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Chapter Nine
Dracott was unprepared for what to expect when he arrived at the Worthington townhome for dinner. The invitation Graham had thrust into his hand before he left the office still surprised him. He had expected to continue making amends before the Worthingtons accepted him into their fold again. However, he now sat at their dining room table, sharing an intimate dinner with Maggie’s family.
Lady Worthington had astonished him when she greeted him warmly by thanking him for his gift of chocolates. She continued with her surprises by inquiring if she had his permission to call him by his Christian name. She told him how she detested the formality required amongst peers and preferred everyone to call each other by their first names when it was only their family present. Lady Worthington even granted him permission to call her Meredith.
Maggie was as surprised herself and offered him a smile filled with shyness whenever their glances met, which was often because she sat across from him. Disappointment had settled over him when he first sat down between Evelyn and Eden. However, Maggie was a magnificent sight to watch. She teased her family members with as much enthusiasm as they teased her. Her titillating laughter soothed his soul from the trying day he had suffered through.
Even Worthington relented his stance by shaking his hand when he arrived. It appeared the earl respected him on how he had handled himself earlier when Rogers denied him entrance.
Dracott sat through most of the meal in silence. The Worthington family astounded him with their teasing nature and acceptance of each other. He had witnessed many meals with them in this regard. However, the more time he spent with Maggie, the more he realized it wasn’t a facade. They truly enjoyed each other’s company. Even Ravencroft sat relaxed and joined in with the conversation flowing around the table.
He had never experienced a family setting such as this. Dracott held no memories of his father, and his mother held no maternal feelings at all. The only attachment he had with family was the mangled affair he held with Ravencroft, a brother who held no clue on how to deal with him. Ravencroft had every right to turn his back on him. Dracott was a bastard born to the mother who had abandoned Ravencroft’s father. Yet Ravencroft protected Dracott from the harsh realities of life to the best of his abilities.
Laughter floated around him as Worth teased his sisters. Dracott smiled when they flipped the teasing back at Worth. Instead of retaliating, Worth laughed in amusement along with them.
“Please forgive my children, Crispin. They have no bounds when they rile each other,” Meredith stated.
Crispin smiled. “I quite enjoy the entertainment.”
“Do you share the same amusement with your own siblings?” Evelyn asked.
Crispin’s smile turned wistful. “Unfortunately, no. I am an only child.”
All the ladies reacted with the same expression of sorrow. “Ahh.”
Ravencroft coughed into his napkin, drawing the attention toward him. “My apologies. My meal went down the wrong pipe.”
Dracott bit back a sigh. He knew it bothered Ravencroft when Dracott never acknowledged him as his brother. With the danger surrounding them, he couldn’t risk revealing their relationship. He had arrived in London with a false identity and told Worth that he had no living kin. His lie had convinced Worth to employ him to help capture Lady L. He had assured Worth that there would be no repercussions of retaliation on his family’s part if he were to die. He must continue with the deceit.
“Shall we adorn to the drawing room for dessert?” Meredith inquired.
Evelyn clapped. “A wonderful idea. I will gather Mina for our evening’s entertainment.”
“Excellent,” Meredith exclaimed, leading everyone away from the table.
Reese followed his wife up the stairs to gather their daughter, while Noel hooked her arm through Ravencroft’s, leading him along. Graham linked his arms with his mother and Eden, which left Crispin to escort Maggie. He held out his arm, and she accepted it with another shy smile.
“I am delighted you accepted Mama’s invitation,” Maggie whispered.
Crispin squeezed Maggie’s hand. “I would not have missed a chance to see you, regardless of your family’s company.”
“I feared they scared you away with their actions.”
Crispin kept with his assurances. “It will take more than a brother’s protectiveness and a mother’s need to cling to her youngest child to keep me away from you.”
Maggie leaned her head against his arm. “I am glad you understand them. While I wish nothing more than to defy them and spend time alone with you, I find comfort that you don’t make me choose.”
“I would never force you into that predicament.”
The way Maggie laid her head against him showed Dracott how much she trusted him, and it warmed his heart. Even if it was under false pretenses on his end. However, he couldn’t change his course. He would treasure this feeling before someone ripped her from his grasp. He hated to betray Maggie’s trust, but he only did so to keep her safe. It was what he told himself to justify his deceit. Hell! If they had the chance, any gentleman would act the same.
She moved her head off him before they entered the drawing room. “I know.”
Maggie dropped Crispin’s arm before her mother noticed. Crispin stood in her family’s good graces, and she didn’t want to give them any reason to withdraw their friendliness. Eden’s comments from this afternoon resonated with Maggie. Crispin didn’t hold the luxury to disregard an order from an employer when he depended on the livelihood. Maggie decided to trust Crispin because he hadn’t given her any reason not to.
She settled on the sofa and patted the spot next to her inconspicuously. Crispin sat down, keeping a respectable distance between them. He settled back against the cushions with confidence but not too arrogantly on pulling one over on her family. No. It appeared as if her family’s acceptance relaxed him.
When Mina ran into the drawing room and jumped on Worth’s lap, Crispin laughed at the toddler’s exuberance. The room joined in with his laughter. Once Mina realized she held the room’s attention with her display, she tried to gain the same reaction with Ravencroft. When she did, she moved on to Crispin next. Only this time, she settled on his lap, content, sucking on her thumb.
