Chapter Nineteen

Lady Hutton’s invitation to her Christmas ball could not come quickly enough. The moment she received it, it was the only thing Caroline could think about, longing for the moment she could see Cedric again.

Now that the moment had arrived, she was trembling in anticipation and anxiousness.

Caroline walked into the grand ballroom between Louisa and Elizabeth, like she had done many times in the past few weeks. But, unlike those other times, Elizabeth did not cling to Caroline, eyes scanning the room to single out the potential husbands she could foist onto her daughter. She simply swiveled on her heels and walked away, continuing the silent treatment she had been giving Caroline since their dinner two nights ago.

At first, Caroline didn’t mind it. It gave her the chance to breathe without Elizabeth’s constant pressure bearing down on her. But as she watched her walk away, Caroline felt a pinch of remorse.

“She will come around,” Louisa said at her side. “I’m sure she has a lot to think about herself.”

“I thought she would have been over it by now,” Caroline confessed. They’d never been angry with each other for this long. Elizabeth York was not the type of lady to hold grudges. Caroline had expected Elizabeth to show up at her door later that same night.

“Give her some time,” Louisa said gently as they made their way deeper into the ballroom. “This is the first time you have been honest with her so I’m sure it is a lot for her to take in.”

“Perhaps I was too harsh,” Caroline said worriedly. Elizabeth had disappeared already.

“From what I heard, you were exactly harsh enough. Now, that isn’t the reason you’re here, is it?”

Caroline frowned. Louisa sighed patiently.

“The man you have been pining over for the past few days?”

Caroline’s face went hot and Louisa laughed .

“Goodness, look at you,” Louisa said between giggles. “So adorable. Run along now. He’s already looking your way.”

She tilted her head slightly to the left then turned in the opposite direction. Caroline looked to see Cedric standing a few feet away, watching her. The moment their eyes met, he smiled invitingly.

Warmth spread through her chest. All of a sudden, she couldn’t see anything but him. The crowd of guests melted away, the music fading into nothing. Her feet began to move on their own accord, a smile pulling at her lips.

The trance she fell under ended abruptly when someone stepped in her path. Caroline caught herself before she scowled, looking at who had approached.

A bald-headed man gave her an unnerving smile, running his face down the length of her before it broadened. “Lady Winterbourne, a pleasure.”

Caroline frowned. He struck her as familiar but she was almost certain she’d never met him before. Certainly they ran in the same circles then, but never interacted.

“Have we met?” she asked politely, fighting the urge to step around him and head to Cedric.

“We have not had the pleasure, no,” he purred, though the sound grated on her ears. “But I have always found you interesting.”

“Me?” she squeaked.

“The Dowager Viscountess of Winterbourne. A withered rose still on the vine. Do you not find that interesting?”

Caroline couldn’t fathom what this man was talking about, but she maintained a polite demeanor. “Our opinions differ, Mr…”

“Sinclair,” he said, bowing slightly. “Ambrose Sinclair.”

“Mr. Sinclair,” she finished. “But if your words were meant to be complimentary then I shall accept it in good faith.”

“Oh, you do that, my lady,” he chuckled. “It shall make this all the sweeter.”

“This?”

His grin widened and he sauntered away without saying another word. Caroline watched him go, unease slithering up her spine .

She shook off the feeling and looked at where Cedric stood, finding him frowning in the direction of Mr. Sinclair as well. Caroline took one step forward and was stopped when Mr. Sinclair slid back in front of her. She bit back a sigh.

“Oh, there is something I wanted to tell you, my lady,” he sang before draining his glass of wine.

“What is that?” she pushed through gritted teeth.

“You really must take care when walking along the street. It would be quite a shame if you continued to get your pretty dress dirtied by muddy puddles.”

Caroline’s eyes widened. The realization that dawned in her eyes only made pleasure flint in the eyes of Mr. Sinclair but he walked off before she could say anything else. She stood there, stunned. He was the one who had splashed her that day. He had to be. But why?

