Annabelle’s eyes followed his and her heart constricted. Ian, the blackguard, was sitting for the entire polite world to see, next to Miss Caruthers. Annabelle wanted to say something pithy, but could not speak past the lump in her throat. So, he was not interested in beautiful women? She wanted to look away, but could not make herself.
Ian chose that moment to look her way. He inclined his head in acknowledgement.
She ignored him and finally managed to turn away. She stared toward the stage, her eyes unfocused while her heart cracked into a million little pieces.
It was Freddy Jenkins all over again. Only this time it hurt, bone deep. Freddy had courted her for an entire Season before discovering that his heart belonged to the beautiful Miss Potts. The only thing injured that season had been Annabelle’s pride. As Diana had reminded her, she had been able to laugh. She didn’t feel like laughing now.
“I say, Annabelle, are you all right?” Ceddy’s worried tones penetrated the fog of pain surrounding her.
“Yes, of course.” She flicked the moisture from her eyes with her gloved fingertip.
“I’m just impatient for the play to start. Do you suppose it is as funny as everyone says it is?”
Ceddy didn’t look as if he believed her, but mercifully the curtain went up on the first act of As You Like It. Annabelle forced herself to laugh when those around her laughed. By the time intermission came, she had better control of her emotions.
Diana touched Annabelle’s arm. “My hem caught on the carriage when we arrived.
Won’t you come to the ladies’ retiring room with me to fix it?” Annabelle latched on to the excuse to leave the box. Ian might come during intermission to chat with Robert. If he could pull himself away from Miss Caruthers, that is. “Certainly.”
When Robert made noises about escorting them, Annabelle looked imploringly at Ceddy. Her friend understood immediately.
“I’m hankering for a cup of punch, myself. I’ll escort them.” Annabelle stifled a sigh of relief when Robert agreed. She and Diana followed Ceddy out of the box.
“Is anything the matter, Annabelle? Was not the first act exceedingly amusing?” asked Diana.
Annabelle forced a smile. “It was too funny by half.”
“Annabelle, I know that Robert rang a peal over you earlier, but you must realize that he did not mean to injure your feelings. He was scared for you and when your brother gets frightened he can act like a fool.”
Diana’s fervent words brought a genuine smile to Annabelle’s lips. “A fool, Diana?”
“Yes, a fool. And you may tell him I said so. Though I doubt it will do any good.
I’ve already told him myself.”
Annabelle said, “You are a true friend.”
Diana squeezed Annabelle’s arm. “Now and forever.” Annabelle returned the gesture of affection. “Thank you. You may set your mind at rest. Robert has not done any lasting damage to my feelings.” If only the same could be said for Ian.
Diana searched Annabelle’s face. “If you say so.”
“I do. Now, let us take care of your hem.”
Ceddy agreed to wait for them in the lobby. They made quick work of Diana’s hem.
Annabelle discovered that she needed to use the necessary.
“I’ll wait in the lobby with Ceddy. It’s much too warm in here,” declared Diana, fanning herself vigorously with a silk fan died blue to match her overdress.
Ceddy must have gone for refreshments because he was not waiting when Diana came into the lobby. She decided to stand just beyond the door of the powder room, so that she could easily see Annabelle emerging or Ceddy returning. Robert would be furious to know that she was by herself in the lobby. She could not face the heat of the room filled with women. It made her nauseous.
Taking a deep breath to dispel the sensation, she scanned the crowd for any sign of Ceddy. A man approached her. He did not look as if he had shaved in a week and his clothing was a rude parody of the clothing her husband wore to perfection. She shivered.
Perhaps she should return to the Annabelle.
He did not give her the chance before boldly greeting her.
“You’d be Lady Hamilton?” His voice held an insolent edge.
She turned to go back to the overheated room without acknowledging him. His next words startled her into immobility.
“You and I would be related, we would.”
Diana stared. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.
“You look as if you don’t believe me. Well, our grandfather had taste for other women besides his wife and I’m the living proof,” said the offensive man.
Suddenly, Diana’s power of speech returned. “I don’t know to what you are referring and if you do not cease speaking to me, I will be forced to call for help.”
