"Oh my dear I just caught a glimpse, is he not the most handsome fellow you ever did see?"
"Many a young lady has certainly thought so over the years, Madelaine, too their own damage and discredit I am sure."
"I know his reputation and the wedding, did you hear about the wedding?"
"Which one, darling? There were two after all!"
"I hear that she had never been seen out with him before, whatever they had, it was so very hush hush."
"I heard that she used to meet him in a summer house at his estate when she was in London for her season and that is why she missed so many social engagements."
"Charlotte, I never! She would have been barely 18, so young for such scandal!"
"And yet -"
"Oh I must get closer, do you think we can be introduced? How I would love to hear every detail from their own lips!"
Louisa moved closer to Cedric as they were announced to the party. She could already feel eyes on her, raking from the top of her carefully prepared hair down to her bead encrusted shoes. She had never spent so much time on her appearance before nor worn something so expensive! It was a light gold satin that brought out shimmering gold specks in her eyes and set off her dark hair, and there was embroidery with pearls and silver thread that made the whole dress move like it was liquid and jeweled.
She knew that it was more delicate and formal than any gown she had worn in her life or even any gown being worn at the party today. Eyes were following her as they moved past the guests towards the hosts to make their greetings.
For once it felt a little less like being suffocated by the gazes of so many strangers. She could see fans fluttering and hear the rustle of whispers like a sea but they were staring just as much at Cedric as at her and somehow that helped a great deal. Heseemed not bothered at all, that absolutely infuriating half smile on his lips as he moved with the grace of a panther through the crowd.
"They're all looking at us," she murmured to him.
"We're the most interesting people in the room," he drawled. "Why wouldn't they?"
If they had been anywhere else she would have tried to kick him in the ankle for his enormous ego, but as it was, all she could do was huff under her breath. Still there was no denying that they were the talk of any and every part in London and that today's hosts were delighted to be the first event that they had attended since the wedding.
If it weren't for EvelinaLouisa thought to herself with her heart beating twice as hard as when they had entered.If it weren't for Margaret and their husbands too, there would have been no invitations at all. There would be nothing but averted gazes in the street.
On some level she felt as though she had not really deserved it to end like this. Married and with rumors but no real condemnation was too fair an outcome for ruining a wedding and driving two people apart, even if one had always been a terrible person and the other hadn't known that said terrible person was pregnant.
"Ah, Lord St Vincent," Lord Allington bowed as they approached, his wife on his arm and smiling already with thatslightly insincere too wide smile that was a little too intent for it to be friendly. "And Lady St Vincent, what a delight to see you out and about after your wedding. Have you been well?"
It was a loaded question, even Louisa could see that and she had never had the talent for the strange webs people wove in society, not like most of her sisters. Even Penelope could tell what people were doing, she just frequently refused to play along.
"We are quite well, thank you, Allington," Cedric drawled. "The party is lovely, your lady wife has as always outdone herself."
The viscountess flushed pink and smiled at him. "Your opinion means a great deal, my lord, we are happy to have impressed."
"As you always do, my lady," he bowed slightly to her and smiled and Louisa wanted to hit him so suddenly that she was quite surprised with herself. She had so rarely wanted to hit people before she had met Cedric Pembroke.
"My lady St Vincent," the Viscount said cheerfully. "How are you enjoying our little soiree?"
"It's quite lovely, thank you," Louisa said frankly. "The flowers are beautiful."
"On of my wife's passions," he confided, eyes sparkling. "She does love everything that is growing and green, don't you Angelica?"
"You are quite right, of course, my dear," the Viscountess said, looking a little flustered.
"Anyway, enough about us. What of you, Lord St Vincent? I would have sworn my right leg that you would have gone to your grave a merry bachelor not six months ago, sir, and yet here you are a happily married man."
"And what an - exciting ceremony it was too," the Viscountess added. "However did the two of you meet?"
Louisa felt her speech dry up in her throat. For a second she had been about to say that she had met him at his wedding day to another woman because that was the truth, but of course she couldn't say so. The whole game hinged on the idea that they had been madly in love in the past, in love enough to destroy a wedding with a woman as beautiful and well connected as Lady Bettie. Whatever would they say?
She felt a grip of panic, but then Cedric pressed her hand where it was tucked in the crook of his arm and winked at her, his smile just getting wider.
