But the thought of Mason being out all week brings deeper, darker thoughts to the fore, and James sighs. He reaches the drinks table, and the bartender’s already pouring him another whisky.
“These things are such a bore, aren’t they?”
James winces. It’s as if he’s conjured Raverson out of thin air.
“Almost worth avoiding altogether, but then we wouldn’t get to keep our connections warm, would we?” Raverson continues, following James away from the table.
James has half a mind to simply run out of the ballroom. But that would be far too conspicuous, so he leads Raverson over to a high top. He tries to school his features into something other than panic or dread, and takes an overlarge sip of his drink.
“Your stepfather only had wonderful things to say about you at our lunch this afternoon,” Raverson says.
That pulls James from his internal struggle, and he looks askance across the table at Raverson’s handsome face.
“Well, no, not truly. But he did say you weren’t doing the worst job possible.Middling, I believe, was the term he used.”
Middlingis perhaps one of the kinder adjectives James’ stepfather has used to describe him over the years. But the idea of it being said directly to Raverson in some intimate conversation makes James’ skin crawl.
“Shocking, the entire affair with the Ashmonds, wasn’t it?”
James stiffens. “Pardon?”
“MissBertram walking out on Lord Montson and the ensuing fallout with Lord and Lady Ashmond? Your stepfather said Lord Havenfort arranged for the woman’s attorney and everything. Took Lord Ashmond for a song in the divorce.”
James doesn’t reply, deeply unsettled by Raverson’s gleeful tone. What’s more, Raverson knows things even he doesn’t.Lord Havenfort was the one who arranged for Lady Ashmond’s attorney?
“And the whole ugly business with your aunt and Lord Havenfort,” Raverson continues.
James blinks. “There’s nothing ugly between them.”
“To hear your stepfather tell it, your aunt was trying to extort money from him for a year before she found Havenfort. Havenfort clearly caved.”
James keeps his face carefully blank, but internally, he’s reeling. Not only has his stepfather told Raverson more than he’s ever discussed with James about his aunt and cousin’s situation, he’s gone and twisted the story. Lady Havenfort was hardly trying to coerce the Demeroven estate into giving her money. Instead, with James underage and none the wiser, his stepfather refused to give his aunt any help at all after his uncle summarily wrote them out of his will. Left his own wife and daughter to fend for themselves with nothing.
“I’d imagine Lord Havenfort is desperate to see the two young ladies married. The stink of that whole debacle must be hard to fight.”
“I believe they’re all doing just fine,” James says, hearing the tightness in his voice.
He hates that Raverson makes him so off-kilter. He should have a better bluff than this. Should be able to stand tall against this man, defend his family. He’s a viscount, for God’s sake. But the idea his stepfather might prefer this vile man to him stabs at his innards.
“Thought I might make a call, get to know one of the young ladies after all. Do you find Lady Gwen or MissBertram more approachable?”
James opens his mouth and Raverson leans in uncomfortably close.
“Well, Miss Bertram, obviously. Lady Gwen has such a... reputation. I wouldn’t want a tarnish on my name. And I don’t really like to double-dip, as it were.”
James blinks. “Excuse me?”
“With Mason. Might be too conspicuous with Lord Havenfort as well. Did Mason tell you that Havenfort caught us at the opera?”
James’s heart thuds in his chest. “I beg your pardon?”
“Mason was clearly having a poor time, so I offered to entertain him for a bit, and Havenfort bumped right into us. He was more than willing to pay for my silence. And surely he’d be interested in continuing to keep all this... information in the family. Of course, my being in line for the lion’s share of the Havenfort fortune wouldn’t be a hardship either,” Raverson says slyly before knocking back the rest of his drink.
“You’re vile,” James spits out, too shocked and horrified to mince his words. “Neither of the girls would ever have you.”
“We’ll see about that,” Raverson says breezily.
“And Lady Havenfort is—”
