"Expectations" (Book 2), by Gratiana Lovelace (2018-2019), (Completed)

"Expectations" (Book 2)-- Ch. 2: The Root Cause

"Expectations" (Book 2)-- Ch. 2: The Root Cause, December 02, 2018 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1193)
(an original Regency romance copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2018 - 2019; all rights reserved); [(1) story cover art, left]

Author's story content and serializing scheduling notes: For the most part, my ratings for the chapters will be PG-13-for romantic interludes and dramatic moments. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with these ratings, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer. And I always put the previous chapter's recap at the top of the next chapter. Also, I hope to post weekly on Sundays.

"Expectations"(Book 2)-- Ch. 2: The Root Cause

Just as young Lady Madeline the Countess ofSussex' distressed unwellness each morning due to her nascent pregnancy has yet to be revealed to her husband and family, so too does the root cause for Lord Duncan the Viscount Lindsay's outward change toward his suit of Lord Christian Blount the Earl of Sussex' younger sister Lady Elizabeth Blount remains undisclosed.

Lord Duncan's decision to cease his courting pursuit of Lady Elizabeth occurred last week in London. And his heart has yet to be reconciled with it.

After seeing that his groom handed over his own private patronage donation to the vicar of the impoverished St. Timothy's [Church of London] to benefit their programs aiding the poor, then heading to his club Hearst's, Lord Duncan's usual benign good humored mien [(2) above] is replaced by a steady glare when he finds himself accosted by an unwelcome and a somewhat inebriated acquaintance as Lord Duncan enters the establishment.

Lord Harold Blount [(3) above], the second son and brother to Lord Christian Blount the Earl of Sussex, barks a slurringly sneered [and] impolitely gruff and familiar greeting. A telling sign of which gentleman is more in control of his faculties than the other is that Lord Duncan's flawlessly elegant waterfall tie folds in comparison to Lord Harold's disheveled and haphazard cravat. And Lord Harold does not even display the courtesy of standing up for the higher ranked Lord Duncan.

Lord Harold: "Lindsay, old man! I would have a word with you." Adding to the insult, Lord Harold flails his arm into the air, as if summoning a waiter from across the room.

Lord Duncan: "That was ten words, old man. So I would aver our conversation is concluded." Lord Duncan drips sarcasm for the Blount Family disgrace sitting before him. Lord Duncan would have continued on his way to the other side of the room, but for the next invective issued forth from Lord Harold's mouth.

Lord Harold: "For the man dallying with my sister, your disdain is uncalled for, Sir."

Lord Duncan: "Pipe down, you imbecile!" Lord Duncan admonishes in a furious whisper as he hastily takes the seat across from Lord Harold. "Were you to care a jot for your sister's well-being, you would not bandy about her reputation so brazenly. She is an innocent and virtuous lady!"

Lord Harold: Lord Harold lowers his volume. "And we, the family, wish to keep it thus. So you had best hie yourself off from paying your addresses to her. You are, afterall, a betrothed man." Lord Harold's steely gaze, becomes more so as the effects of his earlier inebriation have mostly subsided. He had been ejected from a gaming hell that morning, for calling out a cheater-who he belatedly realized worked for the house. An event which had at least a figurative sobering effect upon a man at the time, and a literal one now several hours later at midday.