Rage boiled within Sam as he made his way across the room to Clara’s parents and Dolan. He wanted to give Dolan the thrashing he deserved. He clenched his hands, trying to calm himself. He stopped before them and bowed. They studied him, not bothering to hide their contempt.
“Hello, Your Graces. Would you like to know how your daughter is?” Sam asked.
The room grew quiet as all the lords and ladies in attendance gawked at them, listening to every word. He remembered Clara’s request about respectability but would not allow them to ridicule her in front of everyone.Her mother became even more rigid, glaring at him. “Our daughter has made her choice. We don’t concern ourselves with how she is.”
Sam smiled charmingly at them, trying to disconcert them. “She thinks of you often as well as her brother,” he said with fake pleasantness.
The duke and duchess looked affronted that he was continuing to speak with them. “Her choices make her unfit to be in his presence,” the Duchess of Claremore explained.
Sam felt the fury unwind in him. How dare they make such a suggestion. Still, he didn’t want to embarrass Clara. He stepped closer so only the Claremores and Dolan could hear him. “She is beyond reproach and if you suggest otherwise, we will have some problems.”
Their eyes widened in shock at his threat.
“Sam,” Jack said from behind him.
Sam closed his eyes, both grateful and furious that having a brother as a duke gave him some type of acceptance with this group. All he really wanted to do was give Clara’s father and Dolan a sound thrashing.
“Sam, can I assist?” Jack asked.
Sam glared at the Claremores before turning back to Jack with a smile. “No, I think I’m done here.”
Jack and Sam made it a few feet and then Dolan said quietly, “I think of your wife often, Kincaide.”
Sam spun around, made his way back to Dolan and grabbed him by his cravat. The crowd around them gasped.
He leaned into him and said, “You are not to think of my wife ever.”
Dolan pushed him away and smirked. “You are nothing, Kincaide. What a waste of a lady’s true potential to be saddled with such a reprobate.”
Sam glared at him and using all his will power, stopped himself from punching his smug face. Jack touched his arm and said, “Let's return to our wives.”
Sam turned again to leave but Dolan said quietly so only they could hear, “I wonder if you were able to see what is under that icy exterior?”
Sam closed his eyes, unable to control his rage and spun around planting his fist into Dolan’s face. The crowd pushed in around them. Jack grabbed him and Dolan stumbled backwards in outrage.
“You are not fit for polite society,” he exclaimed loudly.
“Watch it, Dolan,” Jack warned.
Dolan recovered and smirked at him, happy that he had caused Sam to snap. That had been his point all along and Sam had walked right into it. Damn it, he thought.
“Disgraceful,” the Duchess of Claremore said with disdain while her husband nodded in agreement.
“Let’s go now,” Jack demanded.
Ignoring the murmurs around them, they made their way to the foyer and out the front door. Clara and Mercy stood waiting for them. His body trembled with anger.
“Are you okay?” Jack asked.
Sam nodded tightly. He glanced Clara’s way and her eyes were filled with tears and shock. Their carriage pulled up, and he held his hand out to her. She quietly climbed in. He looked back at his brother and Mercy, who looked back at him with concern. He said nothing and stepped into the carriage.
They rode in silence until finally Clara said, “Why did you engage with them?”
She looked devastated, infuriating him even more.
“That isn’t how things are done. You should have just let it go,” she exclaimed.
He leaned in close to her and growled, “I will take Dolan apart if he so much as says your name again. Do you remember what he did to you?”
