Talk of the Ton (Free Fellows League 5)

“You—leave us alone!” Jenny exclaimed, panicking for the first time. She felt exposed, and imagined a wave of revulsion in the eyes of those surrounding her.

But Miles spoke then, and his voice was smooth, controlled, giving her a sense of his protection. “You have got it completely wrong, Darlington. You are drunk, and you are rude. Moreover, you are under the mistaken impression that merely because Miss Alt does not care for your attentions, she is unnatural. I can assure you there is nothing amiss with the young lady, and I quite applaud her taste in companions.”

Miles took a step forward, his tone lowering to a dangerous pitch. “You are fortunate I do not call you out. So turn around this moment and be about your business before I rethink my generosity.”

Darlington scoffed. “Who are you to d

emand satisfaction on her behalf?”

“We are friends. And we have an understanding.” Miles turned to Jenny, and his look portrayed his hope that she would not contradict him.

Jenny saw the situation spinning rapidly out of control but was helpless to stop it. She felt the scalding rush of humiliation.

“What exactly is this understanding you claim to have, I ask!” crowed Darlington with a sneer.

“Very simply,” Miles retorted smoothly, “marriage.”

Chapter Eight

That evening at the Benedict house, Cassandra barely waited until they were inside the door when she confronted Jenny. “How could you do this to me?”

Still unable to believe the chain of events herself, Jenny said in a bemused voice, “I?”

“How could he marry a mouse like you? You are a nobody!”

“Cassandra!” Aunt Iris exclaimed, horrified. “How can you be so hateful?”

Cassandra was already half-gone in hysterics. “She knew I wanted Miles, Mama. She deliberately stole him from me.” With her hands balled into fists, she swung back to Jenny. “You waited this whole season to find a way to make me pay for all the men wanting me and not you.”

Jenny’s head cleared, and suddenly she was filled with rage. “No one wanted me because you told them I was a snob and set against marriage. A man-hater! And it was you who wound Darlington up like a clock and set him loose. I only suppose you hoped to cause so much embarrassment that Miles would avoid associating with me, or perhaps you weren’t even thinking that clearly. Perhaps it was just plain spite.”

Cassandra’s mouth opened to protest, but Jenny cut her off.

“I saw you commiserating with him, Cassandra, and I saw the look on your face when he accosted me. You orchestrated that entire scene tonight.”

Aunt Iris covered her face. “Oh, Cassandra. What have you done?”

For a moment, Cassandra’s expression showed her guilt, then covered it. “How like you to blame someone else. Miles is only marrying out of duty, you know. He doesn’t want you.” Her face collapsed. “He would eventually have seen I was the best choice. He’ll grow to despise you once he realizes what you’ve done. Just like Marianne. It will be just the same, and you two will be miserable forever!”

She whirled and disappeared through the door.

Jenny was left with the echo of her cousin’s last words dying in her ears.

She would be a fool to allow anything Cassandra said in this state to upset her, but there was no avoiding the truth.

Miles was marrying her out of pity. The scene Cassandra had engineered had given him no choice but to protect her.

Miles had made one disastrous marriage already.

Miles arrived at the Benedict house, handing the footman his gloves and hat. He was shown into the salon, and as he stood there, awaiting Jenny, he found he was nervous.

Jenny entered shortly after he, dressed in a demure day gown of a dove gray material embroidered with pale ivory filigree. She looked very pretty, even if a bit serious.

“Thank you for coming, Miles,” she said. She held her hands clasped together nervously in front of her. “I wished to speak to you about this insane idea of marriage.” The laugh she forced sounded like she’d caught sand in her throat.

“Insane idea?”

“I know why you did it, of course, and I appreciate so much that gallant gesture.”