“Your years out of Polite Society are showing, Marcus.” Lord Stanstead’s eyes narrowed slightly. “If you must know, I am engaged to stand up in the next set with Lady Beresford and do not wish to be tardy in claiming her hand.”
“I understand.” Lord Evesham seemed to take a closer look at her. “I must ask your forgiveness, my lady. It was not my intent to be rude. Normally, Stanstead here is the social butterfly.”
Lord Stanstead gave an exasperated huff. “Give over, Evesham.”
Phoebe appeared and took her husband’s arm. “Pay no attention to Marcus at all. He can be just like a mama bear.”
Clara strolled over to them with her friend. “Vivian, I’d like to make you known to Lady Bellamny. Almeria, my cousin, Lady Beresford.”
Vivian had heard of the lady—who had not? Lady Bellamny had been a leader of thetonwhen Vivian had come out. Nor was she averse to managing situations to her liking. What she hadn’t known was that her cousin was friends with Lady Bellamny. Vivian inclined her head. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady.”
“Likewise.” The woman’s obsidian gaze focused on Vivian. “Clara has been telling me this is your first time in Town for several years.”
Next to her, Vivian could almost feel both Lord Evesham and Lord Stanstead become more alert. Goodness, why all this bother? “I have not been here since I married.”
Lady Bellamny nodded slowly. “I’m sure you will discover much to entertain you, even if it is the Little Season.”
A volatile under-current seemed to infuse the air around Vivian. Something was afoot. If only she knew what it was. The last set had ended several minutes ago, and now the violins began to play again.
Lord Stanstead held his arm out to her. “Shall we, my lady?”
“Thank you, my lord.”
He took her in his arms, and all the stress she’d been feeling fled. It had been so very long since a gentleman had even touched her. Even through his gloves, and her clothing, his hands were warm and sure. Used to being in command. Vivian had to remind herself this was merely one waltz and, likely, the only one.
CHAPTER FIVE
“What the devil do you think you are doing?” Nick growled at his longtime friend and fellow former officer, Damon, Marquis of Hawksworth.
“Saving you from yourself,” came the self-assured reply. “Couldn’t you see the lady didn’t want anything to do with you?”
“I made a promise.” Nick clung stubbornly to his desire to have all of this finished, one way or the other.
“Well, if you really do wish to wed her”—Hawksworth’s tone was more of a question—“I suggest you leave the lady alone for a bit.” He pressed a glass of wine into Nick’s hand. “I thought all of you fellows on Wellington’s staff had a good deal of address, or did his standards fall after I sold out?”
Nick opened his mouth and closed it again. He actually did want Lady Beresford to refuse him, but he didn’t want Silvia any more incensed with him than she already was. Which meant he had to corner Vivian when Silvia wasn’t around. “You are generally correct. I merely see no reason to postpone this. If she rejects me again, I shall have to look for another woman to be my wife.” Such as Silvia, if he could get her to tell him what he had done to deserve her ire. Conversely, he didn’t wish to see another man hurt Vivian again. His cousin had done quite enough of that. “By the way, who was that pup with her?”
“Oho, I’d be careful of who you are calling a pup.” Hawksworth gave Nick one of his irritating, superior,I know more than you dolooks. “That was the Earl of Stanstead, and although he may be young in years, he is not a man to be taken lightly. He boxes with Jackson, fences with Angelo, and the times I’ve seen him shoot he never missed. If you were to fight him, even with your experience, I don’t know that I would wager on you.”
Just then, a woman in a cream gown caught the corner of Nick’s eye and he turned.Silvia. She was enchanting. Even if she could flay a man’s skin with the sharp edge of her tongue. Though she didn’t look to be doing that now. She smiled up at the gentlemen dancing around her. She’d never smiled athimthat way, except the once. Nick let out a low moan.
“If you’re ill, we should leave,” Hawksworth said. Then he apparently got a look at what, or rather who, Nick was staring at. “She is an Incomparable.”
“Don’t even think about it.” Nick surprised himself by snarling. Hawksworth lifted one dark brow. “She may look like a sweet young lady, but she’s a shrew. I have reason to know.”
His friend’s other brow joined the first. “To you or to everyone? Her partner appears to be enjoying himself.” Hawksworth’s lips formed a sardonic smile. “I never knew you had such a difficult time with ladies. It must have been caused by Waterloo, or are you still upset that you had to sell out? Without the uniform, you now must actually work at being acceptable.”
Nick scowled. “At least I’m not aping the Dandy set.”
His friend laughed. “My dear Beresford. I never copy. I am leading the Dandy set. Let’s depart before you do something that will reflect badly on both of us.”
Maybe Hawksworth was right. It was time to retreat and attack at a later time.
The strains of the violins heralded the coming waltz. Rupert escorted Lady Beresford to the floor—after her husband’s cousin had left, and he had taken the opportunity to further his acquaintance with the lady, until Marcus poked his nose in their conversation and others of their friends and relatives had joined their little circle.
Rupert learned her given name was Vivian, derived from the Latinvivus, meaningalive, yet she was not. Something held her back. She had smiled and joked easily with her cousin and Phoebe, yet when forced to converse with the men, she was hesitant and shadows appeared in her dark blue eyes. Although she had stood up to her husband’s relative, her hands had trembled slightly, as if she was afraid of the man. Rupert was sure her husband had abused her in some fashion. All his protective instincts came to the fore. He would find a way to help her overcome her fear.
Once Vivian was in his arms she felt as light as a snowflake. For the first several minutes, she was tense, as if waiting for something, then she opened up and became more animated. He asked, “How long have you been in Town?”
