“He couldn’t have stopped you since you were twenty-one.”
“He would have found a way. My brother only serves himself, and he doesn’t care who he hurts along the way.”
Come to think of it, he and Lady Eloise were a good match. She grimaced. She still wished she hadn’t seen those two on her old bed. She wasn’t fully surprised to find out the two had been sharing afternoon dalliances together for years, but she would have much rather heard about it instead of seeing it for herself.
“I’m sorry your brother is like that,” Stacey said, her voice soft. “My father was that way, too.”
Tara had suspected as much, but she hadn’t been close enough to Stacey to ask about it. “Lord Whitney is good to you, isn’t he?”
“Piers is very good to me.”
“I’m glad. Maybe he can be a buffer between you and your father.”
“You didn’t hear what happened with my father?”
Noting Stacey’s shocked expression, Tara shook her head, already suspecting that she was about to learn something scandalous. Stacey didn’t often display her emotions. She was usually controlled at all times. That was one of the things that made her an asset to the group. Her calm demeanor prevented her from acting hastily and causing undue embarrassment to those around her.
“My father challenged the Duke of Silverton to a duel,” Stacey said.
Tara’s jaw dropped, and she was glad she had put the teacup on the table. If she hadn’t, she probably would have dropped it. “Your father challenged Lady Eloise’s father to a duel?”
“That’s just it. It turns out Lady Eloise isn’t the Duke of Silverton’s daughter. It turns out she’s my half-sister.”
If the thing about the duel hadn’t made Tara drop her cup, this definitely would have. “I don’t understand. How is that possible?”
“It was all in the Tittletattle.” Stacey’s face grew pink in what Tara guessed was humiliation. “My father had offered his…services…to gentlemen who were having trouble getting their wives with child.”
Tara gasped.
“I know. The whole thing is sordid,” Stacey said. “All of London is talking about it. I don’t even want to leave the townhouse.”
“How many other children did your father have?”
“I don’t know. Unless the gentlemen start coming forward and saying they had also paid my father to be with their wives, I have no way of knowing who else I’m related to. The truth is, I don’t want to know. I hope I never find out.”
“That’s horrible.” Even for all of Basil’s faults, she didn’t think he would offer his services to sire other gentlemen’s children for them.
“It’s much worse than any other scandal that’s ever been reported in the Tittletattle,” Stacey agreed.
“What happened during the duel? Did one of the gentlemen die?”
Stacey nodded. “My father died. The Duke of Silverton left for another country. I don’t think he could have ever lived down the shame of the scandal. I don’t know if I can, either. That’s why I was going to send you a missive when I learned you had returned. I can’t stay in Ladies of Grace. This is the very thing that can ruin the entire group.”
“But this isn’t your fault. You had nothing to do with it.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Of course, it does. You’re innocent. People will understand that. You didn’t even know your father was doing this kind of thing.”
“No, I didn’t. I found out about it in the Titttletattle, just like everyone else did.”
“This is not your doing, Stacey. You can’t take responsibility for something your father did. You can only take responsibility for the things you do. Do you understand that?”
Stacey paused for a moment then said, “I do. But I don’t think other people—”
“Other people will see things the way I do. They’ll understand this is a terrible thing that happened to you, and they’ll be sympathetic about it. We should have an outing together. Just you and me. That way I’ll be with you when you go out in public, and you’ll see for yourself that your fears are for nothing.”
“What if my fears aren’t for nothing?”
“Then I’ll be with you to offer you support. Stacey,” she added, putting a comforting hand on the lady’s arm, “you’re not alone. You have Piers. You have me. You have your connection with Ladies of Grace. I promise you that everything will be all right.”
Stacey relaxed, though it was slightly. “I suppose a walk wouldn’t hurt too much.”
“It won’t hurt at all.” She released Stacey and sat back. “I’m going to ask Miss Duff to rejoin the group. She isn’t like Lady Blakemoor or Lady Eloise. I think the group will be stronger if she’s in it. I’ll tell her she can marry anyone she pleases. I won’t put the same restrictions on her that Lady Eloise did. Would you join me in voting for her? We need two members to vote someone into the group.”
