by Olivia Drake
The memory made Maddy seethe. It was yet another reason for her to despise Dunham—and her arrogant grandfather. But she didn’t want Emily to be downcast on the night of her debut ball. “Lord Theo attends Oxford, does he not? If he hasn’t been around, perhaps it’s because his studies required him to go back and finish the term.”
Emily brightened slightly as she replaced the dragon necklace in her bag. “Yes, but he should have written to me at least. And I didn’t see his name or his brother’s name on the list of acceptances for tonight. Do you suppose Lord Theo might show up, anyway?”
“I wouldn’t count on it, darling, I’m sorry.” Maddy leaned down to give her a hug. “You must dance with all the other young gentlemen instead. It’ll be a wonderful evening, you’ll see. Now do practice your smile. It’s nearly time to go downstairs and welcome your guests.”
As Maddy began to cap the many bottles and jars on the dressing table, Gertie came scurrying forward to help. At that moment, a muffled thumping approached from the bedchamber.
Startled, Maddy whirled around to see the dowager hobble into the doorway. Emily sat at the dressing table, fussing with her curls while trying out silly smiles in the mirror.
Lady Gilmore’s gnarled fingers thrust a small crimson bag at Maddy. “I will lend you this, Madelyn, so that you do not disgrace the family. You will return it to me at the end of the evening.”
Maddy opened the drawstrings and drew out a fine necklace. The classic design had many diamonds that winked in the lamplight. “Oh! It’s lovely!”
Even as she lifted the necklace to fasten it at the nape of her neck, Lady Gilmore raised her quizzing glass and peered owlishly at the dressing table. Gertie was trying valiantly to stuff the many pots and containers into a bottom drawer. “What is that you’re hiding, maid? What are all those jars? Stand back!”
Gertie retreated as the dowager shuffled forward and seized a small pot made of green glass, uncorking the lid. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. “Face paint!” A frown shifting her wrinkles, she aimed the quizzing glass at Emily, who still sat on the stool. In a scandalized tone, Lady Gilmore uttered, “Have you been using this paint?”
Emily’s eyes rounded. “Ah…”
Maddy stepped forward to shield Emily from the woman’s wrath. “It’s entirely my doing, Grandmamma. For some time now, I’ve been applying cosmetics to conceal her scars. Have you not noticed the improvement? Ever since Lady Milford’s party, everyone has been remarking on how beautiful Emily looks.”
The dowager thumped her cane. “Young ladies must never wear face paint! Remove it at once.”
“Perhaps that is true for most debutantes. However, in Emily’s case, surely you can see that an exception must be made.” Bluntly, Maddy added, “Besides, I have the earl’s permission.”
“My son defers to my judgment in such matters. He would never agree to this without consulting me.”
“Nevertheless it’s true, my lady. He told me so himself.” At breakfast the morning after Lady Milford’s party, he had implied approval, anyway, when he had thanked Maddy. “Perhaps we should go downstairs and ask him?”
Lady Gilmore pursed her lips in suspicion. The gold quizzing glass she held up to her face magnified one of her hazel eyes.
Emily jumped up from the stool. “Please, Grandmamma. None of the other girls had the smallpox. None of them have any scars. My skin looks so much prettier this way.”
The dowager’s harsh expression softened. For a moment, her eyes actually grew teary and Maddy knew the woman must be blaming herself for failing to protect Emily from the disease.
“Well! Girls never behaved so fast in my day. But I suppose it is too late to make changes. Come along, then.”
Letting the quizzing glass drop, Lady Gilmore turned around and tottered out of the dressing room with the aid of her cane. Maddy grabbed her kidskin gloves and drew them on. As she and Emily followed the dowager out the door, they shared a sweet smile of victory.
* * *
The receiving line seemed endless. The Earl of Gilmore stood with his mother and Emily at the base of the grand staircase. Beside them were Nathan and Maddy, then Lady Sophia at the end. For once, Maddy was grateful to Sophia, who greeted each guest by name and spared Maddy the embarrassment of failing to recognize an important personage.
