The earl rushed forward and knelt in front of Lady Adelia, taking her hand. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, and Owen was relieved to see color returning to her cheeks, like pale roses against a creamy palette.
What drivel had filled his head?
“Your sister was wandering around unsupervised. And then, she fainted,” Owen said, unable to keep the derision from his voice. “If you are her chaperone, you are doing a piss-poor job of it!”
The young lord glanced up at him, and Owen had to hand it to him. Smythe appeared calm and collected, managing to give him a look that nearly quelled him.
Except while he had been playing nursemaid to this man’s worrisome sister, his quarry had gotten away!
“If you can take care of your responsibilities from now on,” Owen continued, “I have more important matters to which I must attend.”
With that rude statement, which he instantly regretted though it was true, he nodded to the earl and his sister in turn, catching the full glare from the young man and the mortification of the lady’s green-eyed gaze.
She tugged at her brother’s hand, and he brought his ear close to her lips. Owen watched fascinated as she whispered to him. Nodding, Lord Smythe drew her to standing.
“Thank you, my lord,” Smythe said stiffly, and they walked away when Owen was the one who had sought to hurry along.
He turned to find Whitely watching the entire scene play out.
“Enough dallying! Which way did Farrier go?” Owen demanded.
*
“More important matters,”Thomas fumed when they were seated in their carriage and heading home. “The nerve of that pompous jackass!”
Adelia had been thinking the same thing, but it sounded so ungrateful she had to defend her savior.
“Lord Burnley prevented my collapse onto the floor in front of everyone.”
“He could have been infinitely more gracious about it,” Thomas noted. “And he didn’t know if I was close by or answering nature’s call down the hallway. Obviously, if I’d been right there, I would have caught you myself.”
Adelia smiled to herself. Her brother had always had a rather small bladder, and thus, in all probability, had been in the gentleman’s retiring room, passing water.Only a brother and sister could discuss such things, she thought. A moment later, she recalled the Burnleys’ terrible loss. The viscount could never again have a silly conversation with his sister.
“Remember what has only recently happened to Lord Burnley’s family, Thomas. That young lady you hadn’t the chance to dance with, as you said, was his beloved sister. Would you feel very gracious if I had just died? I know I would be deeply in mourning if the situations were reversed.”
A fleeting, mulish look crossed her brother’s face. Then, his expression softened.
“You are right. Frankly, I wouldn’t be out at all if something had happened to you. I think he should have stayed home as he is obviously unfit for polite society at present.”
“He didn’t seem to be there for the dancing. Were you in the room when he dragged Lord Farrier outside to the back garden to question him?”
“No. I was not. Question him about what?”
“A handkerchief,” Adelia murmured.
Her brother frowned. “As I said, Burnley ought to stay at home behind the black crape hangings and do everyone a favor. At least for a little while. It’s almost indecent!”
She nodded, but her heart went out to the viscount who’d saved her from sprawling on the floor. He seemed very angry, perhaps at the unfairness of life.
“What did Lady Sophia die from?” Adelia asked.
Thomas stared out the window. “Who knows?”
*
The next morning,Adelia went out early, her maid, Penny, trailing behind when she alit from her carriage on Oxford Street. Her favorite stationer’s shop beckoned her invitingly.