“I’ll vote for her only after I see what happens when we go for that walk. I want to make sure I’m not going to hurt the group first.”
“Well, let’s go for a walk this week.” Tara stood up. “I have one more visit to make before dinner, and it’s already getting late. I’ll send you a missive tomorrow. Then we’ll decide when to go for that walk.”
Stacey rose to her feet. “All right.”
With a smile, Tara headed for the door. Her visit with Stacey had been pleasant, as she’d expected it to be. The one she was about to have with Lady Blakemoor was probably going to be very unpleasant. But she wanted to get it over with so she could enjoy this evening with Nick and his family.
***
As soon as the footman led Tara into the drawing room of the Blakemoor residence, Sir Tristan Blakemoor hurried into the room. He waited until they were alone before he blurted out, “You’re not heartbroken over losing me, are you?”
It took her a moment to realize he was sincere. He honestly believed she was distraught over the fact that he married Miss Wilmington instead of her. “Do you think I’m here to see you?” she asked.
“Why else would you be here?”
Seriously? Could he be so daft? “Your wife happens to belong in the same group I do.”
“I realize that, which makes this whole thing awkward. What if she catches us talking?”
“I’m here to see her,” she pointed out. “I didn’t come here to see you.”
He blinked in surprise. “You came here to see her?”
“Yes. I have an idea for Ladies of Grace, and since she’s the other leader, I need to talk it over with her.” When he didn’t seem convinced, she added, “Didn’t you hear that I married the Duke of Ravenshire?”
“Yes, and I didn’t realize losing me would compel you to run off with the first gentleman who proposed. I’ve heard of things like that happening to heartbroken ladies. They lose their wits and cling to any gentleman who shows the slightest interest in them.”
She stared at him for a long moment. She had a mind to whack him on the head with her reticule. But it probably wouldn’t knock any sense into him. He was too full of his own conceit.
Thankfully, Lady Blakemoor entered the room, saving Tara from having to respond. Lady Blakemoor walked over to them, and she held out her hand so that Tara had to see the large diamond on her finger.
“I heard you married the Duke of Ravenshire,” she told Tara.
“Yes. I just returned to London today,” Tara replied.
“Did you come by to congratulate us on our marriage?” Lady Blakemoor asked as she slipped her free arm around her husband’s arm. She wiggled her fingers on the hand, once more showing off the ring.
“Actually, I wanted to discuss Ladies of Grace.” Then, before Sir Tristan Blakemoor assumed she was looking for an excuse to talk to him, she added, “Since we’re leading the group, I wanted your advice about an idea I had for the upcoming ball we’re going to host.”
“The ball!” Lady Blakemoor’s eyes lit up. “In all the
excitement, I’d forgotten all about it. So much has happened in such a short time. And you’re right. We should have it here in this elegant townhouse.”
“Oh, well, I didn’t specify where it should be.” She was certain they hadn’t come to a decision on where to host it.
“But this is the most obvious choice. My darling husband has some of the finest furnishings, as you can see.”
Lady Blakemoor gestured to their surroundings, and when she gave Tara an expectant look, Tara relented and glanced at the fancy things in the room. Lady Blakemoor lifted her hand and, once more, wiggled her ring finger.
Tara resisted the urge to groan. Yes, she was well aware of the ring. Did she really have to mention it? By the expression on Lady Blakemoor’s face, she knew she had to or else they couldn’t continue on to the topic she wished to discuss.
“That’s a lovely ring,” Tara said, hoping she sounded pleasant.
“Oh, this little thing?” Lady Blakemoor looked at it as if she wasn’t aware she’d even been wearing it. “It was a gift from my husband. He gave it to me on the second day of our marriage. It was very expensive.”
Blushing, Sir Tristan Blakemoor shrugged. “I wouldn’t consider it very expensive.”
