“I have no idea what he is capable of,” Hugh whispered as he thought of Walters’ cruel laughter. That sound that echoed in his head and his dreams nearly a year later. “Besides, what would I tell this woman even if I could? Give her the truth about my sister? What if she spread that gossip all over Society? Then everything I’ve done for Lizzie will have been for nothing at all.”
Diana shook her head. “You must try, Hugh. Trysomething. Respect this woman enough to try.”
He ground his teeth. Those words were enough to stop him in his tracks. Here he’d been judging her father for not telling her or protecting her, but he was not giving her any options either if he didn’t make the attempt Lucas and Diana were pushing for.
“How?” he asked.
“Just like today,” Diana said. “Meg and Simon are holding a soiree tomorrow night. I’ll be sure the young lady and her father have an invitation. We can distract the viscount and you find a way to speak to her alone for a moment.”
Hugh moved to the window and stared out into the garden behind Lucas and Diana’s home. It had begun to rain, and the weather reflected his heart so perfectly that he almost laughed.
“Fine,” he said. “You are correct that she deserves the chance to make her own decision. If her father won’t allow her that, I must. Talk to Meg, if you would. Arrange it and I will do my part.”
Only as he looked out at that dreary day, he wasn’t certain what his part was. Was he savior or demon to this woman? And would their futures converge the way her father demanded they should to save her?
More to the point, why was he so warmed by the idea of spending a moment alone with her again?
Chapter Four
Amelia couldn’t help the flutter of nervousness in her stomach as their carriage rounded another corner and took them closer to the ball at the Duke and Duchess of Crestwood’s estate. There were many reasons why her heart had taken to pounding so loudly. One was that this was the second invitation she’d had from a person of such stature in as many days, and it confused her.
Another was that every time she thought of dukes, she thought of the Duke of Brighthollow. Since the previous day when he had entered the parlor, she had found herself thinking of him many times.Somany times and hating herself whenever it happened. She was engaged to Aaron! How could she think of another man’s stern, handsome face? Or recall every vibration of his deep voice?
How could she dream of another man? It was a wanton thing, a desperate thing, a thing that marked her even if no one else ever knew it. Heavens, when Aaron had come to call just that morning, she’d found herself having a hard time looking him in the eye. Their interaction had been brief and for the first time, she’d been happy for him to go.
She tried to shake those thoughts away, but her anxiety did not fade, for the third reason for her nervousness was sitting across from her, glaring at her as if he knew she’d done something wrong. Her father shifted and said, “I still don’t understand why you have suddenly garnered the interest of such lofty company.”
“Trust me, Papa, I have no more idea than you do,” she said, wishing her voice didn’t squeak so.
“First the Duchess of Willowby invites you, then Crestwood. That is two dukes in two days.”
“Three, actually,” she mused, hating how her mind could so easily spin an image of the third. “The Duke of Brighthollow is a friend of Willowby. He was calling when I was there yesterday. I think you know him.”
Her father’s mouth grew hard. “Just in passing. He was at the Willowby estate, was he? And did he speak to you?”
Amelia hesitated. She almost didn’t want to tell him about the strange encounter with the man. Somehow, she wanted to keep it just for herself. A secret no one else had to know.
He didn’t seem to care that she didn’t answer, though. He shook his head. “It is too bad you could not aspire to this before you engaged yourself to someone of lesser value.”
Her lips parted. “Just because Aaron is not the rank of duke does not mean he has lesser value.”
“Of course he has!” Her father waved toward the bright, big house in the distance. “This circle of dukes, this little club of them, is filled with comfort and riches. With title and pomp and circumstance.”
Amelia thought of Brighthollow’s dark eyes, the way they’d bore into her with an intensity that made her entire body tingle. That was so different from the soft, sweet glances that Aaron shared with her. Shefeltdifferent.
“I don’t want what is in this world,” she whispered, almost more to herself than to Quinton.
His gaze flitted over her, and then he turned his face. “Do you truly love Walters?”
“I said I would marry him. Of course, I care for him.”
“But what do we know of him, really?” he pressed. “He appeared so suddenly and such a short time ago. Perhaps we should put this engagement off a while.”
Her eyes went wide. “We have so much in common, Papa. He is kind and gentle. He likes all the same books as I do. My favorite songs and dances are also his. He even likes to take walks on the same paths in the park as I do.”
The carriage began to slow, and her father let out a harrumph of breath. “Well, we can speak about it later.”
As the door opened and he headed from the carriage, she stared at his retreating back. Talk about it later? She had no idea what in the world he could mean to talk to her about. Everything was decided, it simply hadn’t been announced. There was nothing left to talk about.
