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Chapter Six
“Viscount Dalton to see you, Miss.”
Kitty nodded at Halston with a smile and fought the urge to run to her room and hide for the remainder of the afternoon. It would have only been a matter of time before Sophie’s father came to call in the wake of James’s scandal, no doubt looking for his daughter. She was a little bit surprised he hadn’t already done so, considering that nearly two days had already passed since the incident. When Halston had handed her that note yesterday, she had been expecting it to be a missive from the viscount inquiring about Sophie. Her thoughts drifted back to the bizarre message, wondering just who had sent it and why.
Before she could ponder further, Lord Dalton came striding into the parlor, his hands wringing. She took in his lavishly embroidered coat with distaste, knowing full well that such ill-advised expenditures were the reason for the Berrington’s dire financial situation in the first place. Not that she had room to talk, however, considering her father’s own disastrous finances.
“Good afternoon, Lord Dalton,” Kitty greeted cordially, gesturing to an adjacent settee. “Do have a seat. I’ve been expecting your call.”
In a rather shocking display of rudeness, the man ignored her greeting entirely and scanned the room with a frown. “Why hasn’t my daughter come down?”
Kitty paused, debating on just how much to tell him. “She is not here.”
He put his hands on his hips. “What do you mean ‘she is not here’?”
She supposed the truth would come to him eventually. HewasSophie’s father, after all. Even if there didn’t appear to be any love lost between the two, he did still deserve to know more details of the scandal that effected his family. “She went after James.”
“Hell and damnation!” he cursed, the volume of his voice almost startling Kitty out of her seat. “I told him we had it handled and not to do anything more foolish than he already has!”
She froze at the implication of his words. “You knew about our betrothal?”
He started, as if only being just made aware of who he was speaking to. “Well…that is to say, I knew he had been considering a courtship.” He waved his hands placatingly. “I had no idea he had proposed. I swear it on my honor.”
Which, apparently, did not count for much, as Kitty had the distinct feeling that the man was lying through his teeth. “Very well, then,” she sighed, deciding it wasn’t worth pressing him further on the matter. What was done was done, and she was eager to move on from the whole affair, the emotional strain of it having already exhausted her to the fullest. “As I said, Sophie is not here, so I believe your business with me is concluded.”
“Indeed.” He paused, eyeing her consideringly in a way that sent a frisson of unease through her. “I really am sorry about the broken betrothal. I’ve always thought you were a rather lovely young woman. A true shame that we won’t have you afoot.”
Something in his tone told her he thought her more than just ‘lovely’, and she bit back a grimace. It seemed she had narrowly dodged more than one problem that a life with James would have entailed.
“I thank you for the compliment and wish you a good afternoon.”
“Also a shame about your prospects being made public.” He smiled in a way that she supposed would have been handsome twenty years ago. “You are still a friend of the family. If there is anything you need,” his eyes narrowed appreciatively on her form, “do pay me a call.”
“Good day, My Lord,” she replied more forcefully, too shocked by the sheer audacity of the conversation to say anything more.
“Good day, madam.” He nodded with that slimy smile and left the room.
She sank back into the sofa before tensing up again as footsteps approached the parlor door. Had he not tired of his disturbing overtures? The door opened and she braced herself for another uncomfortable interaction.
“I see Dalton is sniffing around for his errant progeny.”
Kitty sagged in relief at the sight of Ashford strolling into the room, his handsome face the usual mask of indifference. She rubbed her arms briefly and gave him her best smile. It would be supremely humiliating for him to discover that she had all but been offeredcarte blancheby her friends impoverished father. Goodness, did she really appear that desperate to the Ton? “Please, have a seat, Your Grace.”
His eyes narrowed on her form, his lips twitching. “He said something to offend you.”
Blast. “Oh, nothing like that. He was just upset at the scandal is all.”
“Your clever little fibs don’t work on me. We’ve established that by now.”
“And neither do yours,” she sniffed, attempting to divert the conversation towards far more interesting territory than Lord Dalton’s shameful overtures.
“What did he say?” Ashford replied, completely ignoring her intended jab. He walked to the sofa and sat a few feet from her, elegantly crossing an ankle over his knee and looking at her expectantly.
Kitty threw her hands in the air. “Oh, fine. He may have insinuated an interest in making me his mistress to solve my financial problems.”
Ashford’s face did not change, but his posture stiffened. The air around him became thick with malice, to the point where she nearly scooted back. “He offeredcarte blancheto a baron’s daughter.”
“A ruined and impoverished baron’s daughter, mind you.”
