But when she found herself completely abandoned amidst the gaiety, Katherine realised she’d made a grave miscalculation. Handsomely garbed guests nodded stiffly in recognition before passing on, condemnation clear in their thin smiles. She saw clusters laughing, eyes darting in her direction, but never received an offer of refreshment or enquiry as to how she fared.
This was not the place to come face to face with Jack. Widows did not attend society balls, especially when they needed to restore their reputations. It was just as her mother and aunt had warned her only now it was too late. Her impetuosity had again got the better of her. She tried to ward off the shudder of despair that would reveal her weakness and vulnerability. Would she never learn?
“Lady Marples, why, it really is you?”
She turned at the delight in the gentleman’s voice and recoiled inside to see Lord Derry smiling at her. Of course, she had to smile back. Furthermore, she could hardly refuse the offer of his crooked arm. No one else was making any effort to lessen her social embarrassment. No, clearly the rumours regarding her dealings with this man had found fertile ground. Her ostracism couldn’t be more apparent.
“This is a bold move on your part, Katherine.” His voice was unsettlingly close; the pressure of his fingers on her arm a more intimate gesture than made her comfortable. “Widowhood suits you as little as I suspected, Katherine, which, I suppose, explains why you’re here. I admire your bravery, and I hope you’ll let me reward you for it.”
Before Katherine could express her real feelings, either through a look, or to more thoroughly repulse him, she was startled by a greeting so warm and sincere it took her right back to the days when she was at the start of her journey into womanhood and so full of confidence she’d find happiness.
“Katherine?”
She swung round at the familiar tone, her heart beating wildly. “Jack?” She hoped her joy wasn’t too transparent. Or her astonishment when she took in his altered bearing. This was not the eager stripling who’d won her heart when they were both little more than children. This was a broad-shouldered, handsome young man dressed impeccably in evening clothes with an air of confidence that made him a striking presence.
Clearly, Lord Derry didn’t recognise Jack, though admittedly their paths might have crossed only once or twice. Nevertheless, there was a frisson suggesting rivalry that Katherine was very aware of as the introductions were made with great politeness.
“Lord Derry?” Katherine noticed the interest with which Jack repeated his lordship’s name, and immediately wished she could reassure him that any rumours he might have heard linking Katherine with the gentleman who was squiring her this evening were untrue. Could he have heard something? He’d only been in the country three days but news travelled.
Instead, she said, “I barely recognised you, Jack. I hope you had a good journey.”
His warm smile continued. It gave her hope, as did the fact he appeared to be alone. “Ah, Katherine, it was just one of so many journeys, but if it’s the last for a long while I shan’t be sorry. I’ve done what I set out to do, and I’ve returned, to the country of my birth, and where it’s my intention to remain for a long time.”
“You’ve been lucky to have found the success you have,” said Lord Derry, immediately feigning concern that he might have been misconstrued. “I meant that with the greatest respect, I assure you. But I had not known you knew Katherine.” There was a proprietorial tone to his remark, which sent anger snaking up her spine. How dare Lord Derry pretend he had any claim on her.
“We knew each other as children.” Before Katherine could elaborate, a graceful, russet-haired young woman resplendent in gold-and-green lace-edged flounces glided up to Jack and, in the most familiar manner, slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.
“I’m sorry I was delayed, dearest. You know what a terrible talker Mrs Glassop can be,” she murmured to him before presenting her brightest smile to the rest of them in anticipation of being introduced.
Katherine tried to keep her own in place, but as she was introduced to Miss Worthington who was displaying such supreme confidence in Jack’s affections, she thought she’d like to run her fingernails down her alabaster skin as she wailed her despair.
Not even when Freddy had admitted that money had been his greatest motivation in marrying her had the spear of devastation cut so lethally; certainly not when he’d taken the first of his many mistresses. And most definitely not when Freddy had died from the sudden fever. Katherine had thought his untimely death would release her, but immediately there was fresh scandal, and whereas she’d only been implicated by association with Freddy, now society’s opprobrium was directed at her, as if Katherine were as duplicitous and guilty of all the wrongdoing that had plagued Freddy’s scandal-ridden life.
“I had not known congratulations were in order, Jack,” Katherine murmured, trying to keep her voice steady. “When is the happy day?”
“Six weeks from now,” she was happily informed by the transparently joyous Miss Worthington. “Jack and I met when he was working for Papa in India. We were fortunate to enjoy some of the exoticism of the Far East, but I’m very content to be setting up house back in England. Aren’t you, dearest?”
She had to repeat her question, Katherine noticed, as Jack seemed quite focussed on looking at Katherine. She felt her cheeks warm and her heart race. He did love her. He did.
“And Lady Marples, my condolences on your loss, though I’m glad to hear you’ve found comfort with Lord Derry.”
Katherine tried not to gasp her indignation aloud. Was Miss Worthington sneering at her? She glanced from Jack to Lord Derry, who patted Katherine’s hand saying, “I was an admirer of Miss Fenton’s, as she was seven years ago before her marriage to Lord Marples, and I remain an admirer.” The warmth in his insinuating tone as he stroked her hand made her squirm with embarrassment. Carefully, she withdrew from any physical contact, but the assessing way Miss Worthington’s gaze followed the surreptitious gesture made her feel ill.
Jack, on the other hand, was smiling at her as if he saw only the Katherine of his youth.
“You must call on us, Katherine. My mother is in town and would, I know, be delighted to see you again, though you could hardly miss her. Though perhaps you’ve already seen her as she’s a regular visitor to Lord Quamby’s, and on just as friendly terms with your dear mama and aunt as she ever was.”
Katherine noticed that this was not well received by Miss Worthington, though why her pretty little mouth should turn down at such news suggested she saw Katherine as a threat. Good!
But the truth was, Katherine was far from the bright and eager young woman so full of hope that Jack had once admired. Katherine had fallen far in the eyes of society whereas Miss Worthington was, as her name suggested, entirely worthy of the attentions of a handsome, and now very wealthy young man such as Jack was.
Katherine nodded.
“And you have a child, I hear?” Jack asked. “Or perhaps more than one? News is so slow to arrive. I had not known of your bereavement before tonight.”
Double bereavement, Katherine thought, silently. She didn’t
know how to respond and was saved from answering by Lord Derry squeezing her hand and saying, “Since you’ll have every opportunity to catch up on old news at a future date, might I claim this next dance, Katherine?”