Several rakes had looked her way as well, but somehow Hugh had managed to make it clear that he was not going to be a complacent husband and those men had taken their attentions elsewhere. From what she understood from Hugh's mutterings, they thought she was with child and so would be safe to dally with. Another repercussion of her "faint" in the gardens. However, he was showing himself to be protective enough over her that they were more interested in easier game.
Irene didn't mind that, of course. She certainly hadn't known how to deal with the flirtations of the Earl of Sunderland or Viscount Bowlen. But she did mind that the women were proving to be remarkably tenacious in their pursuit of Hugh. Every time Irene was separated by her husband at an event, when they found each other again he always had managed to attach some harpy to his person. It was enough to make Irene want to tear out their elaborately coiffed hair.
But tonight she hadn't been able to avoid a visit to the retiring room. The lemonade might be tepid and watered down, but she'd been thirsty enough to drink it anyway. And Hugh had said they couldn't quit for the evening yet; apparently one must always stay a certain amount of time at the more important events, which this was.
Not for the first time, she desperately wished that she had never planned to run away with Eleanor and that her sister-in-law was still in London.
Catching sight of her husband's golden head of hair through the crowd, Irene breathed a sigh of relief and began making her way over to him. At least Hugh was tall enough that she could usually find him fairly easily, even in a crush like this.
It wasn't until she was closer that she saw the dark head of a lady with her head tilted back, simpering up at him. Irene's breath caught in her throat, nearly strangling her. This was so, so much worse than any of the random ladies whom Irene merely had a passing acquaintance with; this particular lady had just cause to want to do Irene as much harm as possible.
When Lady Grace had pulled her aside and quietly set her down for her behavior with Alex, Irene had haughtily told the new wife that she and Alex were long-time friends, that there were more feelings between them than Lady Grace would understand, and that she certainly would not change the way she acted towards Alex just because he was married. Now, as a wife herself and with her new understanding of what it was like to be married to a man that was much sought after by other ladies, Irene realized that she felt guilty about the way she’d behaved. No wonder Lady Grace hadn’t liked her after that. Irene certainly hadn’t given her any cause to.
Although it still didn’t excuse Lady Grace’s awful behavior towards Alex, mere days later, and the way she’d betrayed her marriage vows. The way she gallivanted throughout the ton, causing scandal along the way and humiliating Alex. He deserved better than Lady Grace; Irene’s viewpoint on that certainly hadn’t changed. But it didn’t seem to affect the guilt that swept through her either.
Irene had never expected to see the lady here, at the Duchess of Richmond's ball, flirting with her own husband. Beautiful, accomplished Lady Grace, who, despite the scandal, was one of the most sophisticated and sought after ladies of the ton. Who had already stolen one man away from Irene - even if now she knew she didn't really want him. Irene absolutely did want Hugh and she was perfectly willing to fight for him.
"There you are," Hugh said, smiling as Irene hurried up to them, out of breath from practically running headlong through the crowd. "I was just telling Grace that you were here, somewhere."
She bristled at Hugh's easy use of Lady Grace's given name, even knowing that his sister was a longtime friend. "How nice to see you, Lady Grace," Irene lied, her voice cold.
"Viscountess," Lady Grace said, her stunning blue eyes glinting with a cruel light. The intonation she gave the title only emphasized the fact that Irene never, ever, called her Lady Brooke. Tilting her head back towards Hugh, she shared a decidedly intimate look with him. "I've just been having the most... delightful chat with Hugh." The sensual purr she used to say Hugh's name had Irene's hackles climbing.
Either her husband didn't notice anything or he didn't care, because he just smiled back at the horrible woman.
"How nice of you to keep him company while I was away," Irene said, her tone implying that now she was there, Lady Grace need not continue to do so.
"Oh but of course, I'm always happy to have a talk with one of my oldest friends," Lady Grace said, laughing merrily. She'd stressed the last two words, making it clear to Irene that this closeness to Hugh, this relationship with him, was giving her great vindication for Irene's treatment of her when she'd married one Irene's oldest friends. A reiteration of Irene’s words that marriage was not going to change the way she treated Alex. The irony was not lost on Irene, although she didn't have any idea what to do about it.
