His Lordship's Chaperone by Shirley Marks Read Free Book Online

headed straight for the waiting
carriage. Without hesitation, he entered and Catherine, after his lordship had
settled, followed discreetly behind.
    During the trip, Lord Haverton never spoke to her,
never looked at her and never in any way acknowledged her presence. Catherine
might as well have been invisible. Better that he not notice her than take
interest in her, she thought.
    Music from the Trowbridge residence spilled into
the streets upon their arrival. Stepping out of the coach, she glanced over the
top of her spectacles, marveling at the line of carriages and the splendor of
the house stretched out before her.
    Upon entering, Lord Haverton paused at the top of
the stairs, gazing down on the room where the guests congregated. “Mrs. Hayes,”
he said over his shoulder.
    Catherine moved forward, closing the distance
between them. “Yes, my lord?”
    “Remember, you are to keep careful watch over me.
If I should leave the room, I expect you to follow directly.”
    “Understood, your lordship.” Only when she followed
him into the Trowbridge’s grand saloon did Catherine understand why.
    Glancing over the rims of her spectacles, she
watched the Marquess until he descended the stairs and moved partially out of
her sight.
    A sea of women stopped and parted to face him when
he reached ground level. As he approached, line after line of women curtsied,
sending a rippling effect to the back of the room. Catherine would not have
believed it if she hadn’t seen it for herself.
    Lord Haverton bowed his head, greeting the ladies
on either side of him. He stopped and bent to the ground. Rising, the Marquess
held out a red-tasseled, ivory fan, returning it to its owner.
    A small, delicate gloved hand reached out and
grasped the proffered fan. “Thank you, my lord.” A quite lovely young lady in
white with a pale green overskirt dropped into a deep curtsy and proffered a
shy smile.
    Catherine removed her reading glasses and slipped
them into her reticule. There was certainly no need for them. How silly of her
to think the Marquess of Haverton would ever notice her when he had his choice
of all these breathtakingly beautiful ladies.
    Instead of the great blur of light shining from
above, Catherine could see the details of the large crystal chandelier,
flooding the room with light. Down below, the lavishly dressed guests and
bejeweled lords and ladies dripped with gemstones of every imaginable color.
    Catherine had never seen such splendor. Even her
grandfather’s manor had not been host to a gathering such as this.
    The next several hours resulted in a countless
number of recklessly tossed fans tumbling to the floor. Each time Lord Haverton
retrieved the wayward item with patient gallantry. He stood up for only a few
dances. To break the monotony of retrieving fans, Catherine joked to herself.
    As of yet, she had not been needed and had sat with
the dowagers and other chaperones in a corner. Even they did not seem to notice
her. They looked on, watching the couples on the dance floor and whispering,
commenting to each other.
    Three chaperones stood only a few feet away. She
had not intended to eavesdrop but heard Lord Haverton’s name as the topic of
their conversation.
    “The Marquess of Haverton has gone beyond the pale,”
one of the women said.
    “Who would not forgive the Handsome Haverton
anything?” a short, red-haired lady standing next to the first asked.
    “What’s he done now, Miss Trueblood?” a third
interceded, ignoring the red-haired woman.
    “He has installed a young woman at Moreland Manor,
Miss Price,” the one named Miss Trueblood announced. “For what purpose one can
only guess.”
    The red-hair woman gasped. “He cannot possibly have—”
    “Oh yes, Mrs. Baldwin, it is true. I had it of Mrs.
Brooks, Lady Stratton’s lady’s maid.”
    Moved into Moreland Manor? Catherine had just moved
in—could they possibly be talking about her?
    “It was only a matter of time.” By the tone of