Chapter 15

Chapter 15

There was a part of Dorian that had very seriously considered canceling tonight's dinner. He had thought it would have further proven his point that he was not here to do Dolores' bidding.

She had claimed over and over again that the reason she needed him to marry was so he and his new bride could resume his worldly travels. She was of the opinion that he would never want the duties and responsibilities of being an earl. The surest way to vex her properly was to keep refusing to abide by her wishes. But at the end of the day, they all had to live in the same house together. He needed to rise above, even if he did not prefer it.

He stood in the dining room with his hands clasped softly behind his back, waiting for their guests to be ushered inside. He knew the meal Dolores had planned would be delicious, of course. The hall was decorated perfectly. Candles and the soft aroma of freshly cut flowers lingered in the air as a lone violinist played in one corner. She certainly had gone out of her way to ensure the ambiance was alluring for the sisters he was supposed to entertain.

Sisters. It was somewhat laughable to think about. He could not imagine what it must have been like in their carriage on the way here. If they were at all the competitive sort, he did not see how they were both going after the same man. Worse yet if their mother was equally ambitious.

He would play the part required, but nothing more. An hour or two, and then it would all be over. There were only so many women in London. Dolores would learn sooner of later that he was not easily swayed.

Dolores entered the room only a few moments later, her dress for the evening a dark navy blue with a high collar and long sleeves—certainly not fitting of her age or the current fashions. In fact, it seemed more matronly than the dresses Mother tended to gravitate toward.

She circled the table slowly, inspecting the decor placed over the long table as she went. She trailed an ungloved finger over the surface and inspected her skin for debris. She did the same to him when she moved closer. She walked in a half-circle around him, but he refused to be intimidated by her, no matter what she chose to do.

"I suppose I do not have to tell you to be on your best behavior tonight, brother," Dolores said dryly. "Do not think that I have not noticed that you have been avoiding me all day long since our little conversation this morning."

Dorian could not help but grin. "Your audacity continues to astound me, Dolores."

She shrugged. "Just do what you are supposed to do. I think you will find that if you stop attempting to fight me at every turn, things will be a good deal simpler for you."

"For me? Or for you?"

Noise from the entryway of the hall alerted him that Dolores' guests had arrived. Mother, still dressed in her black mourning gown, was poised to greet them in the foyer and lead them inside. It was no more than a few minutes before the soft sounds of conversation could be heard coming down the hallway.

Lady Wheaton and his own mother, Mary, arrived arm in arm. The girls entered the room after them. Dorian remembered her now that he could see her more plainly but he could not recall her daughters' names off the top of his head. He was fairly certain that she had an older son named Bradley who was a couple of years behind him in school. Absently, he wondered where he must be this evening.

"Presenting Lady Wheaton, Lady Agatha Argent and Lady Tiffany Argent." The servant announced them at the door, nearly too late as they were already headed for their seats.

Lady Agatha and Lady Tiffany, that was correct. Lady Agatha appeared to be the older of the two. Both of them were fair of skin like their mother, but Lady Agatha had a chestnut brown tint to her hair, where her mother and sister favored red a hint more strongly.

Lady Agatha had a long, straight nose with freckles dusting over her cheeks and forehead. Her sister had a more rounded face and an upturned nose. Perfectly presentable, as all three women had chosen to wear different shades of green for their gowns this evening. A unified front. They even curtsied in perfect unison.

But they were nothing like Claire. They could not hold a candle to her.

Throughout dinner, he listened to their accomplishments and their petitions as to why they would be a perfect wife. Their mother all but presented her daughters on a platter for him. Yet every time he attempted to speak to either one of them, Dolores spoke over him. She interrupted and altered the course until the dessert was being brought out for them.

It was abundantly apparent that Lady Agatha was, in fact, the competitive type. She was the one to look out for. Somehow, she managed to scoot her chair closer and closer to him throughout the evening without him even being properly aware that she was moving. She was not subtle in her flirting, making him more than a touch uncomfortable.

