Men are vile creatures. You might wonder why This Author decide to start with such strong conviction but a huge scandal has been out for all of Mayfair to hear.
Curringworth men are the topic of This Author diction for today. Curringworth—both the father and the son, have been revealed to be abusers worse than any of all of Mayfair can ever imagined. The son has been said to have beaten his wife to a point beyond recognition. It is a known fact that both Curringworth creatures have eight children with eight mistresses—an audacious number for each one of them considering they each have a wife of their own on which This Author would have to applaud the Late Viscount Harrington who much stuck to his wife rather than such affair.
It is also noted that the Curringworth men have a large debt that has been compiling for the past three years; a debt from from gambling unpaid to Lord Fenworth, an unpaid horse race gambling money to Lord Kenwood, it is also believed that the younger Curringworth—This Author believes that neither of them is worthy to be called a Lord, it is said the younger thing has not yet paid the dowry to Catherine Harrington (This Author would rather call her Harrington because she deserve so.)
This Author wonders how many more women go through this sort of abuse all in the name of one thing....marriage
Lady Ravenscroft's Society Papers, May 1812.
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By the following evening, words have gotten round all of Mayfair regarding the Curringworths and their dilemma and before the end of the day, it has been said that the two Lord Curringworth were out of the country.
"Miss Donna said it is believed that John and his father are out of town." Amelia said as she walked into his study.
The scars was still all over her face but slowly fading. Nicholas could only nod. He did not know what to say to her.
"The idea that Miss Beaumont pitched ended up in our favor." He replied.
"We have Lady Halloway to thank for that as well not that she know it." She said before she suddenly kept quiet.
"Thank you Nico." She said and he looked up from his document.
"Amy," he said softly. "Where did I go wrong with all of you?" He asked.
She smiled before taking the seat in front of him. "It is not your fault."
"It is not my fault that I gave my elder sister to a man who does not love her, a man who decided that beating is a more befitting solution to give unto a woman. I think it is." He said as he dropped the document.
"It is not." She reaffirmed. "To be honest, we all thought he was a good John. He made all of us believe so but the moment we got married everything changed." She explained.
"You could have told me or even better you could have told Mother." He said.
"I should have but could not. Not when I had already given birth to Violet." She said with a forced smile.
"And it will never happen again. Not with me around." Nicholas promised with a smile.
"Has Catherine replied to your letter?" She said after a moment to which he nod in disapproval.
"I cannot begin to imagine how she is feeling." She said as she stare at their father's portrait that is behind him.
"I hope she is doing okay with Mother, Benedict and Iris with her." He said before himself a cup of drink.
"Now," she started with a big smile. "The reason I am here."
"What?"
"Hazel told me an interesting piece of news occuring between you and Miss Beaumont." She explained to which Nicholas groaned.
That girl did not know when to keep her mouth shut.
"We are getting to know one another" He explained turning away in order not to face her.
She always have a way of knowing how he is feeling and currently, Nicholas did not want any of it.
"She seems like a nice lady."
"She is."
"And more importantly, everyone seem to like her." She said.
"How is that an important thing?" He asked with a frown.
"Well, do you think you would get to know her more if we all did not go along with her?" She said with her brows raised.
She is doing it again. Interrogating him until he gives in.
"Okay, Fine" he said giving up. It is more easy to come clean than to try and lie to Amy. She always have a way of knowing the truth like Lady Morribel and Hazel. "I kind of like her." He said playing with his hair.
"Kind of like her or really like her?" She asked with a smile.
"I don't know?"
"Surely, you can do better than that." She replied.
"Well, this is the first time I am feeling this kind of way to someone so pardon me."
"It is important for you to figure before someone else comes along and marry her. That would just make you stupid." She said.
"You sound like Lucia." He said recalling how the girl had listed stupidity as one of his attributes.
"Well, according to what she said occured at her mother's ball. I would not blame the girl. You can be kind of stupid." She replied to which he rolled his eyes.
"And when did you have time to converse with her on my problem.?" He asked.
"Today actually when she joined me as a spectator for Felicity and Hazel's fencing. She said something about you being dense when it comes to love matters. Something I strongly agree with." She explained.
"Well, I am working on it." He said as she stood up.
"Then be fast about it. I do not recall having a fool as a younger brother." She said as she head towards the door. "And thank Miss Beaumont for me when you get to Lady Kenwood's ball and who knows maybe like Lady Ravenscroft always say, a proposal might be looming at the ball." She said before disappearing.
Proposal???
Would Helena Beaumont want to marry him?.
He did not know where they are at.
They have shared a lot with one another and his sisters like and adore her. So the question is would Miss Beaumont want to get married to him?.
The Kenwood's ball is a large event, a ball that every member of society look forward to.