Her head spun from all the titles and names and faces. She shook countless hands and uttered various polite greetings the dowager had instructed her to memorize, though from time to time Maddy couldn’t resist embellishing the stock phrases. Especially when someone came along who clearly resented the lowborn actress who had ensnared the Earl of Gilmore’s heir.
One such guest had been a participant in the auction. He was the loudmouthed gentleman who’d poked fun at Maddy in her guise of the wrinkled old maidservant. He had a receding hairline and a stout chest that strained at the waistcoat beneath his formal dark coat. His companion was his mother, an even stouter gray-haired woman in an orangey-brown dress with a patronizing tilt to her double chin.
Maddy graciously offered him her gloved hand. “Mr. Gerald Jenkins, what a pleasure it is to see you again.”
The woman cast a sidelong glare at him. “Again? We have been in the country this past fortnight. This is our first ball. I cannot imagine where my son would have met you, Lady Rowley.”
Mr. Jenkins turned crimson. “Nor can I,” he blustered.
“Oh, la!” Maddy said. “You are a sly one, Mr. Jenkins, pretending not to remember. I do hope you enjoy the ball.”
As the pair moved on, and there was a lull while Maddy awaited the next arrival, Nathan bent down to whisper in her ear, “Stop it at once or you’ll make me laugh out loud.”
She smiled artfully up at him. “Oh la, sir, do I know you? I’m sure we must have met somewhere.”
“I’ll be pleased to remind you later tonight.”
His wicked promise triggered a warm pulse deep within her womb. His eyes gleamed at her, his dimples adding a breathtaking charm to his starkly masculine features. With his coal-black hair tied at the nape of his neck, he looked like a brigand masquerading as a gentleman in formal attire. How she yearned to abandon the party and escape upstairs with him.
Not later. Right this very moment.
She saw that same desire reflected in his gaze, too. He wanted to be alone with her, to strip off their fancy garb and join their heated flesh. Then another group of guests entered the foyer, and she was forced to return her attention to duty.
Summoning a courteous smile, Maddy suppressed the allure of passion. It was amazing how her husband could arouse her even in a crowd of people. And even when they both had obligations here.
Despite the revenge that ruled his life, Nathan needed to be on his best behavior for this ball. So did she. Nothing scandalous must mar this special night for Emily.
* * *
Near midnight, Maddy almost created a scandal after all.
The evening had been a smash success for Emily. The chandeliers in the ballroom cast a golden light over her reddish-brown hair and lovely features as she danced every set with a different gentleman. Maddy checked on her from time to time, prepared to do a quick repair of makeup if necessary, though the girl’s face still looked fresh and natural.
Too often, though, Maddy noticed Emily glancing hopefully toward the doorway. As if she expected someone to walk in at any moment. Do you suppose Lord Theo might show up?
The girl’s naïveté made Maddy’s heart squeeze. She hesitated to tell Emily the truth, that Lord Dunham had forbidden the connection. She could only pray that Emily would find a special admirer among all the gentlemen squiring her on the dance floor.
Maddy herself had joined the dancers only once, when Nathan had escorted her for the first set while Lord Gilmore had partnered Emily. Afterward, Nathan had disappeared into the card room, leaving Maddy to her own devices. She tried not to let his neglect irk her. She was determined to enjoy the splendor of this ball.
&n
bsp; After all, how many women of her common background ever had such a stellar opportunity? She might be the only one.
As Maddy glided through the masses with a champagne glass in hand, it pleased her to imagine she was the queen, and they her subjects. She greeted people with a nod and a smile, sometimes exchanging a few words about the crush of guests or the beauty of the ballroom, which had been decorated with Grecian columns and large vases of white roses. Beyond that, though, no one seemed willing to associate with her. It was clear that although the ton would allow her into their midst as a courtesy to the Earl of Gilmore, they had no interest in forging friendships.
