“Is that what we’re calling it?”
“It would help if I could see,” she muttered.
“Ah, Lady Samson, how lovely you look this evening,” he said, as if he’d not spoken those words multiple times already. The woman he’d just complimented preened, so Liberty knew he’d sounded genuine.
“I forbid you to wear your glasses,” her mother hissed seconds later.
“It saddens me that wearing my glasses makes you ashamed, Mother, when without them I am basically blind.”
“Liberty,” her mother said, clearly shocked at her words. “It is not that at all.”
The entire conversation was taking place in harsh whispers, and likely this was not the place, but she still felt a need to say the words.
“I would rather see than reach my bed with a headache and sore shins from walking into things,” Liberty muttered.
“Be quiet, both of you,” her father said under his breath.
Shooting the line a look, Liberty gauged how long she would have to stay here before slipping away to find Alice, who had already arrived with her aunt, who thankfully had won at chess and seemed in a pleasant mood.
Studying the ones closer, she stiffened as she saw Tobias was next to greet them. He’d kissed her at Vauxhall Gardens, and she’d been able to think of little else. Squinting, she noted he looked pale. Even in this light, she could see that.Was his jaw clenched?
“Good evening, Tobias,” her father said.
With him were Lord and Lady Hamilton and Lord Stafford.
“Duke and Duchess,” Tobias said.
Liberty watched him bow, and when he straightened, wince. He didn’t look right, and his eyes seemed odd and squinty. But then again, that could just be the light and the fact she couldn’t see clearly. Was he ill? The thought should not have made her stomach clench; however, it did.
“Lady Liberty,” Toby said, reaching her next.
“What’s wrong?”
“Pardon?” He straightened after bowing, and she could see clearly something wasn’t right now. His eyes definitely looked odd.
“What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing is wrong with me,” he denied, but the words held little strength. “Good evening.” He then walked away, and Lord Stafford greeted her.
She debated for all of five seconds before asking, “What is wrong with Lord Corbyn?”
“As to that, Lady Liberty, I am unsure, as he has yet to tell me. Butclearly something is, if you noticed it also.” His eyes followed the tall form that was heading for the doorway which led to the ballroom. “I shall follow and get it out of him.”
“Lady Liberty,” Lady Hamilton said, greeting her next with her husband.
“Lord and Lady Hamilton.” Liberty dropped into a curtsey, but her eyes were on the door that Tobias had just walked through.
“I know that you and Tobias were close friends, my lady,” Lord Hamilton said.
If the words shocked her, she didn’t show it. “Once, long ago, my lord,” she said.
“Perhaps one day you could ask him again why he turned from you, my lady? He could do with another friend in his corner, especially now he has Florence,” the man said. He then smiled and walked away with his wife, leaving her reeling.
She’d had doubts, of course, about why Tobias had done what he had to her, and they’d intensified recently.Should she ask him? Would he tell her the truth?
Liberty went through the motions of greeting the guests, but her head was whirling with thoughts of Tobias.Was he all right?
“Smile,” her mother hissed out the side of her mouth. “Good evening, Lord Michael.”
