He said, “I see that my mother is ready to escort the ladies from the dining room.” Marianne Clothilde said clearly in a very charming voice, “Ladies? Shall we leave the gentlemen to their port?”
How did they have their timing so perfect? Evangeline wondered as she allowed a footman to pull back her chair. She said to Lord George, “The pork pie was delicious.”
Evangeline did not have to concern herself with any more attacks from Lady Jane Bellerman, for Lady Pemberly and the chattering Felicia claimed her attention once the ladies had seated themselves in comfortable groups in the drawing room.
Felicia spoke of the food, how much she’d eaten, detailing every dish she’d tasted. Lady Pemberly told her that if she continued to eat like a stoat, Lord Pettigrew would soon look elsewhere.
Evangeline, who had eaten very little, perjured her soul. “It was a delicious dinner, and I must agree with Miss Storleigh, ma’am. I’m truly grateful that ladies must no longer wear those dreadful stays.”
Evangeline was speaking to Pauline, Viscountess Demster, when she heard the duke’s voice. “Excuse me, my lady. Some dear friends of mine have just arrived and I must introduce Madame de la Valette to them.”
Chapter 26
As the duke led her across the drawing room, tossing a smile here, a compliment there, he said to her at last, “I judge you the winner of that joust.”
For a moment Evangeline didn’t understand what he was talking about, and he saw that she didn’t. “Lady Jane,” he said, and shook his head.
“Oh, her. That poor jealous little twit. You wouldn’t want her for a wife, your grace. Trust me on this. She would bore you silly very quickly. Can you imagine that she was threatened by me?”
He gazed at her, mesmerized. “Surprising, isn’t it? Threatened by you, a veritable witch with no beauty, no wit, not a hint or promise of charm, no figure to distract a man’s thoughts.”
“You don’t have to go that far,” she said. “Now, who are these friends you want me to meet?” She was thinking about John Edgerton. She had to speak to him before he left. They walked into the immense entrance hall.
“Forgive us, Richard,” a handsome gentleman said, stepping forward. He looked at Evangeline. “I’m Phillip Mercerault, you know, Viscount Derencourt. This is my wife, Sabrina. Our babe still isn’t showing itself yet. My wife assures me that our daughter is just fine.”
The young lady, who had masses of beautiful auburn hair piled up on her head, poked her husband on the arm and laughed. “Forgive him, ma’am. I’m Sabrina, and it’s true that I’m breeding and that Phillip wants a little girl, but I’m determined that it will be a boy. Oh, goodness, I’m sorry we’re late, but Rohan and Susannah Carrington called. They didn’t have time to come with us, and they sent their regrets. We’re late, but we’re here now.”
“Yes, all two and a third of you,” the duke said. “This is Evangeline de la Valette.”
“How do you do?” Phillip said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. “I understand that you are presently taking care of Edmund. If Sabrina insists upon birthing me a boy, I should like another Edmund.”
“He’s the very best of little boys. Do you know, I understand that I have beat you out, my lord,” Evangeline continued. “I gave Edmund a gun, you see, a toy gun, and he’s shot all the peacocks. He composes strategies with Bunyon so that I, the highwayman, can be chased down and summarily shot when he catches me. He said your gifts were nothing compared to his gun.”
“That little ingrate,” Phillip said, his eyes narrowing. “I have given him many gifts over the years, and yet he abandons me with just one offering from you. Richard, speak to your son. Assure him that loyalty to his own sex is the only thing that saves men from sinking under the ladies’ slippers.”
Evangeline was laughing when she looked at Sabrina, who was giving strange and wondering looks at her husband.
“Goodness,” Evangeline said. “What are you doing?”
“Oh,” Sabrina said. “You mean the way I’m devouring him with my eyes?”
“Exactly. How do you manage to do that exactly?” “That’s a secret. You see, Rohan Carrington’s mother, Lady Charlotte, is the most beautiful woman in all the world, and she’s been giving me eye lessons so that I can seduce my husband whenever I feel so inclined.”
“Fascinating,” the duke said. “The last I heard, Lady Charlotte was off to Russia with some dashing specimen of manhood.”
“No, Russia was last summer, or was it Venice?” Phillip said. “She’s off somewhere, just left last week.” He looked down into his wife’s eyes, and his own eyes nearly crossed. “She’s learned how to seduce me quite efficiently. I don’t know exactly what Charlotte taught her, but it works. In an instant.”
“On the other hand,” the duke said, “you’ve been married less than a year. I’ve never heard of a man needing any encouragement that early on.”
Phillip leaned close to whisper to the duke, only the women heard it as well, “Don’t discourage her, Richard. She quite believes herself to be the Bathsheba of seduction. I enjoy it.”
“As well you should,” Sabrina said. Evangeline saw John Edgerton from the corner of her eye, standing quietly in the doorway of the drawing room, looking toward her. She smiled at the duke’s friends, whom she would probably never see again, and said, “I have torn my gown and must see to mending it. Also, I must speak a moment to Sir John. A pleasure to meet you both, my lord, my lady. Excuse me.” And she was away before Sabrina could say a word about helping her. The duke stared after her. He saw her speak with John Edgerton, saw the two of them go back into the drawing room. What the hell was going on? He felt his belly harden with fury. Sir John Edgerton?
“You seem to be quite one of the family, my dear,” Edgerton said as he led her onto a small balcony off the library. It was very cold, the moon hard and full overhead. There were myriad stars, but Evangeline wasn’t interested in any of them.
He said, “Just imagine you leaving the esteemed Viscount and Viscountess Derencourt to come with me. The duke wants you. You must know that, all women do.”
“I imagine that the duke would just as soon throw me through a window,” she said.