The Duke of Defiance (The Untouchables #5)(21)

“Now, let us discuss your wardrobe.” Her gaze dipped to his practically bare arms. “I want to be sure you’ll be attired correctly for the ball. You’re not in the tropics any longer.”

No, he wasn’t.





Chapter 5





As a girl, Jo had dreamt of her first London ball. She’d be gowned in a dress that shimmered beneath the thousands of candles, her hair adorned with pearls. She’d never want for a dance partner, and the evening would pass in a glorious, life-changing blur. She’d never imagined that she would be a thirty-one-year-old widow.

At least she had a new gown.

She glanced down at the pink silk with its sheer net overlay. It was, by far, the finest thing she’d ever worn. After discussing her wardrobe with Nora the other day, she and Lady Satterfield had decided she needed a ball gown immediately since they’d also decided she ought to attend the Harcourt ball tonight. That they’d been able to find a dress that was already made and required only a few alterations was a miracle.

That is not a miracle, Matthias would have said with a sneer. His religion was a convenience to suit his mercurial moods. If the parishioners had only known the truth…but of course, they never would.

Jo scowled as she pushed the thought away.

“What’s wrong?” Nora asked.

Jo smiled brightly, probably overcompensating and thus drawing even more attention to herself. “Nothing at all.”

Nora’s mouth turned down. “I don’t believe you. You’ve been nervous—or something—all evening.”

She and Jo had arrived at the ball an hour or so ago in the company of Lady Satterfield, who’d done an excellent job of introducing Jo to everyone worth meeting. Or so Lady Satterfield had described the endeavor. Now, Jo and Nora were stationed on the perimeter, not quite against the wall, but also not in the thick of things.

Lady Satterfield had gone off in search of a gentleman to dance with Jo. She felt like a charity case. But then she supposed she was, hanging on her sister’s skirts.

Was that how she saw herself? It wasn’t as if she had to be here. She had a small portion from Matthias and could live a modest life back in St. Ives, occupying a tiny cottage just outside the village. However, that existence sounded painfully dull and tragically sad.

Anyway, it wasn’t as if her sister, or Titus, for that matter, treated her like she wasn’t more than welcome. They wouldn’t want her to live alone.

Nora exhaled as she turned her inquisitive stare away from Jo. “You can ignore me, I suppose, but I know you too well. If you’d rather go home, we can.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you. I was trying to decide what I’m doing here.”

“Meeting people?” Nora offered.

“Yes, but to what end?”

“Must there be an end? Forget talk of marriage or even the future. Why not just enjoy the evening?” Her eyes sparkled. “It’s your first ball, after all.”

“Yes, I was musing about how different this is compared to my expectation. Remember how we used to imagine it?”

“Of course. We were going to marry Untouchables. We had such grand plans.” Nora’s gaze darkened. “And then I ruined everything.”

Jo edged closer to her sister and touched her forearm. “You didn’t.”

“How can you say that? I had to return home in shame, and you weren’t even allowed a Season.” Even if Nora’s scandal hadn’t tainted Jo, their cousin who’d sponsored Nora had refused to sponsor her.

“No, but things worked out all right for me, didn’t they?”

Tears formed in Nora’s eyes, but she blinked rapidly and pressed her fingers to either side of her nose. “I shan’t cry here.” She summoned a wobbly smile. “I’d thought they had, but I know you weren’t happy.”

Yes, Jo had shared her discontent several years ago, not long after Nora had married. But that was before she’d found out Matthias’s secrets. After that, she’d stopped talking about him altogether. “We weren’t a great match,” Jo said, preferring to keep things simple.

“I know, and I feel responsible. You’ve never said, but I think you wouldn’t have married him if you’d had other options.”

Of course she wouldn’t have. She’d planned to have a Season. She’d planned to marry an Untouchable. Nora had ruined things for her, but Jo would never say so. She didn’t blame her sister. Even so, that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

Jo pivoted from her sister lest she see the truth in her eyes. She started as she recognized Lord Knighton bearing toward them.

Oh, he looked magnificent in evening wear, his dark charcoal-colored coat offset by his silver-threaded waistcoat and the snow-white of his cravat. Was he uncomfortable? She wondered how long he’d be able to endure the garments and pictured him stripping them off. The ballroom suddenly seemed overly warm.

He strode right to her and offered a bow, first to Nora as required by her rank, and another to Jo. “Good evening. You look lovely.” His gaze swept over her.

“Thank you.”

“I thought we could discuss the governess interviews,” he said. “My secretary has arranged them for Tuesday.”

Jo nodded. “Good.”