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Chapter Four
Another week passed with Maggie attending more balls than she wanted to remember. Sometimes two or three in one evening. And at each ball she stood on the sidelines, refusing one offer to dance after another. She didn’t understand why she drew so much attention. But during the dances her mother forced her to accept, each gentleman would rave about her beauty, gracefulness, and how she possessed an agreeable smile. One gentleman called the teeth in her mouth a sign of perfection. The bloke looked her over as if he were buying a piece of horseflesh. Did the gentlemen of the ton choose a bride by how a lady smiled? If so, then she feared who her husband might be. Maggie hoped Reese wouldn’t settle her with someone so insensitive as the gentlemen she had met so far.
Then there was the matter of her infatuation with Lord Dracott. The lord consumed her every thought. Any moment she had alone, she fantasized about them together. She dreamed of him kissing her every night. However, whenever their paths crossed, he paid her the utmost respect and never strayed out of character. If anything, he tried to avoid her, and she wondered why. Did he attempt to avoid the promise he had made to confirm Lord Ravencroft’s character?
Maggie had done her own investigation but came up empty. Even now, she watched him like a hawk. Lord Ravencroft was the reason she refused any offer to dance because she followed him whenever he left Noel’s side. However, on each occasion, he either joined a game of cards or stood on the balcony and smoked a cigar with the other gentlemen. But soon he would slip and she would be there to witness his fall.
~~~~~
“PLEASE KEEP MAGGIE within your sight again. Mother said she loses track of her during the balls,” Worth told him before sauntering away.
Dracott nodded. By now, he had become accustomed to the order. It wasn’t so much of an order but a request, one he accepted without argument because it gave him an excuse to admire Maggie. Worth didn’t know how Dracott felt about his sister. And if Worth did, Dracott held no clue on how his employer would react. So he kept his distance, even though he wanted to spend every available second with her. He hoped she would wander away this evening so he could steal a few extra moments with her.
Dracott lifted a drink off a tray and proceeded to the corner. He tipped the glass to his lips when his subject stopped in the middle of the dance and brought her knee up to her dance partner’s front. With her swift jab, the bloke dropped to the floor, groaning while Maggie raised her head high and returned to her family. Lady Worthington scolded Maggie but stopped when Maggie explained her actions. The gentlemen in the group laughed while the ladies glared at the assailant. He held no clue what the gentleman did wrong, but by the Worthingtons’ reaction, he got what he deserved.
“I taught her that move. I thought she needed to know how to defend herself against an unscrupulous gentleman,” Eden commented next to him.
“You taught her well,” Dracott murmured, keeping his gaze focused on Maggie.
Eden took a sip of the champagne. “I cannot help but comment on your attention toward Maggie.”
Dracott stiffened. “At your brother’s request.”
“Mmm.” Eden kept her gaze focused on the dancers. She didn’t need to see Lord Dracott’s reaction while they discussed Maggie. She had already seen how he regarded her sister. “Perhaps. But I’m also under the impression you are quite fond of her.”
Dracott blew out a breath, unable to deny her observation. The lady was relentless when she wanted information and wouldn’t stop until he confessed his infatuation. “Is it too obvious?”
“My family is very observant, and we offer our opinions freely.”
“Does Worth know?”
“His thoughts are preoccupied. However, before long he will learn of his own accord. My advice is to mention your interest,” Eden offered.
“What if I do not plan to take my interest any further than regarding her from afar?” Dracott asked.
“Then I say you are a fool.” Eden clinked her glass with his before she walked away.
Better to be a fool than one who would cause Maggie heartache.
~~~~~
MAGGIE REFUSED EVERY dance for the remainder of the evening after Lord Gibbings placed his hands on her bottom. He’d thought her loose with her virtue because of her reckless behavior. She knew it would embarrass her family, but she needed to teach him a lesson and any other gentlemen who might hold the opinion that she was free with her affections.
Maggie shifted to the side to get her mother’s attention. But Lord Ravencroft snagged her interest instead. He whispered in Noel’s ear, and her sister smiled her acceptance of whatever lie he told her. Then he slipped into the crowd. Maggie glanced around and noticed no one paid her any mind.
She snuck away, setting the glass of punch on a nearby table. She caught sight of Ravencroft’s burgundy coat and followed him at a discreet distance. When he looked over his shoulder, Maggie ducked and hid behind two gentlemen debating the merits of a bill set before Parliament.
Ravencroft took off again and rounded the corner with Maggie following his trail. When he slipped outside, Maggie followed him into the darkness. He disappeared into a group of trees, and Maggie stopped. She hesitated to follow him any farther. If he caught her, how would she explain herself? But if he didn’t, she could see who he met in private.
Maggie gathered her skirts and continued on. She saw a light shining in the distance once she snuck behind a bush. While keeping to the shadows, she advanced closer. Ravencroft was arguing with a hidden figure in a cloak with a hood. She attempted to move closer without revealing herself and settled behind a tree to observe their interaction.
The figure stepped closer to Ravencroft, talking softly enough that Maggie couldn’t hear a word they spoke. A hand reached out to brush Ravencroft’s hair off his brow, but he grabbed it and held it away from him. The figure struggled, knocking their hood off. Maggie gasped at the lady’s long hair blowing in the slight breeze. The lady’s cackle pierced the air, causing a shiver to run along Maggie’s spine. The evilness of the laughter rocked Maggie to her core. Ravencroft dropped the lady’s hand and strode away, putting distance between them. However, Ravencroft grew more agitated as the lady talked. At times he would strike an argument with the lady. However, the lady silenced him by slashing her arm through the air.
Maggie wanted to sneak closer. Whatever they discussed was serious enough that the unflappable Ravencroft appeared out of sorts. Was this lady his mistress? Either way, it proved Maggie was correct to suspect the earl of nefarious activities. She wished Dracott saw what she witnessed for his investigation.
The drama unfolding before Maggie caused her to miss the footsteps sneaking up behind her. When a hand wrapped over her mouth, she attempted to scream, but the firm hold kept anyone from hearing her.
“Calm down, love. ‘Tis only me.”
