Regency - Chapter 6

Alec smiled as his horse, Ganymede, cantered back into the stable behind his townhouse. He was excited for this afternoon, when he would be joining Beth for the 'accidental' meeting of Alex and Arella in the park.

He had been worried last night when he asked what Beth was going to do about them. She had frozen and he had wondered if he had already destroyed their friendship with his thoughtless question.

Thankfully, she had thawed and had opened up enough to discuss the matter with him. Unfortunately, he had no great solutions to offer, no profound advice. What he did have was a strong inclination to mischief and a history of brilliant pranks in his school days. When he offered these qualities to assist Beth, she had laughed him off, but he was more serious than she realized. He had managed to convince her, at least, to involve him in any meetings she was dragged into.

His reasoning to her was that she would not feel alone when they coupled off if she had someone there to entertain and spend time with her.

His personal reasoning was twofold. First, he hoped to show Alex just what he was missing and rub it in that Alex had chosen the lesser of the two sisters (a conclusion Alec had come to after carefully studying the lovely minx, Arella, at the ball the night before). Second, he planned to look for good opportunities to pull pranks on the foolish Alex.

Beth would not approve, but what she didn't know hopefully wouldn't hurt her. Alex definitely deserved to have his life turned a bit topsy turvy, and Alec had plenty of ideas on how to do so.

After cleaning himself up and enjoying an early lunch, Alec headed to the park. It was close enough to walk as long as he left a bit earlier. He got there ahead of Beth and Arella and found Tufton (whom Beth had pointed out to him the previous night) loitering down the path. Alec smiled mischievously and decided to hide in a small copse of trees near the man. He would join the party after the other man.

Soon enough, two young ladies in fine dresses were strolling down the lane towards them. They were trailed by a pair of maids. Tufton began walking in their direction, donning an expression of nonchalance so overblown he looked like a fool.

Alec choked down a laugh and waited until Tufton had greeted the young ladies and, naturally, been invited to join them. As the group continued, Alec strode from the trees and moved purposely towards the group.

"Well met, friends," he called out as he got close.

Beth turned and a beautiful smile bloomed on her sweet face. "Hello, my lord," she answered cheerfully.

"Good day, Lady Beth."

"May I introduce you to my friends?"

"Certainly."

When Beth performed the introduction to Tufton, Alec decided to start his personal campaign to embarrass the man.

"You look familiar. I believe we've met before," he said, grasping the man's hand with a firm, nearly painful grip.

Tufton shook his head. "I doubt it. I've been out of the country for a year."

"Italy? Were you at that lovely little masquerade at. . . oh, I've forgotten her name now." Alec smiled a fake friendly smile, but he knew it looked a little predatory. Especially when Tufton pokered up and began stuttering.

"N-no. Certainly not. Not quite the th-thing, you know, intimate masquerades."

"Ah, my mistake. I could have sworn I saw a man who looked just like you off in a corner somewhere with-"

"My dear sir," Tufton interrupted, anger joining the embarrassment on his face. "Such talk is hardly suitable in front of ladies.

"Ah, right. Right you are. Ladies, I apologize." He sent them his most charming smile and saw Beth looking torn between amusement and pain. Arella was batting her eyelashes at him.

When the party continued forward, Alec made sure that Beth's arm was firmly tucked into his. He had noticed a very concerning light in Arella's eyes when she looked at him. He would not be surprised if the young lady refused to accept him as her sister's friend and instead marshalled her charms and feminine artifices to try and capture his heart.

Thankfully he was quite immune to spoilt beauties. He much preferred kind, intelligent women who cared more for others than for their own consequence. Women much like he suspected Beth was.

The rest of the walk was smooth. Tufton and Arella flirted shamelessly while Alec tried to distract Beth with amusing anecdotes about Ireland and about his years in school. He told her of some of his favorite pranks and kept her laughing.

By the time the walk ended, back at the gates of the park, Alec was feeling quite satisfied. He had avoided Arella's maneuvers to switch walking partners, had protected Beth from her unfeeling friend, and had embarrassed Tufton.

After the ladies left, Alec decided to take the opportunity to stick with Tufton as he returned to his townhouse, not too far from Alec's.

"Lovely ladies," Alec said casually shortly before they parted.

"Arella is a goddess come to Earth," Tufton said with a stupid grin on his face. "I have never met such a beautiful, sweet, truly perfect woman."

Alec snorted but didn't answer. They parted in silence and went their separate ways. Tufton's taste in women was execrable. Alec hadn't decided if he was just easily deluded, or blinded by the physical charms of the lovely Arella. Either way, from what he had discovered looking into Tufton's background, Beth should be grateful that her love was not returned.

Alec had spent time in some interesting places the previous night after leaving the ball. He had found a very useful informant in one of the clubs who was able to tell him a lot about the wild ways of Mr. Tufton.

Apparently the young Mr. Tufton, who had been known to this fellow before leaving the country, had quite enjoyed gambling and deep play. He had also had quite a taste for low company, especially the company of females with low morals.

Alec wondered if the gambling and womanizing had been what drove Tufton's father to send him away. He couldn't find anyone to confirm this, but it made him wary.

It was part of what had caused him to bring up the scene from a masquerade in Italy. That was something Thomas had heard from a close friend and had told Alec about when he questioned him more closely regarding the young man.

The other part of Alec's desire to expose Tufton was to help Beth. Certainly it would be painful to learn such dark truths about the man she loved, but he hoped that it would also help her heal and move on. And though he had little interest in the coquettish Arella, he would not want to see her shackled to a fellow who would treat her so poorly.

No, he definitely needed to learn more about Mr. Alexander Tufton.