Chloe nodded. “How true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been insulted at a social event and didn’t even realize it until some hours later.”
“The next time that happens, I want you to tell me,” Dominic all but snarled. “I won’t have anyone insulting my wife and getting away with it.”
She patted his arm. “You’re a darling, but I can’t have you frightening people half to death over a little snub every now and again.”
“I don’t see why not,” Dominic said. “What’s the use of having influence if you can’t use it to scare people into good behavior?”
“Or bad behavior, as the case may be,” said Sinclair with a grin.
“According to my family, I’ve engaged in quite enough bad behavior,” Lia said. “I’m to be a pattern card of rectitude from now on.”
“That would be a nice change,” Dominic said with a wry smile.
“Miss Kincaid’s stage appearance didn’t sound all that scandalous,” Sinclair said. “But rather more like a fun adventure. And it was your stepfather’s company, was it not? Truly, it sounds quite tame when one knows the details.”
Lia wrinkled her nose. “I suppose you didn’t hear about my breeches role.”
He shook his head, looking slightly mystified.
“We don’t need to discuss that now,” Dominic said in a firm tone. “Or ever, in fact.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “Mr. Sinclair, forget I even mentioned it.”
“Well, that’s no fun,” he said with mock complaint. “Because I am a gentleman, however, I will manfully wrestle my curiosity under control—but only if you agree to allow me to call on you one day soon, Miss Kincaid. And Lady Hunter, of course.”
Lia caught the quick glance her aunt flicked at Dominic, who gave an almost imperceptible nod back. Apparently, Mr. Sinclair had passed muster.
“I am sure both Lia and I would be delighted to see you, sir,” Chloe said. She gave Lia an encouraging smile.
“Yes, that would be very nice,” added Lia politely.
Because Sinclair seemed like a genuinely nice man, she couldn’t imagine why he’d waste his time on her. With his looks, background, and wealth, he would be considered a prime catch on the marriage mart. She suspected he was simply being polite, likely because his father was friendly with Dominic.
His eyes glittered with emerald sparks of amusement. “You are too kind, Miss Kincaid. I will do my best to entertain you and Lady Hunter with appropriately thrilling stories of my travels through India.”
Many of the gentlemen Lia had met tonight had struck her as little better than strutting peacocks, preening in front of the females, waiting for—and expecting—their full approval. Sinclair, while obviously a confident man, didn’t appear to take himself too seriously.
Perhaps she wouldn’t mind spending time with him, after all. If nothing else, he might take her mind off Jack. She’d had yet another fight with him only a few days before and it had left her feeling gloomy and hollowed out. They’d once been the best of friends, but now they’d somehow lost the ability to talk to each other, much less understand how the other felt.
If Jack truly was in love with her, as Chloe had suggested, that shouldn’t be the case, as far as Lia was concerned. If anything, their relationship seemed to be fracturing under the weight of disagreements and misunderstandings, driving them further apart every day.
She was afraid it was feeling rather hopeless.
Then stop moping and do something else instead.
“That would be simply splendid,” she said, giving Sinclair a bright smile. “I will look forward to your call.”
His eyebrows ticked up at her marked increase in enthusiasm. Socially adept she was not, as she’d tried to tell Aunt Chloe and Gillian a thousand times. Jack had agreed with her on that point, which, while honest, wasn’t very flattering.
Sinclair briefly bowed over her gloved hand. “Thank you, Miss Kincaid. I will be sure to—”
Suddenly appearing out of the crowd, Gillian ruthlessly elbowed Sinclair in the ribs to move him aside. “Lia, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you, but this bloody ballroom—er, this ridiculous ballroom is so crowded that one can barely find one’s hand.”
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Sinclair said in a dry tone. “I didn’t realize I was in your way.”
Gillian gave an exaggerated start as she met his gaze. “Mr. Sinclair, is that you? I do apologize. I didn’t notice you.”
He was well over six feet tall and Gillian was an exceedingly observant person, so that didn’t seem likely. “I hope I didn’t step on your foot and injure you,” the duchess added, almost as an afterthought.
