It was Richard’s turn to laugh. There was really nothing better than catching his sisters by surprise and pulling the wool over Fiona’s eyes had always been more difficult. “We met at the masquerade,” he confessed, even more amused by the confusion that filled Fiona’s eyes at that remark.
“The masquerade?” Richard and Mary both nodded. “But that was over a week ago!”
“Yes, it was,” Richard agreed.
“I cannot believe that you attended the masquerade without letting your family know.” She paused for a second before saying, “Don’t tell me that Spencer and Papa were aware of your presence and failed to inform the rest of us.”
“No, Fiona. I told no one, but Lady Duncaster insisted that I should participate and after much deliberation I decided that it would be a good opportunity for me to escape my solidarity for an evening.” Bowing his head, he asked, “Do you recall the gentleman who refused to dance with you?”
She nodded, then gasped. “That was you?”
“I hope you can forgive my rudeness, but I knew how hard it would be for me to hold you in my arms without sharing my identity with you. At the time, I was not yet ready to return to Society.” Looking briefly at Mary, he said, “But then I met a woman who would change my life forever. I am in her debt.”
Fiona’s eyes shimmered as she reached for Richard’s hand, enclosing it in her own. “I am so happy for you.” Blinking, she said, “I take it that the two of you have plans?”
Mary nodded. “Your brother has just asked me to marry him and I have accepted.”
“Then you will soon be my sister.” Releasing Richard’s hand, Fiona stepped toward Mary, kissing her lightly on the cheek. Stepping back with the brightest smile in creation, she then said, “Just wait until I tell Mama and Papa!”
Richard stared after Fiona as she hurried away from where he and Mary were still standing. “I suspect my return to Society coupled with our unexpected engagement is about to put the entire house on edge.”
“Your mother will certainly be thrilled,” Mary said. “To marry off three children in less than a month is quite a feat.”
Richard chuckled. “Perhaps she will be able to draw some of the attention away from us.”
“Perhaps,” Mary agreed as she placed her hand upon his arm and allowed him to guide her forward once more.
A feeling of great comfort settled inside his chest. It was one that he looked forward to experiencing every day for the rest of his life with Mary by his side.
“I must say that I am rather relieved to have you back in our midst,” Chadwick said from across the table that evening at dinner, following a toast that Lady Duncaster had made in Richard’s honor. “I thought you were done for. Spencer never said a word!”
“I can assure you that no one is as relieved as I.” Taking a bite of his pheasant, Richard reflected on how wonderful it was to finally be back in Society with the freedom to do something as simple as share a meal with friends. He’d wasted precious time in his self-induced confinement, though it had been for a good reason. A smile touched his lips at the thought of how his foe might react upon realizing that he was not only still alive, but that he’d taken everything from him after years of meticulous planning.
Leaning slightly to his left, Richard whispered in Mary’s ear. “Are you ready to make a public announcement?”
She didn’t turn her head to look at him, her eyes trained on the piece of meat she was cutting, but the blush that rose up her neck and filled her cheeks spoke volumes about the effect he was having on her. “I fear that some may expire from sheer shock since they thought you dead until only half an hour ago.” His return to Society had certainly been met by open-mouthed gapes and a succession of gasps. One lady had even fainted since she’d thought him a ghost. “To announce that you are to be married may be a touch too much.”
“So you think we should wait until tomorrow?” Discreetly, Richard reached beneath the table and placed his hand against her thigh. A devilish grin swept through him when she almost jolted out of her seat, her cutlery clanging loudly against her plate.
“Mind your manners, sir,” she hissed while several curious gazes darted toward them.
“Once our engagement is official, I shall not have to mind them quite as much,” he murmured. “Much less once we are wed.”
She said nothing in response to that, but reached for her wine instead and took a lengthy sip.
“Will you tell us what you and Lady Mary are discussing?” Spencer asked. Leaning forward from across the table, he said in a far more muted tone, “Chadwick is already placing bets on the subject of your interest.”
“And what, pray tell, do you suspect the subject to be, Chadwick?” Richard asked.
A cheeky smile lit Chadwick’s face. “Weeeell...” He took a sip of his wine and then returned the glass to the table. “I—”
“Will say nothing further on the matter,” Lady Spencer cut in. Seated between her husband and Chadwick she’d apparently been following the conversation and had decided that it had gone too far.
“Then perhaps I ought to do so instead,” Richard suggested. Turning back to Mary, he asked her plainly, “Are you ready to become the center of attention?”
“If you are,” she said, offering him the loveliest smile in the world, “then so am I.”
Confident that he would have the life that he had always dreamed of, Richard pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. A tremor raced through him and his stomach clenched as he reached for his glass and hit his knife against it, making it chime. The chatter that had filled the dining room just a second earlier, dwindled into silence as everyone turned toward him, giving him their full attention. Richard sucked in a breath, his hand trembling slightly as he set down his glass. He wasn’t used to getting noticed. Not anymore. And the curious looks he was now receiving were setting him on edge.
