MissEdirisinghe’s smile brightened and they walked through therefreshment room into the entrance hall. The space still teemedwith guests, those not dancing or partaking of the copious punch orthe tables groaning with food.
Miss Edirisinghechatted without pause, speaking of her experiences in London and atballs and gatherings. Sera turned a deaf ear to it while sheseethed. How was it she had allowed a man to control her actions?She did not wait and fret over the presence of anyone:Shewas the one people waited for.
“TheEarl of Roxwaithe,” intoned the majordomo.
Sera jerked hergaze around. The Earl of Roxwaithe entered the room, expressionunsure as he pulled at the cuffs of his well-tailored eveningjacket. His hair was slicked back so one couldn’t fairly tell theunfashionable length of it, though his neatly trimmed beard spokeof his unconventional leanings. He was tall and broad andcompletely different to Stephen in both looks andtemperament.
His gazesearched the room and, when he didn’t find what he sought, hisshoulders slumped. Just as quick, though, he straightened and, withpurpose, strode for the ballroom. Searching for Lydia Torrence, nodoubt. Honestly, the drama between them was tiresome, but offeredendless opportunities to toy with Lydia.
“Father said I should not seek you out, but I could not helpmyself.” Miss Edirisinghe. The girl continued her chatter, nothaving noticed Sera’s distraction. “How could I come to London andnot see you? I told him he had rocks in his head and I would do asI please.” Miss Edirsinghe tossed her head and something about themove tugged at Sera’s memory. “Of course, I did not say this to himin person, merely in my head. He wouldn’t have let me come if heknew I intended to get to know you. My aunt does not know either—myaunt is my chaperone, she has accompanied me on this trip, and shewould be horrified if she had discovered my intentions, simplyhorrified. It does not matter now, though, does it? My plan hasworked, we have met, and I am so, so glad.”
Sera’s gaze slidback toward the entrance. Stephen still wasn’t here. Maybe hisbrother would know where he was.
“Ithought to introduce myself as soon as I disembarked from the ship,but my aunt insisted we instead tour the Cotswolds. It has beensimply an age, Lady Seraphina, and I have no idea how I constrainedmyself for so long. How was it I kept myself from seeking out mysister the verysecondI set foot in England?”
Shock jerkedSera’s head around.
Miss Edirisinghecontinued, joy fairly exploding from her. “He’s the most wonderfulfather, isn’t he? It’s so kind of you to share him with me. That’swhat he always says, that his England family shares him with hisCeylon family.”
A roaring beganin Sera’s ears.
“MayI call on you? I so want to get to know you. I have so wanted asister, especially an older one. Mama and our father have plaguedme only with brothers, and so I just know we will getalong.”
Sera couldn’tanswer. She couldn’t have heard that correctly. Her head… She couldnot think. She nodded, not knowing to what she agreed.
“Ishall call on you. It is decided. Oh, I’m so excited! Shall I senda card? Will your secretary answer? Do you have a secretary? Myaunt has a lady’s maid who handles her correspondence, but I feelsure you are more modern than she.” Her smile faltered. “Oh, thereis my aunt now. I shall have to return to her side, but I will sendyou my card. I am so looking forward to it—” She looked around themsurreptitiously and whispered, “Sister.” With an excited squeal,she bounced off.
Sera staredafter her. The roaring in her head drowned out everything. Herfather…had another daughter? And not just a daughter, but sons. InCeylon. He had a whole family in Ceylon. And he spent time withthem and loved them and…and…
And he had nottold the daughter he had in London.
Something wildand panicked pulled inside her, tearing her insides. She couldn’tbreathe. She couldn’t—
The roar insideher worsened, blades sharpening. She couldn’t calm. Sheneeded—
Red-gold hair. Acurvaceous figure. Focussed, she set a path. “Lady Lydia, so lovelyto see you.”
Lydia Torrenceturned, her expression filled with dread. “LadySeraphina.”
Arranging herface into a pretty smile, she ignored the blades in her chest. “Wedid not catch up properly at the Fanning ball. It has been an agesince we spoke, why surely before you left for the Continent.Remind me again why there was such a rush for you todepart?”
“Noreason,” Lydia said.
“Ah.Well, it was peculiar and many commented on it at the time.However, that is now past, is it not, and you have such deliciousnew gossip. Tell me about the Duke of Meacham. He seems quite takenwith you. Though, if I recall correctly, you had forever set yourcap for another.” This feeling, this churn inside her, it wasn’tlessening. Why wasn’t it lessening? Desperately, she continued,trying something new, trying something that would wound. “Were younot to wed Lord Roxwaithe? Should we expect an announcementshortly?” The hole inside Sera refused to close. Instead, it pulsedas she watched Lydia swallow.
Holding her chinup, Lydia kept her gaze locked with Seraphina’s. It wasn’t working.Baiting Lydia wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working?
Desperationdrove her to continue. “I have been scouring the papers dailyawaiting the bans. Do share what is taking so long. Perhaps it isLord Roxwaithe has not yet proposed? Whatever could be keeping him?Or is it that he just does not want you. Is that it? Did youdeclare yourself and he refused? He would have done it gently,would he not? Lord Roxwaithe is nothing if not agentleman.”
“Whyare you doing this?” Lydia asked, her voice cracking.
Sera froze,uncertainty churning in her gut. Why did she do it? Because it hadalways worked before. In the past, she had aimed a sharp, honeyedtongue at her target and the pain had lessened, had becomesomething she was able to bear, and it hadalwaysworkedbefore. Why wasn’t it now?
In the end, shesmiled thinly and said, “Because, my dear, I don’t like you. Do besure to invite me to the wedding.” Tapping her fan lightly againstLydia’s arm., she gave another smile as she glided away, somehowkeeping the pieces of herself together.
It could havebeen minutes or it could have been hours as she wandered the ball,smiling pleasantly and making conversation. She must have madesense, as none commented on her distraction, and then suddenlyStephen stood before her, a smile on his full mouth.
“Lady Seraphina. Fancy seeing you here,” he saiddrily.
