“There will be no ball, Mama,” Catherine spoke harshly over her shoulder and then instantly regretted the tone that she used. She sucked air in through her teeth as her eyes closed. She wished that she could pull the words back to herself, but the damage to her mother’s fragile state was likely already done.
“We were invited to a ball?” Arabella asked softly. It did not seem to matter to her who had delivered the invitation, or what it might mean. For her, it was only a chance to go back to the life that she had loved so deeply.
Lord Richard grabbed the opportunity in front of him. “The Wallingham ball, yes, my lady. In only a few days’ time. I know that it will be a crunch to accomplish whatever needs to be done to ready yourselves, but I would be more than happy to assist you and your daughter in any way that I can.”
Arabella took a long look at Lord Richard, and then at her daughter. Catherine knew that her mother jumped instantly to the very wrong conclusion about the pair of them.
“That would be so kind of you, my lord. Thank you!” Arabella’s voice grew stronger as she spoke. “Might I?” she held out her hand for the invitation, which Catherine had no choice but to hand to her mother. “Oh, darling, perhaps this is just the blessing that I had prayed for! I knew that our friends would not abandon us so easily in our hour of need!”
Catherine glared at Lord Richard as if he had done all of this on purpose. He likely had. “We are not going to accept, Mama. It would be a mistake. Lord Richard is only being cruel.”
“Oh.” Arabella turned sad eyes to Lord Richard. “Is that…”
“I would never!” Lord Richard seemed genuinely uncomfortable as he moved to comfort her mother. “I mean every word.”
“Well, it does not matter your intentions, Lord Richard. Whatever they might be, my mother and I are not going to entertain the idea of charity from the very same men responsible for our ruin.” She folded her arms firmly across her chest. “There is nothing else that you could say to change my mind.”
“The actions of my father were deplorable. I am merely attempting to ease the sting of that pain in any way that I might be capable. Please believe that you are not the only person with resentment for the actions of my father. We do not choose those who sire us,” Lord Richard spoke flatly, a final attempt to make her see his point of view.
She could not.
Even if she could understand that perhaps…just perhaps, he had not chosen a cruel father any more than she had chosen one who suffered from the demons of addiction as strongly as hers had. Her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she chewed on the pillowy skin there, holding Lord Richard’s gaze for a long moment. The space between them felt as if it were growing smaller despite neither of them having moved at all.
What was the matter with her?
“I said no. If you mean what you say, then you will respect our wishes and never darken our doorstep again,” Catherine said firmly. Before she could think better of the idea, she quickly turned and dragged her mother back into their cottage.
It took everything in her self-control to keep from looking back over her shoulder to the man one last time.
Chapter 6
Wallingham Place
“You have been rather quiet these last few days, boy,” the duke spoke out of the corner of his mouth, not looking at his son as he addressed him. While his words were posed as a statement, Richard knew very well that they were meant to start an explanation.
“I do not have anything to say to you, Your Grace,” Richard answered flatly.
“Still pouting about that girl and her mother, are you?” the duke continued as he tucked his signature pocket watch into the side pocket of his waistcoat. The gold chain glinted in the light. Richard could remember wanting to inherit that watch so badly as a child. He had hoped that it would be left to him when the time came for him to step into his father’s shoes.
Now, he wanted nothing more than to smash it with a hammer.
He had found out some years ago that his father intended to be buried with it. Fitting, Richard had thought, that something so significant to his father would never be left to him.
He chose not to answer the pouting comment, as it was only going to start yet another fight between them, and he did not think that he had the energy for it. He had people to attend to. Guests would start filing into Wallingham Place shortly, and he did not need to have any lingering bitterness causing knots to form in his shoulders.
Lady Catherine had not accepted his invitation, but he was choosing to hold out hope that she and her mother were going to show. He had given express instruction for them to place their dresses for the evening on his account at the modiste.
He did not know yet if they had taken him up on his offer or if that was just another thing that Lady Catherine was going to hold against him. No doubt she had to think that his list of transgressions against her was long.
“I do hope that in your little temper tantrum, you are not thinking of doing anything foolish this evening, boy.” The duke stepped in front of Richard, so he had no choice but to look his father in the eye.
“Foolish? Me?” Richard answered with an impish smirk. “Whatever would give you that impression, Your Grace?”
“The Dowager Duchess, Lady Isabella Elmsworth will be in attendance tonight. I expect that you will be the consummate host for her, pay good attention. I wish for you to be in her good graces.”
Richard scoffed.
The duke’s shoulders tensed. As easily as he was provoked, even the slightest hint of resistance to his personal wishes would be seen as an attack. When he was younger, the duke would not hesitate to have him lashed for such behavior. Now, given that people would be arriving, he could not do such a thing. Though Richard could easily see the hate in his father’s eyes as he glowered at him.
