pleasure.” She held her hand out to him.
“Lady Patience.” He took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, all the while maintaining eye contact with her. She should have known that even though Lord Bryant might not have known how to respond to Mama, or even Nicholas, he would take control while speaking to a young lady.
A mischievous grin flashed on his face that for some reason made her face feel warm. He hadn’t gone through all the trouble of helping her only to announce to the whole room that she had been a servant in the Woodsworths’ home, had he? “Ah, seeing you has made my evening. The only other thing that could have made it better would be to have a few more Whigs present.”
The sly devil. Her face was on fire now. She had to change the subject before he made any more maid references. “Will Miss Paynter be here this evening?”
Lord Bryant gave a short laugh. He knew exactly what she was doing. “You haven’t heard? She is married.”
She hadn’t heard. That was unexpected. She traced the lines of Lord Bryant’s face to find any signs of sadness. There were none. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Lord Bryant furrowed his eyebrows. “She married an earl. And a decent one at that. Nothing to be sorry for.” His face still showed no concern, but his stance—more stiff and formal than was typical of him—made her wonder if he was more wounded by Miss Paynter’s marriage than he let on.
Then, to her surprise, the Morgans were announced.
“That would be my cue to leave,” Lord Bryant said with a final bow and an eye on the Morgans entering the ballroom. “I like most women, but not that one.”
“Did you invite everyone to this ball?” she hissed to her brother after Lord Bryant left.
“The Morgan family has been linked with the Woodsworth family for years. I thought it prudent to invite them,” he replied between guests.
“Well, we had better hope she doesn’t recognize me.”
Nicholas shrugged his shoulders. “If she does, I suppose I will have to force Woodsworth to marry you. Would that be so bad?”
Patience straightened her shoulders and looked down the line to where Miss Morgan was curtsying to a guest in front of her. “Maybe I should just confess everything. I’m surprised that wasn’t in one of Mr. Woodsworth’s plans.”
“Let’s save the confessing for a last resort, shall we?” Nicholas responded. “Believe it or not, this evening isn’t about you.”
That was true. It was General Woodsworth’s ball. At least her impetuous charade had led to something good for Nicholas as well. She hadn’t seen him this happy since Papa had passed away.
Miss Morgan looked at her strangely but didn’t say anything as they were introduced. Patience was careful not to do anything more than nod. Even still, Miss Morgan would have most likely recognized Patience if her eyes hadn’t kept straying to Nicholas.
“Stay away from her,” Patience said under her breath after they left.
“She is quite pretty.”
“Nicholas.”
“I jest. Trust me, my only romantic concern at the moment is getting my sister married off.”
The guests finished arriving, and Nicholas turned to Patience. “I have an announcement to make just after the dancing starts. You are welcome to stay here with Mama.”
“Wait.” She pulled on Nicholas’s sleeve. “It isn’t . . . I mean he hasn’t even asked me yet.”
He just laughed. “I already told you, this ball isn’t about you.” Then he left, disappearing into their crowded ballroom.
***
“The woman we paraded about parties and Green Park was Lady Patience Kendrick?” Sophia hissed near Anthony’s ear.
“I am aware.” Anthony was across the ballroom from Patience, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off her since their introduction. She had seemed happy to see him. But she had smiled at everyone who greeted her since as well.
“I’m surprised she wants anything to do with us.”
“Did she seem like that to you? She seemed happy to see us, I think.”
“Yes, she did. And to think at one point I had thought . . .”
“What had you thought?”
“Well, I had thought you had formed an attachment to her. But of course, now that is impossible.”
Anthony straightened. Ever since hearing from the duke, he had allowed hope to form. Not just form, but thrive. It was strange to hear Sophia speaking about his situation like this. It was like visiting an older version of himself. A darker version, one without the bright light of possibilities shining in front of him.
“An attachment to a maid would