“I believe we should be looking for a solution rather than an escape. Perhaps we should open a conversation with the Moores and see what Lord Robert has to say on the matter,” Helena offered. It was as if she had smashed a vase in the room, for all faces turned toward her, paling, with mixed looks of horror and anger. Matthew raised his fists again, and she waved a mad hand at him, urging him to lower them. “You will not fight Lord Robert.”
“I could,” he said miserably.
“You think Lord Robert would offer his hand to her?” Benjamin waved a dismissive hand at Julia. “He would not. They’re cowards, the lot of them! All the Moores.” He was back to his anger again, marching away from the two of them. “They only pretend to have honor, but they have none of it. Look at Lord Robert’s brother, the Duke of Bridstone. What honor does he have! A known rake. You can hardly expect me to believe that Lord Robert has any himself.”
“Precisely. A born coward. He’ll see us all ruined.” Anna wailed and fell into her sister-in-law’s arms. Kitty held onto her tightly, comforting her. “They’re snakes, all of the family.
“Rakes?” Benjamin asked, flicking his head round. “Lord Robert is a rake, too.”
“His hearing is getting worse,” Julia murmured to Helena.
“I know.” Helena sighed, for this wasn’t the time to talk about their father’s hearing, yet it fueled Anna’s anger anyway. She marched toward her husband with her hands on her hips.
“Snakes, Benjamin. I called them snakes!”
“He’s not a snake,” Julia muttered to herself and sniffed. Helena could hear the tears coming already. She fished into her sleeve and pulled out a handkerchief that she passed to Julia. Out of the corner of her eye, Helena saw the butler opening the door wide, but she paid no attention.
By now, the butler and all the staff in the house must have heard the raised voices. It wasn’t something they could keep from the staff.
“Snakes, indeed,” Benjamin agreed, with a hasty nod.
“An ill time to call I see. Who do you reckon they were calling snakes?”
That voice.
Helena turned round so sharply at the voice, she didn’t look where she was stepping. She collided with the Duke of Bridstone, who had walked into the room beside the butler.
He caught her arm before she could totter over and fall. His hand gripped her elbow a beat longer than it should have done, and they both stared at one another, shocked at the meeting.
He’s here. Why on earth is the Duke of Bridstone here?
From behind the Duke, Lord Robert stepped in, looking nervous indeed as he fiddled with the lapels of his tailcoat. Slowly, the Duke of Bridstone released Helena, and she stepped back, trying not to think of the searing heat that had shot through her at that touch.
Attraction does not help!
She stepped away from him, and she hurried toward Matthew, who raised his fists.
“Behave, Matthew,” she pleaded, pushing his arms down. “Go into the next room. It’s best you’re not here for this conversation.” She pushed him toward the nearest door.
“But —”
“Now, Matthew,” Benjamin snapped in his direction. Matthew left, dragging his feet.
The moment he was gone, Helena moved to stand on her sister’s other side and put distance between herself and the Duke of Bridstone. The entire time she stared at the Duke, and he looked back at her, those green eyes piercing.
Look away, you fool.
“I think they were calling us snakes, Robert.” The Duke of Bridstone smirked as he looked at his brother, finally breaking the connected gaze he had with Helena.
“Robert,” Julia whispered, standing slowly to her feet.
Helena could have danced for joy at Lord Robert’s entrance. It meant that Julia was right about him. He had not turned his back on her as Helena had feared, but had he come to do the right thing. The one thing she could not understand was why on earth the Duke of Bridstone had come as well. He cast another quick glance at her, those green eyes the color of the ocean making her jolt, then he looked away.
What is he doing here?
* * *
The hatred of the room was apparent. So many glowers settled on Christopher that he found it difficult to return any of their gazes. Surprisingly, the face he did feel comfortable in looking at was Lady Helena’s. She looked at him with shock, certainly, for their collision was an awkward thing, but she didn’t look at him with vile rage as the others did.
