“Your Grace,” he said in his nasal tone as he came up beside the Duke, “what an enchanting little thing you were dancing with earlier. I don’t think I have made her acquaintance. Perhaps you would be willing to introduce me.”
The Duke soured even more against Lord Malcolm. He didn’t like the thought that the gentleman was setting his sights on Miss Ward. If only half the rumours about Lord Malcolm were true, he had no intention of ever introducing the known rake to Miss Ward.
“As she is dancing with another, you will forgive me if I defer an introduction at present,” the Duke responded with a glower.
“Of course, as you say, old boy,” the lord chortled.
The Duke gave him another scathing glare, causing Lord Malcolm to clear his throat and remember his place.
“If you will excuse me,” the Duke said curtly before turning his back on the horrible man.
He spent the next few moments pretending he was enjoying the conversation that Lady Clarissa was having with two of her friends. He found it much harder to be friendly and charming despite his concentrated efforts.
He noted how easy it had been with Miss Ward. It was just yet more proof in his mind that he had relinquished his heart to the fearless miss.
“I hope you will let me lead you in the next set. My sister was quite intent on it.”
It was, of course, a lie. But he figured it would give the allusion to the other ladies that there was not even the slightest hint of enmity between his sister and the lady. He was prepared to do and say whatever it took to keep his sister’s name from gossiping lips.
Lady Clarissa was happy to accept his offer. He reminded himself that it was simply one dance. Enough to satisfy any onlooking gossipers, and then his deed would be done. He had no desire to stay in this lady’s presence any longer than he had to.
Reaching the dance floor just in time for the start of the set, he was surprised to see Miss Ward and Lord Malcolm only a few partners down from him. How that rake found an introduction with Miss Ward in such a short amount of time was a mystery.
Though he knew he should have been listening and engaging Lady Clarissa throughout the dance he couldn’t keep his focus away from Miss Ward. She seemed to be enjoying her dance with Lord Malcolm. Twice she even stifled a laugh behind a gloved hand.
The Duke did his best to answer any question that Lady Clarissa offered, though his answers were all one syllable. Luckily the Lady was more than content to do most of the talking throughout the set.
He was relieved when the dance was over. He waited for Lord Malcolm to escort Miss Ward off as he slipped Lady Clarissa’s hand in his arm to do the same. He had never been the possessive type, even when his previous love interested had danced and openly flirted with others.
But he was sure that Miss Ward had no idea what kind of a man Lord Malcolm truly was. She was unsafe in his company, and every fibre within the Duke was urging him to save her.
Instead of leaving the dance floor, however, he watched Lord Malcolm lean in and speak quietly with Miss Ward. Surprisingly, he didn’t escort her off, instead, they seemed to prepare to partner again for the next dance.
He couldn’t believe it. Did she not know what people would think if she was to dance two sets in a row with the same lord? The hesitation in her facial expression suggested she did. She didn’t excuse herself or beg a moment to catch her breath. Instead, she smiled politely at the man and prepared to dance again.
“I wonder, Lady Clarissa, if you would humour me with one more set?” the Duke asked.
He didn’t care about the ramifications of his actions. All he knew was that he couldn’t leave Miss Ward alone with that lord.
“I believe it is the supper dance?” Lady Clarissa mentioned.
The Duke was only half-listening, however, and simply nodded and attempt to position himself closer to Miss Ward and her partner. It wasn’t until the dance began that he finally fully processed what Lady Pamala had alluded to.
Not only had the Duke requested two dances with the same partner, in a room full of many choices, but he had also done so in rapid succession and right before the meal was served. It would be expected that he escort the lady into the large dining room after this dance and dine alongside her.
His eyes drifted over the small party that included his mother over by the couch. She was whispering intently to Lady Cunningham who had still not left her side. By her mannerisms, he expected it was with excitement she was informing Lady Cunningham of his unintentional outward declaration of interest in his current partner.
He really wished he had thought this moment through before engaging her in a second dance. All he could think of, however, was the fact that Miss Ward was far too unaware of her partner’s personality to be left alone with him, even in a crowded ballroom.
He did his best to look in every direction but that of his partner, hoping his outward expression would show his remorse in asking the second dance of the lady. He caught his sister’s eye as she too was turning on the floor.
In any other circumstance, he would have been glad to know that her dance card was full despite the apparent dress debacle. Instead, she exchanged a worrisome look, motioning to the Duke and his partner of choice before she turned her attention back to her own partner.
