“Helena, please listen to me.”
“Come away. He has ruined you; can’t you see that?” Helena tugged her sister’s arm and dragged her from Lord Robert’s grasp. He stepped forward as if ready to follow Julia, but Helena’s glare pinned him to the spot. “Ever seen a dog defend its pup, My Lord? I am just as protective of my sister, so for your own good, stay there and do not follow us.” There was such danger in her tone that he stepped back again.
Helena pulled Julia away through the garden. Kitty tottered at their sides, wailing loudly, repeatedly covering her mouth between those crying sounds. Helena wished she would be quiet, but each time she told Kitty to lower her voice, she could have sworn her aunt became louder, for she was grief-stricken.
“What has happened? Oh, I cannot bear it!” Kitty clutched Julia’s arm. “Have you not seen what you have done, Julia?” Julia ripped her arm out of Kitty’s own and clung onto Helena again. There was a desperation in that touch, her knuckles turning white. Julia’s breath hitched as she fought off tears. “Your reputation is ruined. Our whole family name is in jeopardy for this.”
Julia no longer fought the tears after this statement. They came with such vigor that as Helena neared the house, she knew she could not take her sister inside. If she was going to protect Julia in any small way from the scandal that was about to unfold, she could not cry in that ballroom.
“This way.” Helena led them around the house, intent on heading straight to the carriage. “Kitty is right, Julia. This has ruined your reputation. I cannot make that go away as much as I wish to.”
Julia’s tears came harder with great gasping breaths, but she said nothing. As they reached the drive and neared the carriages, all lit with lanterns bobbing from the driver’s seats, Helena used that orange light to look closer at her sister.
The gown was still perfectly in place. Lord Robert may have kissed her, but he hadn’t pushed her further.
At least her virtue is intact.
“Oh! What will your parents say about this? What will my husband say?” Kitty wailed as she stepped up into the carriage. “It is all ruined, ruined, I tell you.”
“Aunt, enough of the dramatics,” Helena pleaded, urging Julia up into the carriage first and then giving the orders for them to head home.
As the carriage set off, Helena pulled her sister onto her shoulder and let her cry. Julia’s heavy tears dampened Helen’s gown, but she didn’t once pull away.
“All will be well,” Helena whispered to her sister. “We’ll find a way out of this scandal.”
“How? How will we!?” Kitty squealed and slumped back on the carriage bench. “The entire ballroom will be speaking of this by now. Julia’s name will be in the scandal sheets tomorrow.”
“Enough,” Helena pleaded. “Julia, please, tell me, why did you do this? Why did you let yourself be lured by the charm of a Moore?”
Julia didn’t answer her but cried with even more vigor.
* * *
“What did you say, Sir?” Christopher stared at the gentleman that was taking delight in telling him the gossip. Sir Tobias Juniper had been looking down his nose at Christopher all night which was why he had thought it strange when Sir Juniper came to talk to him.
This is why. He had no wish to chat; he wishes to laud it over me what scandal will now befall the family.
“My wife has seen it all, Your Grace,” Sir Juniper sniggered, making hardly much pretense to hold back his humor. “She came from the garden just now where she saw your brother with Lady Julia. What a shock, eh?” He stepped back and shrugged. “It seems your brother has done what even you had managed to avoid and has been caught in the arms of a woman.”
Christopher stared openmouthed. He stepped forward, fury absorbing every bone in his body. His hands balled into fists at his sides, but any revenge he wished to enact for the words was halted as Percival took his elbow, holding him back.
“One scandal is enough for tonight, isn’t it?” Percival whispered. “You wish to see you punching Sir Juniper end up in the scandal sheets too?”
“It can’t be true. It can’t be.” Christopher thrust his hands into his hair, pulling on the blond tendrils, somehow hoping he would wake from this nightmare. Maybe he’d wake up in bed in a cold sweat, this dream brought on by some awful fever. Yet he didn’t wake. The more he blinked, the more certain he was it was a reality. “I feel strangely sober all of a sudden.” He lowered his hands from his hair. “We have to find Robert.”
He marched around the ballroom, but no matter where he went, he couldn’t find his brother. Percival stayed on his coat tails, and together they met the wrath of angry glares from the other guests. There wasn’t a kind look amongst the gentlemen or ladies. Even the staff lifted their chins high and looked down their noses.
“We’ll be detested forever for this,” Christopher seethed.
“Gentlemen’s reputations recover faster than ladies; you know that as well as I.” Percival reminded him, nudging him in the arm. “Give it a month or two, and no one will speak of your brother. They’ll speak of Lady Julia’s fallen reputation though. Is that not a good thing?” He actually smiled. The mere action galled Christopher. “I would have thought you would delight in seeing the Carters brought low.”
“Oh, yes. Let me just jig and dance with delight,” he muttered drily and picked up his pace, circling the ballroom faster. When it was plain Robert was not in the ballroom, he strode out onto the balcony terrace in the garden.
There was one figure lit by the moonlight. He sat on a low-lying wall, his spine crumpled and his light brown hair rippling in the breeze.
Christopher stomped toward him with Percival nudging him.
“Do not be too angry with him.”
