Cruel and Unusual - serialised novel EXCLUSIVE to Steemit Part 8

Exclusive for Steemit - serialisation of Cruel and Unusual – my second novel

Episodes:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

The evening was not as lively as David had been expecting. He was bored for the majority of the evening. Of course, Amelia was kept from him; being her brother and all, he had no need to monopolise her company. The occasion would ‘give her a chance to meet some eligible young men’. Eligible they may all have been, but young? For the majority - no, except of course, Mrs. Broughton’s brother, Horace.

Still, David was not left out. There were a few single ladies - chaperoned of course - who were introduced to him. One young girl caught his eye in particular. She was a little too young for consideration and she was too shy to flirt with him, so for decency’s sake, he acted the role of a perfect gentleman - all evening.

As they were leaving, David could hear the gossip beginning before they were even out of the house. Most was not unfavourable, however, but the comment from one lady of “They are so close and supportive of each other, he has been watching her like a mother hen all evening.” gave him pause for thought, he realised that he must loosen his grip and try to be less obvious in his attentions in future.

Then the familiar voice of Horace, whom David had spoken to a few times over the course of the evening, could be heard by David’s acute hearing. “Oh yes, my sister organised this soiree in order that I might meet the delightful Mrs. Denton. I believe she is quite taken with me as I am with her. I don’t doubt that she will be amenable to my dear sister’s match-making.”

His companion, a young man with an unfortunate complexion said “But what of her son? You know she is a widow with a child in tow?”

“Yes, I know, but he is easily gotten rid of, boarding schools are the best kind of education as we both know. And I am not exactly inexperienced myself.” Horace bragged with indelicacy, thinking that they could not be overheard. “She obviously has means of support and as soon as she is married, control of that goes immediately to her new husband.”

To say that David was in an ill temper as they travelled back to Amelia’s house would be a distinct understatement. Amelia on the other hand, was full of gossip and either did not notice his black mood or chose to ignore it.

“Mrs Broughton’s eldest daughter took such a shine to you, darling. If she were not so plain, I should probably have been quite jealous. She kept asking questions about you. Her mother was becoming quite distraught at her openness.”

David thought to himself that it was Mrs. Broughton’s younger daughter that he was keeping his eye on, but said “I only had eyes for you and I think that was noticed. If I am to be the dutiful brother, perhaps I should think more carefully about watching you at all.”

“Still, I cannot understand why we have to leave so early, you were enjoying the company, were you not?”

“You could not be further from the truth, Amelia. I was not enjoying the evening. The people were dull, the conversation was dull and the more I saw of the men fawning around you, the angrier I was becoming.”

“Yes, I kept my eye on you too; I did not want all those young ladies turning your head after all.” she giggled.

“No you did not watch me. You were happy to bask in the attentions of all those would-be paramours that had been lined up for you! If you gave me one glance all evening, it was to see me being introduced to Charlotte, Sarah and Ruth - only one of which was worth a second look, as you well know. And she was too shy to even speak to me.”

“Charlotte is barely fifteen. Of course she is shy. I am quite annoyed that you were even considering toying with her affections in such a way, you know you are not available.” Amelia became quite petulant.

“As do you, yet you still went there this evening!” David snarled.

“I only went there to keep up the appearance of being widowed and nothing more. If we could be a proper family, then…”

“I thought that you did not want to leave here?” David interrupted.

“Of course I do not want to leave.”

“We cannot suddenly become a couple as you would like, in that case. It would be frowned upon as incest and quite rightly too.” David smiled as another thought crossed his mind.

“I think I shall move in with you, as your brother and become the eligible bachelor if you are insistent on being the eligible widow. I think I could quite enliven things around here if I wanted to, playing the scandalous rake and cad. That would soon stop the party invitations I think, although I do not think that Horace could stand that kind of competition.”

“Oh so now we come to the crux of the matter, it is Horace that you are jealous of, but why, darling? He is an arrogant and assuming creature. I know that Hester only invited me in order that I could be charmed by her brother, in the hope of making a match of us. Even if I really was a widow, I should rather stay on my own than to marry such a man. He has no regard for me, except for the way I should look upon his arm in public and he had the effrontery to enquire as to my means of support.”

“Yet you were talking with him for the majority of the evening and so he could not have been such bad company.” David snapped back.

They finished the journey in a chilly silence and David would have left Amelia to go into the house alone were it not for the fact that the door was flung open by Mrs. Flint as the carriage stopped. She was in an obvious state of distress; Mrs. Flint could not speak until they had taken her inside and settled her in the drawing room with a large brandy.