No love for Louisa

TWENTY ONE

The following morning, when the cold light of day dawned on her, Louisa now chided herself for getting  so over emotional about Alex Carstairs.  She was realising it was totally inappropriate to have her feelings so affected by someone she had only  had known for a short period of time, So  she decided it was no good dwelling on such matters because had to be sensible and focus on what was to become of her. once Rosemary was settled in marriage. 

She could not afford to sit with maudlin thoughts on no longer being around The future duke, and the loss of his company. So, she decided the best thing to do was not even think about the conversation they had the night of the ball, and put it all to the back of her mind as if it had never occurred.

However, it seemed fate had other plans for her,  as a few afternoons later a maid came to her room and informed her that Mrs Marshall wanted to speak with her in the parlour, and she had to go right away.

Louisa was unsure what it could be about, though she had noticed that her cousin Rosemary, had seemed in a strangely quiet mood the day before, and  had seemed reluctant to converse with her, making Louisa wonder if she was coming down with some illness, as it was so unlike her.

So she was hoping that was not the case,  as she made her way downstairs feeling slightly anxious.

On being shown into the parlour, Louisa was a little taken aback to find not only Hettie there, who looked uneasy as she stepped into the room, but also her Uncle Joseph with a rather grim expression, and Rosemary sitting on the sofa looking clearly upset or agitated about something.

"What has happened? are you alright Rosemary?" she then asked in concern, and found herself a little  shocked by the bitter look her cousin threw in her direction, "No I am not, thanks to you"

"Rosemary  please, do mind your manners" Her aunt Hettie reminded her, shifting uncomfortably "I am sorry Louisa, but she is a bit out of sorts under the circumstances" she then tried to explain a little apologetically

"I-I do not understand, what circumstances?" Louisa asked in bewilderment.

"How could you not know?" Rosemary declared  sounding a little over dramatic, which Louisa knew she had a tendency to do, when things didn't go her way, "Your behaviour the night of the ball with Adrian's brother, you have ruined everything! It appears to be  all that people are talking or caring about" she then informed her

Louisa looked suitably shocked on learning this,  "But how can that be? it was such a brief  encounter, I didn't think anyone would take much notice ".

"Oh, they noticed," Rosemary  said in a scathing voice, with an expression of displeasure, "How Mr Carstairs  made a particular point of intervening between you and Viscount Dupont, and they way he was making cow eyes at you, when he handed you a glass of lemonade, apparently it was brazenly obvious that there was  something going on between you"

"B-but you know that is not true" Louisa protested, "You said yourself the idea is ridiculous"

"What I think, and what other people are saying is a whole different matter," Rosemary informed her stiffly "and they have a lot to say about you and Alex Carstairs since that night it .  Oh If only you had not gone off with him in that manner, it might be different"  she then sulked.

"But what else could I do under the circumstances" Louisa replied still unsure why Rosemary was blaming her, "I could not accept the viscount's offer to go on the dancefloor, it would have been totally inappropriate, Mr Carstairs arrival was my means of escaping the awkward situation"

"Well, I don't see why you didn't just dance with him. After all, everyone would have realised he only was doing it to get my attention, and they would be talking  about that, not you." she pointed out with a petulant frown.

Louisa just stared at her cousin with slight disbelief that she could even suggest such a thing.  It was suddenly started to dawn on her what this was all about.  Rosemary was in a pet because she thought Louisa had cast her into the shadows, as it seemed for the moment, that all people were more interested in talking about was the small incident that had happened with her and Alex Carstairs, more than they were talking about Rosemary and her battle of the beaus, on the night of the ball. 

 Louisa found herself recalling how Rosemary had laughed about it on the night, and had even found it amusing that she had caused the incident to happen. But now, after a couple of days had passed,  and it seemed that the majority were speculating more about Louisa than her, she was  annoyed not to be the centre of  all the attention as she had hoped.

"Don't you think you are making a little  too much of this" she then spoke up, before turning  appealing eyes on Hettie for some support, "Surely you must know, I had no desire to be placed in such a situation, or to have people to talk about me in such a way"

"Well no, I don't think you did," Hettie finally spoke up in her defence, whilst  shifting uneasily "You are right of course about the Viscount's actions bringing the wrong attention on you it was just unfortunate circumstances"

"Was it though?" Her Uncle spoke up with narrowed eyes, of suspicion, "I find I am not in the least surprised," he then added dourly "Its no more than I warned you about her Hettie. Its no good  you trying to defend her because of my dead wife's sake. Bringing the girl to London, I knew no good could come from it, and now here we are, my poor Louisa is all upset because if her actions," he shot Louisa a disparaging look "I always said bad blood will out. Well, it seems she has made her intentions pretty clear.. She has just been using my daughter's coming out as an excuse to scheme and connive,  Trying grab the attention of a future Duke of all things, and causing all this gossip and trouble, the impertinence of her. She has no shame"   

"That is not true, and  its not fair!" Louisa exclaimed in denial. It was a very rare thing for her to remonstrate with her uncle, but on this particular occasion, she found these accusation  wholly  unjust,  so that she felt she had to speak up for herself.

 But her uncle remained unrepentant, only becoming more stern, " Do you hear that? Raising her voice to her elders now, as if she doesn't know any better," He frowned in disapproval,  "I knew she was trouble, and now here we are, her true nature showing, we have nursed a snake in our bosom, and she should be send packing immediately back to Devon, before she causes anymore harm" he then declared

"Really Joseph, I think you are going a little too far!" Hettie objected in shock

"It is alright Ma'am" Louisa spoke up quietly, Realising  it did not matter what Hettie might say in her defence, her uncle was determined to think the worst of her. He had been waiting for this opportunity all season to say 'I told you so' and now it had arrived.  

 She knew that Rosemary would soon recover from her sulks, and probably  by the following week, she would more than likely be all nice with her again and it would be forgotten. But her uncle Joseph was another matter.

"I suddenly  have no desire to remain in London, so it seems it would be best I return to Devon as soon as it can possibly be arranged, It is for the best. After all, the season is almost over, and I am not really needed anymore. But thank you for welcoming me into your home and showing me great hospitality, I hope I have not ruined things for you as my uncle claims"

"No, of course not," Hettie attempted to reassure her, "And I do understand that you might want to get away" she added feelingly.

"Thank you," Louisa shot her a small grateful smile, "Now, I think I should go and pack, if you will all excuse me" she informed them with as much dignity as she could under the circumstances.

 She suddenly had  no desire to be in the same room as her uncle more than necessary, whilst she was  still feeling a little hurt and disappointed by Rosemary's selfishness that had caused the minor incident to snowball into something bigger than it was, which had led to this whole sorry state of affairs. 

 It did not help that even now, Rosemary showed no regret, and did not speak up to make any sort of argument or protest that she didn't want her to go, which told Louisa  a lot. It only made her realise she was doing the right thing in leaving.