“Mr. Baldeston,” Harriet replied, and Carina’s stomach tightened.
“We met his wife today in the schoolroom,” Lily said thoughtfully. “She is Lord Durward’s sister.”
“How do you know that?” Carina asked, startled.
“Lady G. must have mentioned it,” Lily said. “Or Snake, perhaps.” Interestingly, her pace increased again.
“They’re up to something,” Harriet murmured.
By then, the riders had halted to talk to the younger girls. Carina hung back as she approached, but Lord Sanderly made a point of introducing her along with Lily. Baldeston acknowledged her civilly, and the riders dismounted to lead their horses so that they could all walk together.
Sanderly addressed his betrothed. “Baldeston says Durward went off to fetch his brother home from school, so I doubt he’ll be here for the wedding. “Wolf has arrived, though, and Jonny Berry...”
“Who will you choose? They could both stand up with you, I suppose. After all,Ihave several attendants.”
Carina was only vaguely aware of their discussion, for despite dreading Durward’s appearance, the certainty of his absence felt like another blow.
It’s as well, she told herself stoutly and kept repeating it in her head. It didn’t help. She wanted to go back to her pleasant little bedchamber and weep.Don’t be pathetic, Carina Jasper. You are here for a reason...
Hastily, she looked around to locate her charges, who were in a huddle around Alex and his horse. Rather to her alarm, Mr. Baldeston walked beside Carina, while the betrothed couple discussed attendants behind them.
“You impressed my wife this morning,” Mr. Baldeston murmured.
It was so patently untrue that Carina blurted. “Just by not being obviously from some dockside stew?” She bit her lip, flushing. “I beg your pardon.”
But Baldeston merely looked amused. “Durward does set up certain expectations, but I’ve never known him to inflict them directly on Society. No, you simply impressed her. Durward has a habit of surprising us. For what it’s worth, I believe the Foster mess shocked him into a reassessment of his life.”
Carina thought so, too, but it rattled her more that Baldeston should discuss it with her. Perhaps that was why she dropped her guard for an instant to ask, “Why did he do it? Fight all those duels?”
Baldeston turned to meet her gaze. “Why do you think?”
Because it was not them who were meant to die. She couldn’t speak the words aloud. It felt too much like betrayal and was something neither she nor Durward had ever put into words.
Nevertheless, Baldeston seemed to understand. “So I have always thought. He has always been self-destructive, ever since I have known him—I think since his parents and his little sister died.”
She could not allow herself to dwell on Durward again, not with such intensity as before. And yet she found herself asking, “How exactly did they die?”
“Some fever or other. They all had it, apart from Duncan who was a baby. Only Marmaduke and Bethany survived.”
“The guilt of a survivor...”
“Partly. They both feel that. But it was Durward who brought the illness home from school.”
Her breath hitched and words spilled. “Oh, no. Pooridiot—” Her voice broke.
“Precisely. I don’t know if he even realizes it. But from that time on, his boldness became recklessness. As if he was already on borrowed, or even stolen time. No dare, no danger was too great for him to indulge. And then he honed his shooting skills and believed he could make his opponents invulnerable. He always did too, inflicting only the most minor grazes. Until Foster.”
“But Mr. Foster will live, will he not?”
“I pray so. I understand he has more chance than anyone gave him credit for at one time.” He smiled slightly. “I have hopes that between your influence and Foster’s near-death, Durward has turned an important corner.”
“Oh no, you misunderstand, sir. I have no influence over his lordship.”
“I think you underestimate yourself, Miss Jasper.”
“No. Did your wife not tell you? I am only the tugboat captain’s daughter.”
Baldeston did not react. “Notonly,” he murmured. “Are the children allowed to go into the pond with their shoes on?”
