Page 14 of The Bachelor
“It’s just a pity that you can’t attend the presentation at court, too,” Mama went on cheerily, “although perhaps Grey could get an invitation for you if he spoke to the right people.”
“Please do not put him to that trouble,” the major said in what sounded more like a command than a request. “Attending Beatrice’s debut ball will be quite enough for me.”
Gwyn winced. This must be sheer torture for him, being forced to go into society when he didn’t want to. But that might work in her favor. Perhaps he’d let her talk him into staying at the town house once or twice while she went with friends into society. Friends she could get away from easily. Once was all she would need to get Lionel’s money to him.
“What made you decide to join us in London in the first place?” Mother asked. “Bea was sure you would not come even if she asked.”
His gaze flicked to Gwyn for the briefest of moments before he jerked it away and said dryly, “I missed her.”
Gwyn barely suppressed a snort, and she could see her brother trying hard not to laugh.
“Well, that is lovely.” Mama leveled a dark gaze on Thorn. “I wish the twins were so close to each other. But Thorn has never forgiven Gwyn for not coming back to England with him when he returned to claim his title.”
“Mother,” Thorn said in a pained voice.
“What? It’s true.”
“Perhaps so, but it’s of no interest to the major, I’m sure,” Gwyn said. “He doesn’t want to hear about our family squabbles.”
“On the contrary,” Major Wolfe said, “I am all ears.”
And all eyes, too, apparently, for he was now watching Gwyn with an intensity that did odd things to her insides.
“It began when Gwyn had this particularly troublesome suitor,” Mama said.
Gwyn shot Thorn an imploring look, but for once he seemed at a loss for words.
“I forget the fellow’s name,” Mama went on. “Was it Hazle-something?”
Hazlehurst had been another of Gwyn’s suitors. Thank heaven for Mama’s spotty memory. And for Gwyn’s rather lengthy history of being courted by men whom she ended up not marrying.
“Yes, Mama, it was Hazlehurst,” Gwyn said, lying for all she was worth.
“Anyway,” Mama went on, “I gather that Thorn was nasty to him, so the man went off to join the navy. And Gwyn never forgave him.”
“Hazlehurst?” Major Wolfe searched Gwyn’s face. “Or Thornstock?”
“Both,” Mama said. “Washed her hands of them both.”
“Can you blame me?” Gwyn said with a sniff. “Thorn had no business running Hazlehurst off, and Hazlehurst had no business allowing himself to be run off by Thorn.”
“Especially for something as trivial as your brother being nasty to him,” the major said. “If this fellow Hazlehurst couldn’t hold his own in such a circumstance, the navy must have given him quite the rude awakening.”
“I’m sure it did,” Thorn said, apparentlyfinallygetting his wits about him. “I’ve heard that floggings are common on a man-of-war. Is that true, Major?”
The man shrugged. “It depends on the captain. I’ve seen it happen a great deal on some ships, and not at all on others.”
Thorn had apparently found a subject that interested the major, for they launched into a discussion about how marines were treated on naval ships, the battles Major Wolfe had been in, and all sorts of other manly military subjects.
Under other circumstances, she would have found the conversation fascinating, too. Today, however, she listened with only half an ear, unable to concentrate on anything except her relief that the disaster had been averted.
But for how long? What if her mother revealed something else about the past that forced her to lie? Or was Mama now satisfied that she’d said her piece on the subject?
Clearly, Gwyn’s debut was going to be fraught with more peril than she’d expected. Because the last thing in the world she wanted was for Major Wolfe—or anyone in her family—to learn the truth about her past with Lionel Malet.
Chapter Five
They had stopped to change horses every hour, and occasionally one or the other of the ladies had disembarked to use the necessary. But that had not been often enough for Joshua to get out and exercise his bad leg. Normally, he wouldn’t have needed the exercise until they stopped for the night, for he would have stretched out his leg enough to keep it from cramping.
