“Your Grace.” Katherine sat back. She seemed to lack the strength to roll her eyes. “You’ve given the girls enough.”
“Bollocks. Never enough.”
He clapped his hands and the musicians played louder. “Now we dance. I must see if we—”
Mark came into the room. “Your Grace, Lady Hampton, Miss Wilcox, Miss Scarlett Wilcox.”
He made a grand bow. “Sounds as if the ball has already begun.”
“If that were the case, there would be dancing.” The duke passed me and Katherine and presented himself to Scarlett. “Madame Science, at my balls, everyone dances. I know Miss Georgina can. I suspect Lady Hampton was dazzling on the arm of the viscount—”
“No.” Katherine sipped at her goblet. Her tone was sharp, ringing like shattered glass. Then she lowered her voice. “No balls as Lady Hampton. Never had the opportunity.”
Both Mark and the duke glanced at her, then away, as though they’d stumbled upon her private grief.
But it wasn’t private.
It was shared by all of us. Her choices had made us reclusive.
My love for my sister was without measure but our blind devotion to her had led us here.
Then my rash actions made things worse.
But now I could fix all. “I understand, Katherine. Finally, I do. I can sacrifice too.”
Her gaze cut to me. A well of anger and fear covered those familiar eyes. “Don’t. Don’t do anything rash.”
“Rash should be my second name.” I lifted from my chair.
“Lord Mark,” Katherine said in a panicked voice, “will you dance with Georgina?”
Reddened cheeks, he looked hesitant.
“At least a Wilcox asked this time before entangling you,” the duke said as he offered his hand to Scarlett. “Dance, sir. Wilcox women are the finest ladies in London. Then go to Dido for consolation. She will remain with us until after the ball.”
The painting in his music room would console him? Before I could ask what the duke meant, the musicians changed from playing a reel to something regal.
Mark had my hand.
As Katherine watched, the four of us performed the minuet, then switched to the cotillion.
The formidable footwork tangled up my genius sister. Scarlett wobbled, forgot when to turn, but the masterful duke made her actions seem more fluid, less stiff.
Mark was superb. As easy on the pianoforte’s keys, it seemed my music teacher could float us about the room and bring me with him to the clouds.
“Have you finished your submission?”
“I, ahh. No. Been distracted, helping the duke interview candidates.”
“A new position for his science meetings? A research patronage?”
“No, candidates for you, for the silly bet he has with Lady Hampton.”
I knew the duke was doing something. He wasn’t the type of man to let anything go. Yet, to conduct interviews without me being present sounded very heavy-handed.
“Talking about me and my desires must bore you. That’s stopping your muse.”
“My muse is you. I’m glad no one is coming up to snuff. The sooner the duke realizes that none of these men are for you, the sooner he’ll end this farce.”
