"Don't be so short-tempered. Let me speak," William said. "I've never seen you find a lady who made you so—so unlike yourself, James. Whatever your feelings are for the duchess, it can't be denied that knowing her has changed you, and that's something I don't believe you ought to ignore. I think you should make the most of whatever she's brought into your life. Maybe marrying her off right away isn't the proper thing to do. You have other choices, you know."
"This is about restoring her reputation. It's important to act in haste."
"Not necessarily. Remember that her reputation has been what it is for some time now," William said. "A few more months won't do any harm."
"Months! You're jesting."
"I'm not. It would give the two of you time to get to know one another. To gain some comfort with each other. Isn't that something you want?"
"I don't know why you're pushing for that," James said, hearing the tightness in his own voice. "I don't know why you would want me to spend time with the duchess. Even if I have noticed how attractive she is, there's no future for the two of us. I don't wish to marry, and even if I did, she certainly can't marryme. It wouldn't do anything to address the troubles she faces. You need to be more realistic—or, if you can't do that, you should at least be silent about these ideas. If you bring them up toher…"
"I'm not going to say anything to her. I'm speaking to you as a friend."
"Well, good. Let's see that it stays that way."
James turned away from William, uncomfortably aware that his heart was pounding as he walked away.
He didn't know what it was, but something about his friend's suggestion had disturbed him deeply.
CHAPTER 22
"We're going home."
Victoria looked up from the painting she had been studying. In spite of herself, she had been starting to have a good time. "The artwork here is really lovely," she told James. "Have you looked at this?"
"I don't care about artwork. We're leaving now. Come."
She frowned. "I don't understand—did something happen?"
"It's time to go, that's all. And there's no need for you to ask all these questions," he told her. "The carriage is already waiting for us outside, so let's be on our way."
"We haven't even been here that long," she protested as she followed him to the door. She was surprised to find herself ready to fight the decision to leave the ball. Hadn't she just been thinking how relieved she would be when he told her it wastime to go? But now that was happening and she found that she wanted to stay. She wanted to go on enjoying herself a little longer.
Sure enough, his carriage was waiting for them, and James didn't speak a word as he opened the door and held out a hand to help her up into it. There was nothing warm about the hand that supported her as she climbed up—it was like taking hold of an inanimate object, and it made Victoria shiver.
He climbed up behind her and sat facing her, but gazing away from her out the window of the carriage. The door was closed. A moment later, the wheels began to turn, bearing them toward home.
James did not speak a word to her throughout the entire journey.
When they arrived, he disembarked first and left her behind. Victoria expected that he would reach up to help her down from the carriage, but he didn't, and after a moment a footman appeared to help her. James was already halfway to the door of the house.
Victoria hurried after him, unable to make sense of what had happened tonight. "James, wait," she called. "I thought the evening was going well. I thought you were having a good time. Even I was beginning to enjoy myself. Why did we need to come home earlier than anticipated? Is everything all right?"
James whirled to face her. His eyes blazed with an anger she hadn't anticipated, and it froze her where she stood. She had no idea how to process what she was seeing, no idea how to address him after seeing that rage on his face.
"What were you doing dancing with my brother?" he demanded.
"I—I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to," she stammered, breathless. Looking at him now felt like staring into the eyes of a large predator—a lion, perhaps, or a wolf. She perceived danger in this moment, though she knew he would never do anything to physically harm her. But there was something beautiful and awe-inspiring about the power on display before her as well. He had her mesmerized, and her heart raced in response to him.
"You didn't realize that I brought you to the ball so that I could make arrangements for you? You thought it was your place to make decisions for yourself about who you spent time with?"
"You left me on my own," Victoria pointed out. "You went to talk to other people—was I supposed to stand beside the wall and speak to no one until you returned?"
"Perhaps you should have done that, yes."
"And what would you have had me do when he approached me?" Victoria demanded. The stunned feeling that she'd had a moment ago was beginning to be replaced by anger. "He greeted me, James. Should I have ignored him? Said nothing at all? Or perhaps you think I should have told him that I wasn't permitted to talk to anyone unless I sought your permission first? Youknow, you told me that we were on a mission to restore my reputation, and that isn't something that will happen if you insist on my acting like an antisocial fool every time I go out of the house. You must realize how unhelpful that would be, how little it would aid in the outcome you say you desire. No one is going to want to marry me if they don't feel they're even allowed to speak to me."
"No one is going to want to marry you if it looks like you're throwing yourself at every gentleman who shows you a scrap of attention," James countered. "You know, that's only bound to reinforce what people already believe about you—that you're the kind of lady who seeks an advantageous marriage in order to socially and financially advance yourself, and that you won't hesitate to harm whoever you must to make that happen."
