Page 10 of Her Honorable Viscount (Noble Pursuits #3)

CHAPTER 10

E dward drummed his fingers on the surface of his large mahogany desk, his brother and Adelaide sitting in front of him like two children waiting for their punishment.

“What were you thinking?” he finally managed, and Michael shrugged.

“We were just having some fun, Edward. If you’re wondering what that is, let me explain it. It’s when people?—”

Edward fixed him with a stare.

“Right.” Michael lifted his hands in the air in defeat. “You’re not interested in learning what fun is.”

“I do not have time for fun , Michael.”

“You’re too busy saving the world.”

“If you mean too busy saving you, then yes, you would be correct.”

“Now, Edward, that is not exactly polite to Adelaide.”

“Adelaide is not the problem here. She didn’t know what to expect when rowing on the Serpentine with all the ton watching.”

“If you’re going to talk about me, don’t forget that I am in the room with you.”

Edward and Michael both turned toward her. Edward was instantly chagrined with himself. He had been so caught up in his ire with Michael’s disregard for anything important that he had forgotten her presence.

“I apologize, Adelaide,” he said, sitting back. “It is only that Michael should be teaching you what is expected. Instead, he is leading you into trouble.”

“Now, Edward?—”

He lifted a hand to stop his brother. “This is all a rather untoward situation. You must understand that,” he said, speaking to both of them now. “But you are always welcome here, Adelaide. You are family now.”

“Thank you,” she said. She seemed inclined to say more, but Edward continued.

“You should start to think about when you would like to plan the wedding,” he said. “I will help with anything I can, of course.”

“I haven’t agreed yet.”

Edward’s head snapped toward Adelaide at that. “To marry Michael?”

“That’s right.”

“But you are with child. His child.”

“I am.”

“You must marry.”

“I do not have to do anything.”

“What else will you do?”

She looked him in the eye and stood. “That is my decision, Lord Mandrake, and mine alone. Thank you for your generous hospitality. I will lie down for a time if you don’t mind.”

With that, she turned and stalked out of the room, clearly displeased with both of them.

Edward and Michael exchanged a look. “You do not want to marry anymore?” Edward asked.

“I do. She is the one who is unsure.”

“Well, make her sure if that is what you want. Otherwise, you will require another solution. You can’t be parading a mistress around Mayfair. A wife, yes. A mistress, no.”

“Why does everything have to follow these rules, Edward?”

“I didn’t make the rules. I live in them. It’s the cost of being who we are.”

“Says who?”

“Says society.”

Michael rolled his eyes as he pushed away from the chair and followed Adelaide’s steps to the door.

“Oh, and Michael?”

“Yes?”

“I will be out tonight at a dinner event at Lord and Lady Alpine’s. Do not do anything I wouldn’t do while I am out, understand?”

“Very well. I will sit in front of the fire and read my book. How does that sound?”

Quite wonderful, actually, even if he knew that Michael was only trying to get a rise out of him.

Speaking of, he’d best prepare for the dinner. He could not be late.

That would never do.

“Who do you think will be there tonight?” Sarah asked, craning her head to look out the carriage window.

“Lady Alpine only ever invites the most distinguished guests,” their mother said. Fitz and Eliza had decided not to join them tonight, which meant they only had to take the carriage for the six of them, as Daphne and Betsy were too young to attend.

It was a wonder the rest of them had all been invited, for it would take a great many gentlemen to make up for their numbers.

“Do you think Lord Mandrake will be there?” Henrietta asked with a knowing grin toward Dot, who rolled her eyes.

“I do wish you would simply accept his suit,” their mother sighed, causing Dot to fix Henrietta with an annoyed stare, telling her without words that this was why they didn’t bring up such subjects in front of their mother. Henrietta seemed to understand everything Dot’s expression was saying as she mouthed “sorry” toward her.

“What about Sloane?” Dot said, attempting to deflect the conversation away from her fruitless love life. “Lord Rockwell has called upon her a few times.”

“He is such a bore,” Sloane said, throwing her head back.

“You think everyone is a bore,” Georgina chimed in.

“Well, you think everyone is an annoyance,” Sloane returned.

“That’s enough,” their mother said firmly. “There are many fine gentlemen interested in you ladies, although sometimes heaven knows why!”

“Because we are so beautiful, Mother, which we get from you,” Henrietta said before they all turned to laughter as her mother couldn’t help the hint of a smile that grew on her face.

One that remained as they pulled up to the opulent house belonging to Lord and Lady Alpine.

Dot was reminded of how much the family loved to host as she walked up the front steps and into the refined front foyer. A sweeping marble staircase stretched out in front of them while a glittering crystal chandelier danced light patterns onto the richly colored walls adorned with gilded mirrors and oil paintings.

The scent of fresh flowers filled the air as the women walked in to greet their hosts, who stood receiving their guests and leading them into the grand drawing room.

“Look at all the gentlemen,” their mother whispered as they entered the room. It was true. Only a few women were present, most of them Lady Alpine’s daughters. Dot suddenly realized why her family had been invited. Lady Alpine had four daughters of her own to marry off. She probably thought that Dot and her sisters provided far less competition than any other young ladies, as unconventional as they were.

Dot wished that Eliza had accompanied them, for she always knew what to say in such situations, while Dot preferred to sit at the side of the room and speak to people she already knew.