As the dance concluded and he had no choice but to escort the lady to the dining room, he was fairly certain that his rash decision spurred on by jealousy was going to be near impossible to navigate out of now that it had begun.
As the courses were set on the table before them, the Duke did his part dishing up what was needed to his female companion and ensured that her wine glass was as full as she wished, but all the while he turned to hear what was going on at the far end of the table.
Like the Duke, Lord Malcolm had escorted his partner into supper and chose to seat themselves at the opposite end of the table. The Duke wondered if his pointed looks in their direction in the ballroom had encouraged his cousin’s decision to distance himself from the Duke.
Lady Pamala sat on his opposite side, and though she gave him questioning looks, there was no chance for them to speak of his befuddlement without being overheard by Lady Clarissa.
All that he learned of Lady Clarissa as the supper finally came to its end was that she was very fond of red wine and engaging the attention of any gentleman in the vicinity willing to give it.
He did his best to keep a polite and sociable demeanour but felt it slipping as every minute passed. He could feel his sister too, who was not quite so skilled in attention-grabbing as Lady Clarissa, starting to slip inward while the latter lady began to step forward into the limelight.
It made him all the more enraged. This was a night for his sister. It was supposed to be one of the most exciting nights of her life up until this point, and Lady Clarissa was blatantly overshadowing her, first with the dress and now with her borderline obnoxious attention-seeking behaviour.
He was nearly chomping at the bit for the moment he could finally leave her presence without seeming overly rude. When the time finally came, and it was announced that the dancing was about to begin again, he nearly knocked his chair over standing so suddenly.
It was so sudden that it even gave Lady Clarissa a pause in her incessant chatter.
“Forgive me,” he said to excuse the sudden behaviour. He turned to his sister, “I thought I might assort you back to the ballroom. I know a great many gentlemen still hoping to take a turn with you. We wouldn’t want to disappoint,” he urged, already holding out a hand for his sister to take.
He didn’t care if she wasn’t done eating. He didn’t care if she had no desire to dance at all. If that was the case, they would simply make a circle of the room, and he could deposit her back in her seat. All he cared about at that moment was getting away from Lady Clarissa before what he really thought of her exploded from his mouth.
As they exited the dining room, he scanned for Miss Ward again. To his great disappointment, he found her seat to b
e empty. Panic settled in his stomach as he pictured Lord Malcolm removing her from the dining room to a place of his choosing.
“Have you seen Miss Ward? I couldn’t get a good view of where she sat from my position,” he asked his sister as they made their way down the hall amid the large crowd filing out.
“I was sitting right next to you, Winthrope. If you couldn’t see her, how could I?” Lady Pamala chuckled. “I assume she was with Lord Melvin.”
“No, she danced the last set with Lord Malcolm Southworth,” he said as he craned his neck, hoping to spy her dark brown hair speckled with its pearl ornaments.
“Oh, how awful,” Lady Pamala commented. “Poor thing to have to suffer a whole meal with him. You know I once caught him studying his own reflection in the back of a soup spoon,” she continued on pleasantly. “He is handsome enough, to be sure, but there is something about excessive vanity that makes one so ugly.
“What’s gotten into you, anyway?” she added when she could tell he was only half listing to her. “First you choose Lady Clarissa,” she scrunched her nose, “to set your eyes on, and now you are all frazzled over Miss Ward. I am sure she will be back in the ballroom by the time we arrive.”
The Duke looked down at his sister with her obvious tell of dissatisfaction.
“I thought Lady Clarissa was your friend?”
“I was friendly with her, and then I tolerated her, and now I cannot say that I would even call what we have an association after tonight.”
“Because of the dress incident?”
“You don’t even know the depths of the debacle,” Lady Pamala responded.
“Then tell me,” the Duke encouraged her as he focused his attention back on his sister.
Chapter 22
“Oh there you are,” Lady Pamala’s voice called.
Ella turned around at the sound of her friend’s voice. She had just rid herself of the incorrigible lord and hoped for a moment to clear her confused thoughts.
The Duke had all but declared he was feeling affection for her—or at least she had thought he was. Then, right after, he turned all his attentions to Lady Clarissa. She had been there when the Dowager Duchess had suggested he dance with the lady to smooth over any questioning thoughts amongst the guests, but then he had danced a second set with her and dined with her.
Of course, Ella didn’t expect him to escort her into the dining room or dance the second set in a row with her, even if he had truly meant to say he was feeling something for her. He was a duke, after all. But still, she didn’t understand how he could say those things one moment and then turn his attentions to another the next.
