Page 39 of The Duke and the Darkness

She was playing with fire, and Devlin seemed determined to stoke it.

“May I introduce my sister?” Devlin gave her arm a brief squeeze of reassurance. “This is my youngest sister, Lady Theodora. Teddy, this is…”

He paused, giving Peyton the opportunity he’d promised for her to reveal her identity.

But she couldn’t. Instead, she forced a wide smile for the girl and said, “Elizabeth Wentworth. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Devlin lowered his hand away.

“How do you do, Miss Wentworth?” His sister bobbed a curtsey. “Welcome to Dartmoor House.” Then, hostess pleasantries over, she turned directly to her brother. “Devlin, you’ll never guess what arrived this afternoon.” She held out the card. “An invitation to my friend Matilda’s ball! It’s her introduction. Oh, please say you’ll let me attend!”

Devlin cast an apologetic glance at Peyton as he took the invitation and read it. His face remained carefully inscrutable. “You’re only sixteen, far too young for a ball.”

Theodora’s shoulders deflated like a balloon. “I am not at all too young. All my friends will be going, and they’re mostly all my age.Theirparents think it’s perfectly fine for them to attend. Besides, I’ve been taking dance lessons for the past year.” Disappointment colored her voice even as she fiercely argued with him. “I know how to behave myself.”

Devlin’s brows rose at that.

“It’s aball.” She dragged out the word to five syllables, as if her brother had no idea what one was. “I couldn’t possibly come to any trouble at a crowded ball.”

At that, his brows nearly shot off his forehead.

Peyton bit her inside cheek to keep from laughing. Whatsheknew was that Devlin had caused countless incidents of scandal at crowded balls across London and knew better than anyone what trouble a young miss could come to at one.

“You’re too young for Lord and Lady Bannerigg’s ball.” Devlin handed back the invitation. “You’ve not even out in society yet yourself.”

Hope skittered across her face. “Then give me an introduction? It doesn’t have to be grand.”

“Next year, as planned.”

Her mouth clamped shut and her eyes narrowed as she glared at him, in that way that only younger sisters couldgive overly protective older brothers. “But Mattie is my dearest friend, and her introduction isthisseason. Waiting until next year does me no good.”

“Me either,” he grumbled.

Theodora crossed her arms and stared at him for a moment, then coolly reminded him, “You’re going to have to let me into society at some point, you know. Because if you don’t, I’ll never be courted. Which means I’ll likely never find a husband.” She poked her finger into his chest. “Which means I’ll have to livewith youfor the rest of your life!”

“God forbid,” he muttered with exaggerated horror.

“Don’t I know it,” Theodora replied in the same exaggerated voice.

Biting back a laugh at their antics, Peyton moved her gaze between the two. She understood Devlin’s desire to protect his sister, but she also remembered what it had been like to be a girl of Theodora’s age, so eager to be part of the happenings, so impatient to grow up.

“Perhaps Lady Theodora doesn’t have to miss her friend’s introduction,” Peyton posited gently. “True, she isn’t out in society yet, but that doesn’t mean she cannot attend if she goes as a guest of her invited family.”

Hope glowed on Theodora’s face. “I’d merely be attending with my family, not as a true guest…but at least I’d be able to attend. Oh, that might just work!” She looked at the invitation in her hand and bit her lip. “It would require having Mattie change the invitation—”

“To Her Grace, Duchess of Dartmoor, and Her Grace’s family,” Peyton explained. She might have been away from London society for ten years, but she still remembered how convolutedly it worked. “Then, your mother can attend and bring you with her, claiming she didn’t want to leave you at home.”

“My first ball!” Theodora bounced in a circle. “Oh, it’s going to be grand! The dresses, the chandeliers, the dancing—”

“No dancing,” Devlin corrected firmly. “Not for you.”

Theodora stopped and stared at her brother, suddenly on the verge of tears, as if he’d just given away her kitten. “No dancing?” Her arms fell lifelessly to her sides. “But—but…what’s the point in aball—” This time she dragged out the word to a good ten syllables at least. “—if I don’t get to dance? It’s not fair.”

“Very well.” When her face began to light up at winning him over, he added, “You can dance with me.”

She glared at him and grumbled, “That is sovery muchnot fair!”

Devlin acknowledged the fatalistic wisdom of that with a long sigh. “And so goes the world.”