Trenton frowned at Barbarella. The last thing he wanted was for the two women to become acquainted. Unfortunately, he knew Barbarella well enough to know that if he snubbed her she would make sure she found out as much about Ursula as she could. Not only that, but she would undoubtedly turn her malice on Ursula just to annoy him, and that was something he wasn’t prepared to allow to happen.
“Miss Proctor, this is Miss Somersby. Miss Somersby, this is Lady Enderby’s niece.” He hoped the mention of Lady Enderby would be more than enough to warn Barbarella that Ursula was connected. To his disgust, Barbarella either wasn’t bothered, or was too ignorant to understand Lady Enderby’s social status.
“I take it you are new to London?” Barbarella asked, eyeing Ursula’s gown spitefully.
Ursula’s chin went up, and she lifted a condescending brow.
Sensing trouble, Trenton held his arm out to Ursula. “Time to dance,” he murmured, grateful that the orchestra had just given the signal they were about to play.
As soon as Ursula had taken his arm, he turned toward Barbarella. “I suggest you find your father. Tell him that I wish to speak with him,” he declared in a voice that was as cold and hard as the look in his eyes. “There are several things I need to remind him of.”
They both knew that Barbarella treated her father very differently to the rest of society. He believed his darling daughter to be mild-mannered, well-spoken, with impeccable behaviour acceptable within all social occasions. Everyone else knew she was a spiteful wanton desperate to ensnare herself a husband; someone who could be merciless if thwarted. Her reputation amongst the gossips put her very much in league with Brampton, and it wasn’t undeserved.
He turned to Ursula. “Allow me.” He led her toward the dance floor without a backward look.
Ursula followed him but before she could ask him what that had been all about, the cotillion began and prevented any conversation between them.
“Please be careful this evening, Ursula,” Trenton murmured once he had returned her to her aunt’s side.
“I have no intention of doing anything rash,” Ursula asked. She wondered if he was going to follow her all evening to make sure she didn’t get into trouble. While a part of her was inwardly thrilled at being the focus of his attention, another part of her was starting to wonder whether he thought her completely incapable of taking care of herself.
“I will see you later,” he murmured with a bow.
Ursula watched him disappear into the crowd and then dropped into the seat beside her aunt.
“That should set tongues wagging,” Adelaide declared ruefully.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Miss?” A footman’s voice beside her suddenly snapped her out of her revere. “I was instructed to give this to you.”
Ursula hesitantly took the small piece of parchment he held out to her. “Who by?” she asked as she glanced about them, but couldn’t see anybody familiar.
“The gentleman over there, miss.” The footman nodded to the far corner of the room but, before she could ask him to point to the sender, he disappeared.
She studied the note in her hand for a moment and wondered whether to ignore it. However, curiosity forced her to put her drink on the table beside her and open it.
Meet me in the conservatory in half an hour. I need to speak with you. I will be waiting.
She glanced up and scanned the crowd but still couldn’t see anybody she knew. Her heart raced wildly as she considered Trenton’s last words to her. He said he would see her later. Was this what he had meant? Why hadn’t he signed the note though?
Her thoughts immediately turned toward the flowers. Was the note from her secret admirer? She studied the handwriting but was fairly certain it was not the same as the writing on the cards.
What should she do? Should she go? She glanced at Adelaide. Would she be able to get away from her aunt long enough to at least go and see who it was? She didn’t have to talk to them, just take a look. That led her to think about what she would do if the note wasn’t from Trenton? It would be far safer for her to remain where she was but, if she did that she might never know who had sent her the flowers.
As the minutes ticked by her curiosity grew. Twenty minutes later she just knew she couldn’t ignore it. She had to find out who had sent her the note and the flowers, and wouldn’t settle until she did. If it wasn’t Trenton then she would have to let the secret admirer know that their attentions weren’t welcome.
If it was Trenton – well, she would just have to deal with that situation when it arose.
“We are going to the ladies’ retiring room, Ursula,” Adelaide declared as she stood. “Come along.”
Unsure what to do, Ursula followed. As they crossed the hallway, she glanced at the corridor that led to the back of the house and the conservatory. Trenton’s words of caution rang in her ears. He was right to advise her to be careful. She would be a fool to answer the summons. She could get into all sorts of trouble that could embarrass not only herself, but Adelaide as well. After all, her admirer could be that Sinnerton fellow. Just the thought of being caught alone with him left her feeling nauseous. Not even her connections to Trenton, or Adelaide could save her from a scandal of that magnitude. She would be forced to return to Yorkshire, with shame as her new best friend.
Decision made, she scrunched the note up and tucked it into her reticule to be forgotten for the time being. She was confident she had made the right decision too. Right up until the moment she saw Trenton talking to a luscious, dark haired woman, who was smiling up at him in a rather intimate manner that reminded her of Barbarella. A flurry of hurt swept through her at the way he smiled down at the woman in his arms. Did the man have a mistress as well as a fiancé? The woman in his arms was all too familiar with him as well.
That thought brought a sharp sting of tears to her eyes that she hurriedly blinked away. Engaged or not, he was relishing having such a delectable beauty to himself. Even in the middle of the main hallway, their connection was familiar enough to assure her that they were close friends; very close friends.