Opal tried not to yawn as Lord Whitney rambled on about the book he’d just read on the Media-Persian Empire. She couldn’t care less which men ruled it, but he seemed so excited about it that she let him continue talking. As Iris’ father had warned, this particular gentleman was boring. It wouldn’t be so bad if he weren’t so attractive.
“Darius the Great made Persepolis his capital city,” Lord Whitney said. “Oh, and you might like this! He even conquered India. I don’t know if you ever considered that other empires have been in India. The British wasn’t the first one.”
“To be honest, I never gave it a thought.”
“I’m not surprised. Sometimes I think it’s unfortunate ladies aren’t taught more rigorous topics in your education. I have two younger sisters, and our parents encouraged them to learn to paint or play music. That’s a shame, if you ask me.”
All right, so Lord Whitney did have a commendable quality about him. He believed ladies were just as intelligent as gentlemen. Which explained why he went on at length about the Medes and the Persians in her presence. She could appreciate Warren’s excitement about him, even if he was almost thirty, but there was no spark between them. Plus, she didn’t share his love of history. No. He definitely wasn’t the one for her.
Fortunately, the dance came to an end, relinquishing her from having to engage in this conversation anymore. She offered him a polite good-bye, and he did likewise. Then she went over to the side of the room and accepted the drink Warren offered her.
“What did you think?” Warren asked.
“I hate to say it because he is good looking, but he’s boring.”
Warren frowned in disappointment.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “If it helps, I think he’s a wonderful gentleman. He obviously holds ladies in high esteem, and he does make an effort to be nice.”
“Then why don’t you give him more of a chance?” Warren asked.
“Because I have no interest in delving as far into history as he does.” When he sighed, she added, “I can’t help it. I find that topic boring, and I want to have a marriage where I can share long and fascinating conversations with my husband just as you do with Iris.”
“Fine,” he said as she sipped her punch. “Thankfully, we have more gentlemen to choose from.”
He searched his pocket for the list, so she said, “Iris took it from you right before I danced with Lord Whitney because she wanted to show it to her father to get his opinion on who I should dance with next.”
“That’s right! Let’s find her.”
Opal caught sight of her friend. “I’d like to take a moment to speak with Ava while you look for her.”
“Very well, but tonight is about finding you some suitors so don’t spend too much time talking to her.”
“I’ll only be ten minutes.”
With a nod, he led her over to Ava and then left to find Iris. Ava’s older brother excused himself and went to dance with a lady.
Miss Ava Baynes offered her a sympathetic smile. “Is it as demanding to go through your brother’s list as you thought it’d be?”
As much as Opal would like to say no, she couldn’t lie to her friend. “Yes. To Warren’s credit, so far the gentlemen I’ve danced with have been agreeable. Lord Claremont and Lord Whitney are both wonderful. They’re even pleasant to look at.”
“Which is the thing you most want in a husband,” Ava pointed out.
“It’s not wrong for a lady to want to look at her husband each and every single day, is it?”
Ava chuckled. “Of course not. But sometimes you have to compromise. Maybe you’ll have to give up someone who’s attractive if he shares a lot of your interests.”
“Yes, I have considered that. I want to go through each gentleman on the list first, though, so I can make sure there’s not someone on there who meets all of my expectations.” Noting the amused shake of Ava’s head, she added, “I should also meet all of his expectations. I don’t want to end up with someone who isn’t thrilled to be with me.”
“What you want, my dear friend, is a fairytale.”
“A fairytale wouldn’t be so bad.”
Especially after everything Opal had been through with her mother and other brother, but she hadn’t told Ava anything about that. It was a part of her past that she desperately wanted to forget.
Ava frowned and tapped her arm. “What do you make of that?”
Opal followed her gaze and saw a group of three ladies giggling and whispering to each other. Then one of them led the other two out of the ballroom. “Whatever it is, it’s not good.” She nodded toward the doorway. “Let’s see what they’re doing.”
Before Ava could argue, Opal grabbed her hand and urged her out of the room. The three ladies were still giggling as they headed down the hallway that was in the direction of Warren’s den. She frowned. Why would they be going there?
Careful not to give away the fact that they were following the three ladies, Opal and Ava tiptoed after them. Recalling the drink in her hand, Opal set it on one of the small tables lining the hall and continued after them.
Their steps slowed a couple feet away from the closed door of the den. The three ladies gathered together around the door, pressing their ears to it. Since they were distracted, Opal and Ava crept up behind them.
“Does he really have a lisp?” one of the ladies whispered to her friend.
“I think so,” another said.
“He does,” the third replied. “I heard him say ‘thorry’ when he bumped into someone.”
The three giggled and pressed their ears to the door.
Opal glanced at Ava, and by the expression on Ava’s face, it was apparent that Ava was just as disgusted as Opal was. Opal’s face warmed. What right did these ladies have to make fun of someone who had a speech problem?
Just as Opal was ready to confront them, one of the ladies whispered, “I can’t hear anything.”
“I can’t, either,” the second said.
The lady closest to the doorknob turned it and gently pushed it open. From inside the room, Opal heard two gentlemen talking, and if she was right, they were discussing money.
