2. A Lady Should Be Treated A Certain Way

A LADY SHOULD BE TREATED A CERTAIN WAY

C hristine rubbed her arms, unable to remain still. It felt like ants were crawling all over her body, and she was powerless to stop them.

My goodness! They are far too close!

Christine could not take her eyes off Irene and the Duke. He was holding her far too close to himself. Her left foot took a half-step forward as if possessing a mind of its own. She stopped herself, but the movement must have caught the Duke’s attention, and she caught his eye as he turned Irene.

It was not ants crawling over her body anymore, but a warm tingling sensation that caused her body to tremble. She had never been looked at in such a way by a man before.

I must stop this foolishness. He is looking at me in no such way, and why would I care anyway?

She rubbed her arms, wanting to stop the tingling but enjoying how it coursed through her.

“Lady Christine, is that your sister out there with His Grace?” Lady Hammersmith asked.

Christine turned quickly. “Good evening, Lady Hammersmith.” She turned back toward the dance floor and found her sister and dance partner. “Yes, Irene is dancing with His Grace. She was the first woman he asked to dance after he arrived. Can you believe that?”

“He arrived very late,” Lady Hammersmith noted.

“I am sure he had his reasons,” Christine replied. “I have heard he is a very busy man.”

“Yes, very busy,” Lady Hammersmith agreed.

Christine and Lady Hammersmith were not friends, but they knew each other well enough to talk at balls and other events. Lady Hammersmith was twenty-seven and had not yet settled on a man, or so her mother and father told everyone. It was more likely that most men were put off by her underhanded comments toward almost everyone though only behind their backs.

The ants crawling across Christine’s skin had disappeared, but a new sensation had developed. It was like she had been pushed down into a barrel, and no matter how she contorted herself, she could not get out.

“Is this not a fine ball?” Christine hoped to change the topic of conversation.

“Oh, yes, wonderful,” Lady Hammersmith agreed.

The opening would usually have given the Lady a chance to criticize the event, but she remained stoic.

“I have always thought the chandeliers at Wainwright Manor are some of the finest in the country.” Christine added more weight to the scales, tipping them in favor of the decor and away from her sister and who she might be dancing with. “The Marquess has obviously gone to great trouble. Did you notice that all the candles are new for the event? They really add to the grandeur. A sparkling brilliance! That is how I would describe it.”

The music continued to play, and Christine continued to observe, not enjoying the moment even though Irene looked to be having a great time.

“Have you heard the latest gossip about His Grace?” Lady Hammersmith asked, uninterested in the chandeliers.

“I don’t give time for idle gossip,” Christine replied. “Aren’t the musicians fine this evening? I have not been to a ball this Season where the musicians are sub-par, but excellence shines through and makes a difference.”

“I heard that he got a woman pregnant. She lives in the docks. Can you believe that?” Lady Hammersmith was not to be deterred.

“Well, that is simply not—” Christine lowered her voice when she found she was almost shouting. “—true. That is simply not true.” She did not think it was true but stared at her sister even harder.

“I am only relaying what I heard,” Lady Hammersmith said as if it were her burden to carry.

If Christine replied to that, it would only keep the conversation about the Duke going.

“Yes, this is a fine evening,” Christine added.

She felt something brush against her shoulder, and Lady Hammersmith was suddenly as close to her as possible.

“They are dancing very close to each other, aren’t they?” the Lady pointed out.

A fire grew in Christine’s stomach, and she took a breath before she said something that she would regret. She did not care at all for the woman’s words, but to snap because of them would be to admit they were true.

“Have you not seen a waltz danced before?” Christine asked. “This is how partners are supposed to hold each other. I suppose if they were not holding on tight, one of them might let go and tumble.”

“Of course, I have seen the waltz danced before,” Lady Hammersmith stuttered. “I have danced it, too.”

“Were you not held close by the gentlemen you danced with?” Christine almost smiled now that she was turning the focus of the conversation from her sister to her recent tormentor.

