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He knew her well enough now to know that she despised society’s fashions. Even donned in her favorite color she would forgo the gloves and hats and tight knots of women’s hairstyles if she could. He thought of her that day standing in the center of the aviary’s bare structure. Hair unbound. Shoulders exposed.Free.

Still, despite being allowed to wear her choice of clothes, Amelia’s countenance did seem much improved. She no longer appeared tense or frightened as she stood among the mass of elites, but instead blended quite well into them.

Perhaps after another week I should take her home,he thought,give her a break. Let her see how the aviary is coming along.

“Hugo, Dominic,” Tristan greeted them with a nod, joining them under large white tent where the drinks were being served.

“How goes it Tristan?” Dominic asked casually.

“You never joined me at White’s last night,” Tristan accused, waving his hand for a drink.

“My meetings ran long,” Dominic explained, smirking, “Shall I send an apology bouquet to your house for standing you up?”

Hugo and Dominic chuckled, but Tristan only narrowed his eyes.

“Amelia’s father came looking for you.”

Dominic’s humor vanished at once, and the three of them walked off to a more private spot.

“What the bloody hell did he want?” Dominic demanded, his tone low.

His eyes roamed over the crowded lawn. One to make sure they weren’t going to be interrupted, two to make sure he could still keep an eye on Amelia.

A gentleman he didn’t know had approached her and her friends, and while they conversation appeared cordial, he got a strange feeling in his gut as he watched.

“He was roaring drunk,” Tristan explained, “Wouldn’t tell me much. Just that there’s an unsettled debt between you two.”

Dominic glanced away from Amelia and toward his friend.

“That’s ridiculous,” he stated, “there is no debt.”

“That’s not what he says,” Tristan replied, grimacing.

Dominic noted it right away and asked him what else he said.

“Not much else about you,” Tristan replied, swirling the whiskey around in his glass, “But what he said about Theo nearly had me knocking his block off right there in front of everyone.”

“What did he say?” Dominic demanded, feeling his anger grow.

“Said if my parents and I were tired of waiting around to marry off my poor, scarred sister, he had a way of getting her taken care of quick.”

Dominic’s nostrils flared with rage. Tristan was the only one who knew the truth of how he and Amelia had been married, so he knew his friend would have been absolutely livid at the idea of someone suggesting he take her to auction.

“You should have hit him,” Dominic growled, “I would have made the rumor go away for you. I heard he’s making more enemies by the day anyway.”

“What did he mean by that?” Hugo asked, looking at them suspiciously. “Surely he’s not suggesting something like Seraphina’s mother had? Pushing her to get caught in a scandal.”

Worse,Dominic wanted to say, but the less people that knew about the auction the better. It was a practice he hadn’t minded for many years, but now he was quickly starting to loathe its existence.

“Some people really shouldn’t have children,” Dominic muttered in response to Hugo’s question.

To Tristan he said, “I’ll take care of Hoge. Just stay out of White’s for a while. All of you. Until I get this sorted.”

“Good luck giving that order to Everett,” Hugo scoffed. “That’s probably where he is now.”

“Wasn’t there last night,” Tristan spoke up. They all looked at him with surprise.

“Who knows,” He said with a shrug, “Maybe all that razzing about him being a drunkard got to him.