The Solemn Bell(65)

Captain Neill butted in, “Everyone wanted to chat with you.”

“Who could blame them?” Marcus agreed, making Angelica blush.

“There has to be a hundred unmarried ladies here tonight, Markie. Kindly stop flirting with mine, and find one of your own.” Captain Neill was joking, of course. Everything was a competition between them, though always in good fun.

“Someday, I hope to,” his brother said, growing serious. “But I doubt I’ll find the girl of my dreams in this crowd.”

Angelica pictured the scores of sweating, staggering, self-absorbed women, and hoped he was right. A kind man like Marcus Neill could do far better.

As she stood conversing happily with the Neill brothers, she began to catch snippets of gossip just over her shoulder.

“…What a pity to waste such a good-looking man on a girl who can’t even tell the difference…”

“Give it six months,” a second voice said. “He’ll grow bored once he realizes he’s more of a daddy to her than a lover.”

The third voice, Angelica recognized. “We have to help her do everything. I gave up one of my maids just so she’d have someone to walk her to and from the toilet. Mother and Father are simply horrified. But, you know Brody—he’ll do anything for a shock.”

Angelica turned her head in the girls’ direction. She wanted them to know she could hear every word. But, since she was Captain Neill’s guest, and because it was Mary Rose’s birthday, she daren’t make a scene. Later, she would tell his sister she didn’t appreciate her talking—literally—behind her back.

The girls giggled and scattered, leaving only Mary Rose.

Captain Neill’s sister grabbed Angelica’s arm, and hauled her around to face her. Angelica recoiled from the stench of strong drink on the young woman’s breath. “You’re not welcome here.”

“I’m Brody’s guest…”

Mary Rose’s nails dug into her wrist. “It’s not his party.”

She tugged her arm away. “If you had a problem with me, you should have said something before.”

“I did! No one would listen. But, when Peter told me what you’d done—”

Captain Neill stepped in, whispering, “M.R., don’t do this. We’ve a house full of people.”

“For once, you seem awfully concerned with what other people think!” The girl turned on her own brother. “Not once did you consider how I felt about you bringing a blind girl to my party. She’s frightening away my guests!”

Even Marcus joined in, trying to avert an argument. “Don’t be cruel, Mary Rose.”

“Cruel? What’s cruel was having to listen to my potential future husband go on and on about her!”

Angelica’s face burned. She’d ruined everything. The Neill family would never accept her now. “I never encouraged him.”

“No, you didn’t have to, did you? You’re so beautiful that every man in the room falls to his knees for you.” The young woman laughed, maniacally. “You can’t help it. You’re just poor, blind, pitiful Angelica Grey. Look at that frock!” She grabbed at it, catching a piece of delicate net. Black beads peppered the floor. “Brody bought it for you on my account. First, you seduce my beau. Now, you are wearing my dress!”

Mary Rose Neill was out of her mind with drunken, misplaced jealousy. Angelica hadn’t seduced anybody, and if the girl objected to their shopping at Grocott’s on her account, she ought to take that up with Captain Neill.

Angelica wanted desperately to explain that it had been Peter who cornered her. Peter who’d assaulted her. But she could not find the words to voice what she never wanted to relive again. Instead, she stood in dumb, mute horror.

“If you ever lay another finger on my Peter,” Mary Rose continued, “I’ll rip your worthless eyes out of your head!”

Captain Neill scoffed. “Angelica doesn’t give a shit about your Peter. Where is he, by the way? Nowhere to be found. Probably off fucking one of your friends!”

At that, the girl shook, sputtered, and then stumbled forward, right into Angelica’s arms. Rather than drop the girl at her feet, Angelica held her as Mary Rose slurred a stream of vicious curses.

Thankfully, Marcus scooped his sister up. “I’ll get her sober. Brody, you take Angelica upstairs.” Before he disappeared into the crowd, he added, “I am sorry, Miss Grey. She won’t remember any of this in the morning.”

What sort of apology was that? Their sister had ruined her dress. Their sister had humiliated her in front of hundreds of strangers. No wonder Captain Neill turned to morphine—his family was enough to drive one mad!

“Come on,” he said, stroking her elbow. “We’ll take the servants’ way.”

Angelica was tempted to jerk from his touch. Did he too intend to sweep the entire wretched scene under the rug? “What about Peter? He’s telling people that he and I… Oh, God, that we… And now your sister… Aren’t you going to do something?”

“The best we can do for now is disappear,” Captain Neill said. “Between M.R. and me, Markie is used to this sort of thing. He’ll handle it.”

She shook her head. “But…my frock.”

“Done for, I’m afraid. And, unless you want everyone to see it, we’d better get you out of here.”