Austin raised a brow at him as he asked, “What would you have had me do? Send her home in the storm?”
“Vincent, please,” Lavender stepped in before Vincent could think of a response. She stood, putting a placating hand on her brother’s arm. “It was my fault. I was the one who decided to come here without warning and Austin only did what he thought was best at the moment.”
He pulled his fingers through his hair again, frustrated. It was a wonder how he didn’t pull a few strands loose at the same time, Austin thought.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Lav,” he sighed. “Come. It’s time to go home.”
Lavender pouted. “Can’t I stay and finish break—” At Vincent’s scathing look, she quickly said, “Or not. Let’s leave.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Austin said, standing. He met Vincent’s eyes, challenging him to say something about it.
The other man only shook his head in frustration. They left the drawing room in silence, making their way to the foyer. Austin could see Mr. Francis hovering anxiously nearby, holding a pair of slippers in his hand.
At the door, Lavender turned to Austin. “Thank you for hosting me, my lord. I hope to repay your kindness one day.”
Austin resisted the urge to grin at that. How proper of her to say, considering the fact that she was still bare-footed. As if she was just now realizing that herself, she accepted her now dried slippers from Mr. Francis.
“Yes, thank you,” Vincent joined in, looking considerably less frustrated now. “And forgive my anger, my lord. I was just worried sick about her all night that I rushed over here as soon as I received your letter. I understand that my rash sister is the one at fault here.”
“Or perhaps no one is at fault,” Lavender suggested lightheartedly. When she caught her brother’s glare, she thinned her lips. “You’re not in the mood for jests, I see. Austin, we should leave before my brother’s glaring gives him a megrim.”
Austin swallowed his laughter and nodded. “Very well.”
He stepped back, his throat suddenly growing thick as he watched Lavender and her brother leave. He followed them to the porch and listened to their soft bickering as they climbed into theirwaiting carriage. He didn’t move until their carriage was out of sight.
At last, he turned and went back into the house, ignoring Mr. Francis still hovering in the corner. He hated to admit it to himself but the truth was as bright as day.
Now that Lavender was gone, the house seemed much, much lonelier.
***
The first thing Lavender noticed when she reached home was that there were two other carriages in the driveway. She frowned at Vincent. “Do you have guests over?”
Vincent didn’t look at her. Lavender had almost forgotten just how much her brother could hold a grudge. It may be days before he forgave her for this.
“You worried more people than you think,” he grumbled as the carriage came to a stop.
She didn’t bother to question him further on it. Later she would try to get him to forgive her, hoping she could simply lay on the charm like she usually did. She wasn’t often denied anything and her brother’s forgiveness was normally one of it. But this was her first time doing something as scandalous as this so she wasn’t sure just how easy it would be this time around.
Lavender put it to the back of her mind as she exited the carriage and made her way into the house. The moment she stepped past the threshold, someone barrelled up to her.
“Lavender! Are you all right? Are you hurt? Did that brute hurt you?”
A pair of hands gripped her shoulders and began twisting her around. Lavender just barely caught the familiar head of blond hair and worried blue eyes. “Colin, what are you doing here?”
He kept twisting her around as if he was checking for wounds or bruises. Lavender glimpsed Alice over his shoulder, looking at them with a mixture of relief and humor. “Alice? Goodness, you’re here as well?”
“How could I not be?” Alice said. “Vincent came to my home early this morning asking if you might have been here. When I toldhim that I haven’t seen you since the tea party, he informed me that you didn’t come home last night. Considering the storm last night, I grew worried and followed him here.”
Lavender pushed Colin’s hands away before he made her dizzy. “And you?” she asked. “Did he come to you too?”
“He was here before,” Vincent grumbled from behind. “I hope you see the extent to which your actions have consequences, Lav.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.” She took a step back to face them all. “I’m sorry, everyone, for the way I worried you. I assure you, though, that I was in good hands.”
Colin snorted. “Good hands? You were at the Earl of Derby’s house.”
Lavender frowned at him. She couldn’t understand the anger in his voice. Colin had never been angry with her before and now it had happened twice. “Yes, but I was perfectly safe, as you can see. And as soon as the stormed cleared, Austin sent word of where I was to Vincent.”