“Well, of course, I was,” she spluttered. “I am quite aware of how the dance is to be danced.”

“Oh?” Christine asked. “You sounded surprised a moment ago.”

“I was merely pointing something out.”

Christine chewed on her bottom lip a little. “What was it?”

Lady Hammersmith moved, so her shoulder was not touching Christine’s. “What was what?”

“The point you were making?” Christine still did not take her eyes off her sister—she and the Duke were dancing far too close for her liking.

“Oh, I don’t fully remember,” the Lady said. “He is handsome.”

“Hmm?”

“His Grace,” Lady Hammersmith pointed out.

“I suppose.”

He was annoyingly handsome—Christine had thought so from the moment he strode toward her and her sister with a mischievous grin. Now, he had his strong arms wrapped around her sister, and all she could think about was?—

She could not think anymore when he glanced at her with a smirk on his face.

He is roguishly handsome!

Christine shook the thought from her head. The evening was about her sister, and Christine was there to make sure everything went smoothly. That involved partnering her sister with appropriate gentlemen and eventually finding her sister’s soulmate and partner for life. She had not known it until that moment, but it also meant ensuring her sister was not taken advantage of.

Especially not by roguishly handsome dukes dressed in the finest clothing London had to offer.

“He is extremely handsome,” Lady Hammersmith pushed. “Do you not agree?”

“Of course, I agree,” Christine stated. “Still, he is…”

Christine kicked herself. It was only a moment ago that she was trying to defend the Duke’s honor because her sister was dancing with him, and now, she was trying to play down his handsomeness by pointing out his rakishness. She stopped short of saying it, but what was unsaid said it all.

“He is a powerful man,” Lady Hammersmith continued.

It felt as if the lady was echoing all of Christine’s thoughts. It would be of great benefit to the family if her sister married someone with the stature and power of the Duke. He was extremely handsome but had a certain reputation that could not be compensated for. She was not even sure if he was looking for a wife.

“There are many powerful men here tonight,” Christine said diplomatically. Just no other ones as powerful as His Grace.

The music reached a crescendo, and Christine was glad the song was coming to an end—it had been the longest few minutes of her life. She was also glad Lady Hammersmith finally moved away from her. The Lady talked gently, but every word seemed measured and calculated to annoy the recipient.

Christine looked toward the middle of the dance floor, and he was looking at her again. She knew he was doing so only to get a rise out of her, but she would not give him the pleasure, even if the way he stared at her across the hall made her heart flutter.

It is nothing more than the challenge he creates for me.

It was another frustrating point for Christine. The Duke had danced well with her sister, but he had purposely held her too close and barely looked at his partner once. He had stared across at Christine for most of the dance. It was pure rudeness.

So why did I enjoy it so much? Am I really that starved for attention?

Still, she did not look away. Christine knew it was what the Duke wanted. He needed to prove he was in control, and if she looked away, he would have won the battle. Christine tried to remind herself that the night was about Irene, but she could not back down from the fight.

She prepared herself for the Duke’s return with her sister. She would not be the first to look away. She would?—

Christine’s mouth dropped open, and she took a step back as if someone had pulled a rug out from under her. A breath rose in her chest, and she had the sudden urge to ball her fists and place them on her hips. She could not believe the gall and rudeness.

Instead of His Grace returning Irene to Christine, he said a few quick words and left her by herself in the middle of the dance floor.

Irene’s arms hung limply by her sides, and she looked around the hall as if she had forgotten where her sister was. She did not watch the Duke walk away or spot Christine. She was a sheep in a den of wolves, and if she didn’t move, no one would notice her.

Christine felt a jolt run through her body and quickly walked into the dance floor. The flow was against her, and she wove a path through the couples departing—she was the only one pushing against the moving current. When she got to Irene, she grabbed her sister’s hand without a word and pulled her from the fray.

They crossed the threshold between the dance floor and the surrounding area, between the dark wood and the light, and continued until they were past the small, thinning crowd that surrounded the main performance area.

“What did that horrible man do to you?” Christine asked.

