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Theo thought his defense of her, if you could name it as such, to be entirely too half-hearted.
“I’m not a fool, my lord.” Lady Blythe puffed up like an angry hen. “I suspect Lady Theodosia meant to findyouhere,” she said to Blythe. “And not Haven.” A mixture of pity and scorn narrowed her eyes as she took in Theo. “It seems your plan failed. You ‘tripped’ into the wrong gentleman.”
All hopes that the matter could be handled with discretion, perhaps allowing Theo to winnow her way out of the situation, immediately faded. Not that there had been much of a chance. Lady Blythe’s dislike of her had never been more apparent. Nothing would sway her from her assumption that Theo had meant to entrap Blythe, but still she had to try. “It was an accident. I am often clumsy. Lord Haven kept me from falling and injuring myself.”
Lady Blythe snorted in derision. “Did you trip all the way from the drawing room into my son’s study?”
Theo looked back down at her lap. She could not give the reason she was here.
“Haven must do the honorable thing despite his consideration of Miss Emerson.” Lady Blythe took in Theo on the sofa. “Another Barrington scandal, much like your sister.”
“My sister is not a scandal. She is theDuchessof Granby.”
“Yes, I believe all of London is aware of how your sister received the title, by enticing the Duke of Granby away from poor Beatrice Howard,” Lady Blythe replied, her tone ripping at Theo’s skin. “And now we must add Miss Emerson to the list of those injured by a brash and reckless Barrington.”
“Mother, it would be best to keep this entire incident private. Our guests need not know. Lady Theodosia’s reputation need not be harmed. If Haven says their meeting was accidental, I believe him.”
But not Theo.Blythe didn’t believeher. That was rather painful. Lady Blythe had judged Theo far before this evening. Too brazen. A lightskirt. A young lady with no decorum whatsoever.
“As long as Haven is willing to do the right thing,” Lady Blythe said in a self-important tone. “I agree it is best to spare Lady Theodosia a dreadful reputation.”
Theo sucked in a breath at the words. Lady Blythe wouldn’t make her a pariahif Haven married her. How lovely of Blythe’s mother. Her nails dug into her palms.
The room grew silent as they waited for Haven to speak. His handsome face had taken on a grim cast as if the thought of marrying Theo was abhorrent.
I don’t want to marry him either.
Regardless of their almost kiss, as well as their previous actual one, Theo doubted Haven had any true liking for her. Everyone knew a gentleman’s baser instincts could be aroused by the simple sight of a lovely bosom. Or a well-formed ankle. No affection was required to kiss or bed a woman.
When your brother operated a pleasure palace, you learned all sorts of things.
“I would prefer to discuss this situation with the Duke of Averell.” Haven gave Lady Blythe a withering look. “Who will not wish his sister’s reputation damaged inanyway. If it will satisfy you to know, Lady Blythe, though it is not your affair, I do intend to do the right thing.”
“I have a moral obligation to uphold society’s rules,” she snipped back, smoothing her bright yellow skirts. “It speaks well of you, Lord Haven, to make such a sacrifice to spare Lady Theodosia any further disgrace.Allthe Barrington girls are bound for disaster.”
Theo bit her lip, stifling the scathing retort burning her tongue.
“I would make certain, Lady Blythe,” Haven replied, his voice akin to gravel beneath carriage wheels, “that you do not relay your feelings to the duke when he arrives.”
“I will ensure it,” Blythe intoned, looking down on his mother. “Because she will be occupied entertaining our guests. And she will saynothing. When your nuptials are announced to Lady Theodosia, there will be no mention of how your match came about, will there, Mother?” He opened the door once again. “Please send Lady Richardson to the study,” he said to a waiting footman.
Lady Blythe’s chin jiggled, angered at her son’s dismissal. “Lady Richardson? Yes, she performed her duties as well as she did at Granby’s house party.”
Blythe’s mother was a horrid woman. How had she ever produced such a glorious being as Blythe?
“Haven and I will speak to the duke without your interference. I’ll tolerate not another word, Mother. Should you speak ill of Lady Theodosia, I will send you and my sisters back to the country. Permanently.”
Lady Blythe gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Theo loved Blythe even more for his defense of her, if that were possible. Even if he didn’t return her feelings. Nor wanted her gift.
“I would.” He pushed her toward the door but held onto her arm, her plump form sputtering in indignation. “You will stay until Lady Richardson can join us.”
“The duke will be atElysium,” Theo said, the words scratching against her throat. Tony was still managing the club in Leo’s absence. He spent most evenings there. Receiving notice of his sister’s disgrace was bound to put him in a terrible mood.
Blythe merely nodded. “I’ve sent one of the footmen.”
Theo wrapped her arms around herself, refusing to so much as shed a tear at tonight’s turn of events. She’d never imagined being forced to marry to save her reputation. Never even considered the possibility. Theo’s parents had been married for love. As had Tony. And though Theo thought Granby as exciting as the stone wall surrounding her brother’s London mansion, Romy and her new husband were madly in love.
Now she would be forced to marry Haven.
If he had just given her back the bloody miniature, none of this would have happened.
