“Shh,” Louisa urged with a wave of her hand.
Yet James wasn’t paying attention to their conversation. He was circling the entrance hall, taking in everything before him as if he were a hungry dog and the view was a great slab of meat.
He gawped at the fine furnishings that Margaret had had installed. He even stared somewhat in awe at the reverent way in which Mrs. Lancaster and Yates stood nearby, ready to be called if needed.
“How are you all?” Margaret asked, taking advantage of her father’s hungry stare to check on her sisters.
“Louisa has not come up from air from her books,” Alexandra said with a smile, earning a tut from Louisa.
“Alexandra is trying to find out more about Father’s finances,” Louisa turned the tables. “Though every discovery just seems to make things worse.” Clearly, Alexandra could not argue this point and just nodded sadly.
“And Penelope has tucked Father under a blanket more than once this week when he has returned from the gambling halls and fallen down into a chair.” Alexandra looked at Penelope with a frown. “She’s enabling him.”
“I’m doing no such thing.” Penelope laid her hands on her hips, agitated. “Enough about us. How is married life treating you?”
“Well.”
“Well?” Louisa and Alexandra repeated in unison as Penelope curled her nose.
“I’m not sure Evelina has ever described marriage in such plain terms.” Penelope shook her head in dismay.
“Some things must be going well.” Alexandra laid a hand on the skirt of the formal sage green gown Margaret was wearing. “This is very beautiful. It must be new.”
“Well, maybe my new husband has kindness in him. Even if it is bestowed in a rather stoic and distant sort of manner,” Margaret explained slowly. “Come, let us have dinner.”
She turned with her sisters to find James was now admiring a fine vase nearby. He even picked it up off the side, turning it back and forth to admire it. When he staggered a little, Margaret gulped.
“He has been drinking already tonight?” Margaret whispered in panic.
“Only a little,” Penelope murmured.
“Or a lot,” Louisa added with a sigh as James staggered back the other way.
Out of the nearest doorway, appeared Theodore.
Embarrassed by her father, Margaret felt her cheeks heat. She was sure eggs could have been cooked on her cheeks, they were so hot as Theodore took the vase swiftly out of her father’s grasp. He handed it with ease to Yates, who rather than returning it to its spot, hurried off to find a safer place for it.
“Good evening, Lord Edlerglen.”
“Ah, good evening, Your Grace.” As James bowed, nearly falling over, Margaret and her sisters all panicked.
Margaret and Louisa breathed deeply as Alexandra and Penelope clutched one another’s hands. Fortunately, James stood straight again, managing to avoid falling flat on his nose.
“Dinner?” Theodore gestured through the doorway.
“Ah, thank you.” James led the way then Margaret urged her sisters to follow. She was the last to pass her husband, though Theodore’s light touch to her arm made her halt.
That touch seemed to pass through her, like a bolt of electricity. Whether Theodore felt it or not, she had no idea, for he gave no sign of it.
“Has your father always been like this?” he whispered, nodding at James who struggled to sit down straight in his chair. He only managed to find it in the end as together, Alexandra and Penelope thrust him into it.
“For too long,” she mouthed back, not wishing to go into further explanations.
As dinner began, Margaret felt her embarrassment grow much worse. More than once did she attempt normal conversation with her sisters, but at every step of the way, their conversation was dominated by her father. James showed no tact in trying to find out exactly how much money Theodore had, and if any of it could be used to James’ own advantage.
By the end of the evening, Theodore could not have looked colder or angrier. He sat very still, not partaking of his food or wine.
“If looks could murder,” Louisa whispered in Margaret’s ear.