“Oh, high and mighty, aren’t we? Just how uppity are you going to be when I make our family attachment public?”
She could not believe what the man was saying. She related to this ruffian? It could not be true. “You must be mad.”
His smile made her shiver. “Do you think I would make such claims without proof?
Not Chester P. Thorn.” He patted his breast. “I’ve got letters written by our grandfather to my grandmother, an uncommon pretty bit of fluff in her day.” Diana felt faint. Five minutes before she had been much too hot. Now she felt like ice ran through her veins. The very thought of Thorn claiming a familial relationship sent all the air flying from her lungs. Robert would be appalled to have his wife the center of such an ugly scandal.
Thorn chuckled nastily. “You are beginning to see things my way, I think.”
“What do you want?” She forced the words from lips barely able to move.
“Nothing too much. It’s time your side of the family shared a little of the goods with my side, meanin’ me. I thought you might want the letters as mementos of our grandfather. I could not give them to you for nothing, naturally. They should be worth a few hundred pounds to you for sentimental reasons.”
She wanted to slap Thorn’s greedy grin right off his face. She had never been so angry in all her life. Nor so helpless. She tried to rally. “How do I know you really have these letters? I’m sure your family would have tried to sell them before if you did.”
“My grandmother had her own code of conduct, for all the good it did her. I didn’t find them until the old bird passed away a month ago. She had ’em hidden in her room.” He pulled a piece of folded stationary from the pocket of his rumpled coat. “Brought one along for you to see.”
He wouldn’t let her hold it, but even from a distance she recognized her grandfather’s bold scrawl. The ink swam on the page before her. Her grandfather wrote in such a way that there could be no doubt that he was on intimate terms with the recipient of the letter. She blinked away useless tears. Crying would do no good. This disgusting little man had her in his power and he knew it.
“Now, don’t try to weasel out of sharing the goods. You could come up with plenty o’ loot selling those pretty baubles around your neck.” Diana’s hand flew to her neck and grasped the flawless pearls Robert had presented her with on the day of their wedding. What he suggested was impossible.
“You’ll be hearing from me. Be ready when you do.” With those final words, Thorn melted away in the crowd.
Within moments Ceddy had returned. “Should have waited with Annabelle, eh what?
Don’t know who might accost you in a public place like this.” Diana almost laughed hysterically at Ceddy’s chastisement. She wished with all her heart she had stayed in the stifling powder room.
Ian brushed the curtain aside to enter Lady Beauford’s box. He searched for Belle and swore under his breath when he realized she was not there.
Hamilton greeted him. “Annabelle has gone to help my wife with her hem.” Ian’s brows rose in question. “You didna go with them?” Hamilton cleared his throat and tugged the sleeves of his already impeccable coat.
“Finchley accompanie
d them.”
Ian stared at Belle’s brother and tried to fathom the message in the other man’s eyes.
“Why?”
With another man he would not be surprised, but Hamilton let his wife out of his sight only under duress.
“I am not in either of their good graces right now.” Ian nodded in understanding. “Lady Beauford told you about Belle’s adventure yesterday.”
“Adventure? She could have been seriously injured.” Ian felt a rush of sympathy for the other man. It could not be easy being the brother of a woman as independent as Belle. He knew being her husband was going to be a challenge.
Once he got her to agree.
At least Hamilton’s words explained Belle’s refusal to acknowledge him. She was angry with him for telling her aunt about the riot. He had no intention of letting her get away with sulking. “I’ll see about finding her in the lobby then.” Hamilton’s shoulders stiffened. “I believe I would care for some refreshments. I will come with you.”
“Do not let us detain you then.” Belle spoke from the entryway. She moved forward to take her seat, giving her brother a cursory nod and ignoring Ian altogether.
Lady Hamilton sat down next to Belle, giving the impression that she had not seen either man. Hamilton frowned. Finchley came in. He offered Lady Beauford, who had been dozing in her chair, some punch.
“What, oh thank you, Cederic.” Belle’s aunt patted Finchley’s arm. “You are a very thoughtful boy.”