That was fine with Maddy. She had not married Nathan to find companionship among the aristocracy. Still, it would have been nice to share her thoughts with someone, or to dance with one of the many gentlemen. But other than a few brief conversations with family members, and one with Lady Milford, Maddy had been alone.
She amused herself by assessing all the ladies’ gowns and deciding which ones she liked and which needed alteration. Their accessories and hairstyles interested her as well, for she would need to know the latest fashions when she opened her shop. Lady Gilmore beckoned to her once from across the room, but Maddy pretended not to notice. She refused to sit with the matrons in the corner. They were a gaggle of hens, squawking gossip about people who didn’t interest her.
They would be screeching to the high heavens in a few weeks when she confronted the Duke of Houghton at his ball. But she mustn’t think about that now.
Then, as she turned to make another circuit of the ballroom, Maddy spied a familiar face in the arched doorway. The stark black of his coat made his flaxen hair shine almost white above his sharp, narrow features.
Houghton’s heir. Her cousin, Alfred, Lord Dunham.
Her fingers tightened around her glass. Dunham had sent his regrets. He was not supposed to be in attendance tonight. And he must be a late arrival, for he had not come through the receiving line.
Now, he leaned casually against the door frame, his upper lip curled in his usual smug manner. He scanned the swarm of guests like a predator searching for prey.
She really ought to avoid him. His conceit always grated on her nerves. She didn’t trust him, either, not after the time when he had cornered her at the theater and forced his kiss on her.
Yet she walked toward him anyway. He was the one responsible for Emily’s unhappiness. He was the one who had cast a sour note onto her debut ball by forbidding his brother to attend.
And Maddy had something to say to him on the matter.
As she approached, his eyes narrowed on her, then flicked to her bosom in an insolent manner that made her skin crawl.
She stopped in front of him and inclined her head in a gracious nod. “Lord Dunham. I don’t recall seeing you on the list of acceptances.”
“I changed my mind. Will you toss me out on my ear?”
She ignored the question. No doubt he would relish seeing her do something so crass. She peered past him, hoping to spy his brother among the milling guests. “Is Lord Theo with you?”
“No.” Dunham bent his head close and hissed into her ear, “As I told you before, I will not allow my brother within a mile of Lady Emily. My grandfather would frown upon him associating with a family that would allow an actress to marry into the nobility.”
“Yet you yourself are associating with me right now.”
“I am not a green boy like Theo. And unlike Rowley, I’d never allow myself to be trapped into marriage by a scheming female.”
If only he knew, Nathan had enticed her, rather than vice versa. Aware of the many curious glances around them, Maddy smiled pleasantly while clenching her teeth. “Will you walk with me for a moment? There are too many listening ears around us.”
His mouth curled in a sly smile. He caught her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm. “Tired of Rowley already? Now that he’s broken you to the saddle, I would be happy to ride you in his stead.”
His disgusting comment made her fume. But she could hardly slap his face in full view of the ton. “What a vile thing to say. Nathan would call you out if he knew.”
“But he won’t know. And you’re too fascinated by me to tell him.”
He was right about her not telling Nathan, though not for the reason he believed. Dunham was conceited enough to think she wanted an affair with him. He didn’t know they were cousins. Or that there was too much at stake for her to risk telling Nathan about the insult.
Lord Dunham led her out of the ballroom and through the throngs of people in the reception area at the head of the staircase. He kept his hand locked firmly over hers so that she could not escape without causing a scene. To anyone else, it would look as if they were enjoying a pleasant stroll.
Maddy felt a jab of alarm. He was guiding her toward the corridor that led to the back of the house. “Look, there are two chairs against the wall where we can sit and talk.”
She tried to steer him to the private corner, protected from eavesdroppers by two large ferns on pedestals, but he hauled her onward down the passageway. “It’s far too visible,” he said. “We need somewhere more secluded. After all, you wouldn’t wish to create a scandal at Lady Emily’s debut ball.”
“This is absurd, Lord Dunham,” she said forcefully, keeping her voice low. “I will not leave this party in your company.”
“Call me Alfred. And we need a quiet place for this meeting. Ah, here we go.”
