“You’ve got no proof of that, and they’ve got papers from ’er guardian saying it’s true. She’s married to the brute, and I got no cause to keep ’im away.” He shrugged. “They’ve paid good coin, an’ I got a new babe to feed.”
Reuben felt his gut tighten. He’d known Iseabail was not telling the whole truth from the very beginning. He’d thought it was all about her witch of a mother, but what if she was hiding more? What if she’d been lawfully wed? The thought of giving her over to some brute cut deep into his soul, but he had other priorities. And as much as he would enjoy dancing with the Scottish beauty, he was not in a position to stand as her protector. Especially if she were well and truly wed.
“I’m not a man to rescue any woman—virgin or hussy—from her daft Scottish husband.”
“Then I have yer word to not interfere?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll wait a day and say she’ll be in Hyde Park after yer ball.”
“Done.”
Sammy grunted his approval, and the two shared a pleasant walk back to their homes. And why wouldn’t Sammy be happy? He knew Reuben never, ever went back on his word.
Chapter Five
“Oh no, Sadie!”Iseabail cried, putting her hand out between Sadie’s dance card and Mr. Pierce’s pencil. “He can’t have that dance, remember?”
Sadie looked at her in confusion. Mr. Keller, however, looked absolutely furious.
“You promised the dance after the second waltz to our friend. The firsthonestEnglishman we met on our journey here.” She emphasized the word “honest” because, of course, they’d been stopped by English highwaymen first. Reuben Bates was the one who saved them from the blackguards.
Unfortunately, Mr. Keller took offense at the interruption. His back stiffened, his shoulders went up to his ears, and he even sniffed in fury. “I wouldn’t think aScotswomanwould be so blindly shrewish.”
Iseabail frowned. “What?”
“You meant this dance, correct?” Sadie said as she pointed at the dance after the second waltz. “But the next one’s available, yes?”
“Yes! You haven’t promised it to anyone else, right?”
“I don’t know,” Sadie said, laughing. “That’s what I’m asking you.”
It was a comedy of errors and that always entertained Sadie. She loved anything ridiculous and thought it was even funnier when Mr. Keller turned his back on them with another loud sniff.
“Oh dear,” Iseabail groaned. “I think we’ve insulted him.”
“Of course you did. I thought that was the point.”
“Why would I want to insult a suitor?”
“He’s the one with Indian money.”
“What’s wrong with money from India? Isn’t that what the East India company does?”
“It’s because his uncle married it.”
Iseabail watched the man stomp through the crowd toward the refreshments. “His uncle? But it’s not even his money, then. It would go to his cousins.”
Sadie shrugged. “All part of the clan, I suppose.”
“But it’smoney. Who cares where it’s from?”
Her friend had no answer. What was important to thetonmade little sense to them, but that was why they were guided by the dowager countess. Or so she told them repeatedly.
“So who is this gentleman I’m promised to after the second waltz?”
“Mr. Reuben Bates. He said… Well, he’s supposed to… I mean, he asked me to have you save him a dance.”
