Notorious (Rebels of the Ton #1) - Minerva Spencer Page 0,26
one o’clock and the small tea shop was bustling.
“I’m afraid it will only be we two, today, Mrs. Tilly.”
“It is a pleasure to have you,” the older woman said. Drusilla would order some sweets to be delivered to make up for the shortfall they created by taking the best table for only two people. It was unfortunate it was in front of the bow window, but it was not as if she were doing anything wrong by meeting an acquaintance—even a male acquaintance.
They ordered tea and pastries and chatted about the weather until the tea had arrived and been poured, and biscuits distributed.
Theo, ever sensitive to her moods, laid a hand over hers. “It was my brother who told me what happened at the Abingdon ball; he was there.”
“Ah,” Drusilla said. Theo was so different from most other aristocratic men she’d met that she always forgot about his connections.
Theo scowled. “Visel is a cad and has always been an embarrassment to our family.”
“Your family?”
Theo’s cheeks reddened slightly. “He is my cousin—on my mother’s side.”
“Oh. I had no idea.” How uncomfortable. She looked at her friend and wondered what he’d heard. “What—”
He squeezed her hand. “Don’t let what he said concern you. You are my dearest friend, Drusilla, and far more important to me than my idiot cousin, whom I’ve not spoken to in years. He’s been away on the Continent for a good part of that time, and since his return he’s been something of a—well, never mind. You should relax and have some tea. You are as wound up as a top.” He made a tsking sound. “I can’t say I’m terribly surprised after what I heard—”
The last thing Drusilla wanted was to hear just how the brief encounter had swelled into something shocking or more grotesque.
“I am to be married,” she blurted.
“What?” His hand clenched hard enough to make her bones hurt.
She sucked in a breath, and he glanced down, loosening his grip. “Lord, what a brute you must think me.”
“Of course, I don’t. You are merely shocked, and, I daresay, more than a little disappointed that I am to abandon our principles and enter a marriage after resisting for so long.”
“I can’t believe the duke would allow it,” he muttered.
Drusilla’s face heated at his response; she wouldn’t have expected snobbery from a man she considered a friend. “His grandfather can hardly expect to dictate whom he marries,” she snapped.
The strange expression on his face flickered and his eyes seemed to come back into focus. “Oh, Dru! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just meant the duke is known to be terribly high in the instep.”
Drusilla frowned, only slightly mollified by his comment.
“Tell me what happened.”
“You know what happened.” She felt her face heat, which only angered her. Why should she blush? She had nothing to be ashamed about. “Surely you can see that I have no choice now but to marry? It is either that or live my life on the fringes of society.” She shrugged. “While I don’t care if I’m never invited to another ball or rout, I hardly wish to become an outcast.”
“No, of course not,” he echoed, his voice faint, his eyes rather wild as they flickered around the room restlessly.
Drusilla felt a sudden surge of affection for him. “You are taking this almost as hard as I am,” she said.
He gave a rather high-pitched laugh. “Oh, I’m sure everyone in the group will be equally concerned on your behalf, Drusilla.”
“How fortunate I am to have such loyal and caring friends.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you, my friend.” He gave her a look of confusion. “For understanding just how difficult this is for me—how this goes against all our principles.”
His smile was tight and he looked nothing like his usual self. “Of course, yes, of course. I’m sure you are feeling this violation of your principles most horribly.”
Well, that seemed rather a strong way to put it, but Drusilla decided not to correct him. “While it is not what I’d planned for myself, marriage is the only way, Theo.”
“Yes, marriage.” He pushed the fingers of one hand through his hair and shoved back a few somewhat lank brown curls that had fallen over his forehead. He shook himself and looked up at her. “But, Lord! What a cad I am being. Never mind all that, how are you faring after this heinous ordeal?”
Drusilla was tempted to ask just what he’d heard but decided against it. “Oh, the