CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“They are behaving as if we don’t exist.”
Matthew didn’t miss the discomfort in Lily’s tone as she took his arm. And she was right. Although the Christmas ball was hosted by the Duchess of Worthingstone, most of the guests had turned a cold shoulder to them.
“Does it bother you?” he asked quietly. “We could leave.” On her cheeks, he could see the flush of embarrassment. Though Lily had insisted that she wanted to face them down, it angered him that people were ignoring her. There was no cause for it whatsoever.
“I would not give them the satisfaction,” she said, raising her chin and entering the ballroom. There were garlands of greenery hung throughout the rooms, and the scent of mulled wine filled the air. A few oranges were set about for color, along with holly. And near the far end of the room, a bundle of mistletoe hung above a discreet corner.
Matthew guided her inside, but several of the older women leaned toward one another, whispering. Lily tried to brave a smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.
She walked toward one of the matrons and nodded in greeting. “It is so good to see you, Mrs. Everett. And how is your daughter? I understand Viscount Burkham is courting her.”
The matron’s eyes glazed over as if she didn’t see Lily, and she turned to her friend. “Lady Compton, I must say, I am surprised at the duchess’s guest list for this ball. One would think she would allow the rabble off the streets to come and mingle with us.”
Matthew was not going to let the spiteful cats have the last word. “Quite right,” he said. “Lady Lily, you would not wish to lower yourself to converse with”—he narrowed his gaze at the women—“rabble.”
He didn’t give the older women the chance to reply but took Lily’s hand and led her further into the ballroom. Her face was bright with color, as if their words had been a physical slap. “I never expected them to be so terrible to our faces,” she confessed. “I knew there were whispers of gossip, but this went beyond my expectations.”
He studied her closely, wondering if he could give her the life she deserved. This woman had stood by him through the worst moments he’d ever endured, and it meant everything to him.
“We will go and speak with my cousins,” he said. “They will not spurn us.” A waltz had begun, and he took Lily toward the dancing. Matthew rested his hand upon the small of her back, but she had grown pale. He didn’t know why she was putting herself through this, but for the moment he said, “Look at me, Lily.” She raised her gaze to his, and in her hazel eyes, he saw fear. “We don’t need them.”
“We have to make our peace with the scandal,” she corrected. “You will have to live in London for part of the year.”
He knew his Parliamentary responsibilities, but there were other possibilities. “You need not come with me. We could build a house nearer to Penford so you could see your mother whenever you wanted.”
Her face softened. “I would like to live near her for part of the year. But we cannot run away from this scandal. We must confront it and face it down.” Her hand squeezed his, and in that moment, he loved her courage.
“There is nothing that will part us again, Lily. I promise you that.”
She managed a smile, and the warmth of it slid over him like a caress. After the dance, she tucked her hand in the crook of his arm as he led her toward the Duchess of Worthingstone. He was confident that the matrons would shield Lily from the gossip. And in the meantime, he wanted to find out exactly whom he could number among his true friends.
Just then, he saw an older woman join the duchess and her sisters. She wore a demure gown of light blue, but there were traces of silver thread within the fabric that made it gleam in the candlelight. The woman appeared nervous, twisting her hands as she glanced around.
The Duchess of Worthingstone smiled at him as he approached, and Matthew understood what the women had done. Instead of casting out Sarah Carlisle, they were attempting to make her an ally, doing just as he’d offered.
And it did appear to be working. He was uncertain what to think of it.
He greeted the duchess, bowing to her. “Your Grace. Thank you for the invitation this evening.”
“We are delighted to have you with us, Lord Arnsbury.” She held out her hand for him to kiss, and then Matthew received warm greetings from her sisters, Amelia, Margaret, and Juliette, who held his hand the longest.
He had always been close to his godmother, and now he understood why. There was another blood bond between them, one that would never be broken. And instead of being encircled by cousins, they were his aunts.
Sarah Carlisle had tried to slip away, but Amelia caught her arm. “Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not running away this time. Not after all the trouble we went to.”
Miss Carlisle let out a sigh. “I feel like a fool,” she admitted. Her gray hair had been swept into a newer style. “I wanted to wear a black gown.”
“It would make you look old,” Amelia countered. “And that is not our intention this evening.”
“I am old,” Miss Carlisle insisted. “Why should I pretend to be someone I am not? I cannot believe I let you talk me into a gown like this.”
“It will get you noticed,” Margaret said. “And we have chosen three gentlemen to introduce to you. You know what you must do in return.”
“I’ve never felt so ridiculous in all my life.” She fanned herself, but Matthew saw that they had indeed made her look better. Instead of wearing a bitter frown, she appeared to be a nervous debutante.
“Would you like me to walk with you?” Lily offered.
Sarah appeared taken aback. “I’m. . .not certain.”
