Page 107 of Miss Vincent’s Vow

All was well. His wife was not in love with Mr Barnes. And though Cassandra might not be in love with him, if her heart was not already given, he had a chance to win it.

Jethro felt he could take on the world.

Even if that meant facing Mr Wade and the Framptons with Alexander in tow.

Chapter 57

Cassandra found her body tensing as she walked into the Royal Hotel on her husband’s arm, with Xander trailing behind them. Her brother’s face was as impassive as Jethro’s, and she wondered what was going on in each of their minds.

Her husband was facing the most important dinner party of his life. If he could convince Mr Wade he was a more suitable investment than Frampton, he could expand his business as planned.

Whether he succeeded might well depend on how Xander reacted to seeing Eugenia again. Cassandra had ushered her brother away from church after every service he’d attended since returning as an injured man, and this would be the first time he had met her in a situation he couldn’t avoid.

Part of her wished she could have cried off, but she knew Jethro relied on her support. She would not let him down. If there was a choice between her brother and her husband, she would stand by Jethro, not Xander—however much he deserved her pity.

“Come in, come in,” Mr Wade said as they entered his private parlour. “You already know my other guests—Mr and Mrs Frampton.”

Cassandra curtseyed to her host and then nodded her head in the direction of the Framptons. As Jethro was about to make his bow, Mr Wade thrust out his arm and shook his hand instead.

“Welcome, my boy,” he said, beaming from ear to ear.

“Allow me to introduce my brother-in-law,” Jethro said, bringing Xander forward. “Captain Vincent, lately of the Royal Navy.”

Much to Cassandra’s surprise, Mr Wade stepped toward him and offered him a hand too. Xander stared at it for a moment before letting the older man shake his hand.

Cassandra would have loved to have known whether their host had shaken hands with Mr Frampton as well. To judge from the tight look on the man’s face, she guessed not.

Xander hobbled to the sofa and lowered his body into the seat, grimacing as he did so. Eugenia stared at him with unabashed curiosity, but said nothing.

Mr Wade drew them all into a general discussion of the weather and the best place to go sailing at this time of the year until a footman announced that dinner was served.

There was no grand procession into the dining room, which was through a set of double doors, but Mr Wade made a point of coming over to Cassandra to lead her to the table.

He seated her beside him, and she glanced around to find that Eugenia had taken Xander’s arm rather than Jethro’s to make the same brief journey.

Cassandra bristled at the sight, and cast an anxious glance at her husband, who brought up the rear with his rival.

She had the dubious pleasure of being placed opposite Eugenia and was relieved when Jethro sat down next to her, leaving Mr Frampton to take the foot of the table.

Mr Wade was a charming host, and entertained them with a string of anecdotes throughout dinner, which was as elaborate as she had anticipated.

To her surprise, the gentlemen did not linger over their wine, but rose with the ladies and followed them back into the private saloon at once. Jethro took the empty seat next to her on the sofa, and her brother lowered himself into the place on her other side.

Whilst the port was being served, Eugenia secured the chair nearest to where they sat.

She leaned over toward Xander, pouting her lips provocatively, as if reminding him of her attractions, in case he had forgotten, and plying him with one question after another.

“Is your injury very painful? Your sour expression suggests it is.”

“Yes.”

“Will your leg ever get better?”

“I doubt it.”

“Then you won’t be returning to your ship?”

A wave of pain passed over her brother’s face that spoke of how his inner turmoil distressed him as much, if not more, than his wounded body.