“No indeed, madam, my foot was not injured in the least.”
Gillian gave him a reluctant smile. “You’re very nice. Under other circumstances, I would quite like you.”
That threw him for a few seconds, but he recovered with a quick smile. “Thank you—I think.”
“Your Grace, is there something you need from Lia?” Dominic prompted, sounding a bit long-suffering. Gillian tended to elicit that response in her family and friends. The duchess was even more unconventional than she was and had immediately taken Lia under her wing with a fierce and unquestioning loyalty. Lia had already come to adore her.
“Yes. It’s very important that I speak with Lia, you, and Aunt Chloe.” Gillian slid an impatient glance at Sinclair. “Now.”
He took the hint, excusing himself with a quiet murmur before slipping into the crowd. For such a large man, he moved with a prowling grace that was quite entrancing. If not for Jack . . .
She clamped down on that thought. “Is something wrong, Gillian?”
“You have no idea.” Gillian glanced over her shoulder, then moved closer and lowered her voice. “Jack’s mother and sister just entered the ballroom. He and Leverton are trying to keep them to that side of the room, but I don’t think they can manage it for very long.”
Chloe gasped and put a hand to her lips. Dominic let out a salty oath.
“My feelings exactly, Sir Dominic,” Gillian said. “There’s nothing to be done, however, except manage it as best we can. Keep Lia under wraps, as it were.”
“That poses a challenge,” he replied with some asperity, “because this is Lia’s introduction to society. It would hardly be appropriate for the guest of honor to suddenly disappear.”
“Lia, dear, are you all right?” Chloe asked, placing a hand on her arm.
Lia forced her muddled brain back into some semblance of rational thought. “I don’t understand. Lady John and Lady Anne were not invited, were they?”
“Good God, no,” Gillian said. “Normally, we would be happy to invite any member of Jack’s family to a party, but under the circumstances, it would be a disaster if the three of you were to meet.”
That was putting it mildly. Lady John had always resented Granny’s presence at Stonefell with every particle of her being, and she loathed her son’s friendship with Lia. About four years earlier, on one of the rare occasions when the entire Easton family had come to visit, Lia had overhead Jack and his mother having a crashing row out in the gardens. Lia had been the subject of their argument, and she could recall with perfect clarity the humiliating names Lady John had called her. Even now, the memory made her stomach tighten into a painful knot.
“I was under the impression that Lady John made a point of avoiding the Kincaids,” Chloe said. “So this makes no sense.”
“Normally she avoids us like the plague,” Lia said, trying not to sound as miserable as she felt.
Despite Dominic’s assertion, retreat seemed the best way to avoid an ugly confrontation. As distressing as such a scene would be for her, it would be worse for Jack. He was devoted to his mother and sister. To have his loyalty split in such a way, and so publicly, was something she couldn’t bear.
“Charles says she’s taking a stand,” Gillian said. “Whatever that means.”
“I know exactly what it mea
ns,” Lia said. Lady John had spent decades believing she and her daughter had been shunted aside from their proper places in the family, displaced by the Kincaids. “I do think I should leave, Sir Dominic. I suspect she wants to make a scene, and that will devastate Jack.”
“It won’t help you very much either,” Chloe said grimly.
Gillian slipped her arm around Lia’s waist. “I won’t have Lia driven away,” she said in a challenging voice to Dominic.
He glanced around, distaste marking his features. Although they were speaking in low tones, people nearby were starting to take note of their intense conversation. Some of the other guests were bound to have seen the new arrivals and were no doubt already gleefully spreading gossip—and anticipating an explosion.
“It’s fine, Gillian,” Lia said. “I’m ready to go.”
Dominic shook his head. “No, sneaking away like a thief isn’t the answer.” He glanced at his wife. “My dear, please take Lia to the supper room and find a quiet corner. I’ll join you there shortly.”
“What are you going to do?” his wife asked.
“I’m going to intercept Lady John and see if I can talk some sense into her.”
