Page 58 of The Devil to Pay

He gave her a quizzical look. “Why deny it? Everyone knows now. The ton is abuzz with the news, I assure you.”

“W-What news?”

Selina’s knees were feeling a trifle uncertain now, so she felt behind her for the nearest solid object and eased herself into a chair.

“Why, that the biggest prize on the marriage mart went to your father’s club and asked for his permission to court you before half the club members.”

The words made sense, she knew they did, but try as they might the meaning eluded her. Emotions battered her from all sides, but she could not decide to which she ought to react. Should she pay attention to the one that wanted to jump up and down with glee because he had asked her father for permission to court her... or the one that wanted to bash him over the head with something heavy because he’d done it with an audience. In the end, she composed herself and decided she would do both jumping up and down and cursing at a later time, and in private.

“I see,” she said, relieved the words were reasonably steady. “I still do not understand what business it is of yours.”

“Then you haven’t heard?” the lady asked in surprise. “Why, Ronald is proposing to take us to court for criminal conversation.”

Selina jolted, so shocked she stood up again, glaring at Lord Haversham in outrage. “Are you out of your mind?” she demanded.

Haversham stiffened. “Mind your tongue, miss, and remember who you speak to.”

She snorted at that. “Pretty words from a fellow who comes in and insults and intimidates a single woman in her own home.”

He had the grace to blush at that and looked away from her. “I beg your pardon. That was ill done of me. I can only say that love makes one do ridiculous things and act in a way one would never have credited before.”

“Love!” Lady Haversham said scornfully. “Is that what it is when you can’t bear to spend more than one night in seven in my company but prefer your friends and those… those women?”

“Don’t start that again,” he shot back at her. “I’ve heard it all before, and all the time—”

“All the time I was waiting for you!” the woman yelled, and she had quite a decent amount of volume too for such a petite creature.

“With Blackstone!”

“And why not, when everyone knew you’d set Mrs Winchester up in a lovely flat in Mayfair. Winchester! Why, she’s almost ten years older than I am, Ronald, and not half so pretty, not to mention a friend of my mother’s! Can you not understand how humiliated I was?”

Ronald rubbed the back of his neck and avoided his wife’s pleading gaze.

“Did you do such a thing?” Selina demanded in awe at his nerve and incensed on the lady’s behalf.

Haversham picked up the fire poker and stoked the fire irritably but said nothing.

“He did,” the lady assured her bitterly. “And all the running around began within just weeks of our marriage. I felt such a fool that I could not even hold my husband’s attention for such a short time.”

“Oh, come now, Maisie, it wasn’t like that,” Ronald protested. “All the fellows have their bit on the side, it’s normal.”

“Well, from where I was standing, it was crass and hurtful,” the lady shot back, tears sparkling in her eyes. “You didn’t give me a second thought. If you’d just been discreet, I might have stood it, but to make me such a fool was too much.”

Selina looked from one to the other of them, studying them intently. They’d both come all the way here for this little scene. They were both furious with each other and not about to let the argument go. And they were both obviously in love with the other. She sighed. Why were people such idiots?

“Lord Haversham, did you leave your new wife and behave in such a crass manner as she says?”

“Yes, he did!” the lady cut in, before he could take a breath. “Parading his pretty bits of muslin all over town, and everyone was so kind and so sympathetic to me,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Oh, my dear,” Selina said, for she had been on the receiving end of such spiteful sympathy herself and well understood what she meant.

“Quite.” The lady sat down and took out a lace edged hanky, wiping her eyes and giving her nose a delicate dab or two.

There was a taut silence and Selina crossed to Lady Haversham, laying a hand on her shoulder in a show of solidarity. “Lord Haversham, if this is true, I cannot help but think you brought much of this situation on yourself. I would never comment on another’s affairs, but you have washed your dirty linen before me and leave me little choice in the matter. Whilst I do not pretend to excuse Blackstone and your wife, the situation you created was obviously intolerable and beneath you.”

“Beneath me,” he repeated, with a bitter laugh. “Low indeed for a man who feels like a worm, but that bastard took my wife.”

“You will mind your tongue in the presence of ladies, and never mind the self-loathing and accusations. What do you have to say to your wife?” Selina demanded.