Lady Blakemoor chuckled. “He’s such a humble person. This thing was five pounds. And that was only for this little ring. He’s bought me other things as well.” She leaned toward him and wiggled her nose against his. “He’s such a sweet husband.”
It took all of Tara’s willpower not to roll her eyes, but somehow, she managed.
“Anyway,” Lady Blakemoor began, turning back to her, “you came to talk to me about having the ball here, and I think it’s an excellent idea. This townhouse is even better than my parents’, and it’s hard to rival their wealth.” She turned her gaze to her husband and snuggled up to him. “You don’t mind hosting the ball, do you?”
He shifted from one foot to the other, his face going bright red. “Of course, I don’t mind hosting the ball. My aunt’s been after me to do something like that.”
“He has a couple of aunts,” Lady Blakemoor said, “but he’s specifically talking about Lady Cadwalader. She’s a lovely lady. We had her and Lord Cadwalader over here for a dinner party the other night. Their carriage was parked right out front the entire time. There’s no telling how many people saw it.”
Well, at least that was one thing Tara didn’t mind hearing. The connection to Lady Cadwalader, through marriage to her nephew, had been the only reason Tara had spoken to Sir Tristan Blakemoor in the first place. This worked out much better, though. Tara got the benefit of the connection to Lady Cadwalader without having to be married to him. Now that she’d gotten to know Nick better, she was grateful everything turned out the way they had. She couldn’t imagine enjoying time alone with Sir Tristan Blakemoor like she did with Nick.
Also, there was no way she would have gotten so much pleasure from being kissed and held by him. Just the thought of kissing him made her cringe. Thankfully, he hadn’t been the kind of gentleman to try to sneak a kiss in. Not like Nick had. Nick had snuck in many kisses on their way to Gretna Green, and she’d found each time more pleasurable than the last. Lady Blakemoor was welcome to subject herself to all of Sir Tristan Blakemoor’s kisses. Tara didn’t envy her one bit.
“We should have a meeting with everyone in Ladies of Grace so we can discuss the ball,” Lady Blakemoor said.
Everyone? “Will there be someone besides Lady Whitney that we need to have this meeting with?”
“Unfortunately, Lady Whitney is the only other member we have. I was unable to talk a couple of acquaintances into applying for membership. They’re all stunned by the way Lady Eloise talked to Lady Youngtown. The way Lady Eloise has been arguing with her husband hasn’t been helping, either. And let’s not forget the most horrifying scandal of all.” She glanced around them to make sure no one could overhear her then whispered, “It turns out Lady Eloise’s father wasn’t the Duke of Silverton. Her father was the Duke of Cathorn. That means she’s Lady Whitney’s half-sister.” She pressed a hand to her cheek and shook her head. “I can’t believe we all thought Lady Eloise was worth listening to.”
“Lady Whitney will stay in the group,” Tara insisted.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of casting her out of the group after all this. The fact that the two are half-sisters and we have the better one in our group makes us look better. Everyone is sympathetic toward Lady Whitney. They know she had nothing to do with her father’s activities. They feel the same way about her that they do about Lady Youngtown. Both of them are considered wonderful examples of what it means to be a lady.”
Tara supposed that should make her feel better. Stacey wouldn’t have to face any ridicule from the Ton. And yet, she didn’t feel better. The fact that Stacey was Lady Eloise’s half-sister shouldn’t have any bearing on whether or not Lady Blakemoor wanted her in the group. Lady Blakemoor should want her in the group because Stacey was a kind and respectable lady in her own right. It worried Tara that Lady Blakemoor put so much emphasis on things that had nothing to do with a lady’s character. But she couldn’t change the way Lady Blakemoor thought.
“I was thinking of asking Miss Duff back into the group,” Tara decided to say. “If we let her marry whoever she wants, I think she’ll return.”