“Oh blast,” muttered Gillian. “It’s too late.”
The crowd in front of them rippled like the tops of wheat stalks in a late summer breeze and then parted. Into the gap sailed Lady John, followed by her daughter. Jack and Leverton were right behind them, both looking utterly frustrated.
Actually, Jack looked ready to murder someone—probably even Lia for pitching everyone into the middle of such a disaster.
Gillian gave Lia’s waist another quick squeeze and then stepped forward. “Lady John, what a surprise. We hadn’t expected to see you at our little affair.”
Lia blinked. Her cousin, the most natural and unaffected person she’d ever met, had instantly transformed into the epitome of a duchess—and a very regal one at that.
Jack’s mother was not to be intimidated. “I expect not,” she said in a haughty voice, “because we were not invited.” Her hostile glance slid over Gillian.
Dominic moved forward and gave her ladyship a clipped bow. “Lady John, may I escort you and your daughter to the supper room for some refreshment? It’s much quieter and cooler there, so we can have a comfortable chat.”
If a curtsy could be labeled begrudging, Lady John’s certainly was. “Thank you, Sir Dominic, but neither my daughter nor I are in the mood for refreshments. I have business to attend to that will not wait.”
An anticipatory murmur whispered through the gathering throng. Even though the orchestra still played and some of the sets continued to dance, the people closest to the tawdry drama had stopped pretending they were doing anything but watching with avid attention.
Jack moved up to join his mother, his expression frozen into a stonelike mask. Still, his touch on her arm was so gentle, his demeanor so protective, that Lia’s heart broke for him.
“Mother, please go with Sir Dominic,” he said quietly. “You will simply cause yourself more anguish if you insist on doing this.”
When she angrily jerked her arm away from him, Jack made an impatient noise and glanced at his sister. “Anne, this is madness.”
His sister cut a quick, troubled look between them, then lifted her shoulders in a shrug that indicated she wouldn’t interfere.
“Lady John,” the Duke of Leverton began.
She flung up an imperious hand, cutting him off. Her gaze finally skated past Gillian to Lia. Jack had gotten his dark, laughing eyes from his mother, but there was no laughter or kindness or love in her ladyship’s gaze as it latched onto Lia now. There was only loathing and contempt.
“You,” she said in a throbbing voice, pointing a dramatic finger. “Why must you bedevil my family? Why can you not leave my son alone? Your family is like a blight we cannot be rid of no matter how hard we try.”
A collective gasp, at once both delighted and appalled, went up from the assembled guests.
“Good God,” Gillian said with disgust.
Lia had to repress a wildly inappropriate impulse to laugh at Lady John’s melodramatic language and pose. Under other circumstances, Mama might even have offered her ladyship a position in the troupe.
“My lady, it is neither my desire nor my intention to trouble you or your family,” Lia said, forcing a calm tone. “And I barely see Jack these days, so you needn’t worry about that either. There is nothing between us but a childhood friendship.”
As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she knew she’d made a fatal mistake.
Lady John seemed to grow inches taller in her righteous indignation. “How dare you speak of my son with such casual regard, as if you were equals! Do not think for a moment that I will allow you to drive a wedge between us, or drive me away from my rightful place in society. You are the one who doesn’t belong here.”
The woman would be surprised to know how much Lia agreed with her.
Jack’s hand landed on his mother’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Mother. You’ve said your piece and now we’re leaving.”
She ignored him, once again jabbing her finger at Lia’s nose. “I know you to be a whore, Lia Kincaid, just like your mother. And if you don’t stay away from my family, I will make you regret it for the rest of your life.”
As everyone absorbed that exploding squib, Gillian shoved her ladyship’s arm out of the way and stepped in front of Lia. “Right, that’s enough out of you,” she snapped.
Lia tried to pull her back. “Gillian, it’s all right. She can’t hurt me.” Not anymore than she already had anyway. A lifetime of hatred had seen to that.