The three ladies bent down and snuck into the room. Opal glanced at Ava, wondering if they should follow or if she should get Warren. Ava waved her toward the door. With a nod, Opal made her decision and went up to the door, which the ladies had left slightly open, probably so they could leave the room without risking anyone hearing the doorknob turn.
Opal peered through the crack and saw the ladies huddled behind a chair. Lifting her gaze, she saw three gentlemen, two of which seemed to be dominating the conversation.
“What Guy failed to tell you is that the bet we had accrued interest,” the older gentleman told the younger one standing next to Guy. “He owes me more than the amount you brought.”
Guy opened his mouth to speak, but the one next to him held his hand up to stop him. “You are in error.” He spoke slowly, taking a pause between each word. “You gambled a certain amount of money. The deal…” He cleared his throat. “It will not change.”
The older gentleman took a step toward the one who’d just spoken, his hand clenched at his side.
“Don’t get violent,” the gentleman said, his words now coming out fast. “That wath the deal, and you need to abide by it.”
The ladies hiding behind the furniture giggled, and the three gentlemen turned toward them.
Opal took this as her cue and opened the door all the way. “What is everyone doing in my brother’s den?”
“We’re handling business,” the older gentleman snapped at her.
“Well, you’re in my brother’s den,” Opal insisted. “He happens to own this townhouse, and if you’re in here without his permission, he’ll be greatly displeased.” She glanced at Ava, who had remained out in the hallway, close to the door, her eyes wide in shock. “Get my brother and bring him here.”
As Ava hurried off, the older gentleman grunted. “Your brother,” he told her, “is one of the most annoying gentlemen in all of London.”
“I’ll be sure to let him know that when he gets here,” Opal replied.
In some ways, this overbearing gentleman reminded her of her mother, and there was no way she was ever going to let anyone intimidate her again.
The three ladies scampered out of the room, and since they put their hands over their faces to cover their identities, Opal called out, “Your gowns are so garish we’ll recognize you as soon as we see you in the ballroom. My advice is that you go home.”
One let out a gasp and stopped, but the other two ushered her down the hall. God willing, they would take her seriously and leave the townhouse. Opal had no desire to be hospitable to those types of people.
The older gentleman gritted his teeth but turned to the table, grabbed the neatly wrapped package, and slipped it into his pocket. “Next time, you’ll owe interest,” he told Guy. As he brushed past her, he said, “You’re fortunate you’re Lord Steinbeck’s sister.”
Though he stared down at her, she held his gaze. The very moment he knew he could intimidate her, he’d have power over her, and she refused to give that to him.
“I’ll be happy to tell my brother you were trying to get more money than owed to you if you don’t leave,” she replied.
He scowled but hurried out of the room, scampering faster than the ladies had. She had to admit that she was impressed. She had no idea how many gentlemen her brother had managed to strike the fear of God into, but it was nice that the mere mention of his name was enough to send the rats running.
“We should get out of here, Landon,” Guy whispered to the gentleman standing next to him. As the two approached, she stepped aside, and Guy gave her an apologetic smile. “Our apologies. We didn’t think to ask your brother for permission.”
She smiled in return. “You didn’t need his permission. I only wanted to get rid of those four. They weren’t very nice.”
“Thank you,” Guy said.
He gestured for Landon to leave with him, but she asked Landon, “May I have a word with you?”
Landon frowned in confusion, and Guy replied, “Is this necessary?”
“I have something I want to tell him, and I’d rather do it in private,” she said.
Guy glanced uneasily between her and Landon. “Is that a good idea?”
“My brother will be here soon, and,” she gestured to Landon, “he doesn’t look like he’s going to do anything indecent to me.” Then, just to make sure, she asked him, “Will you?”
Looking appalled, Landon shook his head. “No.”
“That’s what I thought.” She motioned for him to stay in the room. “I won’t take more than a few minutes. I promise.”
Guy cleared his throat until Landon looked at him. “I’ll be in the ballroom.”
After Guy left, she closed the door and locked it in case one of the ladies returned.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Landon told her.
“Why? You’re the type who’s honest,” she said. Then, hoping to put him at ease, she smiled. “I’ve had enough experience with people to know who is safe and who isn’t.”
She went over to him, and to her surprise, he took a step back. She grew still and studied him. He didn’t seem afraid of her, but there was no doubt he was apprehensive.
“I only wanted to warn you that there are some people, like those three ladies, who like to laugh at others,” she began. “The reason I interrupted the conversation had to do with them. It had nothing to do with the business you and the other gentlemen were doing. They were finding amusement in the way you speak, and I wished to inform you of it in case you planned to dance with any of them. They are not the type you should be marrying. A gentleman should have the respect of his wife.”
He didn’t answer right away, and when he did, his words came out slowly. This was probably his attempt to avoid saying anything with the letter “s” in it.
“I will not get married,” he said. “Thank you for your concern.”
He watched her expectantly, and it took her a moment to realize he was waiting for her to reply.
“In that case, I suppose the warning wasn’t necessary.” She offered him another smile. “I won’t keep you.”
The doorknob jiggled, and then someone was knocking. “Opal,” her brother’s familiar voice came from the other end.
