To embarrass him?
To embarrass Elizabeth?
Eighteen
Elizabeth understood almost immediately. Of course they had not come here to offer support for Colin’s choice of bride, as had been her first thought when she spotted them standing just inside the ballroom doors. How naïve of her. They had gone to his rooms yesterday, unknown to Lady Hodges, to warn him about the way he was about to be trapped into marrying Miss Dunmore. But that did not mean they had come tonight to celebrate his betrothal toher. Indeed, they were probably as horrified by it as Lady Hodges must be.
Tonight they had come as her emissaries. They had come to cause trouble, probably in an effort to set Colin free to choose a bride more acceptable to his mother. Was she to be subjected, then, to two ballroom scandals within a week and the ending of two betrothals—to different men? It was too bizarre to contemplate. Andbizarrewas a benign word. Indeed, the whole situation would be worthy of farce if it were not also horrifying. How could all this be happening to her? She had been so very ordinary and nondescript until a few days ago, her life of no particular interest to anyone except her and her family. Yet now…
How was it possible to be so out of control of her life—again?
But the very thought of losing control of what happened to her, as she had when she was much younger and more foolish, stiffened her spine. It was simply not going to happen. She flatly refused to wilt and wither beneath the cold scorn of people who did not even know her.
Was every eye in the ballroom upon them? Normally it would be conceited to imagine such a thing, but these were not normal times.Of courseeveryone was watching, even those who went to some pains to pretend otherwise. Attention had been focused upon them even before the arrival of Sir Nelson and Lady Elwood. Now it must be riveted upon them. When had these two last appeared at atonevent? She could not remember ever seeing them. Had they even been invited to this ball? It must be as obvious to thetonas it was to her that it was the sudden announcement of Colin’s betrothal in this morning’s papers that had brought them here.
The only question that remained was what did they intend to do?
Mother said you would be pleased,Lady Elwood had just said.
“Lady Hodges was quite right,” Elizabeth said, smiling warmly and returning her unshaken hand to her side. “Lady Elwood, do come and take a turn about the floor with me before the next set begins. We really ought to get to know each other since we are soon to be sisters-in-law.” She slid her arm through Lady Elwood’s, clearly taking her by surprise, and proceeded to lead the way in a stroll about the perimeter of the dance floor together.
It was a huge gamble, of course, for she was offering her future sister-in-law the perfect opportunity to do what she had come to do. Lady Elwood had but to create a scene, even something as slight as pulling her arm away and speaking a few cold and cutting words before returning to her husband’s side. The flames of scandal would leap higher than ever and engulf Elizabeth. But in taking the initiative, she had the advantage, at least for the moment.
They were close in age, Elizabeth knew. They were of a height too, though Blanche was more slender. She was also blond and classically beautiful, her carriage erect and elegant. She was wearing a blue gown that was in the very height of fashion.Iceblue, Elizabeth could not help thinking, to match the woman who wore it.
“Lady Hodges was unable to come too?” Elizabeth asked politely.
“She is dining with Lord Ede,” Lady Elwood said. “She considers balls generally insipid.”
Elizabeth knew the gentleman slightly. He was an older man, tall and elegant and still distinguished looking despite distinct signs of dissipation.
“I am pleased that you and Sir Nelson came anyway,” Elizabeth said. “I have never had the opportunity to meet you socially until now.”
“I have never felt any wish to meet you,” Lady Elwood said coldly, her arm stiff beneath Elizabeth’s as though she had begun to realize how she had been outmaneuvered.
Eyes were almost openly upon them and ears straining to hear them as they passed.
“After Wren married my brother,” Elizabeth said, “I must confess that I had no particular wish to meet you either. But circumstances have changed. I am about to marry Colin. I have a rather large, warmhearted family on both my mother’s side and my father’s. Colin dreams of having such a family of his own, albeit smaller. Colin and Wren are very close, and he has a good relationship with your sister, Ruby, and her family in Ireland, though he does not have a chance to see them as often as he would like. I know it grieves him that there is no closeness with his mother or with you and your husband. What grieves him necessarily grieves me. It would please me more than anything if the situation could be put right.”
She smiled at Cousin Susan and Alvin Cole, who were beaming encouragement at her as she passed them.
“It is he who left at the age of eighteen as soon as we had buried our father,” Lady Elwood said. “No one forced him to leave. Neither my mother nor I have sent anyone away.”
“Except Wren,” Elizabeth reminded her, perhaps unwisely. But she could not let the untruth pass unremarked upon.
“No,” Blanche said. “Rowena wastakenaway by our aunt. Or sent away by my father. Whichever you prefer. Just as it was my father who sent Colin away to school as soon as he was old enough to go and then to Oxford. That was not Mother’s doing. It was done as a deliberate cruelty to her.”
Elizabeth turned her head to look at Blanche. She knew almost nothing about Colin’s father. She had never asked and he had never volunteered any information. Was there any truth in that last remark?
The sets were beginning to form for the next dance, she could see. They had almost completed the circuit of the floor. Now what? So far she had averted disaster, but was it enough?
“You must love Colin,” she said, “to have gone to his rooms yesterday morning to warn him of the trick that was about to be played on him. With your help he was able to evade it and betroth himself to me instead. Is there any possibility of peace between us, Blanche? AndmayI call you that since we will soon be sisters-in-law? I care deeply for your brother. I am not your enemy. Or your mother’s.”
“What you are,” Blanche said, “is a clever opportunist. We all know—the whole of the polite world knows—why you are about to marry my brother,Lady Overfield. And you know nothing about my feelings for him or my reasons for calling upon him yesterday. My mother will never recognize you as his wife. If you marry him, she will make your life hell. It is no idle threat. My mother does that sort of thing superlatively well, and she does not like you. That is, in fact, a massive understatement.”
Her words were chilling. But Elizabeth continued to smile. Colin was still standing with Sir Nelson. Uncle Richard Radley and Cousin Sidney were with them.
“Blanche,” Colin said, reaching out a hand toward his sister as they drew near. “You have returned just in time to join the set with me. Elizabeth must join it with Nelson.”
