But she didn’t try to stop him.
If this was what he wanted, she realized, she was going to allow it—and that was a terrifying thought.
But he pulled away from her just before his lips met hers.
“I’ll finish treatin’ me wound,” he said, picking up the compress and sitting back down. “Thank ye.”
She lingered a moment longer, heart pounding, a thousand questions on her mind—but in the end, she could say nothing, and she turned and fled the room.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“This party could be the making of you, Penelope, so make sure you’re on your very best behavior,” Alexandra warned. “We want this to work out. If you play your cards right, a gentleman may ask to court you as soon as tomorrow.”
“Oh, don’t say that,” Penelope groaned. “You know I don’t wish to marry this season, Alexandra.”
“Marriage is important, Penelope, you know that.”
“And you know I’m perfectly happy to do it when the time is right. But not now. Not while Father is ill. I can’t just leave him on his own.”
Alexandra was hard pressed not to roll her eyes, and she failed altogether to stifle a sigh. “Penelope, I won’t allow you to sabotage your future for the sake of that man.”
“He’s our father, Alexandra. The only one we have. And I am all he has.”
“He’s hardly been a father to us at all.”
“But I’ve told you how he’s changed.”
“I know you want to believe that’s true.” Alexandra would have liked to believe it herself, truth be told. But she didn’t. She just couldn’t. It wasn’t at all safe to put faith in her father. She had learned that lesson painfully.
“Just promise me you will keep an open mind tonight,” she said.
“If it’s so wonderful to have a husband, where is yours?” Penelope asked. “I would have thought you’d have him with you, given that you two are so in love with one another.”
She grinned wickedly. Alexandra recognized that her sister was only trying to change the subject and knew she ought to ignore the attempt, but she couldn’t help rising to the bait. “I told him that he didn’t need to come,” she said. “He’s very busy.”
That, and I could hardly bear the thought of spending the whole evening with him after that near-kiss. If he had come to this dinner party, they would have had to put on a show for the ton, the way they’d done at the ball they had attended. It would have been much too difficult to do that right now. She hadn’t even managed to look him in the eye since it had happened. Everyonewould have been able to see that something was off between the two of them, and it would have been a mess.
“Busy,” Penelope said. “I see.”
Her tone suggested that she knew there was more to it than that, but Alexandra could also see that her sister didn’t intend to press the matter, and for that, she was grateful. They made their way inside and went to check the place cards to see where they were assigned to sit.
“Well, well—if it isn’t the duchess herself.”
The voice was full of malice, and Alexandra’s heart was in her throat even before she had turned to see who it was.
The Dowager Duchess of Murray. Hector’s stepmother.
“Good day, Your Grace,” Alexandra said, hoping to get things off on a good note between the two of them.
The dowager duchess sneered at her. “Just look at you,” she said. “Where is that husband of yours?”
“He couldn’t be here today.”
“Well, I’m not surprised in the least. I knew those rumors about his feelings for you had to be overblown,” she said. “Of course, he doesn’t really care for you, or he would be here—not to mentionthat he wouldn’t have let you out of the house dressed likethat. My goodness, you’re supposed to be a duchess, and yet you look like a peasant. That gown isn’t suitable at all. If that man had a proper mother, he would know better than to allow himself to be represented in such a dreadful way. He would have some pride. But then, he never did belong in society. I tried to tell my husband that.”
Alexandra straightened her spine, determined not to allow herself to be humiliated. “I’m sorry you don’t see worth in me,” she said. “I can assure you that the duke does not share your low opinion of my value.”
“Well, he has no sense. He should have made a better match. I’m just fortunate my own son was spared the indignity of a marriage to someone like you.”
