Belonging To The Earl

11.

"She invited you to dinner?" Jordon asked astonishingly as Jason poured two fingers of fine French brandy. 

"No, she invited you to dinner," he lifted his brows. "I don’t think I’m too eager to suffer the presence of Lady Thornton anymore than I already have."

Jordon frowned as he accepted the brandy. 

"She couldn’t have been that unpleasant," he tried reasoning. "I’ve heard she’s a lovely lady; very well-mannered and a delight to be around."

"Delight is hardly the term I would use to describe her," Jason said. "Stuck-up would be a better choice. Haughty, imperious and officious; those are perfect terms to describe her."

"My word," Jordon gasped. "Well then I’m glad I don’t have to deal with her."

Jason shot him a nasty glare. 

"Surely you don’t think I will want to even be seen with her after everything you’ve said about her now, do you?" Jordon asked.

"So I must be the one to suffer her presence?" Jason asked, downing the brandy in one gulp. 

"I’m afraid so," Jordon replied, shaking his head. "If we want our plan to work perfectly and without a single hitch, then lady Thornton will need to be accustomed to your presence and your presence alone. Discrepancies will arise if we’re constantly switching back and forth."

Jason downed another finger of the brandy, which was quickly becoming quite bitter to his taste. It wasn’t his fault; being stood up by a woman did things to a man’s head. 

As soon as he’d left Thornton House, Jason had set a mad dash for Green Park. It was a miracle that his hat managed to remain so gracefully seated on his head while he sped through several stunned faces. In his haste, he’d forgotten that all they would see was the Earl of Brighton being so unearl-like. Jason could hardly be bothered however. His only thought was the mystery lady, and the promise of an unknown afternoon sure to be spent in the delight of her company. 

Alas, upon his arrival at Green Park, Jason was greeted merely by the sight of the many trees and shrubs, each so accursedly green that he wondered whether the man who’d named the park had been so unbothered by his task that he’d merely gazed upon the scenery, seen the only color his eye fell upon and chosen to name the park after that. 

He could have been a bit more creative, Jason decided. 

Still, he waited idly for his rendezvous partner. Perhaps something must have held her up. Surely she wouldn’t send him on a futile trip here just to waste his time when she had no intention of coming. 

But after the first hour passed and the second, Jason finally resigned himself to the possibility that the lady had stood him up. It was a daunting thought, and it did nothing to console his ego.

Jason gave a short laugh. He must have been cork brained to have let a stranger do this to him. Perhaps, he was never one to capture a lady's attention. Now, that wasn't the only problem. The so called Lady Thornton had contributed greatly towards making his mood alot worse. He had hoped, desperately wished that seeing his stranger friend would wipe away every bit of anger he felt towards Lady Thornton, and the fact that he had to perhaps, most probably endure another long hour with her dinner wasn't helping matters.

Again, he must have been a cork brained fool to have agreed to this mess.

"Well, isn't Alyssa darling just too, too amusing, brother? But I must caution you not to loose your grip as I have already lost mine, on my sanity. I see no other reason I should sit here and listen to you babbling inanely on how you think Lady Thornton should continue this charade." He dawned the last finger of the brandy and stood up.

"But Jason..."

"If only you never let your passion get the better of you, then," he lowered his head, while tightening his hands. "Then perhaps, I might have not been in this mess. I do not blame you, however. I am to blame to agreeing to this in the first place." He was taking out his anger on his brother, he knew that quiet alright but wasn't about to admit it. He was in this dilemma because he had agreed to play the game.

"Jason..."

"I beg to take my leave," he sighed, stared at his brother for few minutes then walked away.

*

"But mother, you can't possibly think this through. How could you invite him to dinner without talking about it with me?"

Georgina turned to glare at her, nearly letting go of the flowers she had been holding ever since Jason gave them to her. So intense was her anger. "Dash it, woman. If it weren't for my timely intervention, you would've destroyed what would've been a perfect marriage arrangements. That wasn't enough, you had to leave home unchaperoned early morning, an occurrence not exactly sought after by well bred young ladies, might I point out. But then, oh, forget it."

"But then, I'm not a well bred young lady, that was what you wanted to say, wasn't it?" She retorted. Angry at her mother's insistence on her having to always be perfect.

Georgina made a sound in her throat, and although she wanted to hold her daughter's gaze for as long as she could, it wasn't possible. She looked away, noticing how hard Emily was fighting to remain calm.

"I'm doing all these for you. You know that. Can you atleast try to let my efforts be worth it? I just want you to be happy, nothing more."

"I need no arrange marriage to be happy, mother. Can't I be left alone to choose what works best for me? Can't I have a voice of my own?"

The hurt from being stood up, and the anger bobbling in her ever since Lord Brighton visited weren't helping matters. She would never trust a stranger anymore. Or better, wouldn't it be better if she just goes back to America?

"Emily, dear, listen to me," Georgina took both of Emily's gloves hands in hers. "Can you try one last time? I'll be there during dinner, and if I realise this isn't going to work out, I'll end it. Can you do that for me? Please?"

That isn't a bad deal. She might as well just make a mess of everything and see the end of this before it even starts. If only her mother knew what she had planned, then, she might not have promised her that.

"Of course, mother. I'll try, one last time."