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She dipped her head and nodded once more, then rose and went to the door. Andrew opened it and let her through.
They made their way halfway back to her rooms before she spoke. “Andrew…”
“You know you got off lightly, sister of mine. Best to just bear the restriction and hope that father doesn’t take too long in confronting the Marquess.”
“It is not that...Sarah and John Thistle...they are good people. And I fear...I fear they will be punished as well. Perhaps even…” She swallowed her tears. “And it will be my fault. I was the one who insisted they assist me.”
“Ah. I see. Well, if they do take the worst of it, then I shall see what I can do. Not that it’s like to be much, but I’ll do my best for you, even if it means I take a sharp word or two or have to pay out a favor.”
They were at her door. She offered him a tremulous smile. “Thank you, Andrew.” She entered her rooms without another word.
Sleep was a long time in coming.
* * *
Daniel was still awake, prowling restlessly in the library when Jackson and Patricia returned home. At the sound of the carriage, he made his way to the entryway in time to see Jackson’s butler taking their cloaks. Jackson and Patricia spotted him at the same time. Patricia turned and pressed a soft kiss to her husband’s cheek. “I will see you upstairs.” She gave Daniel a look he could not make any sense of. “And I will see you in the morning.”
And then she was gone, gliding up the stairs to her rooms. Jackson tipped his head in a request to be followed and led him into his private office. He poured two stiff drinks and passed one over before he spoke. “Well...”
“Indeed.”
Jackson heaved out a breath. “You know, Daniel, when you said you would handle the matter with Lady Henrietta, I was expecting something rather different, and a little more discrete.”
“I know. I am sorry if I have brought any trouble upon you.”
“Lady Jersey is not likely to speak to either me or Patricia for the rest of the Season, but that is not too much a loss. She’ll not give either of us the cut direct, nor a snub if it comes to it. But you...you’ll not be welcome at Almack’s again any time soon.”
“I am not so concerned with that.”
“I don’t suppose you are. But you ought to be concerned about the Earl of Crawford’s response. The man was livid, and his wife not any less angry, for all that she kept a cool face on it. But you’ll be lucky if the Earl does not call you out. He left soon after his daughter did, and rumor has it that he’s all but ready to declare a public feud against you and have you on the challenge field or in the ring, never mind his age.”
“I would have thought his son…”
“His son? Andrew Stanton is a cool character. And for the moment, he seems rather better informed than his father, for he’s not interested in a challenge. In point of fact, I think it is down to his influence, more than mine, that kept the Earl from calling you out tonight.”
“It helps that I took my leave before he could reach me, I suppose.”
“On, no doubt of that. But you’d do well to send a formal address to the Earl as soon as you can, unless you want him to assume you’ve no intention to act honorably toward his daughter. Though how you’ll manage that, given your actions with the Darnell lass…” Jackson cocked an eyebrow at him.
Daniel flicked it away. “She has already refused me. That is no matter.”
‘Tell that to the girl’s father, and in better language if you please.” Jackson sipped his drink, then exhaled explosively. “Dash it all, Daniel. I know the Stanton girl was distraught, and the situation was a pretty tangle, but what in blue blazes were you thinking?”
Daniel swallowed a bit of his own brandy as Jackson continued to rant.
“First you ask the Stanton girl for a dance. Then you disrupt the entire floor, give an insult to Baron Greenfield and Lord Ferrill by taking their partners, only to propose to the Darnell girl in front of the entire membership of Almack’s. And then you damn near kiss the girl that just yesterday I would swear you were ready to see made a pariah of society.” Jackson tipped his head to face him fully. “I was hard pressed to give any explanation when asked, so I rather think I deserve to get one.”
“That is true.” Daniel sipped his drink again. “As to asking Henrietta to dance…”
“Henrietta?” Jackson raised an eyebrow.
“Henrietta.” Daniel nodded firmly. “When I asked for a dance, it was my intention to confront her about the wager and her deceptions. Things got rather out of hand.”
“A bit of an understatement, don’t you think?”
“Perhaps. In any case...well, you saw how matters fell out.” He breathed deep, trying to keep his heart from pounding out his chest. Even just thinking of what had happened, hours later, made warmth rise and surge through him. Warmth of an entirely different kind than the burning rage of the day before.
“I did see. I simply don’t understand how you went from ready to publicly humiliate the girl to near kissing her in front of the entire ballroom.”
