Lady Prescott nodded and smiled.
“I am very pleased to hear it, Lord Brookmire.” Smiling at Deborah, she caught her hand for a moment, pressing it lightly. “And you say that you wish to dance with Lord Brookmire, my dear? You wish to accept his offer?”
Deborah nodded firmly.
“Yes.”
“Very well.” Lady Prescott looked towards Lord Cleverley. “Again, I appreciate your concern for my daughter. However, she is more than able to make her own decisions in this regard. If she wishes to dance with Lord Brookmire, then I have no hesitation in allowing her to do so.” Lord Cleverley looked away, and immediately began to stutter as he fought to find an answer. Scarlet filled his cheeks, his back was excessively straight, and his jaw tight, but nothing he tried to say made any sense. In the end, he simply dropped his head and shrugged. “As I have said,” Lady Prescott murmured softly. “I understand your concern, but I believe that every person deserves an opportunity to prove themselves. Good evening, Lord Cleverley.” She smiled at Deborah. “I shall be just over there, talking with Lady Venables, my dear.”
Deborah heaved a sigh of relief, watching her mother walk away, and silently thinking her one of the most elegant, refined ladies she had ever known. After a breath, she looked towards Lord Cleverley. Her eyebrows lifted. Clearly, his anger had blossomed into fury, given the way that his hands were now clenched into fists and his furious gaze focused solely on Lord Brookmire.
“This is deeply unwise.” His lip curled, and his jaw jutted forward as he turned his attention to Deborah. “I warn you, Miss Madeley. Should you step out with Lord Brookmire, then you and I shall no longer be of any interest to each other.”
Deborah blinked.
“Do you think to threaten me, Lord Cleverley?”
There was no immediate flush of shame for, in fact, Lord Cleverley shrugged his shoulders as though it were more than justifiable to do such a thing.
“Call it what you will. I state, here and now, that I shall have no interest inanyyoung lady whose decisions can be so foolishly made and whose reservations can be pulled aside by a charming smile.”
Before Deborah could say anything in response, Lord Brookmire stepped closer.
“Forgive me, Miss Madeley.” He then lifted both hands, his lips flat. “I did not mean to bring you such difficulty. I understand if it would be best for you not to –”
“It is not you who is causing difficulty, Lord Brookmire.” Her head tilted, her eyes sliding back towards the other gentleman. “It is Lord Cleverley.”
The gentleman rolled his eyes and Deborah had to use all of her strength simply to remain silent as she collected herself. How dismissively he had spoken to her! How little he seemed to think of her! In doing so, he had clearly shown that he thought himself above her, and he did not even seem to recognize it.
“Lord Cleverley.” Her voice was shaking, and she dragged air into tight lungs. “Speaking to me as though I am a child in need of guidance is not something I appreciate from any gentleman. Threatening me is evenlessso. Do you truly think that I would wish to continue a connection with a gentleman who said such things, and who demanded all the more from me?” Lord Cleverley’s haughty expression began to change, his chin lowering and his eyes darting away from her. He opened his mouth to speak, but Deborah shook her head, silently telling him that it was much too late to try to withdraw anything he had said. “Even when my own mother states that she has a different opinion from you, and has guided me herself, you attempt to insist that I followyourdecrees rather than listen to the path my mother has set out for me. Is that how little you respect and regard her, Lord Cleverley? And is that how little you respect and regard me?”
His face slowly began to pale, clearly now realizing the scale of the mistake he had made in speaking so, particularly as regarded Deborah’s mother.
“I did not mean…” Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose slightly. “I spoke hastily. I was a little upset, and I-”
“None of which matters.” Deborah’s decision was already made. “It seems as though our close acquaintance is at an end, Lord Cleverley. Ishallbe dancing with Lord Brookmire and therefore, as you yourself have said, we shall not be closely acquainted any longer.” So saying, she took a small step closer Lord Brookmire before fixing Lord Cleverley with a sharp eye. “It seems as though we are not to have our phaeton ride together after all.”
Lord Cleverley said nothing. He looked to her, then slid his gaze towards Lord Brookmire, only for the next dance to be announced. Deborah looked to Lord Brookmire expectantly, hoping that in the midst of all of this, he had not changed his mind out of concern for her.
Seeing her look, Lord Brookmire kept his voice low.
“If you still wish it then I would be more than happy to step out with you for this.”
Deborah smiled, something warm curling in her belly.
“I thank you.”
She accepted his arm and, with a small smile to Lord Cleverley, allowed herself to be led away from his company. The ending of her connection to Lord Cleverley was not something she mourned. Rather, she felt quite settled within herself, a peace stealing over her heart as though being on Lord Brookmire’s arm was precisely where she’d always been meant to be.
Chapter Thirteen
Phillip smiled as Lord Marchmont handed him a brandy. They had only just arrived at the ball and Phillip had every intention of seeking out Miss Madeley just as soon as he could. Lord Marchmont, however, had been insistent on fetching them both a glass and thus, Phillip had waited patiently for his return.
“Thank you.”
“But of course.” Lord Marchmont lifted his glass in a half toast. “To your continued improvement.” He grinned as Phillip arched an eyebrow. “I do not know the cause of this change, but Ihaveseen you very altered these last few weeks. You spoke of some darkness, but I have seen some things in a bright light also.” His head tilted. “And the cause of that is none other than Miss Madeley, it seems.”
“She is very pleasing.”