She started after him. Cedric could wait. She had to find out what she must have done to this man to warrant such mistreatment.

Mr. Sinclair moved quickly, slipping through the crowd and heading towards the dais at the front of the ballroom. Caroline drew to a halt when he stood on top and cleared his throat. When only a few people acknowledged him, he grabbed a glass from an unwitting gentleman and clinked his watch against it. The sound filled the room.

All eyes turned to face him. Caroline watched as his gaze roved over the guests and fell on her, his lips twitching. Oily dread settled into the pits of her stomach. She had half a mind to run, sensing that she wasn’t going to like what he said next.

“Esteemed guests, I ask for your attention for just a moment,” Mr. Sinclair began, his voice carrying across the room. “Believe me, I do not wish to interrupt the festivities, but I do believe this is a matter of utmost importance as I have discovered something that will change your opinion on a certain renowned figure who stands amongst you.”

Again, he looked at her. It was brief and with her standing in the midst of the crowd, it would not be easy to determine just who he was looking at. But Caroline knew. The vindictiveness in his eyes told it all .

“You see, there is a female novelist hiding amongst you.”

It felt like the wind had been whipped out of her lungs. Caroline’s knees buckled and she unconsciously reached her hand out for something to steady her. She didn’t take her eyes off him, this man whom she’d never met but was clearly enjoying tearing her world apart.

Murmurs rushed through the crowds as everyone began to speculate. She caught snippets, names of other ladies who were in attendance. Even Louisa’s.

“This lady has mastered the art of deception,” Mr. Sinclair continued to say. “She walks amongst you, smiling in the faces of you and your companions as she files away bits and pieces of your life for her inane stories. She is a blight on the elite class, degrading herself in every manner of the word by engaging in such salacious acts!”

The whispers grew until it was a loud drone in the air. Caroline swallowed past the lump in her throat, looking around for an escape.

“Why don’t you just tell us who it is?” a gentleman bellowed.

“Yes, tell us!” someone else agreed.

Mr. Sinclair’s grin was stolen right from the devil himself. “Lady Winterbourne, why don’t you step forward?”

All heads swiveled to her. Those standing close pulled away as if they didn’t want to be near the scandalous novelist. Caroline felt as if her entire body was vibrating, sweat pooling on the back of her neck. She tried but failed to meet their eyes confidently, their judgment like a mallet waiting to come down on her head.

She couldn’t move. So she just stood there, staring at Mr. Sinclair who looked back with satisfaction. Slowly, she looked away, catching the condemnatory looks of those around her. She spied Elizabeth staring at her in horror. She spotted Louisa frantically pushing her way to her. She noticed Lord Sotheby and his look of disapproval.

And then she saw Cedric.

Caroline couldn’t understand what she was seeing on his face. She started forward, an explanation ripe on her tongue, one that was only meant for him to hear. But just then, Louisa was at her side .

“What is wrong you people?” her friend hissed as she slid her arm through Caroline’s. “You are all acting as if she committed a heinous crime. She is a writer, and it is her passion—there is nothing amiss in this regard. Should you find fault, merely due to her possession of a title, it is you who ought to engage in some introspection, rather than she!”

Caroline knew her words were falling on deaf ears. The ton didn’t care about anything but upholding an image. And Louisa’s reputation as a spinster did not give her much sway.

“Come, Caroline,” Louisa said softly. “Stand tall. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

That was easier said than done. The words rang true. Caroline knew, deep down, that she should have no reason to hang her head in shame. As Louisa said, they were the ones who needed to look within themselves if they truly saw something wrong with what she was doing.

She pulled her shoulders back, she fixed her eyes ahead, she tried not to think about what they would say about her once she was gone.

She managed it all the way to the carriage. But once the carriage set off, Caroline let the thoughts back in. They could all ostracize her if they wanted, she decided quietly.

All except one person. All except him.