"You know, you have always had something of a mysterious reputation," Lady Agatha said as she swirled her tongue obnoxiously over her spoon as she savored her custard.

"How is that?" Dorian sighed and leaned back into his chair. He could not eat when it was so obvious what she was attempting to do. She was succeeding in drawing attention to her mouth, but it did not have the appeal that she thought it did.

"Do you not believe that you are mysterious, my lord?" Lady Agatha asked as she ran her tongue over her lips, and then followed it with her napkin.

"Hardly."

"The circumstances of your disappearance all those years ago… staying away and all of your travels… A great many rumors have followed you, wondering what you could be up to and why you took so long to return to London. Many people wonder if you are finally ready to take a proper wife."

"And if I am?"

Lady Agatha batted her eyelashes at him. "Well, I think that would be very much in my favor if you are."

"Presuming you are the sort of wife that I would take?"

She smirked. "I have yet to meet a man who does not find me alluring in some capacity or another. My lord, I think you will find that I am very adaptable, should you give me proper consideration."

Dorian's brow furrowed and he glanced down the table to where her mother was very pointedly pretending to ignore their conversation.

"And if I think your sister is more to my tastes?"

"You don't."

"You seem rather sure of yourself," Dorian said. He was not sure if he intended the words as a compliment, but she seemed to preen regardless.

"I am merely a woman who knows what she wants and intends to have it."

Dorian shook his head. "So you are willing to become whatever sort of woman I desire? Would that not be exhausting? Would it not be more advantageous to simply be yourself?"

Lady Agatha considered his words with a tilt of her head. "A romantic, are you, my lord? I would not have guessed that about you."

The servants stepped up to clear the last rounds of plates, and Dorian leaned forward, speaking lower so Lady Agatha would have to lean in to hear him properly. "And if I should require you to simply be yourself? Would you even know who that was?"

Her nose crinkled as their mothers both stood. "Shall we continue this evening's festivities in the parlor?"

Lady Wheaton and Dorian's mother took each other's arms and left the room, Lady Tiffany trailing behind them with a wistful look in his direction. Dorian was only too happy to take the excuse to leave and was quickly on his feet, heading out of the room. Yet Lady Agatha lingered.

He paused in the doorway, waiting for her to join him. "Is something the matter?"

"Would it be such a shame for me to dawdle a moment when it means I get to have your company all to myself?"

"It is highly improper," Dorian said thickly, glancing to the servants lining the walls. He hoped they would not be foolish enough to leave him alone with her while in the course of their duties. He just needed to stay here, where there were witnesses.

"Do you expect me to believe that you truly care about such things?" Lady Agatha giggled.

It was as if her personality was shifting in front of his eyes. He had not responded favorably to the overly flirtatious version of her, so now she seemed to be trying another tactic. He did not care for it. It felt manipulative.

"I think you have made sweeping assumptions of me by a reputation crafted by those who do not know me well enough to keep my name on their lips," Dorian said plainly. He needed to shut down her tactics, and very quickly.

No doubt Dolores would be thrilled to witness Agatha's brazen attitude. She would capitalize on the fact that they were standing here alone. Dorian needed to be careful. Dolores would attempt to make this into something it was not merely to entrap him with this woman. He simply could not allow that to happen.

"We ought to join the others," Dorian said, sharply turning on his heel to stroll down the grand foyer.

A moment later, Lady Agatha was there, brazenly grabbing hold of his sleeve. Dorian attempted to protest, but she held the front of his waistcoat and jacket and pushed him off balance, the pair of them tumbling into the first open hallway.

Alarms of panic resounded inside of his skull. This was bad. "Unhand me at once!" Dorian protested as he tried to dislodge her.

"I thought you said you wanted an authentic woman?" Lady Agatha purred. "I understand what you want, even without you saying it outright."

