Page 4 of The Dandy Lyon

Returning her attention to the dance, Joanna had a sinking feeling that Mr. Dandridge’s estimation of the chances for them dancing again was completely correct. She’d seen that look on Geoffrey’s face before and knew it did not bode well for Mr. Dandridge. The reason for her brother’s ire, however, escaped her. At least she and her partner were able to continue the quadrille until the final bow and curtsey. Then, smiling her thanks to Mr. Dandridge, she took his arm and glanced up into dark eyes that stared at her with such longing she had to stifle a gasp. “W…will you escort me back to my mother, please?”

“Of course, my lady. It will be my utmost pleasure.” Mr. Dandridge started them toward the spot where her mother stood, a false smile plastered on her face, beside Geoffrey who looked as though he’d swallowed ground glass.

“What is between you and my brother?” Joanna whispered to him. “Why does he look as though he wants to kill you?”

“Most likely because he does.” Mr. Dandridge’s pace didn’t slacken, even after that startling statement. They approached her family and Geoffrey stepped forward, his face dark as midnight without a moon.

When they were close enough, her brother snatched her hand from Mr. Dandridge’s arm—although not before Mr. Dandridge managed to give it a fleeting squeeze that sent another wave of heat up her arm. Then Geoffrey was standing between her and Mr. Dandridge.

“I thought I told you in no uncertain terms, Dandridge, that you were to leave my sister alone.” Her brother’s face was a monstrous thing to behold—his brows furrowed in the deepest frown, his lips pressed into a straight line, his eyes flashing with absolute hatred.

The last of these frightened Joanna more than anything else.

“You did make that request of me, my lord.” Mr. Dandridge had his cold gaze trained on Geoffrey, then it strayed to her and softened almost imperceptibly. “I fear I chose to disregard it.”

Good lord, was the man baiting her brother? And here, in the most public of places? The recesses of her mind, however, posed the question of why Geoffrey had forbidden Mr. Dandridge to have anything to do with her.

“You do so at your peril, sir.” Geoffrey drew himself up to his full six-foot, four-inch height.

Mr. Dandridge cooly scanned the ballroom, then he leaned toward Geoffrey. “If you intend to call me out, you will have your pick of witnesses, most of whom will believe that your action was prompted not because I was merely dancing with your sister—which you must agree is allowed in Polite Society. But rather because you believe I have compromised her in some way. Even I would take odds on that being tomorrow morning’s on-dit.”

Geoffrey’s face drained of color and Joanna caught a muttered curse.

“Very well, Dandridge.” Geoffrey stepped back, immediately assuming a polite, disinterested mask on his face. “I take your point.” He ground his teeth together until Joanna would swear she heard them crack. “However, I fear my sister is fatigued, so we will be leaving. Come, Mother.”

Without another word, he seized Joanna’s arm and pulled her toward the doorway.

As they passed through the throng of guests, Joanna could feel every eye trained on them, the curious, the thoughtful, the gleeful who couldn’t wait to spread the latest gossip. At that moment, had she possessed a weapon, she would cheerfully have used it on her brother. Not only had he opened her and the family to undeserved gossip, but he’d cut short the first ball of her Season. For that alone, she’d be hard pressed to forgive him.

As they emerged from Lady Hamilton’s townhouse, and Geoffrey called for their carriage, Joanna turned on him, her own anger bubbling over. “Will you deign to explain to me now why you’re literally dragging me from my first ball of the Season? The Matchmaker’s Ball too, Geoffrey? How could you do that to me in front of the entire ton?”

“You don’t understand, Joanna, and I refuse to discuss it here where anyone can hear.” Geoffrey paced back and forth like a caged beast.

“I think Joanna is within her rights to ask that, Geoffrey.” Mother went to stand in front of him, stopping his incessant movements. “I too would like to know why you have made us, if not the scandal of the Season, at least the most interesting people at the moment.” She glared at her son, her eyes flashing in the scant moonlight. “And that is never a good thing, as you well know. What were you thinking?”

Geoffrey held up his hand as the carriage rolled around. He hastily helped them into the vehicle, Joanna still fuming, and took his seat then rapped on the trap. The coachman started the horses and Geoffrey at last seemed to relax.

Almost in tears, Joanna, turned to attack. “All right, Geoffrey. Why did you just embarrass me and Mr. Dandridge in front of everyone in the ton?”

Mother didn’t speak, but she stared so hard at Geoffrey, he began to squirm on his seat.

“I can explain, Mother.” He cut his eyes toward Joanna. “I am sorry, Joanna, but you cannot associate with Mr. Dandridge ever again.”

“Why not?” Joanna’s hackles rose. First he treated her like a misbehaving child in front of everyone, and now he was acting like her lord and master. “I was properly introduced to him by our hostess. I see no reason why I should forfeit the company of a very interesting, very attractive gentleman just because you have a bee in your bonnet about him.”

Geoffrey pursed his lips a moment, then shook his head. “I had hoped to keep this from you and Mother, but I see I must confess it all.” He looked from one to the other of them. “Last October, when I married Diana, I did so not out of the altruism I professed to you at the time, but for a much baser one—money.”

Joanna’s eyes widened. “Geoffrey! You said you were marrying Diana to help her get her uncle’s inheritance.” She turned toward their mother to find her face with much the same shocked expression. “Now you say you did it to gain her fortune?”

“But you told me you signed settlements giving control of the money to Diana.” Mother was livid and rightly so. “Are you saying that was a lie, Geoffrey?”

“No, Mother, that is the truth. Diana has control of the bulk of her inheritance.” He glanced out the widow and sighed. “That was part of the agreement between us. And the other part was that she gave me twenty thousand pounds in return for marrying her.”

“Twenty thousand pounds!” Never had Joanna heard of such a sum simply being handed over to one’s husband because they married you.

“Geoffrey, this is madness.” Mother was clutching her chest, as though to keep her heart confined there.

“No, Mother it was a necessity.” He peered at her, then at Joanna. “If I hadn’t gotten the funds that instant, Joanna would quite likely this moment be married to Dandridge or I’d be in the Tower of London awaiting execution for his murder.”