Lady Blakemoor shrugged. “That’s fine. I don’t care who she marries. I got the best available gentleman in London, and you got a duke. Lady Whitney has the Ton’s sympathy. Miss Duff won’t help the group all that much, but she won’t hurt it, either. You, Lady Whitney, and Miss Duff may come to this townhouse in a few days. I’ll send out invitations.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to send those out?”
“Don’t be silly. We’re having the social gathering here. It’s only fair I do them.”
Tara supposed it wouldn’t do any harm for her to do the invitations. The important thing was that Lady Whitney and Miss Duff would receive them. She agreed to the terms, said her goodbyes, and headed out, glad her day of running errands was finally at an end.
Chapter Twelve
Tara had turned out to be more popular with his mother and sisters than Nick expected. Oh, he knew they were grateful to her and that they would do everything possible to see to her comfort, but from the moment Tara returned to the townhouse, they hadn’t let her out of their sight. And while he was glad they got along so well, he wanted to have some time alone with her. He supposed he should be satisfied with the amount of time they’d spent together in the carriage, going to and from Gretna Green. But he wasn’t. In fact, the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. And he’d spent a good portion of the day away from her.
As much as he tried not to, he kept glancing at the clock above the fireplace mantle in the drawing room. It was after dinner now, and his mother and sisters were still hovering around Tara. If he wasn’t sitting next to her on the settee, he doubted she’d even remember he was in the room since it was hard to get a word in over their constant stream of chatter.
“The last time I saw a rat was when it was in my bedchamber,” Augusta was saying. She shivered. “It ran right across my feet as I was climbing into bed.”
Nick’s mother laughed. “I remember that. Augusta screamed so loud I thought one of the neighbors was going to ask us if something was wrong. Fortunately, the trap we set out got it.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Cress hurried to tell Tara. “We’ve taken measures to make sure no more rats get into this place.”
“That’s a relief,” Tara replied, relaxing. “I don’t like rats.”
“No one does,” Cress said. “That’s why we were diligent about sealing up all of the vulnerable places around here. Nick did most of the work on that, so you can thank him.”
Tara glanced over at him and smiled. “Thank you. I don’t like those things any more than your sisters and mother do.” Then she picked up her cup and drank some of her tea.
Now that he had gotten her attention, he straightened up and asked, “How did your day go?” He would have asked the question sooner, but his family hadn’t given him the chance.
“I think things went all right,” Tara told him. “The most pressing thing, of course, is figuring out a way to get the Ton to think favorably about Ladies of Grace. I visited Lady Blakemoor, and she thinks hosting the ball at her residence will be good. Since she lives so close to Lady Cadwalader, I think she’s right. The location might attract more prominent members of the Ton.”
“Well, I don’t think hosting a ball here would be good,” he slowly replied, not really wanting to point out the dated furnishings, much less tell her that everything in their ballroom was collecting dust. She had seen some of the rooms, but she hadn’t seen that one yet, and he wasn’t sure he wanted her to until he hired more staff to take care of it.
“Lady Blakemoor volunteered to have it there,” Tara said. “We’ll get together to discuss the music, refreshments, and guest list.” She glanced over at Cress. “You’d be old enough to attend.”
Cress’ eyes grew wide. “Me?”
“Sure,” Tara replied. “Your brother and I can chaperone you unless your mother wants to do that.”
“I’ve never been to a ball,” Cress said. “I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“Mostly, I’d take you around and introduce you to people. You’ll be entering your first Season next year. It’ll be good for you to get a taste of what your social life will be like. You might even enjoy some dancing. Your brother and I can teach you the steps. They’re not difficult to learn. As for a gown, I can take you shopping for something appropriate.”
“Do ladies who aren’t even in their first Season go to balls?” Nick’s mother asked.
“Ladies as young as fifteen and sixteen have had their Season. Age isn’t a factor so much as their maturity. Cress acts much better than some of the older ladies I’ve seen at the balls. Besides, she’s not looking for a husband yet. She’s only going to enjoy an evening’s entertainment.”
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