“Is it warm in here?”
Lady Chase turned to her granddaughter, noticed her change in color, and began at once to fuss over her. “Are you overwarm, child? I hope you aren’t getting a fever. Oh, dear. You’re bound to be weakened after that swoon the other night.”
Lady Huntington rushed to put a screen in front of the fire, to divert the heat away from her sister. “There. Is that better? Itisrather close in here.”
“I’m fine, really. Just a trifle warm—”
“Let me just take your shawl.” Lady Huntington drew the shawl off her sister’s shoulders. “There. Just a bit of air, I think. Tell me if you feel at all chilled, Hyacinth.”
Lachlan watched this little drama unfold with tight lips. It was plain to see Miss Somerset’s family cared deeply for her. As they scurried about to make her comfortable, their faces were twisted with a tender anxiety that was difficult to witness.
And yet…
Miss Somerset was a trifle warm, nothing more. What would they do if she took a chill? Set the sofa ablaze?
Lachlan glanced at Finn. He seemed to understand exactly what Lachlan was thinking, and raised an eloquent eyebrow at him.
Lachlan let his gaze drift back to Miss Somerset. Damn it, not one hour ago she’d played Lady Bagshot like a virtuoso plays a violin. She knew just how to pluck every string, coax every note, but here she was now, acting as if she were a porcelain vase about to tip sideways and shatter onto the floor.
It was the columns all over again.
The first time he’d seen her, she’d been tucked out of sight behind that column in Lord Huntington’s ballroom. Her gown, her hair, and her behavior that evening—she’d been doing everything she could to go unnoticed.
She’d been hiding, and she was doing it again, right now. Hiding her cleverness. As soon as they thought she might be feverish, her family had forgotten all about her triumph with Lady Bagshot.
Being underestimated provided a certain paltry freedom, he supposed. No one expected much of an invalid.
But every escape came with a price.
Did she even know she was paying it? Did she realize the light in her face grew dim, and then dimmer still as she sat quietly in the midst of all the fuss surrounding her? With every ray that was extinguished, Lachlan’s chest grew tighter and tighter, until he couldn’t stand to watch another moment of it. “You mentioned something about your gowns the other day, Miss Somerset,” he blurted, his voice louder than he’d intended.
She turned to him in surprise. “Oh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Ramsey. I thought I’d…yes, please, Iris, I’ll have my shawl back.”
Hyacinth let Lady Huntington drape the shawl about her shoulders, then turned to Isla with one of her shy smiles. “We have just over a week before Lady Bagshot’s ball. We’ll have to go through my gowns, find those that flatter you, and have them altered to fit you. Do you suppose we can have Madame Bell in this week, grandmother?”
“Yes, I daresay she’ll come on short notice. It’s lovely of you, dear, to offer your gowns to Miss Ramsey.” Lady Chase patted Hyacinth’s hand. “You’re a good girl.”
Lachlan’s teeth clenched. Oh, Miss Somerset wasgood, all right—as good at managing her grandmother as she was Lady Bagshot. Good at managing everyone, in fact.
“Shall we go upstairs and see if any of your own gowns will do for the season, Miss Ramsey? It will help us to decide what you still need. Iris, you’ll come up too, won’t you?”
“Yes, of course.” Lady Huntington gave her husband’s hand an affectionate squeeze, then rose from the settee to follow them.
But before they could leave the room, Lady Dare burst through the door. “Oh, dear. It’s the most dreadful news. Poor Lady Westcott has had a fall, and broken her leg!”
Lady Huntington gasped. “Oh, no, Violet. Will she be all right?”
Lady Dare’s face was pale, and she was wringing her hands. “The doctor says she will be. He says it was a clean break, whatever that means. He’s set the bone, and made Lady Westcott comfortable, but Nick is beside himself. He’s gone to fetch the servants to pack our trunks. We must return to Ashdown Park at once.”
“Of course, you must,” Hyacinth said, her brow creased with concern. “Poor Lady Westcott! What can we do to help?”
“I’m too scattered to tell. Oh, Miss Ramsey!” Lady Dare spun toward Isla and grasped her hand, her face a picture of distress. “I’m so terribly sorry, but it seems we won’t be able to assist with your London season, after all. Oh, it’s the worst timing, truly! I realize you were counting on our support.”
“Oh, please don’t think of it, Lady Dare,” Isla said. “We’ll miss your company, but of course, you must go at once.”
“Lady Westcott is Lord Dare’s aunt, you know, and his only living relative. She’s a most beloved member of our family, and we can’t bear to think of her alone at Ashdown Park with only the servants to tend to her.” Lady Dare gazed at Isla for a moment, her brow furrowed with concern. “But perhaps Lord Dare can go without me. I could remain in London, just for a few weeks, until the worst of the gossip dies down, and—”
“No indeed, Lady Dare,” Ciaran interrupted, shaking his head. “It’s kind of you to offer, but we won’t hear of it, will we, Lachlan?” He gave Lachlan a sharp nudge.
