever but his expression was severe, as if he was strictly controlling his countenance. While Selina was watching him he glanced over at her, and she was struck by how vulnerable he suddenly appeared.

  “I believe that there are two sides to every question,” she told him, and was rewarded by his smiling at her.

  “I am relieved to hear you say that, Miss Dalton, because I do not feel as if I deserve the reputation I have acquired. Particularly, in Miss Thistlewaite’s case, do I feel myself blameless.”

  “She told me that you paid her very particular attentions.”

  “I escorted her to the opera.”

  “You escorted her to the opera,” Selina repeated.

  “Once.”

  “Was it an amusing opera?” Selina asked, suddenly struck by the absurdity of the situation.

  Mr. Malcolm considered the question. “No, it was not an amusing opera. The soprano missed most of her notes, and Miss Thistlewaite wore a feather in her hair.”

  “A feather?”

  “I found myself wanting to sneeze,” Malcolm said, maintaining a serious countenance. It was only when he glanced Selina’s way that she saw the glint of humor in his eyes.

  “I see,” Selina said.

  “Do you?” Mr. Malcolm asked.

  “I do, indeed. You and Miss Thistlewaite are the victims of a most egregious set of circumstances. Feathers and screeching sopranos are not conducive to romance. Even the greatest and most historic pair of lovers would be daunted by circumstances such as those,” Selina said, with mock gravity.

  “So you acquit me of trifling with Miss Thistlewaite’s affections?”

  “I am afraid I cannot. You were too easily put off, you see. A sincere gentleman would have tried again. Invited her to a musical concert, perhaps.”

  “But I knew I was not interested in Miss Thistlewaite after the opera. If I had continued to pursue her I would have been deserving of my reputation.”

  “Perhaps you are right,” Selina said. “Poor Julia, I can understand her disappointment. It must be quite humiliating to inspire no stronger inclination in a gentleman than that to sneeze.”

  “Oh, I did not say that. Miss Thistlewaite has inspired other longings in me from time to time.”

  “Really?” Selina asked, feeling that the conversation which had been such fun only moments before had suddenly gone awry.
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  “Oh, yes. For instance, just this afternoon I longed quite fervently to stuff my cravat in her mouth.”

  Selina laughed a little harder than the joke perhaps called for, so relieved was she that Mr. Malcolm’s longings were not of the amorous sort. “Mr. Malcolm, let us not speak of Julia anymore. I am feeling traitorous.”

  “Miss Dalton, I am more than happy to comply. Let us discuss you instead.”

  “Me?” Selina asked, surprised.

  “Yes. Please tell me about yourself.”

  “Mr. Malcolm, you must be aware that there is no more effective way to stifle conversation than to request that someone talk about oneself. None of us would willingly discuss our faults, and were we to discuss our strengths we would be termed a braggart, and rightly so.”

  “I suppose you are correct. You must forgive me, but in my limited experience with the gentler sex they always seem more than willing to discuss themselves,” Malcolm said wryly, and Selina gathered from his tone that his limited experience with her sex was not necessarily a pleasant one. She could not quite bring herself to believe that a gentleman as good-looking as he could have only a limited experience of her sex. But perhaps his fastidiousness had kept him insulated from too much interaction with women. She found herself hoping so. The thought of him involved in numerous affaires greatly displeased her.

  Before she could reply their conversation was interrupted by a man’s voice shouting, “Jeremy Malcolm, is that you?”

  Mr. Malcolm and Selina had been circling Hyde Park, but as it was not yet the fashionable hour of five o’clock there were not too many others engaged in a similar pastime. The few inhabitants of the park seemed to consist mostly of nannies and their charges and a few lone horsemen. One of those horsemen had approached them and was addressing Mr. Malcolm.

  Mr. Malcolm reined in, at first looking a little displeased at the interruption but then regarding the interloper with delight. “Henry, old man, this is a surprise.”

  “Yes, well, I decided to sell out and join the ranks of you idle gentlemen wastrels.”

  “Are you sure you’re up for it? It can be quite exhausting,” Mr. Malcolm said, grinning at his friend. He then remembered his lady companion and turning to her, said, “Miss Dalton, may I present Mr. Henry Ossory?”

  “Miss Dalton?” Mr. Ossory said, at the same time Selina was saying, “Mr. Ossory?”

  The handsome, fair-haired young gentleman wearing a black arm band looked at first surprised and then delighted. “Miss Selina Dalton?” he asked, smiling at her.

  Malcolm eyed them a little jealously. “I take it you two are familiar with each other?”

  “Miss Dalton was an excellent friend to my uncle’s widow. I am actually here in London because I wished to thank her for her kindness to my aunt.”

  “I am very pleased to meet you, sir,” Selina told him. “I esteemed your aunt very highly and I wish to express my condolences to you.”

  “Thank you,” Mr. Ossory said, his bright smile fading for a moment. “She was a plucky old thing. I am sorry I did not get to see her once more before she died.”

  Mr. Ossory’s horse whinnied and he reached down to pat it. “I should probably let you resume your drive, but I would be pleased to call on you, Miss Dalton, if you would give me your direction.”

  “I am staying at the Thistlewaite’s townhouse in

  Berkeley Square,” she told him, giving him the number. “I would be pleased to receive you.” “Thank you. I will call on you shortly. Good day, Miss Dalton. Malcolm.” Mr. Ossory rode away, leaving Mr. Malcolm and Selina alone together once again.

  “What a fortuitous meeting,” Selina told Malcolm as she watched Mr. Ossory ride away.

  “Quite,” Mr. Malcolm rejoined, rather grimly.