Anger, true anger like she'd never felt before, was building up in her breast, making her feel flushed all over. Even the guilt was feeding into her anger, because she didn’t want to feel it and she didn’t want to feel any sympathy for Lady Grace.
"It's always nice to see you as well, Grace," Hugh said amiably, smiling down at her. Irene was going to claw those sapphire eyes out, she really was. And tear out all that long, luxuriant dark hair. Lady Grace had the kind of effortless, stunning beauty that Irene had always envied. Just another reason to dislike the woman. "I know Nell will be gladdened to hear that you were here tonight."
Lady Grace's smile turned a little brittle before she returned it to its usual sparkle. "I do miss Nell so. I may visit her once the Season is over." Which, of course, would deprive Irene of her sister-in-law's company. Leaning in towards Hugh, Lady Grace leaned forward in such a way that nearly completely exposed her bosom; Irene couldn't even imagine how much of a view her tall husband was getting of the woman's well-rounded breasts. "Will you be spending any time with Eleanor and Lord Hyde in the coming months? If so, I'll have to ensure our visit coincides."
The little look that she flashed Irene's way made it clear that this was for her benefit. All of it.
Something hot and awful flashed through Irene, and she found herself lunging at Grace before she even realized what she was doing. Her fingers caught up in the other woman's dress, hooking into the fabric, before Hugh's arms were suddenly around her, yan
king her away. The sudden ripping sound of Grace's dress left them all gaping. There was a large hole in the lace overgown, right at the waistline, where Irene's fingers had managed to find purchase.
"What is wrong with you?! You... you..."
Oh no... Hugh's arms tightened Irene as if he was afraid she might launch herself at Lady Grace again, but she'd already regained control over her impulses. Enough so to be mortified as people around them began to turn, staring at the wreck that Irene had made of Lady Grace's skirt and the mottled red of her face as she glared furiously at Irene.
"Grace!"
Alex suddenly shoved his way through the crowd of on-lookers, causing more than one lady to gasp and begin to fan herself in anticipation of this latest on dit. They might not be sure exactly how Lady Brooke's dress had become torn, but it was common knowledge that Lord and Lady Brooke hadn't exchanged a single word in years, despite the fact that they'd recently been making appearances at the same events.
At nearly the exact same time, Lord Conyngham, rumored to be Grace's current lover, pushed through the crowd across from Alex, ending up next to Grace. The lady took one, wild, look at her husband and immediately turned to the arms of her lover, who turned her around so that their backs were to Lord Brooke and Conyngham began to push his way back through the crowd.
"Excuse us," Irene could hear Lord Conyngham saying. "Lady Brooke needs to use the retiring room." And then they were gone, disappeared into the crowd, leaving Alex looking after them and everyone else looking at him.
It was moments like that which should have made Irene feel justified in her past words to Lady Grace. Seeing the utter blankness on Alex's face, she knew that he was covering some kind of very deep emotion as he watched his wife walk away in the arms of another man. She should have wanted to say something even worse to the woman. But having seen Lady Grace so blatantly flirting with Hugh and then paling at the sight of her own husband, to the point where she'd looked like a ghost, Irene suddenly felt cast adrift.
What if, with her confused feelings for her husband, their positions had been reversed and she'd had words about Lady Grace’s friendship with Hugh and Grace had responded the same way Irene had? What must that have been like for Lady Grace, as a new bride? And now, to be attacking Grace – despite any real provocation, just the anger that Irene hadn’t been able to control… She might not approve of the Lady's behavior with Alex, but regret and shame washed over Irene for her own.
"Alex, I was thinking of going to White's after dropping Irene off at home. She's got a bit of a megrim." Hugh's hand tightened on Irene's arm, as if warning her not to contradict him. Not that such a gesture was necessary; it was as if he'd read her mind. She truly didn't want to be here and her head actually was starting to pound a bit. "Would you like to join me?"