Page 63 of Leap of Faith
“No, I will not be here long.”
Joy came in shortly thereafter with a look of defiance on her face. Miss Whitford was not far behind, but stopped just inside the door and curtsied.
Dominic inclined his head. “Well, child?” He set the paper down before her, turned to the appropriate column.
He watched her read, biting her lower lip when she came to the part referencing her behaviour.
Miss Whitford looked at him inquiringly, and, as soon as Joy had finished, he handed the paper to her. She scanned it quickly. “Joy, tell me this is a fabrication!”
“We were hidden! I took good care that no one saw me!”
“Apparently not enough care. You will ruin yourself before you even come out,” she said with dismay.
Joy’s expression had not changed from defiance. She was watching his face. “Are you going to rage at me?” she finally asked.
“You do not deny it?”
“Why should I? I did nothing wrong.”
“Except expressly break your word to me,” he replied quietly.
“Joy!” Miss Whitford replied with horror.
“A very cool response when Society has proclaimed you a hoyden, Miss Joy. You may leave us.”
The look of shock on Joy’s face satisfied Dominic, as did the click of the door when she left the room.
“That is it?” Miss Whitford asked with a perplexed look that contorted her face adorably. “Not even a good scold?”
“What would it serve, except to make her rebellious and resolved to do more?” he answered. “No doubt she thinks hoyden to be an epitaph of praise.”
“I see your point. But surely there is a way to prevent her from exposing herself—all of us to such censure?”
“Of course. She shall not have the privilege of riding her horse in London again without my escort.”
Dominic left his mother’s abode feeling satisfied that Miss Whitford would keep her younger sister in check henceforth. Meanwhile, he was met at his entry into his own house with news that it did seem Sir Julian had left Town. The landlord of the Albany had said he saw Sir Julian leave and his valet with him. Dominic scrawled off another note to his mother, indicating their attendance to the masquerade.
CHAPTER15
“Well, I for one am happy to know the costumes I ordered will not go to waste! But why do you think he changed his mind?” Lady Westwood asked as she finished reading the note from her son.
“The papers mentioned Sir Julian has left Town for a house party,” Faith answered, though she was a bit worried about Lord Westwood’s decision to attend the masquerade—Lady Halbury having proclaimed them to be dens of iniquity and masks to be an excuse to sin. However, Lady Westwood said this one was considered above reproach and acceptable even for those just making their come out.
Watching her sisters’ excitement as they dressed in their various costumes helped to alleviate some of Faith’s worry, but did not change the feeling inside that something ill would happen.
Lord Westwood must have been assured, because he had been very punctilious in his protection of them thus far. He arrived to escort them and looked over each of them from head to toe.
“Is something amiss?” Faith asked.
“Not at all. I am trying to memorize who is whom so I will be able to keep track of everyone.”
“You think Sir Julian is playing a trick?”
“If there are thousands of pounds at stake, I expect it.”
“Are my sisters in danger from him?”
He turned from his surveillance of her sisters and looked directly at her. “Thus far, it seems only to be you. However, having been unable to discover the exact terms of the wager, I cannot say with certainty.”
