The Duke of Defiance (The Untouchables #5)(62)

“Yes.” Or maybe it was the nights she spent in bed with her employer. She struggled not to blush at the thought of her wanton behavior. And she didn’t dare look toward Nora who would likely give her a knowing smile. Jo had seen her the other day and had confirmed that their liaison was ongoing.

“Tell me, how is Lord Knighton adjusting to London?” Lady Satterfield asked. He seems to attend about as many Society events as my stepson.”

Nora let out a short laugh. “Not quite as few. Titus, as you know, hasn’t been to a ball since yours at the start of the Season.”

“He doesn’t seem to care much for those sorts of things,” Jo said.

“Ah well, we’ll have to think of another way to get him out and about.” Her brows briefly rose, and she smiled at Nora. “I’ve just the thing. Isn’t it time for you to convince Kendal to host another dinner party?”

“Yes, I think so.” Nora looked at Jo. “Do you think Knighton would come to that?”

Jo wasn’t certain but knew that he liked Titus. “Probably.”

“Excellent,” Lady Satterfield said. “This will be such fun.” The countess’s gaze gravitated to the doorway. “Excuse me, guests are arriving.”

Over the next half an hour, several guests arrived and gravitated around the room in a few clusters. Jo sat among a grouping of several other women, including Nora, when another arrival joined them. It was Bran’s mother.

Her gaze found Jo’s. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Shaw. How surprising to see you here.”

Jo wasn’t certain if she meant any insult but decided not to take it that way. “Good afternoon, Lady Knighton. This is my sister, the Duchess of Kendal.” She gestured to Nora, who sat in the chair beside her.

“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance. My daughter and your granddaughter have become the best of friends.”

“How fortuitous,” Lady Knighton said with a bright smile. “I’d say Lady Evangeline is making the transition to her father’s new position rather well if she’s befriended the daughter of a duke.” She laughed gently before perching on a settee angled to the side of Jo’s chair.

One of the women in the group addressed the lady beside her. “I heard Lord Talbot saw Lord Knighton in the park yesterday.” She glanced around the circle, her gaze resting for just a moment on Lady Knighton.

Another woman, with dark brown hair and a nose that turned up at the end, walked up behind the one who’d just spoken. “Lord Knighton, you say? Yes, I heard he allowed his daughter to ride astride at Hyde Park yesterday morning. Can you imagine?”

Nearly everyone in the group—with the exception of Nora, Lady Knighton, and, of course, Jo—shook their heads in disapproval.

The woman continued, “And when Talbot—his wife is my dear friend—tried to offer advice on the matter, Knighton practically called him out! It was horrendous. Talbot was mightily offended.”

More condemning looks were exchanged along with a few sounds of disapproval.

“Well, he’s new to all this,” another woman chimed in. “He just needs some guidance. A proper English wife will rein him in.”

Jo stole a look at his mother. The muscles in her face were drawn tight, and she stared at the woman who’d just spoken. Then she let out a sparkling laugh that was as counterfeit as any Jo had ever heard. “He always was Bran the Defiant. That’s what we called him when he was a boy. Getting into scrapes and making trouble.” She waved her hand. “I think he likes the attention.”

Jo masked her horror. Bran would never parade Evie around the park for attention.

The woman with the dark brown hair who’d joined the group blinked, and a bit of color crept into her cheeks as she looked at Lady Knighton. “Are you the earl’s mother?”

Lady Knighton’s answering smile was superior. “I am.”

The blush staining the woman’s cheeks deepened. “My apologies, I meant no offense.”

Everyone stared at Lady Knighton. “I’m sure you didn’t.”

The air was so thick with tension that you could practically see it. Jo darted a speaking glance at Nora, who rushed to say, “I’ve heard him called the Duke of Defiance. Isn’t that dashing?”

The first woman—the one who’d brought up Talbot seeing Bran in the park—clapped her hands together. “Oh, he has a nickname! Like your husband.”

Nora clenched her jaw. “Yes, like my husband.” She threw Jo an apologetic look, realizing too late that perhaps that hadn’t been the right thing to say.

Another woman nodded. “The Duke of Defiance… It does sound dashing. And perhaps a bit dangerous.”

“There’s already a Duke of Danger,” someone else pointed out. She turned to Bran’s mother. “I’m Lady Wolcott. My younger sister is on the Marriage Mart. Will Knighton be going to Almack’s?”

“I’m certain he will at some point. Finding a countess is chief among his priorities since returning to England. He is, as you can imagine, quite busy acclimating to his new title.” Lady Knighton craned her neck and seemed to preen beneath the suddenly sycophantic stares of the rest of the women.

Jo leaned over to whisper in Nora’s ear. “What is it about an available Untouchable that turns perfectly well-mannered women into vultures?”