Page 60 of Stealing the Rake's Heart
“Oh, an embarrassment, am I? Perhaps I should act in a moregentlemanlymanner,” he tottered forward, wobbling for no apparent reason, and let out a loud belch.
Then Lady Caldecott rose to her feet, clapping her hands. It broke the spell of horrified silence that lay over the rest of the guests.
“We shall go into one of the morning-rooms,” she announced firmly. “With your permission of course, Mary. It is not kind to watch Lord Grey when he is unwell. Lord Alexander, your Grace, can you manage him?”
William gave a short nod. “Yes. Thank you, Lady Caldecott.”
The spell was broken, and suddenly the guests could not get out quickly enough. Lord Donovan edged warily past Hamish and hurried out into the hallway, not bothering to wait for the pale debutante.
Hamish’s head wobbled to and fro as the guests filed out.
“Where are you all going? No need to rush off. Fine, then. Be like that. Alex and I don’t care, do we?”
Alexander bit his lip hard. When he wouldn’t meet Hamish’s gaze, he saw his friend jerk back a little, as if hurt.
“You want me to make a scene?” Hamish snarled, whipping towards the sideboard again. “Very well.”
He picked up another ornament, a china figurine of a shepherdess, and held it out pointedly. He dropped it.
Crash.
Alexander squeezed his eyes shut.
The last of the guests hurried out, whispering eagerly between themselves. Lady Caldecott went last, holding tight to her niece’s hand and almost herding a pale-faced Mary ahead of her.
Abigail didn’t look at anyone as she left, keeping her eyes fixed on her own feet. Alexander watched her go, willing her to look at him so he could shrug or roll his eyes, or do anything to let her know that he did not approve of Hamish’s behaviour and that he would never do such a thing.
Well, not anymore.
“The footmen are coming to assist,” Lady Caldecott added in an undertone as she passed through the doorway. “I suspect you’ll need help to get him to his room.”
“Thank you,” William repeated, raking a hand through his hair. “I know you won’t repeat this shameful story, but I can’t expect as much from others.”
Lady Caldecott gave a sharp nod. “I’ll do my best to suppress gossip, but as you say, the story will get out regardless.”
Alexander’s heart sank. This occasion would reflect poorly on them all. As Hamish’s friend and the one who had invited him there, blame would fall heavily on him. Hamish’s reputation was likely not able to be saved at this point, but men could generally claw back some respectability after a while.
Unfairly enough, it was William who would come out the worst of this. It was his house. He was the duke. The behaviour of his guests was his responsibility, and any shocking events that took place in his home would reflect directly upon him.
Alexander glanced anxiously at his brother.
“Will, I…”
“I am not sure I can ever forgive you for this,” William stated, before Alexander could finish. “I told you not to bring him here, and you ignored me. And now look at what has happened.”
Alexander opened his mouth, not entirely sure what he was going to say. Apologies, perhaps, some silly excuses. There was no time for any of it, of course.
The footmen arrived, four of them, grim-faced and serious. The butler trotted behind, looking tired.
“Forgive me, your Grace,” he murmured to William, as the footmen began to wrestle a struggling Hamish out of the room. “It seems that he bribed one of the under-gardeners to bring up a decanter of whiskey. I believe he called to him from the window. The boy came into the house to bring it, and left the door unlocked. The fault is mine.”
“No, actually,” William responded tightly. “The fault is my brother’s.”
There was no more talking after that.
Hamish was escorted upstairs, probably more roughly than was necessary. He was placed back in his room, and this time a footman was left on duty outside his door, and another outside the window. William did not say a word to Alexander, only turned on his heel and strode away into the depths of the house once it was all over, carrying a candle to light his way into the darkness.
Alexander stood there for a moment, in the hallway outside of Hamish’s room. He’d heard from talk between the servants that the party downstairs was broken up, unsurprisingly. After the Incident, as people were calling it, they had all been keen to get themselves to bed as soon as possible.
