“I say she has to have cheated,” a male voice said.
“Agree.”
“No one has been able to beat Mr. Hasslebach. How can she? A woman.”
Liberty ignored the words. She was used to people’s opinions where women were concerned; she and others faced them daily.
“Take that back,” Edward said in a loud voice, which drew her eyes. Her brother was now standing toe to toe with a much larger and older man than him. Liberty moved closer, but before she could reach her brother, Tobias appeared, nudging Edward to one side. He then handed him Florence.
“She won that match using skill, and the fact you would say otherwise, Lucas, speaks more to your character than hers,” Tobias said in a hard, cold voice. “Now apologize for your words at once.”
The crowd had turned from the chess game to watch Tobias and Mr. Lucas, who Liberty had danced with a few times, and didn’t like at all. She’d agreed with Alice when she’d said his eyes were too close together.
“I say, Corbyn, we were just chatting,” another man said, but she couldn’t see his face as he stood behind the crowd.
“If Lady Liberty were a man, she would call you out for what you just said, Lucas. Apologize at once.”
Liberty held her breath, waiting to see what would happen, and then Mr. Lucas muttered an apology to Tobias, who looked mean enough to punch him.
“It is not to me that you need to say sorry, Lucas,” Tobias then said, looking at Liberty now. “Come closer, my lady,” he said holding her gaze. “Mr. Lucas has something he wishes to say to you.”
She didn’t want to come closer, or make the already-created scene worse, but she knew she had no other option. Liberty approached, wishing herself anywhere but here.
“Well done.” A few of the women called out to her as she walked. “Congratulations, Lady Liberty.” Lady Yarrow, who was a close friend of her mother’s spoke these words. She was going to be in so much trouble when this news reached her.
“Say the words, Lucas,” Tobias said when she stopped beside him. A muscle ticked in his jaw. She remembered seeing it a time or two when they were children, and it had been she back then who had provoked him.
“I’m sorry for my words, Lady Liberty.” Mr. Lucas looked like he’d swallowed a mouthful of ten-day-old haddock.
She nodded. He then bowed and walked away with haste, taking his friends with him. They threw quelling looks at her over their shoulders.
Oh, this was bad. Her parents would surely hear, and then when she stepped into society she would be the center of attention, which she loathed.
“I’m sorry, Florence,” Tobias was saying then as he took the girl back in his arms. “For raising my voice.” She patted his cheek as if to say she forgave him.
The sight of this handsome man holding that sweet little girl, with the dog at their feet had a few women nearby smiling, but not her.You loathe him,she reminded herself.
“Did you have to humiliate him?” She looked at Tobias after shuffling sideways and putting some space between them.
“Yes. I would have punched him if there weren’t a crowd, and Florence wasn’t with me,” Tobias said, now calm.
“I’d like to have seen that.”
“That will do, Edward. You are becoming entirely too bloodthirsty,” Liberty said.
She should thank Tobias for standing up for her honor, but what she’d rather do was walk fast in the opposite direction. But she was no coward.
“You did not need to step in, but thank you just the same for it.”
“If that was you being grateful, it was a pathetic attempt.” His brown eyes held something she’d not seen in a long while as they looked at her. There was a wicked glint in them now the anger had gone.
“It is the only one you are getting. Now come along, Edward. It will be a miracle if mother doesn’t hear about this.”
“Oh, she’ll hear. I just saw Mrs. Minton,” Edward said, looking happy considering they would both be in a world of trouble when they got home.
“My lady, this is yours.”
Mr. Hasslebach came to her side, holding out a chess piece for her. “The winner of this competition keeps it until the next tournament is called.”
