The Woman Of My Dreams ✔

Chapter 33

Hugh swirled the vodka in the glass.

Took one sip and exhaled.

Lady Margaret's parties were tremendously lavish and exquisite. He liked the parties because the size of the ballroom made his appearance less likely to be discovered.

Hugh liked solidity. He was tired of those debutantes and their bickering mamas encircling him and demanding for his attention.

So here he was, sitting on a blue sofa in the corner of the ballroom, swirling his second glass of vodka, and exhaling time and again as boredom got the better of him.

But he was especially bored, because Joan had not arrived.

Or maybe she would not even. Who knew anyway?

Hugh saw his beloved mother, from a distance, coming to him, her features looking slightly irritated.

"Ciao madre arrabbiata"  Hugh said as his mother sat beside him.

"What does that mean?" his mother asked with a slight irritated expression.

"It means hello angry mother in Italian language" Hugh said and smiled.

"Oh God, when did you learn the language?"

"Doesn't matter. But why do you look so angry?"

"Hugh! Some bastard wasn't watching his way and spilled vodka on my hands" she replied.

"Don't swear please. Go and simply wash your hands."

"Can you look after my bracelet please. I don't want to take it to the ladies retiring room, because it's expensive and I don't want to spend my entire evening answering questions about my bracelet to those peevish ladies" his mother said and plopped her bracelet in Hugh's hands "give it to me after some time."

With that, she was off.

Leaving Hugh with a bracelet and a dumbfounded expression.

Hugh kept the bracelet in his coat pocket, and looked at his vodka.

The colour looked a bit different, as if faded, but-

"Having a conversation with the vodka, are we?"

Hugh looked up to see an attractive genteel lady. 

It was Lady Rose.

Lady Rose sat by him and smiled.

Hugh suddenly remembered the names of the gossiping ladies Kate had written in her list. Lady's Rose's name was there too. Hugh erected his posture. It was time to yield some information from Lady Rose. She was a suspect and could be involved in the William Billfield matter. What if Lady Rose was the one who had spread the rumour about William's sister, Belle and fed William with Joan's name as the culprit?

Hugh could feel his blood curdling.

"How do you do Lady Rose?" Hugh asked.

"Oh! I'm fine. What about you?" Lady Rose asked.

"Yes I'm fine."

"I presume you must be really happy nowadays" Lady Rose asked with a slight cunning expression "you are courting Miss Joan right?"

Oh here she was, Hugh thought.

"No i'm not, who told you that?" Hugh asked.

"I've seen you'll many times lately, walking around town, and giggling to yourselves..." Lady Rose said with a flutter of her lashes "So I presumed...."

"Please don't make assumptions."

"Oh have I hurt you? I'm terribly sorry" Lady Rose said and squeezed his hands.

Hugh took away his hands and cleared his throat.

"Anyway...where were we? Yes Miss Joan. I'm glad that you're not courting her...It would have been a shame to lose such a respectful gentleman like you to a mere brainless miss like Miss Joan who barely knows how to-"

"Lady Rose please. She is a respectful young lady, and if you talk bad about her one more time-"

"Oh my goodness! Felt bad, have we? Look at your face. You must be mad Lord Hugh to fall for such-"

"ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" Hugh said "you can leave."

"You have treated me badly Lord Hugh.... I will never forget this" with that Lady Rose was off.

And Hugh knew who the culprit could be.