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“No!” Maggie tried to keep the coat around her shoulders, but her mother’s grasp was stronger. She yanked away the coat, drawing everyone’s attention to Maggie’s dress.
Lady Worthington gasped at her daughter’s appearance and swiftly covered her back up again. She fixed her glare on Dracott. “What did you hope to achieve by this act?”
“Mama! As I am trying to explain, Lord Dracott is not to blame,” Maggie whined.
Lady Worthington glanced around and saw the patrons in the boxes on both sides of them focusing their attention on the scene. “Explain yourself at once,” she whispered.
Maggie nodded. “On Graham’s rush to chase after a lady who caught his eye, he shoved Lord Dracott into me. Before Lord Dracott recovered, he accidentally spilled his drink on my dress. Once he saw how the champagne damaged my dress and how it would garner people’s interest, he graciously offered me his suit coat. The only one to blame in this incident is Graham. If anything, we owe Lord Dracott an apology for the slander you directed at him that he does not deserve.”
Maggie drew in a deep breath from her long tirade and fixed a glare on Reese and her mother. They were too quick to lay the blame on the wrong person, which only led Maggie to wonder if they supported Lord Dracott’s courtship. Evelyn and her sisters expressed their delight at the charming gentleman courting her, and Graham never voiced his dislike. However, her mother and older brother’s reaction pointed out how they didn’t accept his suit. Then why had Reese given his permission for Dracott to court her?
“You have our gratitude for your humble assistance. We shall return your suit coat to you shortly,” Lady Worthington apologized.
Before Dracott could accept the apology, Lady Worthington ushered Maggie out of the theater box. Evelyn Worthington stood undecided if she should follow or stay to calm her husband. But her need to see to Maggie’s welfare won out. With a whispered warning to her husband, she followed the ladies to the retiring room. Worthington continued with his glare, and Dracott stood tall, not relenting his stance. He kept a neutral expression on his face, not giving away his need to react to the false accusations. He wished to defend himself, but the warning Ravencroft shot at him from behind Worthington kept him silent.
Ravencroft stepped forward and stood next to Worthington. “Very gentlemanly of you, Dracott, to see to Lady Margaret’s dilemma.”
Dracott nodded and bit his tongue to refrain from calling out Worthington’s insensitive reaction to Maggie. While trying to protect her virtue, Worthington only drew speculation about their relationship. Rumors would spread about Maggie’s reputation on how free she was with her favors because of this incident. Nothing untoward would be whispered of his name, but Maggie’s reputation would become tarnished because she wore proof of her indiscretion, one that had never happened, but the gossipmongers were unaffected by the truth. They loved to tear a lady’s name to shame. The longer Worthington stayed silent regarding Dracott in this manner only fueled the rumors to start. If the earl didn’t speak soon, it would force Dracott to offer for Maggie this evening.
Worthington must have sensed the urgency to voice his acceptance of the situation. Dracott didn’t know if it was because the theatre grew to an eerie silence or if the earl felt a hundred pairs of eyes staring at their box. Either way, it prompted him to step forward and offer his hand.
“Much appreciation for offering your suit coat on my sister’s behalf, Lord Dracott. Your kind gesture only proves your honorable character. Our family will forever be grateful for your swift attention.” Worthington’s voice boomed, causing his words to echo in the vast space.
How Dracott reacted next would set the stage for how the incident would proceed. If he didn’t shake Worthington’s hand, it would declare he had nefarious attentions and tear Maggie’s reputation to shreds, even if that was never the case. However, if he returned the gesture, it gave the earl the power to direct how he wished Dracott and Maggie’s courtship to lead, with the earl scrutinizing him more closely than he wanted him to. But it was the only reaction that would guarantee how closely he guarded Maggie. Also, if Worthington withdrew his support, it would put his employment with Worth and Ralston in jeopardy. His entire livelihood depended on him shaking Worthington’s hand.
He reached out, and his handshake was firm, relaying to Worthington how he couldn’t intimidate him. “No need for your gratitude, my lord. I only stepped in to help, as any gentleman would do for a lady in distress. After all, I am courting the miss, and if I didn’t show how much I care for her comfort, how would that appear to Lady Margaret and her family?”
Worthington tightened his grip, snarling behind the smile he portrayed to the watching audience. “A valid point, Lord Dracott.” Worthington surprised him with his next remark. “If all gentlemen acted with such attention to courting, it would ease many parents’ and guardians’ minds.”
“Hear, hear, Worthington,” a gentleman declared from the box next to them. “We might have to steal your Lord Dracott for our daughter.”
Then all attention suddenly shifted off them and continued on as before. He had never stepped foot in a world like the one before him. Everyone acted as if the situation had never happened, while he was used to staying on guard, waiting for the unexpected to occur.
Before he could react, Maggie strolled back into the box with her mother and Evelyn trailing behind her. She walked up to him and handed him his suit coat. He fought to keep his glance off her chest, but his eyes had a mind of their own.
Maggie smiled shyly. “Thank you, Lord Dracott, for the use of your coat.”
Dracott bowed. “I am glad I could help.”
Maggie had covered the wet spot with the use of Lady Worthington’s shawl. A simple brooch secured the ends high enough so that he wouldn’t catch a glimpse of her bosom. He raised his glance to the teasing glint in Maggie’s gaze and her slight nod back toward the ladies following her. The minx was a surprise of wonders. She relayed to him how her appearance was the work of her mother. He returned her nod with one of his own and a ghost of a smile. Maggie beamed at their silent conversation. Her smile made it possible for Dracott to relax, putting the incident behind him as easily as the peers surrounding them had.
However, what he didn’t realize was how he drew the attention of a certain lady who would deliver the information to her employer. While he hoped to go uncovered for a bit longer, this evening’s attention would only draw him deeper into the web of a manipulative lady who would force him to follow her orders.
Lady Worthington urged Maggie past him to sit next to her near the front of the box. Although he had hoped to sit close to her and perhaps hold her hand while no one took notice, that option wasn’t a possibility. Instead, everyone took their seats, and Worthington pointed for Dracott to take a seat in the farthest corner. It would appear Worthington meant to banish him as far away from his sister as possible. However, what the earl couldn’t prevent him from was admiring Maggie. His viewpoint was direct on the intoxicating miss. One he would enjoy throughout the evening.
Dracott settled into his seat and smiled his enjoyment, which only brought forth another scowl from Worthington. He nodded at the earl, claiming victory for himself once again.
Dracott played a game of risk with the earl. There was much Worthington could rip from him, but to win the love of Maggie, it was worth every risk he attempted. To have her bestow her teasing smile on him every day would be worth it. Not to mention her soft caress and sweet kisses. However, this time, he no longer played a game of entrapping a beautiful miss to become his mark.
This time he meant to claim Maggie as his prize.
