Deena felt warmth rise in her cheeks, touched despite herself by his concern. The Viscount was a handsome man with a respectful reputation in theton, but she still felt no connection to him.
“I’m perfectly well, thank you,” she assured him. “I must be fatigued by the day. Please, do go on.”
But just before he could continue, the bell rang.
“I’m terribly sorry, Lord Duncan.”
“No need to apologize, my lady. Better luck with the next one.” He winked at her and made his departure.
Deena clasped her hands tightly in her lap, knuckles whitening as she stared down at them, willing the ground to open and swallow her whole. She felt utterly adrift in this absurd Greystone Gallop, in the entire Duke Hunt, and in England itself. The chatter around her sounded foreign, the rules of this glittering game incomprehensible. And she was finished with mooning over Austin. No more scanning crowded lawns for aglimpse of him. She drew a resolute breath, determination rising like armor. Then a familiar scent drifted over her.
“Are you praying for my arrival, Lady Dee?”
“Or should I call you Lady Veritas?” Austin smiled down at Deena; he prayed to God that the gentleman before him hadn’t caused her to blush so deeply.
“Can we not speak of that in such a public space?”
Austin chuckled as he dropped into the seat opposite her with lazy grace. He left the table he was supposed to be at, along with a clearly disappointed lady, and swapped with Deena’s partner before she noticed.
“We have three minutes,” he said slyly as he picked up the hourglass and flipped it. “Starting now.”
Deena’s hands fluttered to the tabletop. “Why did you abandon your rotation?”
“I negotiated a transfer,” he said nonchalantly. “We have business to talk about. Don’t we?”
“Yes, but?—”
“I see you have published my scandal.” He cut her off and smirked.
Deena blushed. “Yes, are you delighted that half thetonhas been scandalized by your actions?”
“Very much so.” He smiled, but it didn’t last long. “Did it buy you some time?”
“I’m not sure if it did, but I haven’t received any letters yet.”
“You have to let me know if you do receive anything. And I will be keeping an eye on you, Dee. If a blackmailer stops his threats, it could mean one of three things.”
Deena gulped. “What are these three things?”
“The scandal either satisfied him and did the job, or he found what he was looking for, or…”
“Or what?” she asked loudly and immediately clasped her mouth.
“Or…he’s on his way.”
“Oh…”
Fear riddled her eyes, and he silently promised to protect her at all costs. Deena fiddled with her fingers in her lap, and Austinfelt terrible for being the bearer of shocking news, but he was just like her; his title was at stake, too.
“All you need to know, Dee, is that no one will harm you.”
She seemed to calm down a bit, and they exchanged knowing looks.
“I take it that you approve of the article?” Deena eventually asked.
“I do approve, thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed the title of it…above all.”
She ignored his compliment. “Yes, I believe that the wife search will go well after that article.”
