“Of course, you must, Sarah.”
Margaret gave Sarah a bright smile that likely fooled everyone else, but not Hattie. Margaret looked so downcast, in fact, a prickle of unease darted up her spine.
Was Lord Hayward the reason Margaret had agreed to come to London with so little fuss? Was Margaret nursing atendrefor the handsome young earl? She’d known Lord Hayward was in Town from Alice Weatherby’s letters to Sarah.
She glanced at Margaret, her heart sinking as she read the truth on her sister’s face.
Lord Hayward, it seemed, had made quite an impression on fifteen-year-old Margaret.
Now here he was, mooning over Sarah like a besotted schoolboy. Dash it, why could things never work out as they were meant to?
The worst of it was, Sarah couldn’t refuse Lord Hayward’s invitation to dance—not without forfeiting the chance to dance entirely, and Margaret would never doom her beloved youngest sister to being a wallflower at her very first ball.
“Very well, then. It would be my pleasure, Lord Hayward.”
Sarah gave his lordship a pretty curtsey, but she looked nearly as downcast as Margaret. Fortunately, Lord Pembroke, who hadn’t ventured a word since they’d all returned from the lilac walk spoke up then. “May I have your first dance, Lady Margaret?”
Oh, bless the man! If Hattie could have hugged him, she would have.
Margaret clearly hadn’t expected this, and her cheeks went as red as a peony, but she murmured a shy assent, and it all might have ended happily enough if Lord Egerton hadn’t opened his mouth.
“All three of Lord Melrose’s sisters must dance!” He turned to Hattie with a gallant bow. “Indeed, Lady Harriet, you can hardly refuse me your first two dances.”
Beside her, Cass made a strange noise, a low, rumbling sound that came from the pit of his chest. It was rather like a…
My goodness, had Cass justgrowled? Because it had sounded very much like a growl.
“I, ah…” Oh, no. What was she to do? She glanced at Lady Fosberry, but there was little her ladyship could do, and she gave a helpless shrug.
Goodness, what a conundrum!
Cass had gone out his way to warn her against Lord Egerton, so she could only assume he wouldn’t be pleased if she accepted the man’s invitation, but Lord Egerton had behaved with perfect respect toward her.
With kindness, even. She had no reason in the world to refuse him.
“Yes, of course, I’d be pleased to dance with you, my lord.”
Cass said nothing, but beside her he was fuming with such intensity she could almost see steam pouring out of his ears. Meanwhile, Lord Egerton was ecstatic, and not a little smug. “I look forward to it, Lady Harriet.”
“It seems the question of whether we will attend has been resoundingly answered, has it not, Lady Tremblay?” Lady Fosberry didn’t bother to hide the triumph in her voice. “But not to worry, Josephine. I’ll endeavor to see that my young friends are properly attired.”
Lady Tremblay’s face had flushed an unattractive shade of red. “How wonderful for your little friends, Patience. We look forward to seeing you there.” She seized her daughter’s arm.
“Come along, Laetitia.”
“It’s wonderful to have you back in Town, Lady Fosberry.” Lord Hayward was positively gleeful as he watched Lady Tremblay march off in a huff. “There’s no better entertainment in London than watching you put Josephine Tremblay in her place.”
“Nonsense, Lord Hayward. I have no idea what you mean.” Lady Fosberry drew herself up, but a smile lingered at the corners of her lips. “Come, girls, bid their lordships goodbye, and we’ll be on our way. We’ve rather a lot of shopping to do, you know!”
Before Hattie could follow, Cass caught her elbow and drew her a little apart from the group. “You aren’t dancing with Lord Egerton, Lady Harriet.”
If he’d been a touch less demanding, her hackles might not have risen as they did, but Cass had grown a great deal more arrogant since he’d become a lord. Or perhaps it wasn’t that, at all. Perhaps he’d simply grown accustomed to speaking in just the same way his father had spoken to him.
But it wouldn’t do. Everyone else might bow and scrape before the mighty Lord Windham, but she would not have him ordering her about. It was bad enough he’d tried to order her to leave London, but now he thought he could dictate which gentleman she could and could not dance with?
“On the contrary, my lord, I certainly will dance with him. I’ve already said I would, and I won’t go back on my promise. I realize you’re not fond of Lord Egerton, but?—”
“I’m not fond of him because he’s a villain, Hattie. I won’t have you?—”