He exchanged a look with her, and Lily said, “Don’t be afraid. Mrs. Sinclair and I can accompany you.” She offered a mischievous smile to Amelia. “I realize that Lady Castledon would terrify all of your suitors.”
“Why would you want to help someone like me?” the old woman asked bluntly. “After all that I’ve done.”
Because Lily has a heart greater than nearly every woman in this ballroom, Matthew thought. She was generous and kind, seeing the good that lay beneath the surface.
“You made your choices out of necessity, I think.” Lowering her voice, she added, “And besides, there are better ways of supporting yourself than blackmail.”
Sarah shot her an indignant look, but Lily only laughed. “Come along.”
After they departed, Juliette turned to him. “How badly are the guests treating you?”
Matthew shrugged. “Apparently I do not exist, according to them.” He had passed by many so-called friends whose gazes had turned distant when he and Lily walked by.
“I hope Miss Carlisle will keep her promise and begin spreading her own story that the rumors are not true.”
“I would not rely on it,” Matthew said. “But if she found a husband, the blackmail would stop, and that would be a relief.” He hadn’t been certain Sarah Carlisle would even entertain the idea, but she had agreed to let the women dress her, and she was here.
Still, he didn’t want Lily to feel the shame of his past. She had done nothing wrong and did not deserve their scorn.
Juliette rested her hand upon his arm. “There is something else we could do. Toria could announce your engagement, which would force the others to acknowledge you.”
He understood that no one would risk offending the Duchess of Worthingstone. But he shook his head. “Not yet. It would create a strained atmosphere. Perhaps later, when the talk has died down.”
He studied the crowded ballroom, and for a sudden moment, he thought he spied Adrian. To Juliette, he asked, “Was my cousin invited this evening?”
She shook her head. “No, of course not. His presence would only undermine what we are trying to accomplish.”
And yet, he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of the man. He murmured his excuses, and departed Juliette’s side, wanting to ensure it was not Adrian.
An unsettled suspicion took root within him that sooner or later, he and his cousin would have a confrontation that would not end well.
“Psst—”
James turned and saw Evangeline lurking against the far wall. He couldn’t quite understand why she was hissing at him, so he drew closer. She slipped through the doorway and beckoned for him to follow.
It wasn’t at all a good idea to be alone with her, but he suspected this had something to do with Lily. If nothing else, he was confident that Evangeline would not attempt to trap him into marriage.
When he reached the hallway, she picked up her skirts, tiptoeing toward another room. James stopped where he was and waited. What on earth was she wanting? She beckoned again, but this time, he rested his hands on his hips and stared at her. Until he knew what this was about, he intended to stay precisely where he was.
Evangeline rolled her eyes and tiptoed back to him. “You need to hear this. It affects Lily.”
“Are we eavesdropping, Miss Sinclair?”
“Yes. Now are you coming, or are you intending to abandon your sister in her hour of need?”
He smiled at her melodramatics. “Do you even know where you are going?”
“They are inside the library. I thought we could go in the adjoining room.”
“They?” He followed her this time, and she silenced him with a finger to his lips. She led him into the music room, closing the door behind them.
Warnings flared within his mind, for despite his tentative truce with Evangeline, he knew how improper this was. But he followed her to the far end of the room. There was a door that was not properly set upon its hinges. It did indeed connect to the library, but from the crevices along the edge of the door, he could clearly hear the conversation of two men. He recognized Adrian Monroe’s voice, but not the other gentleman’s. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
When he leaned in closer to catch what they were saying, he grew acutely aware of Evangeline’s presence. Her skin held the light aroma of gardenia, as if she had bathed with scented soap. James gritted his teeth and pushed the idle thoughts away.
“I thought you said Miss Carlisle would help us,” the other gentleman was saying.
“And so she has. She has sown the seeds of doubt, which was precisely what I wanted,” Adrian answered. “The stories I have spread will make her claims seem genuine. It matters not if she tries to deny what she said before. My evidence is far more damning.”
James exchanged a glance with Evangeline, who had gone pale. She looked as if she were about to say something but stopped herself.
“I have a surprise for my cousin this night,” Adrian said. “One that will drive him past the brink of sanity into madness. It has taken a great deal of time and effort, but I have no doubt it will work. Everyone will be shocked at his behavior, and it will lend credence to my claim that he is incapable of handling the estates due to his mental state. I will be permitted to govern Arnsbury on his behalf.”
“Good,” the other man answered, his voice sounding more relaxed. “We can then repay our debtors.”
“I can repay my debts,” Adrian corrected. He paused as if admiring his own efforts. “I have been waiting a long time to gain the property that should have been mine.”
James had no idea what the pair intended, but it sounded as if Matthew ought to leave the ball immediately. Whatever Adrian planned sounded like a true threat.
