Page 57 of The Raven’s Lady

He looked for his grandfather and found the dowager first, her keen eye focused on a knot of gentlemen at the door. Among them, Grandfather Cole stood out, unmistakable for his height and head of black hair. Wenlocke was in the group with his easy authority, along with a red-faced Earl of Ramsbury, a furious, white-faced Jay Kydd, and a sneering Hugh Haydon. Raven led Amabel to her mother, and excused himself as Amabel showed the ring to the other ladies. The cousins squealed as much as Amabel had done.

Raven cut through the dancers to reach the gentlemen at the door. His gaze met Hugh’s, and Hugh started. “You.”

“Farnley,” said Wenlocke evenly, “may I present Sir Adrian Cole. I believe he’s just become engaged to your sister.”

The others turned to look across the ballroom where Amabel held out her be-ringed hand for her mother’s admiration.

Hugh’s mocking gaze didn’t falter. Lord Ramsbury looked grim.

“It’s true, sir,” Raven said to his future father-in-law. “Lady Amabel and I were coming to tell you.”

“She’s accepted you then, has she?”

“She has.”

Ramsbury nodded, but offered no congratulations.

Raven turned back to Hugh. “Welcome to Verwood, Farnley. You’re in time for the dancing.” Raven meant to swallow his distaste for the man, even if Hugh’s resentment would not be easily overcome.

There followed a frozen moment in which the parties measured one another. Raven tried to avoid Jay’s eye, but it was no good. His old friend was plainly furious at the welcome Hugh received and could not be contained.

“Hah, Farnley’s as welcome in a stable as a case of the strangles!” Jay burst out. “I found him nosing about the dowager’s horses.”

It was an ugly accusation. Wenlocke shifted slightly to stand at Jay’s side.

Hugh looked bored. “I arrived late and drove my rig straight there. I looked for a groom, but no one seemed to be about.”

It was the sort of speech Raven had grown accustomed to among Amabel’s friends, a convenient version of events. Raven knew how such talk worked now. “You must not have seen the grooms waiting to assist our guests.”

“Just so, I missed them in the dark.”

“Missed them!” Jay broke in again. “Slithered past them like a snake in the grass.”

Wenlocke put a hand on Jay’s shoulder. “Come, Jay, let’s rally Sir Adrian’s servants to make sure they don’t miss any other late-arriving guests.”

Jay looked as if he might shrug off the friendly hand, in favor of planting a facer on Hugh, but it was Wenlocke’s hand, and one didn’t dismiss Wenlocke. Jay and Raven were the duke’s men. Loyalty to him was a permanent part of who they were.

“Gentlemen.” Wenlocke turned away. Jay gave Hugh one last savage glance and followed Wenlocke.

Hugh looked over the ballroom. “Interesting company you keep, Cole. I suppose it’s mixing in trade that makes a man less nice in his taste.”

“I don’t know,” Raven replied. “I’ve been mixing at Ramsbury Park. Will you join your family as Amabel and I make our announcement?”

Hugh spun to face Raven. “My father may have approved this unequal alliance, he’s always short of the ready, but don’t think that your thousands of pounds can make you one of us.” Hugh gave the great hall a sneering glance. “This may dazzle Amabel for a time, but you are like a toy she’ll tire of and cast aside.”

“Your sister picked me. I don’t expect to be one of you.” Raven knew, as he said it, how true that was. “I will be Amabel’s husband and will endeavor to promote her happiness.”

Hugh snorted. “Then you will have your work cut out for you. I doubt she wants a husband at all. She doesn’t like being ruled, you know.”

Raven walked away. Whatever the truth of Amabel’s character, whether she was vain or shallow, Raven doubted that Hugh had the least interest in her happiness. He made his way across the room to claim his fiancée at the tables reserved for the Ramsbury party.

With a little milling about, they arranged themselves in front of the orchestra dais.

*

Cassie had entered the ballroom as Jay Kydd stormed out, unseeing, with a handsome golden-haired man who had to be the Duke of Wenlocke. Then she saw Raven and Amabel, surrounded by her family and his grandfather in front of the dais. The Earl of Ramsbury proposed a toast. Amabel beamed. Hugh sneered. Raven stood with a smile frozen on his face. She didn’t think he saw her. She had learned the hard lesson of presenting a strong face to the world even as everything inside her screamed in pain. Now she stood as Raven sealed his fate. Momentarily, when she had seen Hugh’s angry face, she had thought maybe he had come to break up Raven’s plan. But she supposed that was not in Hugh’s power. He might dislike his sister’s marrying Raven, but he had neither the sense of principle nor concern for others that might lead him to action.

Honoria came to Cassie’s side, and gave her hand a quick squeeze, which almost was her undoing. A hollow ache in her chest now threatened to spread to all her limbs. She did not know how she could dance the opening set with him.