Chapter Twelve
Tabitha should haveknown that Cousin Ralph would turn up at a mealtime.He was the first person she saw when she and Lily approached the gathering in the gallery before dinner, standing out as he did as the only gentleman in morning dress rather than evening clothes.She could almost imagine his conversation with Louisa.
“Oh, no, dear lady, I could not impose.I shall put up at the inn just as soon as I speak to my cousin.”
“We shall not hear of it, my lord.Do join us, and of course you must stay here.”
“But I am not even dressed to dine!”
“Oh, that is of no matter.Truly, we insist...”
And so Ralph would have let himself be talked into what he had intended all along.
He stood now with Sir Peter and Mrs.Saunders, a glass of sherry in his hand.
“Rats,” Lily muttered.“I thought we might have got away without him until tomorrow.”
“He’ll be trying to beat the rumour of his rival claimant.I wonder if he knows he is too late for that?”Several people had already asked Tabitha for the truth of the matter on her way downstairs.Since neither her own nor Lily’s position could be altered by whoever succeeded to the earldom, it had been easy to maintain disdainful ignorance.
Accepting a glass of sherry from Chivers, Tabitha moved further along the gallery, searching for Jack.She would not let him be browbeaten by his family—although how she intended to prevent it was another matter.
“He has just come in,” Lily said demurely.“With the terrifying uncle.”
The girl was growing far too perceptive.Restraining the urge to stick her tongue out at her stepdaughter, she said, “You had best go and greet Ralph.I’ll join you momentarily...”
As she hurried straight to the duke, she was relieved to see no obvious signs of distress in him.In fact, he looked handsome, elegant and confidant.And when he finally saw her, his whole face lit up and took her breath away all over again.
“My lady,” he greeted her, as Chivers offered his tray.Lord Hazlett took a glass of sherry and one of lemonade which he handed to Jack.“Thank you,” Jack said mildly, setting the glass back on the tray before Chivers could move away.“Sir Peter keeps a very fine sherry, at least as good as ours, Uncle—what do you think?”
“I think I see Lord Sark,” Hazlett said coldly, taking his nephew’s elbow.He had not acknowledged Tabitha’s presence by more than the faintest inclination of the head.
“Don’t let us keep you, sir,” Jack said politely, and there was nothing for Hazlett to do, short of a physical manhandling, but to walk away.
“Is everything well?”Tabitha asked under her breath.“Are you?”
“Brushed through without tears on anyone’s part, though old Fox was a bit of a facer.He’s my valet who was my father’s before me.When did Sark—or not-Sark—turn up?”
“Not long ago, I suspect.Have you heard the party gossip?”
“About Hunter’s claim?I heard a few whispers.My uncle knows it, too.It must be all over London.”He turned aside, walking a little further off from the crowd.“Tabitha, you must take care around Ralph.Don’t be alone with him, or, in fact, go anywhere alone.He must be unstable to have taken a shot at Hunter like that—and you are in his way.”
