at this point. The best he could do was to give Miss Barrows insight.
“You have every right to be angry,” he said as they came to rest, facing each other. “But the reasons behind his actions are not what you think.”
“Do his reasons matter?” The lady’s jaw was tight and set against his friend, but there was a spark of curiosity in her gaze that allowed the knot in Simon’s stomach to loosen.
“Certainly they do, but as that was your wounded pride speaking, I will ignore it and say that Finch has every reason to believe he is not good enough for you.”
A hard glint gleamed in her eye, and Miss Barrows opened her mouth, but Simon held up a staying hand to hold off any protest she might mount.
“It is not your doing, so do not take his actions personally.” The dance drove them apart, and Simon was forced to pause, waiting for the next opportunity to add, “It is not the money that upsets him.”
Miss Barrows’ forehead wrinkled as her brows drew together, but she did not interrupt him. The steel in her gaze softened a touch, and Simon prayed she would listen and understand. With a few more steps, they moved down the line of dancers, taking their part as needed before coming to a rest again.
“His family are not cruel people. They do not belittle or abuse him in any overt fashion, but they do not value or respect him.” Simon’s brow furrowed, his expression twisting at the memory of those few interactions he’d had with the Finch clan and all the little things his friend had told him over the years. None of it painted a happy picture. “A person cannot be surrounded by such low opinions and remain unscathed.”
The lady’s gaze drifted from Simon, as though she were sifting through her memories, and he hoped she saw the little signs that showed a broken but genuine soul.
“It was Finch who begged me to chase off Mr. Wilson.” Simon’s words drew Miss Barrows’ attention once more before her eyes flew to the edge of the ballroom, and he hoped she was searching for the poor fool; Finch deserved some credit for his gesture. “And while doing so, he made it clear he thinks himself unworthy of you. I believe his precise words were ‘Miss Barrows deserves better.’”
The lady shook her head, speaking in an off-handed tone. “He said something similar to me a few minutes ago, but I don’t understand why he feels it is so important for me to find a man with money. I have enough of it as it is.”
Simon shook his head. “He wasn’t speaking of income, Miss Barrows. He was speaking of himself. His family has him convinced he has no value.”
Her expression pinched and her voice rose. “That is ludicrous!”
Dancers on either side jerked their gazes towards Miss Barrows, but the lady waved a hand in their direction, as though dismissing the lot of them. Their attention waned, but Simon felt their regard as they feigned disinterest.
Tugging at his cravat, Simon tried to loosen it as he prayed the others would pay them no more heed. The last thing he needed was to stir up rumors about a heated discussion between him and a lady who was not his wife. The gossipmongers were still feasting on the mess he’d made with that woman, and there was no need to throw them fresh meat. His gaze turned to Mina, but she was still in discussion with Lady Lovell.
Miss Barrows was caught up in her thoughts, and Simon was pleased to let the silence linger between them as the dance moved along. The steps were simple enough that they required little thought, and he was grateful for the respite. He cleared his throat and resisted the urge to remove his cravat (though the wretched thing seemed determined to strangle him).
Simon prayed Finch would forgive him for having spilled those secrets, but he couldn’t remain silent when the fellow was determined to be a fool.
“My thanks, Mr. Kingsley.”
“For rescuing you from an unsuitable dance partner or for the insight into my dunderhead of a friend?” Simon asked with a smile, which she answered with one of her own.
“I don’t know if I can give thanks for the first, as you called my wits into question while doing so,” she replied with a narrowed gaze, though her eyes sparkled with laughter.
“Perhaps if we expand on your poor qualities enough, the fortune hunters might