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Phillip frowned, glad that the darkness hid his expression. It sounded almost as though Lord Dayton was talking of The King’s League, for that was precisely the sort of thing they did, but given that Lord Dayton was not a member, Phillip knew that this must be another sort of group.
“Discuss?” he queried, tilting his head just a little and keeping his voice calm. “What sort of discussions do you undertake?” He did not let any sort of mirth fill his voice but rather kept it firm and serious.
Lord Dayton paused for a moment, then shrugged. “It can be anything of importance, Lord Monteforte. Perhaps a young lady in the ton has been poorly treated by a gentleman of quality and is now refusing to do right by her.” Again, he shrugged, the flickering shadows from the dimly lit street lanterns flickering across his face. “Or mayhap a gentleman is in some sort of difficulty and requires our aid.”
“I see,” Phillip said slowly, trying to make sense of what was being said to him. “And you believe that I can further such a cause?”
“I am sure of it,” Lord Dayton answered—with such firmness that Phillip was surprised. “You are a man of excellent morals, with no desire to bring shame to anyone else in the ton. You are careful and measured, choosing your friends carefully and making sure that you abide by the strict rules of propriety that surround us.”
Phillip said nothing, a little surprised that the gen
tleman knew him so well when he himself had not considered their acquaintance to be particularly deep as yet. “I see.”
“We’re going to Lord Lincolnshire’s townhouse,” Lord Dayton continued, jumping quickly to the next part of the conversation. “There is to be a quiet soiree there this evening and, thereafter, you, I, and various other gentlemen of the ton will retire to another room for our card game.”
“Our card game,” Phillip repeated, realizing that the card game, whilst undoubtedly would take place, was nothing more than a cover for what sort of discussions the men might have. A thrill of anticipation rushed straight through him, sending a broad smile to his face. “I believe I understand, Lord Dayton.”
“Good.” The man spoke in clipped tones as the carriage began to slow. “Then when I signal you to follow me, I would ask that you do so without hesitation.”
“Of course,” Phillip agreed quickly, as the carriage came to a stop. “I will do as is expected of me, Lord Dayton, and I thank you again for your consideration and the kindness you have directed towards me.”
Lord Dayton did not reply until they were both standing outside the townhouse, with Lord Dayton leading the way to walk inside. Phillip hurried to walk alongside the fellow, wondering at his sudden change in demeanor. There were no chuckles now, no long bites of laughter. Instead, there remained nothing more but a serious expression, eyes filled with determination and a set to his jaw that Phillip had not seen before. An air of tension surrounded Lord Dayton and, as they set foot inside, Phillip felt a strange sense of unease grasp at his heart.
“Oh, and there is one more thing I must say,” Lord Dayton said suddenly, stopping dead and turning to face Phillip. “My daughter, Lady Margaret, I believe made some sort of mistake.”
Phillip’s throat constricted as a sudden memory of Lady Olivia sitting, stunned, hit him right between the eyes. It had all been very clear what Lady Margaret had tried to do. She had attempted to find a way to shame Lady Olivia in front of him and, thus, had come up with a plan to make her cousin out to be a thief. She had been ready and prepared to cry foul, to blame it all on Lady Olivia, and yet when the time had come, it had not been Lady Olivia’s bedchamber but Lady Margaret’s which had held the ruby necklace.
“I would ask you not to hold it against her,” Lord Dayton said, a little awkwardly. “I will not pretend that I understand fully all that occurred or why she chose to do such a foolish thing, but I must hope that you might consider forgiving her folly, Lord Monteforte.”
“I had not even thought of it,” Phillip lied, seeing the relief that came into Lord Dayton’s expression. “Truly, I had not. It was a misunderstanding, surely, and that sort of thing occurs all the time.”
Lord Dayton gave him a slightly rueful smile. “You are very kind, Lord Monteforte,” he told him, shaking his head. “Kind to decide to believe that it is nothing more than that, when your mind must know there is more to it than that.”
Phillip gave him an answering smile. “I do not think there is a single person in all of London who has not made a mistake,” he said, turning to see the line of guests that both he and Lord Dayton would need to join. “Please assure Lady Margaret that I have nothing but respect for her and that I would be glad to dance with her the next time we are at a ball together.”
“You can tell her such a thing yourself,” Lord Dayton answered, catching Phillip off-guard. “My wife and daughters are present this evening.”
Phillip blinked, wondering silently if Lady Olivia was also present but if Lord Dayton had simply forgotten or chosen not to mention her. “I see,” he said quickly. “Then I should be glad to speak to her this evening, Lord Dayton.”
“It would be greatly appreciated,” Lord Dayton answered, slapping Phillip on the back and then turning them both towards the line. “Come now. It is time to greet our host.”
It was at least an hour before Phillip finally caught sight of Lady Olivia. She was present after all, but her expression told him that she was not enjoying herself in the least. In fact, she looked entirely bored with just a hint of anger lingering in her eyes – although what specifically she was angry about, he could not say. She was standing in the corner of the room, clearly not listening to the conversation between Lady Dayton and the other lady. He half thought about going to speak to her directly, only to recall what Lord Dayton had said about his daughter Lady Margaret. He had to speak to her first to ensure that not only she but also Lord Dayton himself was gratified.
And then, Lady Olivia’s eyes met his. A sudden flash filled her gaze, making him start violently as a surge of emotion crashed into his heart. He wanted to go to her. He wanted to tell her that the gentleman she thought him to be was not truly the gentleman he was – but knew he could not do so without making those around him aware of his firm intentions. To stride across the room, to speak directly to Lady Olivia and beg Lady Dayton’s pardon for interrupting them would only garner a good deal of attention and that was not at all what was required.
He stifled the urge to do such a thing, but still Lady Olivia watched him. Her lips were pulled tight, stretching thin across her face, her eyes sparkling with some unspoken emotion. There was a clear disdain there, a clear dislike of him and what he had done – not that Phillip could blame her for that. He knew he had behaved very poorly indeed and, as yet, had been unable to make up for his own foolishness.
“Lord…Monteforte?”
Forced to drag his attention away from Lady Olivia, Phillip turned to see none other than Lady Margaret standing just to his left, her sister a step behind her.
“Ah, Lady Margaret,” he said, as warmly as he could, bowing in front of her. “How are you enjoying this evening?”
Her smile was tentative, her cheeks flooding with color. “Very much,” she said, with no evidence of the strong fierceness of character that he had seen in her before. She was not even speaking with the same strength of tone but was, in fact, a good deal quieter.
“I–I am come to tell you that my father would like for you to join him in the library,” she said, looking about him rather than directly into his face. “I can take you there, if you wish?”
A small frown caught Phillip’s brows, but he tried to smooth it away at once, knowing that Lord Dayton had sent his daughter to do precisely this so that Phillip might have the opportunity to speak to Lady Margaret and set her mind at ease.
