A Lady's Guide to Courtship

XVII. Friendly Encounters

Dearest William,

You cannot forever be the rake that you are for I know you are much more than the reputation the ton has given you. They ought to see that.

As your friend, I would dare not judge you as I know the real you.

Rest your mind for there is one person in this world who does not merely look at you, but truly sees you.

Your friend,

Lady Weis

*****

If there was one more thing she kept to her sister, it was the incident that took place in the opera. Emma would be utterly furious and might resort to telling their brothers who would then resort to harsh gestures.

Ysabella would not wish for such a scandal—for anything eventful that would lead to her name be mentioned on the Herald once more.

And she'd rather forget that night. If she could manually smudge and erase it from her memory, she would. Adam Nimrod had always been good to her. He may not have been her choice, but he was a good man.

Until that night.

It was nearly a week since, but Adam's concerting attack bothered her still.

"Dear, you seem too distant," Lady Hayward's gentle voice snapped her back to the present. Ysabella turned to see the lady's worried look. "What is the matter? Is it Emma?"

Ysabella blinked in surprise. "Emma? Why would you believe it is my sister that bothers me?"

Lady Hayward smiled. "You and Emma are quite inseparable, dear. She has not shown herself to my estate for quite some time now." The blonde woman inclined her head toward her. "You are both going through something."

Her shoulders dropped as she sighed. "We did fight, but it is not something we could not fix in time. Truly, we are all right. We merely are giving each other enough space to think. It is not her that bothers me."

Lady Hayward cocked her brow. "It is my son, then, is it not?"

"Wakefield?" Ysabella said with a laugh. "Your son has been quite a challenge for years now, my lady, but it is not him."

"You must know, dear, that I feel bad my son does not see your worth at all." Her voice had gone stern, reminding Ysabella of her own mother. "He does not think so highly of himself and mayhap it might be the reason why he could not see the best of everyone. He is such a fool to deprive himself of a fine lady such as you!"

"Oh, Lady Hayward," Ysabella chuckled, covering the woman's hand with hers. "If you were only your son, I would already be happily married!"

"That son frustrates me on some occasion." Lady Hayward slowly shook her head. "I am visiting Thomas in his estate in a few days yet he refuses to come with me."

"Is Lord Bertram here or has he already left?"

"He has urgent matters to attend to in Bertram. I am afraid I must go alone," the woman said with sigh. "William reasons that he has important matters to attend to in Wickhurst, but we both know he refuses to go because of his relationship with his brother."

"Mayhap he is merely truly busy, my lady," she said, reassuring the woman's feelings.

"Busy on what? That Lady Weis he so claims to marry if he finds her?" Lady Hayward uttered with a scoff. "We are not even certain if she exists. For all we know, someone has been fooling him for two years, writing him letters and laughing at his expense!"