She went to the door and opened it, surprised when her brother didn’t look the least bit happy. “What’s wrong? Did someone tell you I was wrong for speaking boldly to those three ladies? Because if that’s so, I assure you they deserved it.”
“It’s not that.” Warren glanced at Landon, and seeming to be relieved, he gestured for her to get out of the room. “You can’t be in here alone with a gentleman you’re not related to.”
“I know, but I had something of a private manner to share with him,” she insisted.
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” Landon spoke up, his words coming out fast, his face turning bright red.
“Oh, I didn’t mean that,” she hurried to assure Warren. “That wasn’t the private matter. It had to do with his…”
She wasn’t sure if she should say this in front of him or not. He had to be sensitive about it. But since she couldn’t think of anything else that would wipe the concerned expression off of Warren’s face, she had to come out and say it.
“Ladies were in here, hiding behind that chair over there,” she said, pointing to it. “I overheard them making fun of him for the way he speaks. I just wanted to warn him so he didn’t marry any of them. It’s obvious by his nice clothes that he has lots of money, and a lot of ladies want a wealthy husband.”
Warren relaxed. “In that case, I suppose it’s all right, but I wouldn’t advise this in the future.”
“I wouldn’t advise anything like this in the future, either,” came a gentleman’s outraged voice.
Warren glanced over his shoulder, and she followed his gaze. Frowning, she watched as the older gentleman, who’d been trying to get more money out of Guy and Landon, stormed over to them. A few people were on his heels.
“What is the meaning of this, Lord Asheley?” Warren asked him.
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Lord Asheley stopped as soon as he reached them. “Do you approve of your sister being alone with a gentleman she’s not related to?”
Warren understood the implication of his meaning before she did because he was already denying anything inappropriate had been going on by the time heat rose up in her cheeks. She glanced at Landon, and his face went white as a sheet.
“I was here with them the entire time,” Warren said. “She was never alone with him.”
“I would like to believe that, but I have a witness who says otherwise.” Lord Asheley turned to the gentleman next to him.
Warren narrowed his eyes. “Neither you nor,” he glared at the gentleman who was next to Lord Asheley, “Lord Comwright are trustworthy.”
Lord Comwright smirked. “Your problem is that I happened to be talking to this lady and her mother when Lord Asheley came over to ask me to protect your sister’s reputation.” His gaze went to the two ladies standing next to him. “Didn’t you say you saw Lord Steinbeck talking to his wife just moments ago?”
The two ladies seemed hesitant to speak, and the younger one looked as if she wished she were anywhere else but here. “Well…um… yes,” she whispered, glancing down at the floor.
“It’s no use lying to everyone,” Lord Asheley told Warren. “We know the truth, and we also know you hurried here to save your sister before Lord Farewell could ravish her.”
Landon’s jaw hung open. “Ravith?” he blurted out.
From the hallway, a couple of the people chuckled.
Landon shut his mouth, his face turning an even brighter shade of red.
Warren’s face also went red, but it had nothing to do with embarrassment. “Asheley and Comwright, you are both notorious for your objectionable behavior. I’m sure no one here believes anything you’re saying.”
“No one can believe you, either, since you weren’t here to see what was going on between your sister and Lord Farewell,” Comwright challenged. “Judging by the guilty expression on Lord Farewell’s face, I say we are well within our rights to be suspicious.”
“No, you’re not,” Opal spoke up. “He didn’t put a hand on me.”
“So it was you who instigated things?” Asheley asked, turning his attention to her.
This, in turn, prompted the others to stare at her, too.
“No!” Opal couldn’t believe this was even happening. If Asheley had left the townhouse like she wanted, none of this would be an issue right now. “Neither one of us did anything improper.”
Comwright leaned toward Asheley and snickered. “I think the lady protests too much.”
“You will leave at once,” Warren told them. “If you don’t, I will have the butler throw you out. I will not tolerate these lies in my townhouse.”
Comwright shrugged. “Lies or not, it’s going to be featured in the Tittletattle tomorrow morning. If you want to save your sister’s reputation, you’ll have to marry her to Lord of the Lisps.”
At this, more chuckles came from the hallway, and this time Opal noted that a group had grown to at least twenty people.
“You’re going to regret this,” Warren vowed. “I will see to it that both of you pay for what you just did.”
“No one at White’s likes you,” Asheley told him. “They only talk to you because they want your advice on making money. It has nothing to do with you personally.”
Warren opened his mouth to answer, but the two were already making their way toward the entryway of the townhouse. A long moment passed between everyone, and no one moved, much less said a peep.
Then, all at once, Warren was ordering everyone to get back to the ball. And just like that, they were all rushing off down the hall.
Opal didn’t want to look at Landon. She honestly didn’t think her actions would lead to this. Undoubtedly, he was upset with her. Her brother wasn’t bound to be all that pleased, either, but he knew her well enough to know she spoke the truth. Landon, on the other hand, might assume she had done this all to trap him into marriage.
After a moment, Warren turned back to them. “Both of you have a seat.”
Taking a deep breath, Opal steadied herself for what was to come and went to the couch.