Page 74 of Scandalous

Mia stood with two elegant older women and a handsome younger man.

“We understand you are only recently come from Africa, Miss Fisher. We are most eager to hear all about your experiences,” the taller of the two sisters said.

“You’ll have to excuse my sister, Miss Fisher. If you don’t have a care, she will have you trapped in a corner the entire evening, extracting every detail of your life,” Viscount Danforth warned with a good-natured smile.

“I should be glad to tell you anything you like, Miss Manton. I, too, wish to extract some information from you.”

“Oh? What kind of information do you seek?”

“Lady Exley told me you are associated with several charitable endeavors.”

Miss Manton’s eyes warmed. “Indeed we are. We are always looking to swell the ranks of our volunteers.”

The dinner announcement interrupted their conversation, and Viscount Danforth offered Sarah his arm. “May I have the pleasure of escorting you to dinner, Miss Fisher?”

“Thank you, my lord.”

They walked the short distance to the dining room, where the large table had settings for about thirty people.

“Hmm,” he murmured, examining the place cards. “Here you are and here am I, right next to you. How pleasant!”

Sarah was seated when Martín appeared beside her, a sardonic gleam in his eyes. “It looks as if I, too, will have the pleasure of your company, Miss Fisher.”

Sarah’s treacherous nerves tingled at his nearness, and she caught the faintest whiff of his scent as he sat beside her. He looked spectacular. The only man in the room attired more elegantly was their host. Still, Sarah found Martín’s muscular build and exotic looks far more attractive than those of the slim, supercilious peer. Martín, for all his faults—and Sarah knew they were legion—was never inhuman. Arrogant, intractable, irascible, unpredictable, moody, and vain—but not inhuman.

It wasn’t until nearly halfway through the second course that Sarah was able to turn away from the diverting and talkative viscount toward Martín. He was engaged in a lively discussion with the woman on his other side, the younger of the two Manton sisters. The woman said something that caused him to throw back his head and laugh. Jealousy clawed Sarah from stem to stern. It seemed he was fitting in quite nicely.

“I understand you came to England on Captain Bouchard’s ship, Miss Fisher?” Danforth asked, pulling her attention back to him.

“Yes, the captain was kind enough to offer me passage.”

“I’ve heard several stops along that route are quite lovely.”

“Tenerife was particularly charming. Do you travel much, my lord?”

“No, I’m afraid I have not been much of anyplace. Now that the Continent is once again accessible, I expect we will eventually make a journey—my sisters and I.”

“You are very close to your sisters, I collect.”

He smiled. “Yes, they’ve been very good to me. My parents died when I was quite young, and they gave up their own lives to raise me.”

“It must be wonderful to have siblings. I was close to several of the children in my village, but it is not the same, I think.”

Naturally the mention of her village brought the subject around to Africa. They spent some time discussing life in the jungle before his attention was claimed by the attractive young woman on the other side of him. The cold look she gave Sarah made her realize she’d been monopolizing the handsome young viscount.

“You are monopolizing your dinner partner,” Martín drawled in her ear, his words echoing her thoughts.

Sarah turned to face him directly. “Very well, Captain Bouchard, I shall monopolize you for a while.” She was proud of how level her voice sounded in spite of the thumping in her chest. “I was just discussing the subject of siblings with Lord Danforth and lamenting my lack. Have you any brothers or sisters?”

His lips twisted. “More than likely, but none with whom I am acquainted. I was born a slave, Miss Fisher—the property of another man. The people at this table probably pay closer attention to the bloodlines of their horses or dogs than my owner paid to my lineage. But no doubt my mother, whoever she was, produced reliably, just like any other of his broodmares. I would not be surprised to learn I have more than a few siblings.”

Sarah felt as though she’d been slapped; she couldn’t think of anything to say.

Luckily, he didn’t seem to expect anything. He raised a forkful of food to his mouth and regarded her with his unnerving yellow gaze as he chewed, swallowed, and then drank deeply from the ruby liquid in his glass. “Your relations are of far greater interest to me. How are you finding life as the member of such an august family?”

Was there anything she could ever do or say to shake the defensive look from his face? Why did he insist on viewing everything she said as an attack? Why could he not laugh with her as he had with Miss Manton?

“You could have met them yourself if you’d not disappeared,” she said coolly.