Tristan accepted a glass of whiskey from one of his friends and raised an eyebrow at Fergus. “And here I thought you were still sober enough to make sense.”
“Oh, I’m plenty sober,” Fergus replied, a crafty glint entering his eyes. “I’ve seen the way you’ve been panting after those wallflowers lately, Crosby. You’ve managed to become close to Miss Gladstow of late. She’s, what, the third or fourth debutante to catch your eye since the fall?” He grinned. “Any luck there then?”
“She’s a friend and nothing more,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. His eyes scanned the other men as he did so, not surprised to see the amusement on their faces. He mentally shrugged. He knew he was seen as a flighty sort of fellow, that his quicksilver changes in attention would not be seen as out of character. As long as the women he was helping didn’t suffer for it, he didn’t give a good damn that people chuckled over his seemingly changeable affections.
“Pretend all you want,” Fergus said knowingly.
Tristan rolled his eyes. “You’re an ass. If you had been at the Jaspers’ ball tonight, you would have seen that Mr. David Marlow declared himself to Miss Gladstow not an hour ago.” He looked at Fergus over the rim of his glass and said clearly and distinctly, so the matter would not be questioned in the future. “She seems to reciprocate his feelings. And I am very happy for her.”
“Tough luck for you,” Fergus replied, undaunted. “Though the gal is homely as hell, she’s got a tidy little sum attached to her. A man could put up with a bit of ugly for that.”
Fury, a rare emotion for Tristan, boiled up fierce and hot. He placed his glass down hard on the table and leaned forward. In an instant the men in the surrounding area went silent. Fergus’s eyes widened in alarm.
“I will not hear you speak ill of Miss Gladstow, or any other female, in my hearing again. Is that clear?”
Fergus swallowed audibly. “Y-yes. Of course. My apologies.”
Tristan eyed him severely for a moment before, with a nod of his head, he sat back and took up his drink again. The change in the atmosphere was instantaneous, the tension gone as quickly as it had come.
“So,” he said to the table at large, “what were you all discussing before I came along?”
“Women, what else?” Lord Kingston, Rafe to his nearest and dearest, said with a grin. “Denby here has got his eye on someone and won’t tell us who.”
Denby, younger than the rest and still a bit in awe of the whole London scene, blushed scarlet. “There’s nothing to tell, for she won’t give me the time of day.”
Rafe turned to Tristan. “We’ve gone through all the popular actresses, courtesans, and singers. The lad isn’t showing his hand.”
“I begin to think his lady love is respectable,” Fergus said in mock horror. When Denby’s blush deepened, Fergus let out a surprised bark of laughter. “What ho! Have we struck a nerve Denby? Never say you’re thinking of pursuing a virgin. That way lies only ruin and despair in the guise of holy matrimony.”
“You’re an ass, Fergus,” Denby muttered into his drink.
Tristan held up a hand. “She needn’t be a virgin, you know. She could be married?” He eyed the boy for a moment, seeking a tell. When none came a sly grin spread over his face. “Or a widow.”
There it was, that furious flush of blood to the cheeks, the small smile. The rest of the men broke into peals of laughter. Several older gentlemen in the adjoining tables, enjoying late dinners, sent glares their way.
“A widow, eh?” Rafe drawled. “Nothing wrong with that, m’boy. There’s no better tumble in my opinion.”
“Who is she though?” Fergus narrowed his eyes as he considered the now squirming Denby.
“Lady Truvel,” one man called out.
“Mrs. Umbridge,” another cried.
“Lady Kendal,” said a third.
“Please,” Denby scoffed, though it was clear as day the lad was enjoying himself. “She’s old enough to be my mother.”
Tristan chuckled as the banter went back and forth, each suggestion more outrageous than the last. Yes, this was what he had needed. No more Miss Merriweather and that sweet face and sharp tongue of hers. Life would get back to normal, and he could put her and his unnatural desires for her behind him once and for all.