  Four

  Selina returned from her drive to find a seething Julia waiting for her. She had barely entered the house before Julia pounced on her and pulled her into the now empty drawing room.

  “Selina! Why did you drive out with Malcolm? We agreed it would be better for you to avoid being alone with him for a few days longer to ensure you captured his interest.”

  “I apologize, Julia. It just seemed the thing to do. Besides, I am not so sure this idea of yours is such a good one. I like Mr. Malcolm. He does not seem arrogant to me.”

  “You are naïve. I told you that he trifled with me and humiliated me.”

  “But he told me that he only escorted you to the opera. That does not seem such a heinous crime.”

  “Did he mention the list? Did he tell you about my eyelashes?” Julia said, growing agitated.

  “What?” Selina asked.

  “He is so critical, so judgmental. Nothing pleases the man. Just wait until he starts weighing you against that list of his. You’ll discover just how unpleasant he can be.”

  “Please calm down, Julia. You are overwrought,” Selina said, becoming seriously alarmed. Julia sounded quite hysterical blathering on about eyelashes and lists.

  “Selina, please say you’ll help me. There is nothing I can do to touch him; he holds all of London society in his palm. This is the only way, don’t you see that?” Julia had grasped Selina’s shoulders and Selina was dismayed to see that tears had formed in Julia’s eyes.

  “I just do not think he is the villain you paint him, Julia. Perhaps you should spend more time with him, get to know him better.”

  Julia stomped her foot like a child having a tantrum. “I do not wish to know him any better! I want him humiliated, as I was.”

  “I think you are overreacting to the situation,” Selina said, convinced now that her old school friend suffered from nothing more than wounded pride. There was a long pause while Julia regained her composure and drew herself up haughtily.

  “And I think that I made a mistake in inviting you here. Perhaps you had better return to Bath.”

  Selina stared at Julia, surprised that she could be so vindictive. “Perhaps you are right,” she told her, and turned around to leave the room.

  Julia ran to block the door, preventing Selina from leaving. “Please, Selina, I was not serious about you returning to Bath. Please stay.”

  Selina continued to stare at Julia coldly. “I do not think I would like to stay under these circumstances.”

  “I understand,” Julia said. A tear formed in her left eye and ran unheeded down her cheek. “Everyone takes his side,” she said sadly.

  “I am not taking any side—”

  “It is all right,” Julia said, smiling bravely. “I have known you for years and you have known Malcolm less than one day, but I realize I cannot compete with him. He has this effect on all women. He exercises some kind of power over them.”

  “He did not exercise any power…” Selina started to say and then faltered. Could Julia be right? Selina felt more strongly attracted to Malcolm than any other man she had ever met. Whenever his hand swept against hers, whenever he grinned at her with that perfect mouth and those even white teeth, whenever he stared at her from those dark blue eyes, she was shaken to the core of her being.

  Julia watched Selina, a knowing smile on her face. “I am just asking you to think on it, Selina. Just think on it.”

  “All right, Julia. I will.”

  “Good,” Julia said, clapping her hands together in glee. Selina could only marvel at the mercurial moods of her friend and hope she would not have occasion to witness them again.

  Selina spent a restless night thinking it over, and was unable to reach a satisfying conclusion. Was Malcolm a scoundrel who made a career of breaking women’s hearts or was Julia merely a spoiled brat, out for revenge? It was difficult to know, and Selina finally realized the only way to determine the truth was to spend more time in Malcolm’s company. Since this was what she wanted to do anyway it was not hard for her to convince herself this was the best course of action. But she determined to be on guard. She did not want to be the latest in Malcolm’s string of conquests.

  After breakfast, she a
nd the Thistlewaites awaited the morning callers in the drawing room. Selina hoped Mr. Malcolm would call and could barely contain her excitement at the prospect. When Reeves announced to the ladies that they had a caller she was sure it was him.

  “Who is it, Reeves?” asked Mrs. Thistlewaite.

  “A Mr. Ossory, Madam.”

  “I am not acquainted with Mr. Ossory,” Mrs. Thistlewaite said, looking bewildered.

  Selina had nearly forgotten her meeting with Mr. Ossory the day before but, although she was a little disappointed he was not Malcolm, she was pleased at the opportunity to further her acquaintance with a young gentleman Mrs. Ossory had always spoken of very favorably. “It is all right, Mrs. Thistlewaite,” Selina told her. “He is an acquaintance of mine. I should like to see him.”

  “Certainly, dear. Show him in, Reeves.”

  Mr. Ossory was shown in and introduced to Julia and Mrs. Thistlewaite, who expressed their pleasure in meeting him. Selina was struck anew by the handsome appearance he presented and, if she hadn’t already made Mr. Malcolm’s acquaintance, felt she may have been in danger of falling victim to Mr. Ossory’s boyish good looks and open countenance.

  He spent the requisite fifteen minutes in conversation with the three ladies before requesting the honor of a drive with Selina.

  Selina acquiesced and found herself helped into yet another sporting vehicle and once again led off in the direction of Hyde Park.

  “I am not sure if you are aware of the fact that my aunt mentioned you many times in her correspondence with me, Miss Dalton,” Mr. Ossory said.

  “No, I was not aware of it. I am not surprised, however. Your aunt never once treated me as someone in service, but always as a beloved friend and a—a companion in the truest sense of the word.”

  “I know she was quite fond of your mother and looked upon you as she would a granddaughter. Which is the reason I sought you out. I did so at her request.”

  “How kind of you. I must confess I had a certain amount of curiosity about you, as well. Your aunt spoke often of you to me. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to make your acquaintance.”