“Enjoy this”—she waved a gloved hand about—“for want of a better word, game you and Mary play, because I don’t think she liked it tonight. The duchess made her sit between her and the Amble sisters and then Dimity, who I was standing with, went to collect Lady Blake.”
“Why?” Zach asked. Mary would have hated being the center of all that attention.
“The duchess told me after Mary had left to dance with Mr. Caldwell, who I think likes her, and will offer for her soon,” Beth said.
Not bloody likely.Zach felt his blood boil at the thought.
“She believes Mary fought with you tonight, and it upset her because when she intercepted her there were tears in her eyes,” Beth said.
“Did you make Mary cry?” Nathan scowled at him. “Shame on you, Zach.”
“I didn’t mean to. We were sparring as we normally do, but she… well, she got upset and left.”
“Well, go and find her and apologize. It will save you doing it tomorrow,” Nathan said. “And one of us being forced to accompany you.”
Zach grunted and then walked away from his family without another word. He felt suddenly childish and silly for the way he’d always treated Mary. Yet, wasn’t that how they’d both always been?
He felt a desperate need to find Mary and make things right.
“Good evening.”
Zach didn’t gnash his teeth as Mary’s sister stepped into his path, but it was a near thing.
“It is such a wonderful night, sir. Don’t you think?” Phillipa Blake said.
“Wonderful,” Zach replied.
She was a pretty woman and fitted the mold of the perfect society miss. Elegant, slender, and haughty, even if her clothing was hideous, although perhaps not quite as hideous as Mary’s now that he took notice.Why was that?She was also a viper. She’d worked her way through his brothers and failed to secure any as a husband, so she’d turned her attentions to him.
He understood a women’s lot in this world was to wed and wed well. He did not have to like that there was little else on offer for them as there was for men, but still, he hated being hunted. Phillipa and some like her were always forcing their attentions on him, and if not them, then their mothers.
“Where is Mary?” he asked.
She trilled out a fake laugh, which annoyed him as he had not said anything remotely funny.
“La, she will be reading in a corner or sitting with the other wallflowers. Foolish girl that she is. Why, I’ve tried to bring her about, but alas, I fear it is a lost cause.”
“Lost cause?”
Phillipa didn’t notice his chilly tone as her smile grew, clearly pleased to have all his attention.
“Oh, indeed. Mother fears Mary will be with her for many years to come. She will be quite the old maid.” She trilled out another laugh.
Zach was not remotely amused.
“Should you be speaking of your sister like that in a public setting or for that matter to me?”
Something in his voice got through to her this time. The smile fell away.
“My brothers may annoy me upon occasion, Miss Blake, but I am devoted to them and their wives and children.”
Shock had her mouth forming the perfect O.
“Furthermore, Mary is an intelligent, beautiful woman who is greatly respected by my family and called friend. Perhaps you should make more of an effort to be a better older sister. Good evening.” Zach’s bow was insultingly brief and shallow. He then stalked away.
Mary might irritate him, but he would have no one, not even her sister, belittling her. Which made absolutely no sense when you came right down to it, as he’d been insulting her for years.
“In my defense, she does the same,” he muttered.
