Although Mary assumed this had to do with her dance, she could not be sure. After all, her stepmother was always finding something to be angered by when it came to Mary.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” Lady Rachel said.
“But I—”
“Enough of this. Are you listening to me? You may not interrupt. We do not know this gentleman and you have insisted upon dancing with him. That is a shocking thing to do, and you know that it is most improper.
How could you shame our family like this? How could you go about like a wild woman, dancing with a man we have not approved?”
The music echoed in the room, but Mary could only hear the temper of her stepmother. At last, Sarah tried to speak up and explain.
“It is not what you think,” she insisted.
“What have you to do with this?” Lady Rachel asked, brushing Sarah away, clearly not wanting to hear a word about it.
“The Duke of Hanbrooke is a cousin of a gentleman close to my family. He is from a good family,” Sarah insisted, unwilling to back down. Mary appreciated that she was confident to stand against Lady Rachel, but Mary also thought it was probably futile to try and argue.
Lady Rachel was nearly about to speak in anger, but her expression suddenly changed. “What did you say?”
“I said that he is from a good family,” Sarah repeated.
“No, the other part. Who is this man?”
At this, Sarah straightened her back and looked at Mary with understanding. They both knew that Lord Hanbrooke’s identity would be significant to Lady Rachel.
“He is the Duke of Hanbrooke,” Sarah said.
A glance passed between Lady Rachel and Charlotte. The look held significance and Mary understood that his title meant everything to her stepmother and stepsister, that they would care a great deal about it.
She understood that now, she was not in trouble for dancing with a man her stepmother didn’t know; now, she would be in trouble for dancing with someone who Charlotte may desire.
It was true that she’d had hesitation before dancing with him, that Mary knew this could be a risk. But her stepmother had said nothing about him. She had not told Charlotte to keep her eyes open for this man, as she had told Charlotte with others.
Why was her stepmother so fiercely protective of Charlotte when it would be good for the family if both daughters found agreeable suitors?
“The Duke of Hanbrooke,” Lady Rachel said, as if in a prayer.
“Yes, Lady Rachel,” Mary replied. “He is the Duke and he was perfectly agreeable. A bit rude at first, but he spoke well enough after a time.”
Her stepmother narrowed her eyes at Mary. While Mary couldn’t deny that she had mentioned the rudeness to deter Charlotte, she knew that it would not likely work.
“Perhaps he was rude because you brought it out of him. I have no need for your judgments of this man when we may find out for ourselves what sort of fellow he is. Now, if you have no other dance partner, please move.
I wish to have a discussion with this gentleman about the importance of speaking with a woman’s guardian before he dances with her. He should have known not to ask you before gaining my permission,” Lady Rachel said.
But as she sauntered over to him, pulling Charlotte along, Mary knew that there would be no scolding. This was all an opportunity for Lady Rachel to put Charlotte in front of him and try to get his attention in that way.
Mary sighed as she watched them.
“You mustn’t worry,” Sarah urged. “You said that he was not overly excited about the dance in the beginning and if what Harry claims is true, perhaps Lord Hanbrooke will be annoyed by Charlotte.”
But Mary had doubts. She may have had something in common with the Duke, but no one could deny Charlotte’s beauty. She had a womanly figure and dark hair that lent itself well to her light, olive skin. She was not another English rose.
She was far more seductive and enticing to men, but without the straightforward nature that would gain her a poor reputation.
She had a number of admirers, but few of them had been good enough for Lady Rachel to entertain the idea that they might wish to court Charlotte.
Mary watched as her stepmother and stepsister approached the man that she had just enjoyed spending time with. All of that was soon to be unravelled.