There came a slight cough from the other gentleman. “And what of my debts? I thought we were working together.”
“You may pick up the pieces of Lady Lily’s broken heart,” Adrian said drily. “She has a good dowry, if you can win her hand. Let her pay your debts, for I don’t care what happens to her now.”
James’s lips tightened into a line, his anger rising at the mention of his sister. He wanted to shove his way through the door, but Evangeline put herself in front of the entrance, shaking her head.
There was no further conversation coming from the room, and James heard the faint click of the library door closing. He started to turn, but Evangeline caught his hand. “Wait a moment.”
She paused, and then without warning, she drew his head down and crushed his mouth to hers. The kiss caught him completely unawares, and he was stunned enough not to protest. Evangeline’s warm mouth held a hint of citrus, like the lemonade she had drunk earlier. But the heat of her embrace left him reeling.
“Forgive me,” he heard a male voice say, before the door closed again.
Only then did Evangeline jerk away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But. . .I was afraid they would suspect we were eavesdropping. It was the only thing I could think to do that would explain why we were here alone.”
He didn’t move, but when she tried to take a step back, he held her waist with one arm. “It has been a long time, Evangeline.”
“I know it. And I shouldn’t have done that at all.”
In all honesty, her quick thinking had likely deterred the intruder. But from the deep flush upon her cheeks, she looked as if she wanted to die. And he didn’t want to humiliate her.
James took her hand and led her from the room, carefully looking around before he escorted her out. He needed to speak with Matthew to warn him about whatever Adrian was planning. There was no sign of the men, and he discreetly led her back to the ballroom.
“I—I saw the other man,” Evangeline whispered. “It was Lord Davonshire.”
Now it made sense what Adrian had proposed, about Davonshire picking up the pieces of Lily’s broken heart. But James didn’t intend to let either man near his sister. “I will protect Lily from them.”
“Will you speak with Lord Arnsbury?”
He nodded. “And I want you to come with me, Evangeline. You can warn Lily in case she won’t listen to me.” He was less concerned about his sister, since it did not seem that the men were threatening her overtly. Matthew was their true target.
There was a waltz playing, and James led Evangeline into the steps, pressing his hand against her spine. Her face was still bright with color, and he couldn’t think of what he could say to ease her embarrassment.
“The kiss wasn’t that bad, was it?” he teased.
“No.” She closed her eyes for a moment and admitted, “It was that good.”
Her confession took him by surprise, though he knew she was right. Her lips had been softly yielding, reminding him of the last stolen moment between them.
She had a good reason to despise him, for he had not wanted to marry her. It wasn’t Evangeline—it was any woman. He had felt the trappings of his father’s dictates closing around him like a cage. At the time, he had been only twenty-three years old, and yet, his father had treated him as if he were already the earl. Every day, he’d been forced to read ledgers and surround himself with duties he was unprepared to face.
Now, he understood that his father’s desperation was born from a man who had known he was dying. There had been so little time, but James had cast off responsibility and sought adventure in India. He had wanted to escape the title he didn’t want.
But time and hardship had filled him with regret. Evangeline hadn’t deserved to be cast off.
“Why didn’t you marry someone else while I was away?” he asked. He guided her closer toward Matthew and Lily. The waltz would end soon, and he wanted to speak to both of them.
“Not many men would have me,” she answered. “Because of my family’s. . .business. And others were only interested in my money.”
Her parents had built their fortunes upon an empire of scandalous ladies’ undergarments, but it had never bothered James. “You are a beautiful woman with a good dowry,” he reminded her. “It’s what every gentleman wants.”
Her expression cooled. “Not even you wanted me, Lord Penford.” The dance ended, but Matthew and Lily were still on the far side of the room. He was about to approach them when he caught sight of another woman. His blood turned to ice, and he let out a low curse. God above, what was she doing here?
Evangeline frowned. “What is it?”
“Go back to your parents,” he ordered. “I know exactly what Adrian is intending. And if Matthew sees that woman. . .”
He didn’t bother finishing the sentence. Adrian wanted command of Arnsbury, above all else—and his ruthlessness would send Matthew over the edge.
“What can I do to help?” Evangeline asked.
God above, he didn’t even know. All he could do was try to get Matthew out of this ballroom before he saw the woman who had clearly not been invited by the duchess.
“I have to stop him.” He glanced around and added, “Tell a footman to summon Lord Arnsbury’s carriage. I need to get Matthew out of here before he sees her.”
“Before he sees who?”
There was no time to explain. “Please go and summon the carriage. I will tell you everything later.”
Evangeline squeezed his hand before she hurried toward her parents. And in the meantime, he crossed through the room of people, hoping to warn Matthew.
Before he caught sight of the woman who had tortured him in India.