Page 48 of Snowy and the Seven Doves
Her closest friends were not here tonight. Regina had not yet returned from her stepson Geoffrey’s country estate. Arial and Cordelia and their husbands were also out of town—a family crisis involving Deerhaven’s brother, who was also a close friend of Peter’s.
Snowy was late to the ball. He would arrive in time for the two dances he had asked for this afternoon, would he not?
Meanwhile, Martin had had the nerve to ask for a dance, and Margaret was glad to tell him they were all taken. Now he was moving around the room, talking to one person after another then looking at her.
No one said anything to her face, but Margaret was certain that plenty of gossip was being shared about her.
Snowy’s first dance—the fourth of the evening—was called, and there was still no sign of him.
Couples began to take their places on the dance floor. Margaret peered around her, hoping that Snowy would appear. Instead, Martin was making his way toward her, a satisfied smirk on his face.
“My dance, I believe,” he claimed.
She suppressed her shudder and lifted her chin. She would not allow him to intimidate her. “This dance has already been granted to someone else, Major.”
He raised his voice so it could be clearly heard by those nearby. “Your partner has apparently abandoned you, fair lady. But do not despair. I am here to partner you in his stead.”
He held out his hand, his stance confident.
Margaret eyed it. She would as soon touch a snake.
Appropriately, Martin dropped his voice to a gravelly hiss. “Do not make a scene, Margaret. Your reputation hangs by a thread as it is.” He snickered, confirming Margaret’s impression it was he who had initially been gossiping about her.
“I told you, Lord Hungerford-Fox, I am not available to dance with you.” If need be, she would not dance again this evening. In fact, if Snowy was not coming, she did not want to stay.
Martin snickered again. “If you are waiting for your base-born lover, I regret to inform you he has been unavoidably detained.”
He was wrong, praise be. He must have seen the relief in her eyes, for he was already turning when Snowy spoke from behind his shoulder.
“I beg your pardon, my lady. I had an encounter with a viper. I am sorry you had to deal with her male counterpart.” He evaded Martin’s attempt to block his forward motion and held out his hand for hers.
Martin gripped Snowy’s other arm. “Leave the lady alone, White. Lord Snowden has told me all about you. You are not fit to kiss the ground on which Lady Charmain walks.”
Snowy gave Margaret an apologetic smile as he dropped her hand. “I beg your pardon for one moment, my lady.” With that, he took Martin by the wrist, and must have squeezed, for the major paled and let go of Snowy’s arm, though he raised his free hand, fisted, and attempted to hit Snowy. Snowy blocked each attempted blow. “Don’t make a scene, Hungerford-Fox. Our hostess would not appreciate it.”
“Let go of me, you slum rat. You think to court a countess? You’re some harlot’s get and I am a peer’s son and an officer.” His sneer deepened. “Besides, I’ve had her before, you know. She is nothing but my leavings.”
Margaret froze, unable to even turn her head to see the reaction of listeners. The gaping maw of social ruin opened in front of her; her head spun, and her entire body tightened as she stood on the edge. If enough people believed Martin—and why shouldn’t they when he spoke the truth?—she would fall. Her entire world would be changed forever. She could never come back from this.
And then Snowy pierced the major with a hard, steely-gray gaze. “What you are,” he answered coolly, “is a pathetic liar. You were a failure as an officer, with a reputation for cowardice, stupid decisions and lying to blame others for your failings.”
He started walking, still holding Martin only by his wrist, but crowding him to force him backward. “You are such a disappointment to your family that your father stopped paying you an allowance years ago. Since your brother inherited the title, he settled on you the income of a single estate and told you that was all you would get. You, fool that you are, insisted on your agents draining the coffers and have refused to pay a penny to keep your land and your tenants in good heart.”
Martin sputtered, but Snowy had not finished.
“Your attempts to mortgage the estate have failed, because your brother still owns it; my sources inform me that he has given you a deadline to get your finances in order and begin to look after your tenants. And still you gamble. You sold your commission three weeks ago and have since gambled away all of the cash that brought you. Within six months, you will have nothing.”
Margaret followed, fascinated. She had not thought to have Martin investigated. She should have.
She was not the only person to track the pair of men across the floor. Everyone was watching. Even the orchestra had stopped, and the waiting dancers separated to allow the spectacle through.
Martin was sputtering, but Snowy had not finished. “You are too vain and too stupid to find a way to make a living, so you decided to marry a fortune. You thought to leverage off a brief acquaintance with Lady Charmain years ago when she was too young and too naive to recognize you for the scoundrel and liar that you are. When she refused you…”
For the first time, anger heated Snowy’s voice and he shook Martin’s wrist so vigorously that the other man stumbled; Snowy hauled him back to his feet. “When she refused you, you concocted this scheme to destroy her reputation with lies, to try to remove her choices. Typically, however, you have failed.”
They had reached the door out of the ballroom. Several men waited there, including Snowy’s new valet, whom Margaret had met several times this week. Snowy shoved Martin in their direction.
Two of them grasped him, one on each arm.
