“I’ll use that to get his attention. I’ll let him know that Anne is in need of his help and lead him to the conservatory where she will be. Once you see me leave with him, give it five minutes before you bring others over. By that time, I’ll have made an excuse to leave, and you will ‘discover’ them alone together. Make a fuss, and with the witnesses you’ll bring, he’ll have a hard time arguing his way out of a match with her.”
Henry fumed. Based on the conversation and mention of Anne, he knew with certainty the first voice belonged to Lady Wrexham. In no way was he going to allow her to entrap him in marriage with her daughter, but he also didn’t want to make a scene. Thinking quickly, he slipped away from behind the palm and made his way toward Reid and Sidney.
“I need your assistance,” he told them quietly, glancing over his shoulder to see Lady Wrexham making her way toward him. Turning back to face his concerned friends, Carrington said, “Reid, I need you to quickly take a few people to the conservatory. Sidney, follow my lead.” Reid scurried off without question, right as Lady Wrexham arrived.
“Oh, Your Grace,” she said while fluttering her fan. “I’m so glad I found you. My poor Anne has twisted her ankle and is unable to walk back to her room. Will you please come with me and help carry her there? I don’t think I’m strong enough to support her on my own.”
Henry had to fight not to roll his eyes at her theatrics, but he maintained his smile and managed to respond with a tone of concern. “I’m so sorry to hear that Lady Anne is unwell. Of course I’ll make sure she is alright.” Turning, he looked at Sidney with wide eyes, pleading for his friend to not leave him alone. Sidney must have intuited what was happening because he sent Henry a smirk before turning to him with a serious expression.
“Do you need help, Carrington?” Sidney asked, feigning ignorance. Henry had to suppress his laughter looking at Lady Wrexham’s confused expression.
“Will you help me assist Lady Anne?” he asked Sidney. “Between the two of us, I’m sure we can help her up the stairs.”
“I don’t want to inconvenience you, Mr. Bright,” Lady Wrexham interjected. “Surely his Grace can handle a poor slip of a girl on his own, no need for both of you. He certainly demonstrated his strength yesterday when carrying Lady Harcourt.” The woman had a glint in her eye as she shared that last tidbit, feeling that she’d cornered Carrington.
“Ah, but with Lady Anne so young and vulnerable, I wouldn’t want there to be any hint of impropriety,” Henry said, trying not to overplay his hand. If he warned her away now, she would only try such maneuvers again. “Surely a group would protect her if questions were to arise.” Henry watched a vein beneath her eye twitch.
“So kind of you to think of her reputation,” she said, “but you had no trouble helping Lady Harcourt on your own yesterday, surely Anne is no different.” Henry could see Sidney was now flush from laughter, and he had to briefly turn away himself to regain his composure.
“Yes,” he said after clearing his throat, “but society is more forgiving about such rules when it comes to widows, isn’t it?”
“So true,” Lady Wrexham responded in a distracted manner. “Well, I’m sure it’s not that bad, she only turned the ankle a bit. I should be able to get her upstairs myself.”
The woman was clearly trying to back out of the situation, but Henry couldn’t allow that. He needed to see this through so he could stop such a scene from happening again. “I won’t hear of it. We are happy to help and don’t want to leave you or your daughter in distress. We simply cannot allow you to fend for yourselves when we may be able to help. Do lead the way, we will follow you.”
With a huff, Lady Wrexham turned and began to hustle toward the conservatory. Henry turned to glare at Sidney and whacked him on the arm when the man had the audacity to let his laughter escape. Thankfully, Lady Wrexham was too preoccupied reconfiguring her next moves to notice. A moment later, the three of them entered the room to find Lady Anne conversing with Reid, Moira, and Grace in front of a lemon tree. Lady Wrexham came to an abrupt halt upon seeing others in the conservatory with her daughter and began to turn pink in the face.
“Lady Geffen, Lady Harcourt, Captain Claybourn,” she said with a nod while greeting each of them in turn. “Are you here to help Anne as well?”
“Help me with what mother?” Anne asked, looking utterly confused and perfectly healthy. “You told me to meet you here, did you not?”
Henry was relieved that the poor girl was not in on the scheme. While he certainly did not want to marry her, he thought she was a nice enough young woman who was above these kinds of machinations. He noticed that both Moira and Grace looked confused as well, so it seemed Reid had not told them they were on a rescue mission.
Stepping up beside Lady Wrexham, Henry whispered, “I think it’s time to cut the act, Lady Wrexham. I overheard you talking with your friend earlier and I know what you were planning.” The woman turned bright red and faced away from the others so they could not see her reaction. “Don’t worry,” Henry assured her, “I’ll not call you out in front of the others. But do know that both Captain Claybourn and Mr. Bright are aware of what you were trying to pull,” he fibbed slightly.
Before she could respond, he turned and walked out of the room.
* * *
“Do you have any idea what that was all about?” Grace asked Moira as they made their way back to the ballroom.
“I have no idea,” Moira replied, “but it looked like Lady Wrexham may have gotten what was coming to her.”
Upon reentering the ballroom, the dance now in full swing, the women made their way over to Fitz, who was conversing with a frustrated Duke of Carrington.
“Henry, what on earth just happened?” Moira asked. “Something was obviously going on in that conservatory.”
“Nothing you need to worry about, it’s been handled,” he said. “I just need to unwind a bit.” Carrington turned toward Grace and extended his hand. “Lady Harcourt, will you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
Grace wasn’t sure she would survive such an encounter. She had not danced in years, with the exception of an awkward set earlier that evening with Mr. Stanhope. A dance with Carrington was another thing all together. It would be rude to refuse him, and she liked the idea of being in his embrace again. At that thought, she began to blush. “It would be my pleasure, Your Grace,” she said after a pregnant pause.
Taking her hand, he led her onto the dance floor as the current song came to a close. Waiting for the next to begin, Grace felt a bit nervous, but settled when Carrington squeezed her hand. As the first bars of a waltz began, he silently drew her into his arms. She relaxed as the warmth of his body seeped into hers, letting her worries float away with the melody, living in this moment.
He was quiet and still seemed preoccupied, but he was also attentive, examining her face as they turned about the room.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked her. “I can see a question lurking in your expression.”
“I admit, I am still curious about what I just witnessed in the conservatory. It seemed something was afoot that most were unaware of, and I’m not entirely sure I was not being used without my knowledge,” Grace said honestly.
