He knew that there were bad fathers, and that the man was no exception, but there was an anger settled in his body that he would dare be so disrespectful to her. She was his wife, and nobody would speak unkindly either to or about her, even her father.
“Is there a problem?” he asked the man once Anna had left.
“Ah, Your Grace,” the gentleman beamed, as if they were in agreement. “You must have heard the commotion, too. There was an injustice during the auction, and this man will not force the winner to take the object back.”
“That tends to happen when one wins fairly.”
The man flushed red, his hands balled into fists again.
“But that did not happen! I was not heard, and that is no fault of mine. It should take place again.”
“I see,” he replied, trying to conceal a smile, “and who won the item? I may be able to convince them of what happened.”
“Ah, well… I did not notice.”
“How convenient.”
He chuckled, turning to the servant who was trying in vain to calm him.
“You may go,” he explained. “It is best that I handle this.”
The servant bowed, thanking him and quickly leaving. He was undoubtedly grateful for what Spencer had done, as was Anna’s father, who seemed to believe that he was going to be assisted.
“Did you see what happened?” he asked. “How are you going to help me?”
“Because I know who won your item. I would be able to ask her about it, too, though I do not believe she would be willing to hand it over.”
“She?”
“Indeed,” he nodded, his face darkening. “You see, it is my wife that you are accusing of taking the pianoforte. Now, you and I both know that you made no attempt to win it, and you are only doing this because it was she who won.”
“Anna? But she would not… she hates these auctions.”
“And yet she won. Now, I believe it is for the best that you do not make a scene in front of all of these people. It would not reflect well upon you to admonish your daughter for besting you.”
Lord Pemberton was a proud man, Spencer could see it in his eyes. The mere thought of his daughter winning in a competition against him was enough to enrage him, and though it caused Spencer to wonder just why that was, he also felt a sense of satisfaction. After all, he had protected his wife.
“Your Grace, I–”
“You will be a gracious loser,” he warned. “And I will not have to wonder if my wife feels guilty about a success again. Do you understand?”
Lord Pemberton nodded silently, walking away. Spencer watched him go with a wry smile, then wondered where Anna had gone.
With the matter settled, he could go to her and explain that all was well. Perhaps, he considered, he could even ask her just why he seemed to dislike her so much. She was impulsive and willful,yes, but could her father not see the fire and the stubbornness she hid?
Glass in hand, he made his way through the building until he reached a balcony. It would be secluded, he realized, and the perfect place for her to take some air as she planned. He went to the door, but as he reached it, the voices stopped him in his tracks.
“Please, My Lord, I do not want any of this.”
“Oh, but you do. We have all heard about your pastimes, and I am certain that you would be more than happy for me to entertain you just as those other men did.”
Spencer felt his grip on his glass tighten, his jaw setting. Someone was out there with Anna, and she was in danger. He threw the doors open to see a man pressing Anna against the balcony rail, her face white and her eyes wide in shock.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded.
“Your Grace!” the man said in mock surprise. “I did not mean for you to see us in this way.”
“Take your hands off of her at once.”
