Page 32 of Stealing the Rake's Heart
“We are trying, your Grace. But the butler wished for you to come and manage the problem.”
“Of course. I shall be there directly. Thank you for telling me.”
James bowed and moved away at once, a worried expression still hanging on his face. Some servants might enjoy the embarrassment of the family they worked for, but that had never been William’s experience. The servants had hated the old Duke, of course, but had proved remarkably kind, hard-working, and loyal to William and the rest of the family. He considered himself lucky to have such a good household. If any gossip about Alexander or his wretched friend slipped out into Society, it would not have come from any of the Dunleigh servants.
Glancing around, William could not see Alexander. Of course not. When was Alexandereverthere when William needed his help?
Can I not endure a single ball without one or other of my family humiliating me?William thought vengefully. He drew in a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. The ball was going well, and he would simply have to find Alexander and tell him to behave, and to control his friend.
Downing the last of his brandy, he set the empty glass on the mantelpiece and prepared himself to shove through the crowds and get to the quieter hallways outside. It would be difficult, naturally. As the host for tonight and the Duke of Dunleigh, everybody wanted to talk to him. He would have to be firm, however, brusque and no-nonsense, making his excuses and pretending not to see acquaintances wave at him. The sooner the problem was managed, the better.
And then a young lady stepped out of the crowd and made a beeline for him.
“Your Grace, there you are,” she said, smiling slowly at him. “I was lucky to find you in this dreadful crush.”
“Miss Bainbridge,” William managed, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of his sails. All of his determination to push through the crowd as rudely as necessary had entirely deserted him. “I hope you are enjoying the ball, despite the crowd.”
“Oh, yes, very much. I have just paid my compliments to your dear mother. She is a remarkable hostess. I have been looking forward to this ball for weeks.”
Miss Victoria Bainbridge, one of the Devon Bainbridges, was probably the richest young lady here tonight. That included the married ladies. William knew her well, both from the books of genealogy in thetonand from personal experience. She was two and twenty, which might have been considered leaving marriage a little late, but the Bainbridges never hurried. They moved through their lives slowly and surely, quietly and determinedly achieving all they set out to do. It was how the family had built a fortune greater than just about anyone else in Society, and it was how they had built themselves into a great dynasty. You could not walk two steps in London without tripping over a Bainbridge, and generally they were always richer than you.
Miss Bainbridge was the oldest girl and only daughter out of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Bainbridge, and had only come out a year ago. Remarkably late, but her dowry and personal wealth was so vast, and her personality so charming and fascinating that just about everybody was willing to overlook her advanced age of two and twenty. In fact, some gentleman had conceded, there might be benefits to marrying a grown woman with a fortune, rather than an insipid child of seventeen.
However, it had been made pretty clear that year – from scandal sheets and other forms of gossip – that Miss Victoria Bainbridge had her eye set on the greatest prize of the Season.
That prize was, of course, William.
She smiled up at him, hands folded coolly in front of her, and waited for him to speak. Victoria was a very short lady, barely five feet tall, with a petite figure and a pointed face. Her hair was a dark brown, almost black, and she possessed a pair of large, incisive blue eyes.
She also wore round spectacles, a rarity in Society. Most short-sighted ladies preferred to squint rather than wear spectacles, believing it improved their beauty.
Miss Bainbridge did not seem to care much about that. She inspected the world boldly and unblinkingly through her round-rimmed spectacles, never dropping her gaze first. She had been described as Handsome rather than Pretty, and her wealth meant that people politely overlooked her intellect, which could brand her as – horror of horrors – a bluestocking.
William did not object to bluestockings, or indeed women of intelligence. However, he did not enjoy the way Miss Bainbridge looked at him. Like prey. As if he were a helpless rabbit, and she a fox wondering whether or not she was hungry enough to give chase.
“I’m glad,” he managed at last. Weakly. The woman barely came up to his chin, and yet he felt like shrinking back into the corner.
“I hope you don’t mind my saying,” Miss Bainbridge said, seeming not to notice William’s nervousness, “but Lady Diana Lockwell has been pursuing your younger brother, Lord Alexander, rather determinedly tonight. I don’t mean to tell tales, I only thought you should know.”
William cleared his throat. “Who Alexander courts is no business of mine.”
She tilted her head to one side. “Well, I think we both know that is not true. I am not saying that it would not be a decent match, although you ought to know that her late husband did not leave her as wealthy as she would have people believe. I admire a determined woman, to be sure, only that Lord Alexander seemed a trifle uncomfortable. I would have rescued him, but I was not sure he would welcome my help.”
William bit his lower lip, imaging Miss Bainbridge cornering Alexander too.
“I appreciate the sentiment.”
“I thought you might.”
“You do not seem to like Lady Lockwell.”
Miss Bainbridge considered thoughtfully before she answered.
“She is clumsy,” she answered at last. “She plunges in with fervent zeal and pays scant heed to how her actions may impact those around her. It is, of course, none of my concern, but I believe that marriage would be a good thing for Lord Alexander. However, marriage to the wrong woman may well undo him.”
She was right, much to William’s chagrin. Entirely too right. Still, he straightened his spine and tried to look haughty.
“With all due respect, Miss Bainbridge, itisnone of your concern.”
