The Beautiful Wallflower

CHAPTER FOUR: Lady Blackburn

"My mother?" Andrew said surprised. Then he sighed. "Yes, it could quite be something my mother would ask."

"Please do not tell her I told you," Hawthorne begged. "You may not know about it. She merely wanted to know if the rumours could be true."

Andrew sighed again. "Of course she would. She has been thinking of my marriage quite a lot, it would seem. She wants grand children before she dies."

Hawthorne let out a laughter, almost spilling his drink in the process. "And she thinks of lady Blackburn? I mean no ill words against the lady, but she is quite odd, don't you think. And there must be a reason she is not married yet."

"Of course there is a reason. No one truly knows her. She never dances with the men and she never talks with ladies."

"I hear her chaperone is more nice than she is," Hawthorne whispered.

"And who has told you that?" Andrew asked, doubting if these assumptions are true.

"My wife, of course. The best way to learn all about the current gossip, is to be a lady."

"I know you are not one to start rumours," Andrew said to his friend, "and neither am I. But I ought to know what you have spoken about with lady Blackburn."

Hawthorne smiled at his friend. "Curious, aye?" He laughed, then spoke. "The lady was very charming, tis true. But she was also very straight forward. At times I thought she should think more before speaking, but who am I to correct the lady? And I must admit, her pastries were delicious. Really a reason to return."

"You would return?" Andrew asked surprised.

"For her pastries, yes! Anyhow, I think the lady thinks everything through, but perhaps she makes conclusions too soon. And she is very good at debating, it would seem. She would not stop until I gave in."

"Which I assume you did not," Andrew said laughing.

"Why is that funny?" Hawthorne wanted to know. Had Andrew not known better, he would think his friend to be angry.

"I do not think many ladies would be able to debate with you to the point where you consider admitting defeat," the lord explained.

"I did not consider it," Hawthorne reassured, "for I had not the smallest doubt about my opinion. Do you not want to know what the lady was debating about?"

Andrew raised an eyebrow as he looked at his friend. "I am not quite sure."

"We debated about you," Hawthorne told him anyway. "About your reputation, that is."

Hawthorne left a silence, but Andrew did not know how to react. What else had he expected when his friend talked to lady Blackburn about him? Twas easy to imagine how Hawthorne would defend his friend, while lady Blackburn believed all the rumours she heard - how many those might be.

"Lady Blackburn admitted she cannot judge you," Hawthorne said, "but she held on tight to your reputation. It seems she does not quite trust you, my friend." Though lady Blackburn had no reason to feel otherwise, it hurt Andrew that she did not. If even the people who did not know him thought so ill of him, then how was he ever to better his reputation?

If he was thinking of marriage - like his mother wanted - than how could he ever believe a lady would fall for him? Hawthorne had said so himself, tis the ladies who talk and gossip, and if Andrew's reputation had even reached the ears of lady Blackburn, every Londoner would know. Except for Andrew himself. People would not tell him what the latest talk about him was, for they did not want to cause a scene and be the next subject of gossip.

He knew very well that all those mamas who introduced their daughters to him only wanted to prove to other suitors that their daughter is ready for marriage. When they danced, a lord could dream away in her moves and ask her to court her. Every time he danced with a lady or a miss, he felt a pain in his heart, for they acted to have fun just as much as he acted it.

"Then she assumed you want to court a lady," Hawthorne continued, "and assured me she is not frightened by you. After that, she locked me in her house."

"I beg your pardon?!" What now?! Lady Blackburn did what?!

Hawthorne laughed as he saw his friends shocked face. "Twas not as bad as it sounds. For starters she explained she did not want any more nosy ladies who ask about the rumours, and that I provide a good excuse to avoid them. And then she asked her butler for more treats."

Andrew laughed at the proud face of his friend. "That woman knows the love of a man is achieved through good food."

"She absolutely does." Hawthorne remained quiet as he watched Andrew thinking. "What is it, Duncan? What are you thinking of?"

The lord remained quiet for a few more seconds before answering: "perhaps the lady does not feel at ease on balls." Hawthorne did not seem to understand, so Andrew explained. "She told me during the ball that she does not feel like she's a good dancer, but when I see her walk, she moves so elegantly that I cannot image she would be stomping around."

"Mayhap she feels insecure," Hawthorne guessed. "Twould not surprise me she feels uncomfortable at balls. She has never had a female role model, for her mother died during labour."

Andrew nodded. "She needs confidence, believe in herself - if it is the reason she does not dance, nor talk."

"And what plan is brewing in that head of yours, Duncan?"

The lord waved his hand. "Obviously I know nothing about women, but my sister does."

"You want Elizabeth to befriend lady Blackburn?" Hawthorne raised an eyebrow, clearly not liking the plan.

"Yes, I do," Andrew said. "But you seem not enthusiastic."

"Perhaps you should not force a friend toward lady Blackburn. What if our assumptions are incorrect and she saves us all from the pain in our eyes when we see her dance? Or what if she is so insecure, she does not want a lady friend?"

"No," Andrew said surely, "she is not so insecure. She talks to her chaperone. I am sure she would appreciate a friend of her station."

Hawthorne looked doubtful at his friend. Was Andrew really overstepping when he introduced his sister to the lady? Mayhap he was, although it seemed the best solution for lady Blackburn. But if he did not want to push her away, mayhap he should start by getting to know if she actually was insecure.