“All right, I–”
Several lanterns close by began to sway and pebbles crunched as Caruthers trod heavily toward them, looking ferociously angry.“There you are, you little… Ack!”
Alex did not wait for the curse to come out before he tossed Tulip behind him and in the same motion grabbed the angry lord by his throat to prevent him from uttering a crass word or worse, pouncing on her.“The lady refused.It is over, Caruthers.Do not make more of it than it is.”
“She’s a shameless tease,” he growled when Alex released him a moment later, for he was not trying to strangle the lout but merely startle him into stopping.
“She is young and innocent, and you ought to have known better than to lure her away from the ballroom.”
“You mustn’t blame him, Your Grace,” Tulip said, but had the good sense to remain behind him as she spoke.“I am the one who suggested it.I give you my sincere apology, Lord Caruthers.It was wrong of me, quite foolish and wrongheaded.I beg your forgiveness for any embarrassment it may have caused you.”
“Your turn now, Caruthers,” Alex prompted when the oafish lord said nothing in response.“Accept her apology and move on.”
“I’ll show you acceptance,” he muttered, appearing ready to take a swing at Alex, then remembered he was now a duke, and thought better of challenging him.Not to mention Alex was bigger and stronger, and a more ruthless fighter.
“You’ll regret this, Davenport!And so will your pretty pigeon!”
“Not as much as you will if you dare trouble her again,” he said while making certain Tulip remained safely behind him.
Obviously frustrated by the impenetrable barrier Alex presented, Caruthers repeated his curses and threats, and then stormed off toward the ballroom.
Tulip watched with trepidation as her spurned suitor stomped up the terrace steps.“What do you think he means to do?”
Alex did not know, but he doubted the man was going to stay quiet.
He glanced up at the sky that was covered in a layer of clouds, as though the heavens had slammed their door against him, refusing to listen to his silent plea for this little altercation to resolve without further problem.
But he knew it would not.
An entitled lord like Caruthers was not going to take rejection lightly.
Sighing, he placed Tulip’s hand in the crook of his arm.“Come back inside with me.”
Tulip held him back a moment.“But is it safe for you?I mean, people might think I went into the garden to kissyou.Is it not better for me to walk in alone as you first suggested?”
“No.That was before Caruthers leveled his threat.”He was not going to risk that angry lord deciding to stake a claim on her and alleging he had compromised her.
If any false accusations were to be leveled, better they be leveled againsthimbecause he would always protect Tulip.
She held him back again.“But it is certain to cause you more trouble if we walk in together.”
He arched an eyebrow.“Why are you so concerned about me, Tulip?”
“Should I not be?Haven’t I caused you enough of a headache for one night?”
“Aren’t you Farthingales notorious for this very thing?”he teased.“Do not alarm yourself.This is nothing I cannot handle.”
But Alex knew trouble was afoot when he saw Caruthers march out of the ballroom with John Farthingale in tow not a moment later.John was the Farthingale family patriarch entrusted with Tulip’s care, and Caruthers was obviously giving him an earful of lies.On their heels came a small army of ladies and gentlemen, several of whom he recognized as indiscriminate gossips.
The snake had wasted no time in spewing his venom.
“There!I told you!There’s your precious ward, Farthingale.See how cozy she looks beside Davenport?Did I not tell you he had ruined her?”
Tulip gasped and curled her hands into fists.“How dare you spout those abominable falsehoods!And to think, I–”
Alex held her back.“Be quiet, Tulip.”
“But he is a lout,” she said in a whisper, knowing they had to get their stories straight.“I apologized to him and he took it with utter lack of grace.Well, I’ll show him.”