“I won’t allow her to insult you,” Gillian replied, keeping her gaze squarely on Lady John. “Madam, allow me to tell you that you are nothing but a nasty, crabbed-up old biddy. And if you don’t get out of my house this instant, I’ll toss you out on your backside myself.”
Lady John’s eyes went wide with shock. A moment later she hauled back and slapped Gillian across the face.
Chapter Thirteen
“Please stop apologizing,” Gillian said in a voice muffled by the cold cloth she held to her cheek. She patted Lia’s arm with her free hand. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yes, it was,” Lia replied miserably. “I wasn’t strong enough to say no to this terribly misguided notion of introducing me into society. And now I’ve landed you all in the worst sort of scandal.”
Although the party was still going full force downstairs, they’d retreated to a private sitting room at the back of the house. Lia sat next to her cousin on a chaise while Dominic and Chloe were across from them in comfortably overstuffed chairs. Both looked concerned but remarkably calm under the circumstances.
Leverton, however, prowled like an annoyed lion from one end of the room to the other, working off the fury of Lady John’s insults to both his wife and Lia. Thanks to Jack’s mother, what little had been left of Lia’s reputation was now thoroughly shredded.
Predictably, Dominic recovered first. “It’s a setback, I admit,” he said to Lia, “but no rational person could blame you. You did nothing to provoke Lady John’s unfortunate reaction.”
The duke stopped in midstride and scowled at the older man. “Unfortunate reaction? Demented and mean-spirited would be a better description. The woman is a lunatic.”
Chloe cast him a troubled glance before directing a comforting smile at Lia. “My love, you’re still looking very pale. Let me give you some tea and perhaps a bit to eat. Gillian’s housekeeper brought some lovely treats with the tea.”
“Actually, I’d rather have a brandy,” Lia said.
“That’s an excellent idea,” Gillian said. “Charles, will you do the honors?”
Leverton headed to a chinoiserie sideboard that held a number of decanters and a collection of delicate crystal goblets. He splashed brandy into two of the glasses and stalked back to the chaise, silently giving one to his wife and the other to Lia.
Li
a forced herself to meet his gaze, which still burned with anger and frustration. “Your Grace, I’m so sorry I embarrassed your family. I wish there was some way I could go back and redo this entire miserable night.”
“Yes, it’s unfortunate that we cannot,” he said in a clipped tone.
“For God’s sake, stop acting like such a discourteous grump,” Gillian said, scowling at her husband. “You’d think you were the one who’d been slapped instead of me.”
He drew in a breath. “I wish it had been me, my love. That harpy actually left a mark on your cheek.”
Gillian removed the cloth and carefully worked her jaw. “Lady John has quite a good arm. Now, apologize to Lia for being such a brute.”
Lia jumped as if someone had jabbed her with a pin. “Please don’t. Lord knows you have nothing to apologize for.”
Leverton unbent a bit more, giving her a rueful smile. “My wife is quite right, Lia. None of this is your fault. Events unfolded in a way no sane person could have predicted.”
“It was rather exciting, you must admit,” Gillian said with surprising good cheer. “And I honestly don’t think it was all that bad. Yes, there will be gossip, but lots of people in the Ton behave badly on a regular basis. It was just one little slap.”
Lia was rather stunned by her cousin’s assessment. Then again, Gillian had punched an earl at her debut, all but causing a riot in the ballroom. Perhaps by that standard, tonight’s events seemed a pale imitation.
“You’re taking this rather well,” Leverton said, eyeing his wife with a puzzled look.
“I suppose you expected me to pull a knife from under my gown and stab her,” Gillian said with some asperity.
Her husband’s raised eyebrows supplied the answer.
“Really, Charles, I would never stab Jack’s mother, no matter how much she might deserve it. He would be very displeased if I did.”
Lia had to choke back a giggle. The entire evening had turned into a domestic farce that would probably have been hilarious if it involved someone other than her and Jack.
“I agree it could have been much worse,” Dominic said, smiling at Gillian. “And that’s mostly due to you, my dear. Your reaction was eminently sane and generous.”
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