An Unexpected Pleasure (The Mad Morelands #4)(68)

Lady Helena was, Megan thought, everything she was not: rich, titled, seductively beautiful, entrancing to men. She knew exactly how to walk and talk, how to address the myriad array of British titles or order a servant. She had grown up in the same world as Theo. There was no dusting of cinnamon-colored freckles across her cheeks, and her hair was not a common brown with an irritating tendency to curl wildly out of control. Watching her approach, Megan was aware of an unusually fierce stab of dislike.

Lady Scarle swept up to Theo, not even glancing toward Megan, and laid a hand on his arm, saying in a low, intimate voice, “I saved a waltz for you.”

Theo’s mouth twitched in something close to a grimace, Megan saw, and he replied coolly, “Did you? How kind of you.”

Now was the perfect time, Megan knew, for her to slip away and find her sister. Lady Scarle would keep Theo tangled up for some time. But Megan’s feet stayed rooted to the spot. She was not about to let Lady Scarle think that she had chased Megan away.

“Lady Scarle,” Theo went on now, “you remember Miss Henderson.” He turned slightly toward Megan, smiling.

“Lady Scarle,” Megan said in greeting, her tone polite, and nodded toward the other woman.

Lady Helena’s gaze flickered over to Megan, barely touching her, and she gave her a short nod, then turned back to Theo. “Raine, the orchestra has been playing the most divine waltzes.”

Her rude action stiffened Megan’s back, and she jumped in, saying, “Yes, they have. Lord Raine and I were just dancing to one of them.”

The look Lady Scarle turned on Megan this time was killing. “Indeed?” she said in a chilly voice. She looked back to Theo. “How gracious of you, Raine, to dance with your servants. Though usually one would expect you to confine such things to occasions like Boxing Day, say, or—”

“Oh, but Lord Raine is not my employer,” Megan said sweetly. “Perhaps you did not understand. I am employed by the Duchess of Broughton.”

“Miss Henderson is not a servant,” Theo said flatly, his green eyes as hard as marbles. “She is an educator.”

Lady Helena’s mouth lifted on one side, as if she were faintly amused. “Yes, of course. Your family has always had…unusual ideas. One of their charms, of course.”

“I am surprised you find it charming,” Theo replied. “I would have thought quite the opposite.”

She let out a lilting laugh. Megan wondered if it sounded as practiced to Theo as it did to her.

“You naughty man,” Lady Helena said playfully, reaching out to rap Theo’s arm lightly. Her eyes glowed as she gazed up at him. “You are such a tease. You must know how much I enjoy your mother’s company. And your sisters are quite delightful.”

“Mmm, Mrs. McIntyre speaks of you often, as well,” Megan put in, meeting Lady Scarle’s sharp glance with wide-eyed innocence.

Beside her, Theo pressed his lips together tightly and turned to look out across the room. Lady Scarle narrowed her eyes at Megan sharply.

“Miss…Henderson, was it?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps you would be so good as to allow Lord Raine and me to conduct a private conversation,” Lady Helena went on, her voice sharp as cut glass.

Megan’s brows sailed upward in astonishment at the other woman’s arrogance. She clenched her fists unconsciously, anger spurting up in her.

Something of what she felt must have shone in her face, for Theo reached over and wrapped a hand around Megan’s arm, holding her in place. Looking at Lady Scarle, he said, “Excuse me, my lady. I was unaware that you and I had anything we needed to discuss in private.”

Lady Helena’s eyes widened at his dismissive words. Bright spots of color stained her cheeks, and she shot Megan a glance of venomous dislike. “Indeed, Lord Raine. Perhaps I was mistaken.”

“Perhaps so. Now, if you will excuse us…”

Still gripping Megan’s arm, he steered her away from Lady Scarle and out the door. “Temper, temper,” he murmured as they walked.

“You needn’t hold on to me,” Megan told him sharply. “I am not going to hit her…however much I would like to.”

“I wasn’t sure. You looked as if your Irish was up.”

“My what?” Megan whipped her head around to look at him. Her heart began to pound in her chest. Why had he used that term? Did he know somehow that her name was false—that her real one was Irish?

He returned her gaze blandly. “Isn’t that the right term? Does it not mean one is angry?”

“I—yes, I guess it does. But I wasn’t that angry—only irritated.”

“Lady Scarle is an irritating woman,” Theo agreed. “However, you seem to have inspired her to new heights.”

“I wasn’t properly servile,” Megan said. “I think she believed I should curtsy and fade away to let her pursue you.”

“Thank God you did not,” Theo replied feelingly.

Megan had to laugh. “Needed protection, did you?”

He gave an elaborate shudder and looked at her with laughing eyes. “Desperately. Now that Lord Scarle is dead, she has her eye on a higher title.”

Megan suspected that the title was not all Lady Scarle found appealing in Theo. Looking at him, she thought that almost any woman would be attracted to him, titled or not.