“What an unusual name,” said the Duchess.
“He is named for my and Isabel’s father.”
Lady Bertrand tapped a considering finger to her lips. “I know I’ve heard that name somewhere. It sounds so, so, oh, what is the word I’m searching for?”
“Jewish?” Eva asked, cutting Isabel a quick glance. She detected mischief there. More of the old Eva. Too much.
Lady Bertrand startled back, and her face took on the cast of a woman who had just swallowed a pickle, whole. “Oh, dear.”
“Ariel means lion in Hebrew,” Eva continued, relentless, even as Lady Bertrand appeared on the precipice of apoplexy.
“What a strong name to give your son,” the Duchess said, smoothness in her tone, steel in her eyes. “Wonderful.”
“But, but,” Lady Bertrand sputtered, “that means you”—she pointed at Isabel—“are a, a, aJewess.”
The Duchess’s face went stony, and the steel in her eyes tempered. “Dot, it’s best if you lower your finger.”
Lady Bertrand’s hand fell to her lap—one didn’t disobey the directive of a duchess—only to return to her mouth in horror. “Don’t you see? She is Lord Percival’s bride. AJewessis now in the family of a duke of the realm. And their future issue . . .” She trailed, overcome.
“Aunt Dot,” Miss Bretagne called out, “you’ve learned maths!”
Isabel glanced about the room. It seemed the exchange had commanded every last eye.
“But the bloodline, Lucretia.” Desperation persisted in every syllable Lady Bertrand spoke. “The family line will be taint—”
“As usual, Dot, you’ve struck the nail squarely on the head,” said the Duchess, cool and determined. All the breath left Isabel’s body. “That is exactly who Isabel is,family. This isn’t the first time a member of the Israelite tribe has married into the English aristocracy, and it won’t be the last.”
This proved too great a trial for Lady Bertrand, and she wilted back into the sofa cushions, all the bracing ire and outrage from moments ago having deserted her. Eva sat, not twelve inches from her, a tiny smile curling about her mouth, utterly unflustered. The Duchess gave Isabel a warm wink, and she could breathe again as gratitude flooded her. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard views such as Lady Bertrand’s expressed.
A movement caught at the periphery of Isabel’s vision. There, in the open doorway at the far end of the room, stood Lord Percival, his intense gaze trained upon her. The assessing cant of his head told her he’d witnessed the entire exchange.
The Duchess called out, “Lord Percival, how charming of you to join our little gathering.”
If the prospect of an evening spent pretending to be Lord Percival’s enamored bride didn’t scare Isabel so, she might experience a mean satisfaction as the look of a trapped wild animal hung about the man.
“I would be delighted, ma’am.” He looked anything but.
“Join us over here, my boy,” the Duke called out. “We’re having a civil discussion about the government needing more parity between the parties, and I could use an ally.”
Lord Percival’s features softened, and his feet began moving. “I welcome any opportunity to set Michael straight on his bloody-minded views.”
The family took his words in stride. They were spoken with a smile and received with one, even by the dour Lord Exeter, who scoffed. Isabel had never seen Lord Percival like this,relaxed. She hadn’t thought him capable of it, yet here was proof.
Miss Bretagne shot to her feet. “Well, Mina and I shall be off.” She began folding the maps strewn about the long rectangular table before her.
Lord Percival’s ease vanished. “Off?Where?”
“On our hike.” Miss Bretagne didn’t bother to glance up. “Well, more of a scientific expedition.”
“But, Lucinda,” the Duchess said, “it isnight.”
“That is rather the point,” Miss Bretagne breezed, matter-of-fact.
Miss Radclyffe stood and joined the conversation. “You see there’s a rather exciting confluence of events happening tonight that we would be remiss to ignore.” She held up her hand and began ticking items off a list. “A clear night. A full moon. The summer solstice. And a druidic ruin.”
“A druidic ruin?” asked the Duchess.
“On Mercy Island,” Lord Percival provided.
