From behind the partition, Lady Varley appeared, startling Purity.
“Greetings, Lady Purity.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“It is rude to eavesdrop,” Purity told her, knowing this woman was no friend. More than that, Lady Varley had purposefully waited until Lady Diamond left.
Regardless, she felt perfectly able to stand up for herself and deflect whatever Lady Varley would say. Therefore, Purity added, “I bid you good evening all the same.”
“I read of your engagement. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, but unnecessary, since you were one of the first to learn of it,” Purity said. “I believe you have offered your sincere felicitations already.”Or utterly insincere, as the case might be.
“Indeed, I did, but your engagement didn’t seem true until I saw it in print.”
Purity didn’t know what to say to that, so she threaded the needle and hoped the woman would go away. Instead, Lady Varley took the stool vacated by the countess.
“I must apologize for the fighting that occurred,” she said, watching Purity’s profile.
“Why would you need to do that?” Purity asked, hurrying with her stitching so she could escape.
“I understand from what was overheard at the gentlemen’s club, they came to blows over me.” She batted her eyes as if it were a badge of honor.
“You?” Purity exclaimed.
“Why, yes. I had a private encounter with Foxy recently. I believe your fiancé was boasting about it to get my husband’s dander up. He succeeded.”
Purity considered this information, wondering if it could be true, while keeping her gaze on the work at hand.
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask either one of them. Varley threw the first punch on my behalf, dear soul, and then Foxy gave it back to him. While you’re at it, ask him about his drawing-room sofa and whether it needed to be cleaned recently. I’m afraid we got quiteheatedupon it a few days ago.” Lady Varley trailed off, waiting for some indication her attempt to send Purity into a great tweague had succeeded.
Purity said nothing, not even when she carelessly pricked her finger. After years of practice, she would not let this baggage dressed like a lady make her lose her civility or behave like a sorry scrub. She didn’t even pull her hand out from under the fabric in order to suck the sore spot.
Lady Varley sighed. “I told Foxy you were too much of a bland morsel to give him a run. Why, you can’t even scrounge up the spark to gainsay me. It would be pointless, anyway. I was stretched out on his cream-colored divan as surely as you and I are here now, and he ... well, never mind. If you aren’t a complete simpleton, then you know what I’m saying. I imagine this won’t be the last time a woman tells you she enjoyed herself tremendously with your fiancé, or in the future, with your husband.”
Purity finished the last stitch, knotted the end of the thread, and snapped it off. Then she rose to her feet, refusing togive Lady Varley the satisfaction of seeing how her knees were trembling.
Smoothing her dress, she looked in the mirror, noticing how pale she’d grown and how bright her own eyes.
“There, that’s better,” she declared, lifting her chin.
Reaching for her gloves, Purity slowly, carefully donned each one before securing her reticule once more upon her wrist. Then she touched her hair, which was perfect. Finally, she turned.
Despite remaining composed, there must have been something in her countenance, for Lady Varley took a hurried step back.
Hardly knowing how she did it, Purity nodded to her as if they had just discussed the quality of the supper or the musicians.
“Good evening,” Purity said politely, as that was how she had been raised.
Then she brushed past, leaving the woman to rot in her own base conduct of which Purity would never participate.
Something had happened. Matthew sensed it when Purity stiffened at his touch for their last dance of the evening.
“Is there anything wrong, kitten?” he asked.
Her blue eyes blazed at him, glittering with ... contempt? The answer was clearlyyes. Something had in fact happened, beyond the fighting at his club, beyond her being compromised at Syon Park, beyondThe Timesslimy paragraph.
“Do not call me thusly,” she hissed. “It is demeaning and dismissive.”