Her cousin hauled her through a doorway and into the morning room. A fire burned low on the hearth, though no one occupied the chamber. By day, the green and gold décor was soothing and pleasant with a view of the back garden. By night, the room took on a sinister aspect with deeply shadowed corners despite the glow from a candle lamp on a table.
Or perhaps it was merely her dislike of her companion that made Maddy feel uneasy. And the fact that Dunham closed the door.
She wrenched her arm free and took several steps back. She mustn’t be afraid of him. Though it would cause gossip if they’d been spotted coming in here, she must avail herself of the opportunity to speak her piece quickly.
She drew a calming breath. “I wanted to talk to you for one reason, and one reason only. You said that you will not allow Lord Theo to court Emily, that your grandfather would not approve. Did you ever actually ask the Duke of Houghton about the matter? Or are you merely presuming to know his will?”
Dunham’s brow furrowed in a frown. “As his heir, I speak for my grandfather on all issues. Especially now that his health is failing.”
The news jolted Maddy. Her plan would be ruined if she was too late to confront the duke. “Failing? What’s wrong with him? Is he dying?”
“I shouldn’t think that would matter to you.”
“It matters if his ball is canceled. It’s an opportunity for Lord Theo to dance with Emily. And I do think you’re making a mistake by keeping them apart. There’s nothing more guaranteed to make them yearn for each other than forced separation.”
“Never mind those two. I’d rather speak of us.” He started toward her. “I was angry at first that you’d chosen Rowley over me. But now I can see the potential for quite the tidy arrangement.”
Her heart thudding, Maddy backed away from his advance. He blocked her access to the door. There was no way to dart past him without risking capture. “Tidy arrangement?”
“If we’re careful, you and I can enjoy an illicit affair right under his nose. I’ll make it well worth your while.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. What monumental vanity he had. “Why would you think I’d choose you over Nathan?” Seeing his pale eyebrows clash in a frown, she said firmly, “I assure you, Lord Dunham, I’ve no interest in an affair with you or any other man.”
“You sought me out. You said that you wanted to speak in private.”
“Only so that I might plead for Emily and your brother.” Reaching behind, she closed her fingers around the metal rod of the fire
iron. As he stepped closer, she brought the makeshift weapon around in front of her skirt, ready to raise it if necessary. “Keep your distance, sir!”
Her cousin stopped, anger on his face. “What the devil—”
The door banged open. Nathan stepped into the room.
Though startled, Maddy felt a rush of relief. She had never been more glad to see him. In the same instant, she realized how damning the scene must look, with her clutching the fire iron and Dunham about to grab her.
Nathan’s face darkened with rage. He lunged at her cousin. “You bastard! What are you doing with my wife?”
“Nothing!” Dunham blustered, taking refuge behind a sturdy armchair. “We were merely talking.”
“The hell you were!”
As her husband drew back his fist, Maddy sprang in between the two men. She grabbed hold of his sleeve and dug her fingers into his arm. “Nathan, no! You can’t be fighting. Not at your sister’s ball!”
“He was attacking you!”
In a flash, she realized that he mustn’t be allowed to think that. If he started a feud with Dunham, Nathan might rescind their acceptance to the Duke of Houghton’s ball. She would never have the chance to confront her grandfather.
She shook her head vehemently. “That isn’t what happened. You misread the situation. Lord Dunham and I were having a brief chat, that’s all.”
“With a fire iron in your hand?”
“Yes, I was about to stir up the fire.” She marched to the hearth and jabbed the coals. The flames flared and a shower of sparks flew up the chimney. “See? I’m sure that Lord Dunham would like to go now. Our conversation is over.”
“Indeed, I’ve never been more insulted,” her cousin said. He straightened his lapels, his wary gaze on Nathan as he sidled toward the door. “Good evening, Lady Rowley. I can’t say it’s been a pleasure.”
As soon as he vanished out the doorway, Nathan swung toward her. Suspicion burned in his green eyes. “You were protecting him. Why?”