Loving Lady Marcia by Kieran Kramer

Author:Kieran Kramer [Kramer, Kieran]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781250009883
Amazon: 125000988X
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Published: 2012-08-28T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Something had happened between Duncan and Lady Marcia in the dark of the theatre. After her bold move, they’d locked gazes, and for the life of him, he couldn’t have looked away if someone had held a pistol to his head.

And she’d stared at him as if seeing him for the first time.

“I’m sorry if this staying behind puts a damper on your social life,” she told him uneasily when the lights came up for intermission.

“I don’t mind a bit being trapped here with you.”

She blushed and looked away. He lounged carelessly in his seat as they both watched the rest of their party stand and prepare to exit the box.

Out of respect, everyone waited for the marquess and marchioness to go first, even though they were the farthest away from the throngs of people gathering in the corridor.

“We’re so glad you’re with us,” the marchioness said to Finn with a smile. “You, too, Lord Chadwick.”

Duncan allowed Finn to profess his thanks first, then he followed suit.

“We should have done this ages ago,” the marquess said. “But of course, we couldn’t as you weren’t with us, Mr. Lattimore. You must come to dinner and tell us all about your years in America.”

“Oh, yes,” Lady Brady echoed him.

That could become a very prickly conversation, Duncan knew, but he accepted on behalf of both of them for the following week.

“Prepare to stay long,” Lord Peter told Finn with a grin. “We’ll ask a million questions.”

“All at once,” Lord Westdale explained. “You might need to bring a horn to be heard.”

“I look forward to the inquisition,” said Finn.

And Duncan knew he really did. Despite his leaving Richmond in disgrace, Finn would manage to come up with all sorts of thrilling—and perhaps inappropriate or exaggerated—tales to relate. They’d have to rehearse what he could and could not say.

But that was Finn. And Duncan … well, as a boy, he used to love those stories his brother could tell. All Finn needed was to turn a corner … to take the best of who he’d been as a boy and leave the childish parts behind.

Every day, Duncan hoped Finn would take that next step.

“Aren’t you coming?” Janice turned at the door to the box to ask her sister.

“Perhaps in a few minutes,” Lady Marcia told her.

“Lord Chadwick? Shall we wait for you outside?” Lord Westdale asked.

“No, thank you,” Duncan told him. “I’ll keep your sister company.”

“Right,” said Lord Westdale with a grin. “I’m not keen myself on pushing my way through the hoards, only to spend a quarter of an hour not hearing a word anyone says.”

“Might as well stay with Marcia,” Lord Peter said on a yawn.

Lady Marcia sent her younger brother a basilisk stare.

Duncan chuckled. “I agree that the crescendo of the performance seems to come at the intermission, Lord Westdale.” Then he turned to Lord Peter. “But I’m far from resigned when I choose to stay behind with your sister.”

He saw her pretend to be distracted by something in her reticule, but that telltale pink still clung to her cheeks.

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