“I wager in a few months a premature birth will occur in the Mildenhall estate.” Behind fingers.
“Look at that, she’s just got that Duchess spine now. Money and a title are the best corsets,” someone murmured.
Leo gave Prim an encouraging squeeze as he guided her for a refreshment. She looked at him, her face a mask of indifference
“You are doing great,” Leo said. “They are not wrong about the spine.”
“But utterly wrong about the spontaneous childbirth,” Prim teased.
“It will be a blow to the ton,” he joked.
They walked to the table, and Leo offered her lemonade, the ladies swooning at his attention, and Prim smiling at him, not utterly a performance. This was going better than he thought.
“Prim!” Abigail came towards them, with Edwin in tow. “Finally! I missed you.”
The two women hugged each other and talked while Edwin came closer to Leo and looked at the ball.
“So, how does Leo treat you?” Abigail asked loud enough for him to hear.
Leo gave the meddling woman a pointed look. Abigail laughed.
“Keep looking at my wife like that,” Edwin threatened, seemingly light-hearted, but Leo knew better.
“He is treating me very well,” Prim said and looked back at him with a smile.
The four of them walked around for a while, nodding to people looking at the formidable quartet. The crowd parted and tables emptied when they approached.
“They are positively bewildered,” Edwin murmured, his voice amused. “They don’t know what to make of us. It’s as if two wolves have walked into the sheepfold wearing perfectly tailored evening wear and brought their own shepherds.”
“Edwin,” Prim said with mirth, “we took their favorite gossip away from them. Give them time.”
“I can’t hear you from my moral high ground,” Leo joked.
“You are pushing it a little, Leo,” Abigail laughed.
Leo felt strange. Here he was, with his friends, his wife on his arm, a concept that always sounded outlandish in regard to him. It was oddly tame, and Leo found that he didn’t totally hate it.
“I can’t believe that,” Prim said suddenly.
Leo frowned and stiffened at his side. Did someone manage to offend her? He followed her look and saw Prim’s sister standing at the side of the ballroom, alone and lost like stray puppies.
“Where are my parents?” Prim hissed. “This is what was happening all this time? This is their first season.”
Leo looked at the crowd and found her parents at the other side of the ballroom, socializing and having a good time.
“You must excuse me, Leo,” Prim touched him in the arm lightly. “I cannot… I have to help them.”
Leo looked down at her, her eyes wider and pleading, worried and agitated. He patted her hand that held onto his.
“Of course you can go, Prim. Your sisters look miserable, really. Go, save them. But I will have a dance tonight.”
Prim smiled at him.
“Of course. Just to ensure some names on their dancing cards, and then I am all yours.”
“I’ll come with,” Abigail said. “Together, we can fill those cards in no time. Duchesses to the rescue.”
The two women left, their arms twined, and Leo followed Prim with her look as she weaved through the crowd. Her sisters had life poured into them once they saw Prim approach with reinforcements. Leo chuckled at the sight of the overexcited twins.
