“Hector, no!” she cried, stepping between them. She pushed at the arm that had half-raised his walking stick. “You—you can’t justpunchpeople in ballrooms.”
“Yes, listen to her, you beast—” Gwanton began.
“Oh, shut your mouth,” Clio snapped at him over her shoulder. “I am sick to death of you. You’re lucky I don’t let him pummel you.”
Gwanton clearly wanted to say more, but a glance at Hector’s cane apparently warned him of the lack of wisdom in such a move. He shot them both a poisonous look, then scuttled away, his hand still pressed over his bleeding nose.
Clio turned back to Hector. Behind him, she could see curious, shocked faces peering out from the dance floor. Good God, this was a disaster. She’d come here, at least in part, to smooth things over for Hector. They might be in the midst of a dreadful quarrel,but she still intended to uphold her promises, and helping him gain credibility in thetonwas one of those promises.
And now, this.
She fought the urge to throw up her hands in outrage.
“Have you lost your mind?” she asked. “I mean, truly. Have you gone mad?”
She thought he might look annoyed. She thought he might argue back.
But he just smiled at her, slow and sure.
“Aye, princess,” he said. “I’ve gone utterly mad for you.”
Clio was spitting mad as she dragged him around to a less visible side of the house. Hector knew he should probably worry about that—he was still working on earning her forgiveness, after all—but he felt very calm as he let himself be towed along.
Something had finally goneright. He had been on Clio’s side against someone who wished to hurt her. And that was where he should always be. Her and him on one side, everyone else on the other.
She would see that. Eventually. After she stopped yelling at him.
“—absolute lunacy,” she ranted, her grip on his wrist punishing. She could leave bruises, for all he cared. Looking at them might even be a nice reminder of her touch upon him. “Surely even you can see that this is absolute lunacy, Hector!”
He liked it when she said his name, he decided.
“It is fine that you don’t care about what thetonthinks—well, it isn’t fine, it’s very annoying—but you cannot go hitting people at balls! Not even when they are as completely dreadful as that—that?—”
She was apparently lost for words sufficient to describe Gwanton’s uselessness.
“Sack of shite?” he replied helpfully.
Clio whirled. This was evidently far enough away from the fray for her to be properly enraged with him. That was fine, though he didn’t like the part where she let go of his arm.
“Is this a joke to you?” she hissed.
“No,” he said soberly. “No, I am entirely in earnest, Clio. If someone offends you, I will defend you. It is as simple as that.”
She looked at him as though he was talking pure nonsense, which was foolish, because this was the most sensible he’d been in ages. Maybe in the whole of his life.
“Hector,” she said. Good. They were back to his name. “You cannot justpunchmen who offend me.”
“Wrong,” he said flatly. “I can.” No, that wasn’t exactly how he wanted to phrase it.
“I want to,” he clarified. “I want to punch anyone who offends you—well, yes, probably only the men; I’m not going to hit a woman. But if there are more Gwantons, I want to punch them. I want to bethereto punch them, because I want to be next to you wherever you go. I want to watch you while you dance, because you should get to enjoy that even if I can’t, and then I want you to come right back into my arms.”
She was struck speechless, but Hector had more. This felt good. It feltright.
“I want a home with you. I want you to tear out all the ugly decorations in that stupid townhouse and make it nice. I want you to ask me my opinion about wall coverings, even though we both know I don’t have any, and that I will agree with whatever you choose. I want to have a family with you—not just an heir, afamily. I want as many children as you want to give me.”
Her eyes were as big in her face as he’d ever seen them.
“I want to fight with you, but only over the little things, because I want us to agree on the big ones. I want to show you every part of the world you want to see. I want to—well, I don’twantto go to more Society events, but I will, for you. I want to be with you. I wantyou.”