And to choose Lady Clarissa! She feared it suggested that though he had claimed to believe her, he was now taking sides with the lady. Ella had no idea how Lady Pamala’s design got into her mother’s hands and feared that by the end of the meal both the Duke and his sister, who sat beside him, had all been turned against her.
It was hard for Ella to believe that Lady Clarissa would intentionally mimic Lady Pamala’s dress. Weren’t they friends? How could one friend attempt to steal the attention from another? The only rationalization that Ella could come up with was out of spite towards herself.
Lady Clarissa had been very vocal in her disapproval of Ella’s invitation tonight. In fact, from the moment they first met, Ella was sure that Lady Clarissa had an instant dislike of her. Ella had no idea what she had done to bring it on but knew that it was a very real threat in regards to keeping one of the dearest friends she had ever made in her life.
“Winthrope was quite put out looking for you,” Lady Pamala finished as she came to stand by Ella. “I think he was worried that you might have still been on Lord Malcolm’s arm. It was becoming a bit scandalous, you know?”
Though Lady Pamala seemed happy enough, Ella still worried that their friendship might be on the rocks and that she had made yet another blunder.
“He is quite an intriguing fellow,” Ella attempted to find a polite word to describe the man who had taken up so much of her evening.
“Intriguing?” the Duke blurted a bit harshly. “In what way?”
“Well,” Ella spoke slowly as she considered each word, “I’ve never met a gentleman so willing to expound on every well-to-do connection despite the fact I explained on several occasions that I was quite new to society and knew very few people.”
She did her best to speak delicately. She knew, by the lengthy conversation she was forced to endure, that Lord Malcolm was a relation of theirs and had no wish to offend any more than she might already have over the dress incident.
“He is horrific, isn’t he?” Lady Pamala agreed now being assured they were of a like mind. “Why ever did you dance the second set with him. You know he will be expected to call on you tomorrow now?”
“I didn’t know what else to do,” Ella blurted out, relieved that on at least this point she hadn’t caused offence. “He asked me for the second dance right there. How was I to say no? I was so afraid that I might offend him.”
“You say you need to catch your breath or are parched and require some punch,” Lady Pamala explained.
“I didn’t know I could do that,” Ella revealed.
“Oh well,” Lady Pamala waved the whole matter off in a dismissive motion of her gloved hand. “We will have to suffer through a tea with him tomorrow, but then that can be the end of it.”
“I doubt he will call at all unless it is to you. When he wasn’t speaking of himself, he was railing me with questions about you,” Ella explained.
“If he even attempts to stop by tomorrow to see either of you, you can be sure I will be turning him away,” the Duke announced.
“You may be unsociable, but I know for a fact that you would never do such a thing, even to a man like Lord Malcolm,” Lady Pamala scoffed. “Plus, I believe you will have some calling of your own to attend to.”
Ella kept her eyes firmly on the ground at this announcement. She didn’t want her inner thoughts to read so easily on her face, though she suspected she wouldn’t be able to hide them.
“I told you, I was only doing what Mother suggested.”
“I don’t expect Mother suggested you give her quite that much attention.”
“Yes well if I had known the truth of the silly dress matter as I do now, I certainly wouldn’t have asked her for even the first dance,” the Duke scoffed.
Ella allowed herself to steal a fleeting glance at the Duke. He seemed genuinely upset. Perhaps she had accidentally divulged the design without realizing it and the Duke had discovered as such from his time with Lady Pamala.
Before she could learn more, however, the Dowager Duchess caught her son’s attention, and the Duke excused himself from the two ladies.
Ella only waited a moment before turning to Lady Pamala and grasping her hand with wholehearted sincerity.
“I am very sorry about the dress. I don’t know how it happened, how I did it, but I must have for my mother to have made it…” Ella began to ramble on.
Lady Pamala furrowed her golden brown brow at her in confusion as she spoke.
“You didn’t do anything,” she spoke as she squeezed Ella’s hand in return. “It was actually me,” Lady Pamala admitted.
“But how?”
“Yesterday, after tea, I took her upstairs and showed her the gowns. Perhaps I shouldn’t have, but of course, I never would have dreamed…anyway. When I showed her, Lady Clarissa mentioned she had a gown made in the same pink fabric. I said something along the lines of us both having good taste. I suppose she simply altered the dress she already had made in the matching fabric to match the style of my own.”
Mending the Duke's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 21