Selina shrugged. “I believe, like anything, it has good attributes and bad.” She paused. “What I do not care for are the scandal sheets, so I cannot say I am fond of society’s voice.”
He brightened, realizing she was referring back to something he had mentioned at the opera. Surely, that had to be an indication that she was thawing toward him.
“Evelyn reads them religiously, though I do not,” Selina continued, almost as if she were goading Lady Evelyn into speaking. “Then again, my dear friend uses them more like a tool of education than to gain any satisfaction from the troubles and downfalls of others.”
Hugo frowned. “A tool of education? How so?”
Honestly, he did not care for the subject matter; he was just glad that Miss Parsons was talking to him at last, with more than short, sharp answers.
You see, Lady Evelyn, I have no need of your assistance or advice.His chest puffed with a feeling of immense satisfaction.
“She reads them to garner information,” Selina explained. “Names, fortunes, who is to beavoided, who is to be pitied, and also, I expect, what not to do if one wishes to never see their own name in the scandal sheets. I have tried explaining to her that such papers exaggerate everything to amuse the masses, but she takes them rather more seriously than I do.”
Hugo smiled. “I quite agree. They say such sensational things. A few acquaintances of mine have had the misfortune of ending up in the scandal sheets, and I happen to know that what they did was not at all what was written. The writers of those papers are vultures, and they do not care that the gossip they are feasting on is entirely constructed of lies. Sometimes, I think they just pluck stories out of thin air.”
“They are necessary,” Evelyn mumbled.
“What was that?” Selina encouraged, a sly glint in her eyes.
“I do not agree with how severe they are upon women,” Evelyn said, a glimmer of that fire returning to her voice, “but I see them as useful warnings, not sensational gossip. Ladies have such fragile positions in society and, often, there is no other way to know when a man is dangerous to one’s reputation than to look to the scandal sheets.”
Hugo blinked in surprise as her dark blue eyes settled upon him, something like a glare lowering her brow and creasing thecorners of those rather striking eyes. Irritation shivered afresh in his veins as she refused to drop her gaze, her expression hardening.
If you believe me to be dangerous, why would you be so bothered about me winning your friend’s favor?he wanted to ask, but he did not wish to lose his temper in Selina’s company. Not after the faint progress they had been making.
Indeed, among his peers, he was not dangerous at all. He had caused no ruin to any reputations, he was always polite and courteous, and though he relished a flirtation as much as any gentleman, he never crossed any lines that might see him branded a rake or a rogue. He was actually rather proud of his ability to walk that line, enjoying himself without causing any harm to anyone.
But by the time he had taken ten paces and could still feel the burn of her glaring into the back of his head, he could not stay silent anymore.
“I do hope you were not referring to me,” he said bluntly. “As far as I am aware, I have never been named in the scandal sheets.”
“There are many gentlemen who have not beennamedin the scandal sheets,” Evelyn muttered in reply, as if he would not hear her.
He turned around. “What are you suggesting?”
“I am not suggesting anything. I was merely explaining the importance of the scandal sheets for young ladies, if they know how to read what is not said as well as whatissaid,” Evelyn replied.
“If you have such a low opinion of me, Lady Evelyn, why did you speak to me so frankly at the opera?” He needed to know; he could not skirt around the matter any longer.
Clearly, she thought that hewas some manner of scoundrel who ought to be in the scandal sheets, or perhaps thought she had read about him without him being directly accused. There were plenty of instances where those gossip rags detailed a ‘certain gentleman’ or a ‘known gentleman’ or a ‘dark-haired gentleman'.
Yet, he had never read a story and thought that he was the secret protagonist, and he would not have this… infuriating woman making him feel as if he should be ashamed of himself.
It was at that moment that he realized that Selina had wandered off with her chaperone, now a good distance ahead of him. She did not bother to look back. Rather, she seemed to be quickening her pace, as if escape had been her intention all along; she had just been waiting for a good opportunity.
“I donothave a low opinion of you,” Evelyn protested, ashergaze sought out her friend. “I told you, I was not suggesting anything. This has nothing to do with you, though I am sure you find that hard to fathom.”
“What I find hard to fathom is your insistence on being so rude, Lady Evelyn,” he said coolly, his patience wearing very thin indeed. “If you were not referring to me, then why glare, why remark so pointedly, why behave as if you were calling me a scoundrel?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wasnotcalling you a scoundrel.” She exhaled a strained sigh. “Indeed, I do not know why I am continuing this conversation. You can feel wounded if you wish, but I meant no injury. That is all I have to say on the matter, for it is my friend you should be concentrating on, not me. You speaking to me right now is futile.”
Hugo could not believe that those words had just come out of her mouth. It was one thing for her to insult his talent with women, it was one thing for her to make veiled allegations, but it was quite another for her to tell him, more or less outright, that he should not be speaking to her at all. As ifhewere the bothersome one.
“If you will excuse me,” she said brusquely, moving to walk right by him as if he were no one, just an annoyance in her path.
Incensed, he acted before he could think, his hand shooting out to grasp her by the wrist, pulling her back. He would not be dismissed in such a fashion. He had spent far too many years of his life being told he should not speak, that his opinion was worthless, that he was not worth acknowledgment, and he would not permit history to begin repeating itself.
I am not a powerless boy anymore. I will not be made to feel like that, ever again.
