Taking a deep breath, she marched towards them. Every purposeful stride roused her ire. The sharp November chill in the air nipped at her bare forearms. A restless wind whipped at her hair, forcing her to walk in the middle of the path for the flames flickered wildly in the open braziers.
Ava received a few strange looks as she pushed past the ambling couples. A woman walking alone in the garden must be a harlot or a dimwit. One lady made a snide remark about hurrying to a lovers’ tryst. Had Ava not been in a hurry, she might have corrected the judgemental old hen.
As Ava drew closer to the Grecian inspired temple, she caught sight of Jonathan clutching the widow’s hand. He pressed something shiny into her gloved palm.
Lady Durrant gasped. She gripped the sparkling object between her fingers and stared in awe. “Oh, it is more beautiful than I imagined.” A pleasurable sigh left the widow’s lips. “More beautiful than you described. Your father was a talented craftsman.”
Ha! Would Lady Durrant feel differently about its quality if she knew Ava’s mother was the creative genius behind the designs?
“You have slender fingers,” her Judas brother said. “The ring will be a perfect fit.”
Ava stopped breathing. A sharp pain pierced her chest. Nausea swept through her in a sickening wave to weaken her defences.
How could he?
How could he give away her most prized possession?
While her heart ached with disappointment, and her thoughts were lost in a hazy cloud of confusion, Ava crept closer. Lady Durrant was so engrossed in the ring she failed to notice Ava’s approach.
“And you have more jewellery as beautiful as this?” Lady Durrant asked.
“Indeed.”
“Thief.” The word tumbled from Ava’s lips in a croaked whisper. “Thief,” she repeated with more vehemence.
Jonathan swung around. The lines of irritation etched into his brow faded. “Ava?” Shock rendered him frozen. He cleared his throat. “What the hell are you doing out here?”
Panic flashed in his grey eyes. Was he worried she would reveal the truth about the duel? Was he worried she would make him look foolish in front of his beloved Lady Durrant?
“I might ask you the same question,” Ava said, stepping behind the large marble statue of a bathing goddess. “Are you so keen to impress this lady that you would steal from your family?”
Lady Durrant smirked. “Oh dear. Someone is a trifle upset.”
“A trifle upset?” Ava’s curt tone rang with the contempt born from her brother’s betrayal. It carried the disdain she held for women who used their feminine wiles to manipulate men. “Clearly I have failed to convey the true depth of my feelings. Allow me to correct any misconception for I am outraged.”
Distraught.
Heartbroken.
Jonathan’s eyes bulged in their sockets. He would never forgive her for embarrassing him, for ruining his chances of marrying such a distinguished lady.
“You’re overreacting,” Jonathan whispered through gritted teeth. He turned to the widow whose hair carried the same fiery glow as the flames dancing in the braziers. “Lady Durrant, allow me to present my sister Miss Kendall. I’m afraid she possesses the annoying habit of prying into other people’s affairs.”
Lady Durrant’s snort spoke of both amusement and arrogance. Her green gaze slithered over Ava’s outdated dress, and a smile touched her thin lips. Jonathan managed a weak smile, too.
“Well, Miss Kendall,” Lady Durrant began, “I must praise your skill on the dance floor. One might say that fortune favours you this evening. Lord Valentine is an accomplished dancer though he rarely takes to the floor.”
“Then I am pleased I did not disappoint him.” Ava glanced at the lady’s hand clenched as tight as a clam. She would have her mother’s ring back even if she had to prise open the harlot’s fingers.
Lady Durrant raised her powdered chin. “Either way, Lord Valentine achieved the desired result. The dance will quash any rumours regarding the disagreement with your bro
ther.”
Was that the reason the lord sought her out?
Was she a fool to believe he might enjoy her company?
“And the dance gave me an opportunity to test a theory.” Ava paused. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Jonathan, but he needed to hear the truth. “You’re toying with my brother to make Lord Valentine jealous. I saw the way you looked at him while we danced.”