The Swordmaster's Mistress: Dangerous Deceptions Book Two(21)

Smile. Someone out there hates me, so do not show them my fear. Was her enemy in this swirling throng, did one of the faces that had turned to look when they had been announced hide the secret to the persecution? Or was her tormentor operating at a distance through bought agents?

But she was not alone, she must remember that. She had Augustus, bless him, although she wanted to protect him as much as he wanted to shield her. And now she had Jared Hunt who made her feel safe even as he made her feel so very unsafe, simply by being himself, so uncompromisingly male.

Where was he? Had he arrived already? She supposed he would have done, he was a professional. Guin scanned the crowd, but it was more difficult now they were at the level of the ballroom. People smiled, nodded, made momentary small talk as they passed, but no-one lingered long, not to talk to the young woman with no connections and no status who had ensnared a doting elderly viscount.

Once she had partners and Augustus was satisfied that she was dancing happily, then he would be absorbed into one of the groups of older men here to escort their daughters and wives. His friends, his generation, not hers.

‘Lord Northam! How delightful to see you again. We were introduced at Lady Sefton’s reception, do you recall? Sophie Calderbrook. This must be your wife.’ The blue-eyed beauty with the wonderful golden hair who was smiling at her with genuine warmth was the Duchess of Calderbrook? A duchess wanting an introduction to me?

Augustus was beaming. ‘Certainly, Your Grace, this is Lady Northam. Guinnie, my dear, the Duchess of Calderbrook. Ah – and here is the Duke.’

‘And may I introduce our friend Mr Hunt?’ The Duke arrived at his wife’s wide with Jared and they both shook hands and smiled and Jared behaved as though he had never set eyes on her before.

So that was why the Duchess had taken a sudden fancy to be introduced – but what was the ambiguous Mr Hunt doing in the Duke’s party at a ball? She had thought that he was only going to ask an ex-employer for help to secure an invitation, yet both the Duke and Duchess were treating him as a close friend. He was smiling at her now, with the perfectly-calculated expression of a man who is admiring a married lady in the most respectful way. Then his left eyelid flickered down in an unmistakeable wink and she caught back the sudden laughter.

‘Now then, what is the state of your dance card, Lady Northam?’ the Duchess asked. ‘Because mine is empty. Cal, darling, which of mine do you want? You may not have more than two. Jared, you must ask me for at least one, to save me the embarrassment of an empty card.’

Guin blinked at the Duchess who was teasing Augustus now about his reluctance to dance. And other men were joining their group and asking for dances from both the Duchess and from her, respectable married men who had never asked Guin before. She suspected that was because their wives had disapproved of her and had decided that she was planning to be a Wicked Widow before long.

‘There is a good table over there, I will save it for us.’ The Duke cut diagonally across the dance floor, empty just now with the dancing not yet begun.

The Duchess tucked her hand through Guin’s arm. ‘You will join us won’t you, Lady Northam? Oh look, there are my Mama and Step Papa.’ She waved and an older version of her gilded beauty waved back. ‘Theirs was a famous love match,’ she confided as they made their way across to the grouping of chairs against the wall, set around a small table and with a perfect view of the dance floor. ‘It is hopelessly embarrassing having people sigh over them, even now.

‘There.’ The Duchess settled herself, patted the chair next to her. ‘We are going to be great friends. You must call me Sophie and you are Guinevere, I think? Such a lovely name.’

It was utterly confusing. ‘What has Mr Hunt told you about me?’ Guin said abruptly as she sat down. Her given name for a start, because no-one had used it during the introductions. The only possible reason for this extraordinary show of friendship must be that Jared had spoken of her to them and had asked them to acknowledge her.

‘He said that he thought you needed a friend and that he wanted to come to the ball with us so as to keep watch over you without it being too obvious. And if you require Jared to look after you then you are in need of more than friendship.’ She leaned closer. ‘He scared me to death when we first met – he can seem so very sinister – but he is my husband’s closest friend and has saved his life and now I think he is wonderful. But do not tell him I said so or he will tease me. And Cal and I are utterly discreet, so you can tell me all about your problem if you wish. And if you do not, then I will still hope to be your friend.’

‘Your Grace – ’

‘Sophie, please. And my husband is Cal to all our friends.’

‘Sophie, I do not know why you should wish to befriend me, other than to please Mr Hunt. I have married above me, and I am very much younger than my husband and that seems enough for most people to turn away from anything other than mere acquaintance.’

‘I am a duchess,’ Sophie said. ‘It took me quite a while to get used to it, but believe me, if I take you up, then the silly geese who assume the worst will soon revise their ideas. And as for why, then I can only say that I do not have so many friends that another is not very welcome and if Jared says I will like someone, then I trust his judgement.’

‘I... excuse me.’ Guin tugged ineffectually at the tight strings of her reticule.