Any other conversation seemed trite and stilted. She preferred the real conversations, the ones that mattered.

But that wasn’t to be found in the ton – not usually.

Henrietta was already walking among the people mingling about the room, taking an offered drink from a tray before greeting one of Lady Alpine’s daughters in the corner.

Dot also accepted a glass but didn’t pay much attention to it.

She leaned back against the wall, perfectly accepting her role as wallflower.

“Care for some company?”

She looked up in surprise, warmth flooding her at Lord Mandrake’s voice.

“Lord Mandrake,” she said, unable to help the smile that spread across her face. She probably looked a fool, but she didn’t care. This man caused feelings within her that she preferred would leave her be, especially when they had no future together. “I was unsure if you would be here.”

“Nor did I know that you would be present, but I am more than pleased to find us at the same event,” he said. “It always brightens my day to see you.”

He paused as though he had surprised himself admitting such to her. When his cheeks reddened, and he shifted from side to side, Dot took pity on him and changed the subject.

“How is Adelaide?” Dot asked.

“She is doing well,” he said, hesitating slightly.

“But?”

“Well,” his voice dropped, and he looked around them rather furtively. “It seems she is uncertain about marriage to Michael.”

“Ah, yes, she mentioned as much.”

“But why?” He seemed perplexed.

“Has Michael ever proven himself to be particularly committed to anyone or anything?” she asked, raising a brow, and he paused for a moment before sighing.

“I see your point.”

“Adelaide has to consider more than herself. She has another life to protect now, too.”

“I understand,” he said, and opened his mouth to continue, but another couple stepped into the room.

Lord and Lady Carroway.

Dot tensed, her shoulders rising to her ears as Lord Mandrake placed a hand on her lower back in support.

“Do not give her the benefit of seeing that she can rattle you,” he said in a low voice, and she nodded, returning her attention to him to try to forget Lady Carroway and all of the ill she promised to bring with her.

A voice rang out, calling them into the dining room before Dot could thank Lord Mandrake for his support.

She supposed they would have to continue this conversation later.

Fortunately, Lord and Lady Carroway were seated at the opposite end of the table. While Dot couldn’t help but hope she would be sitting next to Lord Mandrake, he was placed across the table at the opposing end.

Instead, she found herself next to another gentleman, Lord Birmingham, who was charming and said all of the right things and seemed to be a man who would be ideally suited to her – if he would overlook the fact she worked as a midwife – but she found that her attention was elsewhere.

It was down the table where Lord Mandrake spoke to Lady Clarice, one of Lady Alpine’s daughters.

Clarice was a beauty, with her long, artfully styled blond hair and her crystal blue eyes, always laughing and yet not too loud. She was polite yet friendly and would make the perfect hostess, the perfect mother, the perfect wife for a man who cared about rigid rules and guidelines and always acting the part.

A man like the one sitting beside her.

Despite Lady Clarice’s apparent perfection, Dot had never been jealous of her.

She was now.

While Lord Mandrake was not known as a charmer or a flirt, Lady Clarice leaned into him, apparently interested in whatever he said to her. Dot wondered what he would have to share that was so amusing.

Dot noticed Lady Clarice brush her hand against Lord Mandrake’s.

She noticed how she pressed her shoulder against his when the footman approached with the serving tray, even though there was no need to move out of the way.

She noticed that Lord Mandrake hadn’t looked over her way once, not throughout the entire dinner.

Which told her one thing.

He was no longer interested in her.

Not romantically, as he had been before, if one could even call it that. He had thought she would make a fine wife for him. When she had proven him wrong, the only interest in her that remained was in how she could help Adelaide. That and his return offer to help her with Lady Carroway, although Dot wondered if he had gotten anywhere with that or if he had only been trying to be kind.

She was attempting to not pay the vile woman any attention, but she hadn’t missed Lady Carroway’s looks her way, as though she was trying to remind her that her time was running out.

After dinner, the ladies retired to the drawing room while the gentlemen stayed behind. Dot found her sisters and stayed close to them, avoiding both Lady Carroway and Lady Clarice. Georgina fixed her with a strange expression.

“What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

Everything.

“Why is Lady Carroway walking this way with such intention in her eyes?” Georgina said with a shudder. Dash it all. “I do not like that woman.”

“You do not like anyone.”

“No, but in this case, I really do not like her. The woman is evil. I can feel it in my bones.”

Georgina believed her intuition could sense anything and everything around her. Sometimes, Dot was inclined to agree with her, although at other times, Georgina was completely off the mark.

“Well, in this case, Georgie, I think you are right,” she murmured, taking a step back, trying to hide behind one of the columns at the corner of the room. “I am going to get some air.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to accompany you?”

“No. I am just going to step out onto the terrace,” she said, before turning and all but running away toward the garden doors that led to the terrace, which wrapped around the house, connecting to all of the prominent rooms.

Dot had nothing to say to Lady Carroway. Had she known the woman would be here, she never would have come – even if she had known Lord Mandrake was attending.

After what she had witnessed at dinner, however, she likely would have been better off avoiding him as well. It would only hurt to remember that he had no interest in her.

Dot had always believed that people created their destinies.

But right now, she felt like feeling sorry for herself.

Which was why she was better off alone.

Now and always.