He doubted that very much but was not rash enough to say so. Instead, he ambled into the room and, with great relief, broke off to the hostess’s right of the long dining table, feeling sure Lady Serafina would go to the host’s left. While she would inevitably seat herself across from him, at least the bloodthirsty woman would no longer be at his side, or so he had hoped. Unfortunately, since the places of honor had already been taken by higher-ranking peers, the remaining guests could seat themselves wherever they liked. Lady Serafina remained at his side.
The only saving grace was that Fortuity sat on the other side of the table, not close, but not so far down that he couldn’t see her. In fact, he stared at her, willing her to look his way so he might apologize with a smile.
But she didn’t.
A heavy sigh escaped him before he could stop it.
Lady Serafina leaned in entirely too close and whispered, “When can we expect the announcement, my lord?”
He frowned at her while bloody well wishing he had insisted on himself and his cousins ending this evening early. “Announcement?”
She turned her head and gave Fortuity the sort of smile that made one’s blood run cold. “A courting announcement? Engagement? Pending nuptials?” With a coyness he found most revolting, she turned her chilling smile his way. “A Broadmere daughter, no less. Quite the catch. Although I hardly thought you would choose that particular one.”
“Lady Fortuity is a friend whom I hold in the highest regard. A friend only,” he repeated louder than intended, making several at the table look his way with raised eyebrows. He risked a glance at Fortuity and locked eyes with her, willing her to know he meant her no harm or insult.
She gave him a little nod and a smile that made her seem even sadder.
Damn and blast it all.He had hurt her even more.
“Forgive me, Lord Ravenglass,” Lady Serafina said, “but yourfrienddoes not appear impressed with your high regard for her.” She cast a disinterested glance up the table, then took a victorious sip of her wine.
The thing of it was, he was trapped, and the cruel Serafina knew it. If he bolted now, it would only fuel the gossips further. He clenched his teeth, knowing there was nothing for it but to sit supper out and speak to Fortuity at another time and preferably another place. After all, thanks to their two dances and Lady Serafina’s actions, all eyes would be on Fortuity and himself for the remainder of the evening.
“Do forgive us. My wife suddenly finds herself feeling unwell,” Knightwood told Lady Atterley in a voice loud enough for all in the room to hear. Before their hostess could comment, he looked Matthew’s way. “Lord Ravenglass, would you be good enough to follow? I need a word. Urgently.”
“Of course, Lord Knightwood.” Matthew abruptly rose, concerned for Blessing as well as thankful for a brief respite from the room. He couldn’t quit the party completely, not without his cousins in tow. But at least he would be free of Lady Serafina’s company for as long as possible.
Every Broadmere sibling rose and curtsied to Lady Atterley, then hurried out behind Blessing, who clutched her husband as if she were so ill that she could barely walk. Matthew followed, praying that both the lady and her unborn child would be all right.
Once they all reached the large entryway and were well out of earshot of the other guests, and the footman had left them to summon the carriages, Blessing emitted a low growl and marched over to Fortuity. She caught hold of her sister’s arm and towed her over to Matthew. “You will apologize for embarrassing my sister. I thought better of you, Matthew. How could you be so cruel?”
“Essie, stop!” Fortuity wrenched her arm free. “He merely told the truth.”
“Fortuity,” Matthew began, then went silent, uncertain what to say. All he knew was that he hated he had put such unhappiness in her eyes. “I…”
She held up a hand. “You do not owe me an apology. The gossips caused this treachery simply because we made the mistake of sharing two dances to escape less-than-desirable partners.”
But neither her tone nor the teary sheen in her eyes matched the sentiment of her words. Unable to resist, he reached over and gently removed her mask. “Damn the gossips and everything else. Forgive me, Fortuity. I should not have chosen my words so poorly and reacted to Lady Serafina’s goading.”
She avoided his gaze by keeping hers lowered. “It is quite all right, my lord. Honestly. There is nothing to forgive.”
“And forgive me for hurting your feelings when I balked at the experiment,” he added softly.
“What experiment?” Fortuity’s brother Chance pushed in closer.
“Nothing sordid.” Fortuity glared at her siblings. “Must you all surround us as if we are a pair of prizefighters about to box?”
“Yes,” Blessing said. “We must. I gave up my meal to provide you an escape from that room. Now, what experiment?”
“A mere shuffling in the supper line,” Matthew said, hoping to draw their irritation to him rather than Fortuity. “We were curious about what might happen if Fortuity took a position beside me rather than farther to the front of the ladies’ line where she belonged. But then we both had second thoughts about what the tongue waggers would say—what with our sharing two waltzes this evening.”
“You meanyouhad second thoughts,” Serendipity said with a withering glare. “Hence the apology for hurting her feelings. What did you say to her?”
“I was a coward,” he said. “And I told her as such.”
“And now you are lying.” Fortuity rolled her eyes. “He warned me the gossips would stir into a frenzy and consider us courting, which would not be at all accurate, since we are only friends. He did not wish my marriageability harmed or any possible true loves dissuaded because they thought I was no longer available.”
“But it hurt your feelings,” Blessing said to her sister with a look at Matthew that made him feel lower than the soles of his shoes.
