Page 58 of The Beauty and the Boxer
Oh, dear.
“Hello,” Meredith said, her voice a touchlighter than she had intended.
Sarah came forward and reached for herhands.
“Hello, dear,” Sarah said, her tone tingedwith pity. “I’m so sorry to have dragged you away from theball.”
“It’s no matter,” she said, shaking her headslightly. “I’ve heard there was some issue?”
Sarah glanced back at Simon, who waswatching the duke. Meredith couldn’t help but focus her attentionon Jack, however. His mouth was set in a hard line and his brow wasfurrowed. The scar on his cheek seemed highlighted in his furiousexpression and Meredith felt her stomach flutter. Did he know? Andif he did, was he upset that she was sullied? Of all the thingsthat could come from this, that would be the worst of it. If Jackthought less of her.
“An elderly guest seemed to remembersomething from a long time ago,” the duke said, coming forward asMeredith’s attention was pulled away from Jack. “Something about amarriage to a Mr. Peterson?”
Meredith had often thought of Clyde, but tohear his name out loud, well, she felt the color drain from herface.
“Is that so?” she asked faintly as she satdown on a chair.
“She’s an elderly woman, known to have boutsof hysteria,” Sarah said quickly, kneeling before her. “She’s beengoing on about King George’s wolfhounds for the past day and half.Everyone knows she’s senile.”
“Well, not so senile, it would seem,”Meredith said.
Her eyes flashed to Jack, but he had turnedhis back to her. He seemed to be fumbling with something, but thenMeredith felt her throat become tight. She blinked severaltimes.
“Oh, dear, do not worry,” Sarah said, herhand tightening around Meredith’s fingers, believing that she wasbecoming emotional because of her secret being revealed and notJack’s response. “No one believes a word she said.”
“The duchess did,” Meredith said. “Shedidn’t hesitate to explain as much.”
A weighted silence followed.
“Excuse me?” the duke asked after a moment,his voice hard.
Meredith instantly knew that she had made amistake. The duke’s expression seemed seriously offended. She triedto smile and shake her head, as if to brush it off, but the musclesof her face refused to work.
“What I mean to say is that I believe theduchess was just being honest and really, she has every right tobe, in her own home—”
“If you all will excuse me,” the duke said,ignoring Meredith’s explanation.
He was across the room and out the doorwithin moments.
“Oh, dear. I’m afraid I’ve caused yetanother issue.”
“Nonsense,” Simon said, coming forward.“Whatever problems are happening between Mountebank and his wifeare not your fault.”
“She’s a conceited bit—” Jack began,stopping himself. He cleared his throat. “Ah, I mean, she’s …well…” He shook his head. “No, that’s accurate. She’s a conceitedbitch.”
“Jack,” Simon growled, but Sarah gazedgratefully at her brother-in-law while Meredith just stared athim.
“She is,” he said, his dark gaze locked onMeredith. “And if she said anything to offend you, I hope she getswhat’s coming to her.”
“Must you make enemies here?” Simon began toargue with Jack. “I don’t like these society types any more thanyou do, but Mountebank is our brother—”
“He’s yourbrother.”
“Ourbrother,” Simon insisted loudly.“And he’s obviously gone through great personal pain with that wifeof his to have us here.”
Jack stood up off the desk he was leaningon. A twitch in his jaw caught Meredith’s attention as his angerseemed to roll off of him. He was visibly upset and yet thehard-set angle of his jaw and the tension he held in his long bodymade her want to press herself into him. She wanted his arms aroundher, to feel comforted and protected by him, even if she suspectedthat he didn’t want anything to do with her now.
Much to her mortification, she couldn’t helpbut feel awash with desire for him, even now while in the companyof others.