Many might have asked what Irene had done to elicit such a response from the Duke, but Christine knew her sister and the men of the Ton .

Irene’s voice was quieter than usual when she spoke. “I don’t know.” She still looked around, fearing that one of the wolves would still attack her.

“What did he say to you?” Christine demanded.

Irene’s eyes snapped to attention, and she focused solely on her sister. “He thanked me for the dance and then left.”

“That was it?” Christine finally put her fists on her hips. “Did he talk to you during the dance?”

“I… I don’t remember. I was so happy to be out there with such a handsome man. Then, the dance was over, and he thanked me and left. My goodness, I didn’t know what to do, Christine. Was he really a Duke? Was he introduced to me? My goodness, I don’t even know his name. Yet, I remember how handsome he was. A handsome man wanted to dance with me!”

“Did he apologize for not escorting you back to me?” Christine asked. Her chest bubbled, and she had to swallow to push the emotion down. “Did he tell you that he could not escort you back for some reason?”

“No,” Irene moaned. “I already told you, he said nothing to me. Still, I know a man steeped in rudeness when I see one—or dance with one. I am glad to not know his name. It means I shan’t have to forget it. There are many more polite and handsome men I will be much happier to dance with.”

“The men of the Ton are all the same,” Christine spat.

She quickly scanned the hall and had no trouble finding the Duke. He was not looking at her this time but speaking to another young lady.

How dare he go off and converse with someone else when my sister is perfectly delightful.

Christine did not want the Duke to come back and talk with her sister—it was principle of the matter.

“They think they can do whatever they want with women,” Christine continued. “We take much time to get dressed up and make ourselves look the best we can be, and that is not even taking into account the years of elocution lessons and the months of dance classes, and, of course, the hobbies we take up, so we will have something to do when we are married, and the topics we read up on so we will be able to converse with men about the topics of their choice, and then he strides in here in his elegant attire with a charming smile on his face and expects to have his fun before he moves onto the next lady. If he showed the slightest hint of decorum, it would?—”

Christine quickly stopped the rant when her sister’s expression changed. Her eyes had widened a little, eyebrows raised, and while she was focused on Christine, her gaze flickered around. Christine took stock of the situation. Many people did not surround them, but those who did surround them were beginning to take notice.

“I don’t mean to get so riled up by this, but you do not deserve to be treated this way, Irene,” Christine stated. “You have been looking forward to this ball for months, and one of your first dances ends like this.”

“I will be fine.” The tone of Irene’s voice said otherwise.

“No, we don’t do that, not with each other,” Christine scolded. “If we are not fine, we tell each other that. I am not fine with how this has gone so far, and I can see you are not, either. You don’t deserve this, Irene, and I must?—”

“Christine,” Irene hissed.

Christine stopped talking abruptly and took her sister’s hand. She dragged her toward the very back of the hall. There was a weight on her chest that seemed to be weighing down her heart while pulling on her chest from all directions, threatening to rip it apart.

“I know I can sometimes say too much, but none of us deserve this. We are not playthings to be tossed around. All we ask for is the bare minimum of respect, and we aren’t even shown that.” She took Irene by the shoulders. “I only want what is best for you, Irene.”

“I know,” Irene replied. “You do your best for me always. I couldn’t ask for a better sister. I want to forget about the whole thing and look forward to the next dance. He is not worth our time, is he?”

Christine did not feel any relief from the weight in her chest. “No, he is not.” Christine took a deep breath. “You have a little time. How about you go to the powder room and take a brief rest?”

Irene brought her hands to her face. “Oh, my! Do I have something?—”

“You look beautiful,” Christine assured. “There is some time to spare, and you must be rested and looking your best for the next dance. I shall get us some water. I will be with you in a moment.”

Irene smiled. “Thank you.”

Christine watched her sister leave and then walked toward the refreshments. She looked over her shoulder to make sure Irene was not watching and then diverted her path. She scanned the hall once more for the Duke.

No one treated her sister like that, and he deserved to be given a piece of her mind.