Afterward, they all broke into small groups to discuss what they had heard. The conversation within Evelyn’s circle soon turned to praise for a recent musicale, and she found herself looking around the room, bored by the change in topic.
Evelyn had felt safe, protected in a way she never would have expected with Asher by her side, but now as she stared around the room, it almost seemed as though more heads were turned her way, more mouths whispering behind hands.
Was she looking too far into things, or was she accurate in her assessment? She could have sworn the tone shifted as people left their initial conversation groups and the room fractured into smaller pockets of guests, voices lowered and eyes flicking toward her. Were they talking about her, or was it all in her mind after recent events?
There was one way to find out for certain.
Accepting a drink from a tray offered by one of the footmen in order to appear nonchalant, Evelyn began strolling around the room, her ears alert as she tried to hear snippets of conversation, and she was not at all surprised that Lady Norwood’s voice was the loudest and the most judgmental.
“It’s remarkable how frequently accusations follow ambition,” she was saying. “Why, the lady had no prospects at all, and then suddenly she is thrown into a situation which causes marriage? Ha.”
That wasn’t necessarily about her, but it would certainly fit.
“I am sure we do not know the full story,” said Lady Norwood’s companion, who Evelyn could not yet see. She stepped forward to peer around the gentleman in front of her. Ah. The mysterious Miss Vale Vale. Interesting.
Lady Norwood waved away her partial defense as though it were inconsequential. “And now the accusations against the woman’s father? It is all rather too coincidental, don’t you think?”
Well, that was most definitely about her.
“I actually have no idea about which you speak,” the beautiful Miss Vale said with a polite smile. “Now if you will excuse?—”
“You have not yet told me where you are from, dear,” Lady Norwood interrupted, but Miss Vale only said, “No, I did not,” almost causing Evelyn to let out a bark of surprised laughter.
Miss Vale caught Evelyn’s gaze and shot her a mischievous grin before striding away, just as Evelyn heard a gentleman to the right of her murmur, “I do feel for the dowager duchess. One cannot choose one’s relations. The man should not have raised his daughter as he did. That’s why it is best to avoid bluestockings. Everyone knows that.”
“You know Ravenscar tried his best, but scandal found him anyway.”
“Well, his best was not enough, then.”
Evelyn closed her eyes and sank back into the shadows against the wall as conversation continued to ebb and flow around her. It seemed no matter what she did, this scandal would not die, and now she had brought Asher farther into the web than he ever would have been had he not married her. Why had he insisted on doing so? He would have been far better off, for so many reasons, to have let her be and lived his life. It was what he had wanted anyway, had he not? To be free of scandal? Now he was only further embroiled in it. The only reason shecould see for him marrying her was to protecther, which made no sense at all, given his inconsistent demeanor toward her.
The room began to close in, her palms cold, her breath shallow. The humiliation felt worse than anger. She was watching Asher’s future and name be tainted because of her.
Perhaps it would be best if she asked to stay at his country home for a while. She wouldn’t cause him any further damage, and he could still retain his influence. Even her father’s own prestige could return to him if she weren’t visible to society.
For tonight, however, she refused to hide in the shadows as if she had done something wrong. So instead, she straightened her shoulders, found a circle of women she wanted to join, and made her way forward. She was a duchess, for goodness’ sake. It was time she started acting like one.
After his old friend,Lord Rowan Blackthorne, continued on his way, Asher caught sight of his wife rounding the room. She approached a circle of women, her back stiff, although the usual expression of calm on her face remained.
He knew her well enough, however, even after a few short weeks, to know that something was wrong. He started toward her when a conversation from a group of men beside him caught his ear. They were questioning Evelyn’s father. And they were questioning her.
The more he circled the room, the more he heard the same remark repeated twice, then three times, all by different people, which told him one thing — this rumor was being spread deliberately. Someone planted it here, at a salon like this, where gossip sounded credible, where the audience was more orless respectable, and the damage might be quiet but would be lasting.
He was about to join a conversation and find out for himself when Lady Lancaster called everyone in the room to attention.
“Thank you all for your attendance today! I hope you found the lecture interesting and thought-provoking. Before we move on to the music portion of today’s salon, would anyone else like to have a broader discussion regarding the text we heard?”
No one said anything, and Lady Lancaster cast her eyes over the room as though in search before settling on the far right side.
“Lady Ev— that is to say, your grace? You always have such interesting opinions.”
Either Lady Lancaster wanted to further humiliate Evelyn, or she had not been privy to the discussions regarding her. Likely the latter, based on her excitement upon seeing Evelyn.
Murmurs began around the room, and Asher caught a few comments near him about how she would have rather interesting opinions, given she was a manipulative bluestocking with a criminal father. When someone shouted something of the sort much louder for all to hear, he decided he’d had enough.
He took a step forward.
“I have something to say.”