The Kenwood estate is a sight to see on Grosvenor's square, it is located about three blocks away from the Harrington estate with a flourishing garden marked with flowers for people to gaze upon.
The house itself is large and neatly arranged with portraits and historical figures out on display. The ballroom is beyond large with a spectacular pinch of richness. The dance cards are always neatly arranged for each debutantes invited to pick when entering, food and drinks arranged perfectly on each corner of the room
But what makes the Kenwood's ball a lot more special is not because of the exquisite arrangements of the ball or the food being served.
It is the fact that each year for the last three years, at least no less than four debutantes gets proposed to before the ball came to an end.
It is considered an huge honor to be invited to Lady Kenwood's ball, many ambitious mamas will go to any length for their family to be invited to such event.
Nicholas is always invited and out of respect and love for his mother, he always attend the event.
It was not that he hated the event, he hated the fact that Lady Kenwood always makes it a point to introduce her four daughter to him over and over again which is why he decided to be more than late to the ball.
"There you are. I have been searching for you all evening." Lady Morribel said as he entered the place but his eyes immediately land on Helena who is dancing with Lord Sinclair.
Why does she have to dance with that man of all people?.
"She had been searching for you all evening even though she won't admit it." Lady Morribel revealed when she caught him staring at the pair. Hiliary Beaumont joined them leaving her mother with other mamas.
The confession made him smile at the thought of Helena looking for him.
But why would she dance with that man?.
"I forgot to mention because of the chaos happening at your home lately," Lady Morribel began turning Nicholas attention backt to her. "Lord Sinclair intends to know Miss Beaumont more and I think he intend on the idea of marriage between them." She said staring at him.
"What?" He asked looking at the said pair.
They do not look good together.
"Oh, that's right." Hiliary Beaumont began with a devil of a smile. "His mother said something about inviting us to dinner soon." She said almost as if she is taunting him.
"They looked good together, do they not?" Lady Morribel asked who which he clench his jaws together.
"I think they do." Hiliary said stretching out her words while staring at him.
She is doing this on purpose.
"They do not." He mumbled.
He could not begin to imagine Helena married to Lord Sinclair.
The two of them married, why on earth would that happen.
The dance came to an end and both Helena and Lord Sinclair head over to their side.
"Mr Harrington!" Lord Sinclair said with distaste.
Nicholas did not like the man one bit and the feeling seemed to be reciprocated.
"Mr Sinclair." He greeted to which Hiliary snorted.
"Thank you for the dance, Miss Beaumont." He said turning to her while giving her hand a kiss, a behaviour that disgusts Nicholas. "I believe that my mother will invite you to dinner before the end of the night." He said while staring at Nicholas almost as if he was declaring a war between them.
"May I have the honor of this dance, My Lady?" Nicholas asked Helena provoking the said man as a new round of dance begins.
Hiliary and Lady Beaumont tried to hold their laughter with Hiliary failing a little bit.
"Of course, My Lord." Came Helena's reply.
The dance started with a brief moment of silence between the two with Nicholas enjoying Lord Sinclair's misery at the sight of the two of them dancing.
"May I be blunt, Miss Beaumont?" He asked after a while.
"Go ahead."
"I failed to see why you've decided to give a man like Lord Sinclair a chance." He said as he stared at her.
Has Helena been this beautiful always?.
It is as if she were a different person tonight.
"Then permit me to be blunt as well," she started. "I am merely trying not to be rude to the young man. Our conversations always end up with him boasting about his many houses and horses. All of which I find boring. Which might I ask, do they teach you men how to make boring conversation about horses at Cambridge?." She asked with a frown and he could not stop the smile on his face.
"I mean I love horses but I do not think I have ever been bored of a conversation regarding the animal before?" She said before accidentally stepping on his toe.
"Pardon me." She said with a pout.
Nicholas could only stare at the woman in front of him. He had to agree with Lucia and Amelia that he is indeed stupid when it comes to love matters.
"Miss Beaumont," he said to which she looked up at him. "What do one have to do when he wants to ask for a lady's hand but is scared that she might perhaps not reciprocate the feeling one harbor.?" He asked which rendered her speechless.
"I-I believe it is imperative for one to ask before the lady thinks the gentleman has no interest in her." She replied.
"Helena," he said softly leaning closer to her to which her breath become uneven. "I feel I might have been a little or perhaps very stupid but it is important to let you know." He began as he stare at her.
Lord, she is beautiful....
"I love you." He finally said. "I love you so much regardless of how much you are not afraid to make your opinions known. I love you regardless of how much you step on my toes when dancing which you have done again." He said to which she chuckles.
"And finally, I love you so much that I am asking you," he said staring at her lips before looking at her eyes. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" He asked to which she nodded.
By the time the two revealed the matter to Lady Morribel and the Beaumonts, Hiliary only response was "Finally."