As they walked through the crowed parlor, though, Ophelia could not help but yet again look for Tristan. Even if he loathed her, she had to find him a way to alert him to Abraham and the secrets he knew. By the time they reached the bonfires and the elaborately decorated gardens, Ophelia’s curiosity got the better of her, and she finally asked, “Is Tristan coming this evening?”
Not Lord Perfect, as she usually called him, butTristan.Even just saying his name aloud seemed to spread a soothing balm over her fraught nerves.
“I thought so,” Theo said, looking around for her brother. “He has seemed a little better as of late, and I could have sworn that Alistair said he would be joining us here.”
“Who will be joining you here?”
A shiver crept down Ophelia’s spine as Abraham appeared at her side; his gold mask glinting in the firelight in the most foreboding sort of way.
“Lord Weavington,” Theo greeted blandly, “Did you know that you have a most peculiar way of just appearing out of seemingly nowhere?”
Abraham’s smile was nothing but threatening.
“And I always seem to appear at the perfect time,” he retorted.
“Hmm,” Theo grunted, looking him up and down.
“We were just talking about an old friend of Dominic’s,” Ophelia quickly answered, stepping between Theo and Abraham, “One we have not seen in a while. Speaking of, where is Dominic?”
Ophelia’s stomach clenched as she asked the question, praying Abraham had done nothing to Amelia’s husband. Abraham gave a terse nod to his left, his expression grim. Ophelia could not help but whip her head in that direction, and nearly sagged in relief when she spotted Dominic speaking to masked men that were clearly Hugo, Everett, and Alistair.
“I believe he has corralled himself with all of your husbands,” he answered dryly. “You have quite the tight collective of friends,dear Ophelia.”
“We are more like family,dear Viscount,”Theo answered in an equally dry tone.
“A family I will soon be joining,” Abraham replied, his smile just as threatening as before.
Ophelia’s friends said nothing as she shivered in the gathered tension. Then Abraham turned toward her and held out his hand. Like the meek woman she’d become, she slipped her hand obediently into his; feeling a sudden bout of nausea at his touch.
“Now if you ladies will excuse us,” Abraham stated, curling his fingers tight around Ophelia’s, “I would like to dance with my beautiful betrothed.”
Theo looked as if she was about to step forward, but Seraphina and Rose stopped her as Ophelia let Abraham lead her away from them.
“You are supposed to be improving my reputation, not ruining it,” Abraham growled under his breath as he moved her into the steps.
Ophelia’s cheeks flushed as fear scurried through her veins.
“I am doing my best,” she whispered, “I told them all that I wanted this engagement.”
Abraham half-stepped, half-shoved her into the next step, nearly making her stumble.
“Your best is woefully lacking if your friends’ glares are any indication,” he grumbled.
“I do not know what else I can do!” She whispered vehemently. She started to grow dizzy from Abraham’s jerking lead. “I cannotmake them accept you. I do not know why you want me to in the first place. We are certainly not the most popular members of society.”
Abraham jerked her toward his chest, making her gasp. He stared down at her with rage-filled eyes, making his mask appear even more menacing.
“I questioned your intelligence from your beginning,” he whispered. “I heard the rumors and thought surely you could not be as cunning as they say. Now I know that I was right. You really are as daft as any other noblewoman here.”
Anger sizzled up through Ophelia’s fear, but it was quickly extinguished as Abraham let go of her waist and began pulling her away from the other dancers.
“Where are we going?” She demanded, looking behind her.
The dance floor was more crowded than she thought, and she realized with rising panic that Abraham had taken her away without notice from the others.
“You ruined my plans,” he snarled, tugging her through a bed of withering rose bushes. The thorns snagged at her arms and dress, causing dozens of tiny rips in both. She let out a hiss as she felt the sting, but Abraham kept pulling her forward until they reached the gravel drive.
“Get in,” Abraham commanded, shoving her into the carriage.
