“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The countess sniffed.
“You’ve never liked him. You’ve always treated him like a pariah in his own family, and you encouraged all of us to do the same.” Aragon was far from his usual affable self. “If there is any apologizing to be done, it should be coming from you.”
The countess swung around toward Julian. “You see? You see what you’ve done? You’ve destroyed his affection for me.”
“No,” Aragon said. “You’ve done that entirely by yourself.” He suddenly looked quite formidable. “If you can’t be civil to Julian, I’d rather you left Town. This is my house, and he is my brother, and, as I’ve already told you, he is always welcome here.”
“And I am not?” The countess drew herself up.
“Not until you remember your manners and stop blaming Julian for everything in the entire world.”
The countess turned on her heel and left the room, banging the door behind her.
In the sudden silence, Julian looked over at his brother. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did.”
“I’ve grown so used to her dislike of me that it barely registers.”
“Of course it registers,” Aragon said. “Once you pointed it out, I began to see it for myself, and I was ashamed of how I’d treated you.”
“There is no need for you to feel like that,” Julian said.
“Again, I am going to disagree with you.” Aragon came over and punched Julian on the shoulder. “And, as your older brother,andan earl, I would appreciate it if you’d do as you are told for once.”
Julian cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
“You are most welcome.” Aragon grinned at him. “Now, are you involved in the planning of this ball, or is it something the ladies cooked up by themselves?”
To Carenza’s relief, Olivia seemed more than willing to continue working with her and Allegra on the charity ball committee. Miss Cartwright was disinclined to involve herself in anything so worldly and had only agreed because her more practically minded brother reminded her they always needed money and that if they wished to expand, it was essential. Mrs. Mountjoy was thrilled to participate and, as the daughter of a viscount, she had all the necessary skills to understand the process of delivering a ball.
Aware that Julian’s reputation could take only so much damage, the ladies made plans with some haste. Having a duchess at its helm meant that most doors were open to the committee and suppliers strove to offer them the best deals available. Mrs. Mountjoy was in her element and happily took on most of the work as she had both the time and the best bargaining skills. The duchess had her own ballroom attached to her vast London house, which made things easier, and a full staff to assist the committee in every way possible.
Carenza and Allegra took on the job of dispensing the invitations and organizing the replies, which was quite a task in itself. Luckily, Allegra loved making lists, and Carenza was happy to let her have her way.
One afternoon, a few days before the ball, Aragon appeared in the drawing room without his brother and with news to impart. Carenza, delighted to be released from her sister’s small tyrannies, sat down with him to hear how he’d gotten along.
“Walcott is completely convinced that I’m in agreement with him about Julian,” Aragon said. “In truth, I hardly had to complain before he started on about all his little grievances. I don’t think he cared about mine, just that someone agreed with him.”
“That sounds like Percival,” Carenza said. “He is the kind of man who sees an insult in everything.”
“I got drunk with him last night,” Aragon continued. “It takes only a couple of bottles to see him under the table; whereas, I can drink about ten before I even feel a bit woozy.”
“How extraordinary.” Carenza stared at him. “And what did Percival reveal when he was in his cups?”
“That he’s out for public revenge,” Aragon said simply. “I hope I did the right thing, but I mentioned the charity ball as the perfect venue for him to humiliate Julian. He was very taken by the idea and said he would consult with Lady Brenton to see what she thought.”
“I knew there had to be a woman with brains behind his schemes,” Allegra commented as she joined them. “I should imagine she’ll be thrilled to see Julian thrown to the wolves.”
“Good. Then I did do the right thing.” Aragon looked relieved. “I also noticed something else. Walcott is very short of the readies. He said he’d borrowed heavily on his expectations and that it was Julian’s fault he couldn’t repay his debts. He also likes to gamble. Several gentlemen approached him in my hearing asking most politely when he expects to repay them.”
“Gambling debts are debts of honor,” Allegra mused. “Not as easy to get out of as tradesmen’s bills without a complete loss of reputation.”
“I wonder if it would be possible to buy some of that debt?” Aragon asked. “I did it for a friend of mine once. He’d been fleeced at a gaming hall.”
“You did?”
Aragon shrugged. “Chap was a good friend of mine, couldn’t let him down.”
