“I can’t, Father. The horse is nervous. It’ll throw me.”
“Have I raised a coward? Do it at once, or I’ll summon your mother and siblings to witness your shame!”
He closed his eyes. The words still stung, despite William knowing, logically, that he was not a coward and the horse had, indeed thrown its rider.
Of course, the rider had been the old Duke, and not William himself.
I would have died. It would have been my neck broken, not Father’s. He would be alive, with Henry as his new heir, none of my siblings married, and all of them miserable.
“Y-Your Grace?”
William’s eyes snapped open, and he found Miss Brookford watching him, her expression curious and a little concerned.
“Hm?”
“Are you… are you quite well?”
He forced a smile. “Yes, yes, thank you.”
She tilted her head to one side, and he had the sense that she was not convinced. To his horror, he felt the urge to blurt it all out – the horse, his father, thedeadline.
Against all odds, William was saved by his mother.
The dowager rose, smiling shyly at her guests.
“Ladies, shall we retire?”
There was a general kerfuffle of activity, ladies rising to their feet and gentlemen falling over themselves to stand respectfully. William rose too, of course. Miss Brookford eyed her half-finished supper with something like regret, but obediently rose, following the other ladies out of the door.
Miss Bainbridge was one of the last to go, and he felt her eyes lingering on him as she passed. The door closed behind them, and he heard the distant laughter and chatter as the ladies headed away towards the drawing room.
The atmosphere relaxed palpably once the ladies were gone. Jests could grow a little coarser now, men could drink alcohol more freely, and there were fewer sensibilities to offend.
Or so some gentlemen thought.
William shifted uneasily, already dreading the pungent stink of tobacco smoke. Some gentlemen were already lighting up cigars, ordering more brandy.
He flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder and glanced up to see Alexander bending over him.
“Time for billiards, I think,” Alexander murmured. “Come. Henry and I are going now, and I do believe Kat is joining us.”
“Kat? She hates billiards.”
“I do believe she’s been playing it with Timothy.Heis discussing poetry and novels with some chap in the corner, so we can let him alone. You are coming, or are you not?”
William hesitated. A good host should stay with the majority of his guests, but really, he didn’t think he could face another few hours talking politely of politics and commerce.
Besides, none of them would notice if he slipped away.
“Surely,” he said at last. “I’m coming.”
***
“Your turn, Kat.”
Katherine grinned unpleasantly, lining up her cue. The billiard balls clicked, bouncing across the green baize, and she managed to pot several at once. The boys groaned aloud.
“You’ve been practising,” Henry said, almost accusingly. “Wait till I get my hands on Timothy. I wager he’ll have taught you all sorts of cheating tricks.”
