“Perhaps Lord Milton is correct,” said a lady of about Aunt Alberta’s age. Valeria didn’t know her, but she had a rather soft, matronly appearance, and her face seemed open and friendly.
And Valeria felt like crying.
Lord Milton and his fussy, socially conscious wife were one thing. But this lady, whoever she was, looked gentle and kind. Were people likethatstarting to believe the things that were being said about her?
Appearances can be deceiving. Maybe this lady isn’t the kind of person she seems to be.
But now another gentleman, one who was probably about five years older than Valeria, was nodding. “Lord Milton has a point,” he said. “I’m very sorry, Lord Harlston. I don’t mean to speak against a guest of yours. But the fact of the matter is that the only thing we know about this young lady is that her brother is guilty of criminal deception against people such as ourselves!”
“That isn’t the only thing we know about her,” Aunt Alberta said firmly. “Really, now, everyone, this is my niece.”
“And her brother was your nephew,” Lord Milton said, sneering slightly. “And yet you don’t seem to have shown very good judgment when it came to him. I think you’re exposing us all to a bad element, Lady Earlington, and if you yourself expect to continue being invited to social events, you had better listen to the concerns of your fellow members of the ton!”
“See here!” Lord Harlston said. “It is not for you, Lord Milton, to make determinations regarding who is and is not invited to parties atmyhome.”
“I don’t know why you defend her,” Lord Milton said. “She’s a rotten seed—”
But at that moment, Lord Woodsford sprang from his chair.
Valeria stared up at him in shock. He looked beside himself with rage. She had hardly taken note of his presence, but now he was impossible to miss. His anger seemed to fill the room.
“Enough!” he bellowed. “Enough, Lord Milton! You infect us all with your poison, and nobody wants it!”
He strode over to Lord Milton, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him bodily from his seat.
Lady Milton let out a cry and jumped to her feet, but Lord Woodsford ignored her altogether. He began to drag Lord Milton from the room.
“Thomas!” Lord Harlston cried in protest.
Several of the dinner guests were getting to their feet now, running after Lord Woodsford. Duncan jumped up and followed them from the room.
“Keep your seat, Valeria,” Aunt Alberta said.
But Valeria couldn’t. She got up from the table and hurried out to the foyer, following the sound of the commotion.
Lord Woodsford had dragged Lord Milton to the front door, and Valeria arrived just in time to see him thrown down the stairs. Lord Milton grunted several times as he fell. When he hit the ground, he scrambled back to his feet and started to approach Lord Woodsford.
They’re going to fight,Valeria thought with a thrill of fear.
Lord Woodsford glared down at Lord Milton. “Don’t come back up here,” he said. “Don’t approach me. I’m not afraid to hit a gentleman, Lord Milton. You’re no longer welcome here tonight.”
“Weren’t you listening to Lord Harlston?” Lord Milton spat. “He reserves the right to say who is and who is not welcome in his home. That’s not a declarationyouhave the power to make, Lord Woodsford.”
“Lord Woodsford is quite correct,” Lord Harlston spoke up. “You’ve worn out your welcome. Go home, Lord Milton. I don’t permit anyone to speak the way you did to a lady in my home.”
But he did permit it. It was Lord Woodsford who put a stop to it. He was the only one. Even Duncan wasn’t going to do anything about it.
It was the same thing that had happened at Aunt Alberta’s dinner party. The others had protested at Lord Milton’s hard words, but Lord Woodsford had actually done something.
She looked at him. He was staring out into the night, his shoulders heaving with emotion, and she realized suddenly that he had been almost as upset as she had by what had happened.
A tremendous part of her wanted to go to Duncan and beg to be taken home. She knew he would oblige.
But instead, she crossed the foyer to Lord Woodsford’s side, aware that everyone was watching her. She put her hand on his elbow.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “That was… incredibly kind.”
He was still staring out at the night. He shook his head slightly. “I can’t imagine what’s the matter with him. He’s not—he has no human kindness—”