"I would much prefer that you listen to the words I actually say instead of making up fictions." Dorian shook his head as he spoke. Whatever she thought she needed to do, he did not want it. Yet she pawed at him all the same.

"I would have avoided playing so coy and hard to get if I had known liked such a forward woman. Now that you have called me on my reputation, I shall act according to your own." Lady Agatha trailed one hand down Dorian's chest as she spoke.

"That was subtle?" Dorian scoffed and tried to sidestep her, but she was persistent.

"I am willing to be physical with you, my lord, as I know that is what it takes to catch your eye," Lady Agatha continued.

Perhaps to some, her motions would be considered alluring or seductive, but he felt opposite. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Dorian caught her hands and dislodged them from his person. He did not wish to injure her or use force, but he would not stand for her behavior either.

"You must stop this. If I have not been plain enough until now, I am not interested. These games and tactics will not work! You should be ashamed of yourself, acting this way!" Dorian huffed as he held her arms away from his person. Despite his words, Lady Agatha still attempted to touch him again.

"And yet you still play those same games, my lord!" She giggled as her fingertips brushed against his shirt and pulled with a pinching grasp.

"Have you no shame?" Dorian pushed her away, holding her thin frame at arm's length of himself.

Lady Agatha dropped the pretense, a look of cold fury taking over her face. "How can you speak to me as if you possess a shred of modesty? This is what you want, is it not? The whole of the ton knows what sort of light-skirted woman you like!"

She might as well have slapped him. He dropped her wrists as if her skin had burned him and put at least a foot of space between them. "I suggest you choose your next words carefully lest I have you thrown from my home."

Lady Agatha laughed uncomfortably. "The woman that you were tied to before your grand disappearance. Everyone knows of the sort of woman that she is… what sort of woman you fancy. I can be that; I can do what is needed."

Her hands dropped to her skirts and started inching them upward, exposing ankle and then stocking-covered calf. Dorian looked away. His tone was icy when he spoke again.

"Is that the sort of rumor you referred to? Unfounded speculations about the woman I might or might not have been associated with?"

"All of the ton knows! Oh, you should know better than most that those in the ton have long memories. There were plenty of rumors wondering if that was why you stayed away for so long, to have your low-born, common harlot break your heart and run away. Or perhaps it was the other way around." Lady Agatha giggled.

"We all like a good distraction from time to time, but tell me, were the pair of you truly engaged or was that just another pathetic, grasping attempt at relevance from… oh, what was her name again?"

Dorian understood now how Lady Agatha and Dolores were such close friends.

"Claire! That was it, was it not? Oh, your darling sister has told me all about your struggles. She's told everyone, really. Such misfortunes, but it is all in the past now."

Dorian's teeth ground together. He would not abide Claire's good name being dragged through the mud. Least of all by this horrible woman.

"So interesting, though, is it not? Did she not rush off into marriage so suddenly after your departure? Just how many men a woman like that must have had." Lady Agatha tapped a gloved finger to her lips in faux contemplation. "It shows how good breeding and a match with a woman from a proper family goes. You never would have endured such hardships had you not scraped the very bottom of the barrel."

Dorian's eye twitched. He could not recall the last time he had felt this enraged.

Perhaps at Lady Agatha for the sheer nerve and poison that spilled from her lips, but more so at Dolores. Just how involved was she, really? Did her manipulations know no bounds? He would have words with her.

"Get out," Dorian seethed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yes. You should beg for my pardon and yet you will not receive it! I will not linger in the company of such a hateful woman. Go, gather your family, and get out, or I will have my staff throw you out." Dorian's voice was a lethal sort of calm.

Lady Agatha seemed to finally understand that he was not teasing, that this was not some sort of game. She took a half-step back and bowed at the waist. He was not the sort of man to be entertained by trivial gossip, and even less so about the woman he loved. She had crossed more than one line this evening.

He needed them gone, and then he was going to have a whole other conversation with Dolores.