“Mother is having a ball for them,” Duncan said. “She’s so excited about the whole thing. She always wished for a daughter, and now, having Valeria to dote upon—I think she’s getting quite carried away with it. But it’s good to see her enjoying herself.”
“I just hope Lady Valeria is enjoying herself as much,” Thomas said.
“Why wouldn’t she?” Henry asked. “A ball sounds very enjoyable.”
“Yes, and I’m sure it will be for most,” Thomas said. “But Lady Valeria has not had the best luck at social events, has she?”
“Well, Lord Milton won’t be invited tothis,” Duncan said, laughing. “And honestly, I don’t think anyone else would behave the way he has. The man is an animal.”
Henry nodded. “That’s true,” he said. “I can’t imagine any decent member of Society creating such a stir at someone else’s party. I don’t think you have anything to worry about on that score, Thomas.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” Thomas said. “It’s just difficult to trust it. I don’t know what I would do or say if someone caused that kind of trouble for Lady Valeria at the party that’s being thrown to signal the beginning of our courtship!”
Henry wondered too. Would Thomas react violently, as he had in the past? If someone angered him, would he grab that person and throw them bodily from Earlington Manor?
I wonder what Lady Valeria makes of his temper? His propensity to grow angry and violent? I wouldn’t have thought a young lady would like those qualities.
It was strange, too, because Henry couldn’t remember Thomas ever being like that before. In the past, he had always been the most calm and level-headed of the three of them. Henry and Duncan were both more outgoing and more energetic, both of them more likely to be the center of attention and the life of any party. Thomas was the one who could usually be spotted lingering by the wall and watching his friends with indulgent amusement.
That was part of the reason it had been so surprising to see him act the way he had toward Lord Milton. It had been completely out of character.
But love does strange things to men, I suppose. If he really did have feelings for Lady Valeria, perhaps it made sense that he would let those feeling get the better of him and erupt in a fit of passion the way he had.
“No one is going to do anything at the party,” Duncan said. “No one but Lord Milton would ever dare to defy my mother.”
“We didn’t think Lord Milton would either, until he did,” Thomas said.
“Are you really worried about this?” Duncan asked.
Thomas sighed. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m sure I’m being foolish, and I don’t mean to be. It’s just so important to me that this is a positive experience for Lady Valeria. I know how hesitant she was to enter into a courtship at all.”
“She was hesitant?” Henry asked.
Here was a piece of information he was pleased to hear. Though he wasn’t proud of himself for it, his ego was soothed to think that Lady Valeria had been reluctant to accept Thomas’s offer of courtship.
Maybe she hoped to get an offer from me. Maybe she wasn’t sure whether she should accept his offer because she thought something better might come along.
The very thought was enough to make him feel a bit more generous toward his friend. Hecouldhave had Lady Valeria, perhaps, if he had been the one to ask first. Thomas had simply beaten him to it.
“She’s not hesitant at all,” Duncan said dismissively. “She wants this, Thomas.”
Or does Duncan want it for her? Maybe he’s the one who’s pushing it, and that’s why Lady Valeria agreed.
“I’ll tell you what,” Henry said. “I’ll help you ensure that nothing unpleasant or untoward happens at the party.”
“You will?” Thomas asked.
“Of course,” Henry said. “You won’t want to be worrying about that sort of thing. You’ll want to spend your time with Lady Valeria. It’s a party for you too, after all, and you should be able to focus on enjoying yourself. Duncan and I will ensure that no one behaves in a way that ruins the event for you.”
“That’s very kind,” Thomas said. “I should have known that I could rely on my friends.”
“Well, after all,” Henry said, “you did the same for me at my dinner party. You kept Lord Milton away from Lady Valeria.”
Thomas hesitated, frowning. Henry wondered whether his friend understood his meaning. He had felt a bit betrayed by Thomas at that party—the party at which Henry himself had meant to try to grow close to Lady Valeria. Even now, he wondered whether things might be different if Thomas had kept out of his way that evening.
“I’m going to get us more drinks,” Duncan said. “This calls for celebration.” He jumped up from the table and hurried to the bar.
“I hope there will be other ladies at this ball Lady Earlington is throwing,” Henry said, determined to focus his mind on something other than Lady Valeria—who, after all, could no longer be his.
