Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
Theo shrugged. The few times Lady Giselle and Lord Ashford were at the same ball, she and Leo had been prepared for something to happen.
They had even taken to strolling separately just to encourage the couple to do something.
“I have no idea. We must not let down our guard.” She had been working on a plan that would not involve an innocent victim and finally decided that Sarah was right.
It must be Ashford. He could in no way be considered an innocent.
“If I can reroute the note, I will send it to Lord Ashford. He is the right height and hair color to be mistaken for you.”
“That is not a compliment.” Chandos had a disgruntled look on his face.
“No, but it is helpful.” Theo would send his lordship to Lady Giselle and whatever she had planned would happen with Lord Ashford.
“And you know that I would not send you a note at a ball.” There was no reason Chandos should. Except for the time they circled the room with another person, he stayed with her family. “But as with Ashford, Lady Giselle has dark hair and could be mistaken for you.”
Perhaps they were overthinking this. “Do you really believe they could be that prepared?”
“Remember, it was in a novel. All they’d have to do is follow the plot.”
Sarah and Marrow joined them.
“I see they’re both here,” Marrow said.
“Yes.” Theo nodded.
“Who is your first dance with?” Sarah asked.
“Lord Bolingbroke. I forgave him for his remark after he became interested in Miss Cunningham.”
Sarah laughed lightly. “I am sure he will think that having to dance the minuet is still punishment.”
“But not as much as being made to dance it with a lady he does not know. My second set is free. We can stroll the room.” And hope to see something occur.
“I’ll take our duke for a walk as well.” Marrow flashed Chandos a smile.
“She has done it!” Sarah said excitedly. “She gave a note to the footman with heavy dark eyebrows.”
Chandos glanced at Marrow. “It is time for us to go look at the rest of the ballroom.”
“Do you want to remain here with Theo’s family or come with us?” he asked Sarah.
“That is a hard choice.” She looked around the room. “I shall stay here. I am safe enough, and if the footman has been told to come to our circle, I will be able to misdirect him. I just wish I was tall enough to see him coming. It was amazing that I saw the note being passed.”
The crowd parted as the orchestra began to prepare for the first set, and Theo could finally see something other than people milling around. “He is headed toward us but has paused.”
“He’d have to, wouldn’t he,” Marrow said. “He can’t very well give Chandos a note from you if you’re standing with him.”
“That’s the part about all of this I do not understand.” Theo shook her head. He was always with Theo. Except when she was dancing, or they were strolling separately. How did they think to fool him?
Sarah placed her hand on Theo’s arm. “It does not make sense.” It was as if her friend had read her mind. “Except that Lady Giselle believes that everyone will behave as she does. Without regard for others.”
Lord Bolingbroke came to Theo and bowed. “Good evening, my lady. I believe this is our dance.”
She curtseyed. “It is, my lord.”
They stepped onto the dance floor and took their places in the set.
Yet, Theo could not concentrate. Fortunately, she knew the dance well enough that she did not need to mind her steps.
Lady Giselle joined the set with a gentleman Theo did not know.
At least it was not Lord Ashford. Lady Giselle would have had to have planned to meet Chandos sometime after the dance.
Theo kept an eye on Lady Giselle, who glanced around the room regularly looking for someone.
Then Theo saw it. The footman. Of course it was.
How else would she have known the note had been delivered?
The first part of the set had ended, and she left the dance floor.
Theo glanced to where her family was gathered.
Sarah had a smug smile on her face. From the corner of her eye, Theo saw Lord Ashford leave the room.
Her only regret was that she would not be there to see whatever happened.
“Lady Theo, are you all right?” Bolingbroke sounded concerned.
“Perfectly.” She smiled at him as the music began again. “Are you standing up with Miss Cunningham?”
“I am.” The corners of his lips rose. “She has agreed to dance the supper set with me.”
“Excellent.”
A few minutes later there were loud gasps and exclamations. The music stopped. A footman went to Lady Giselle’s mother, and the lady left the room. The servant then went to the Duchess of Shrewsbury, and she followed Lady Giselle’s mother.
“Something’s going on,” Bolingbroke said. “Allow me to return you to your family.”
Oh, thank God. Theo did not think she could have continued to stand here with all the commotion and not give in to the temptation to follow. “Thank you. What are you going to do?”
He gave her a slightly guilty look. “I’m going to see what happened.”
She could not think of anything to say, other than she would like to go as well but could not. So, she nodded. By the time she returned, Chandos was there with Sarah and Marrow.
“Where is Bolingbroke going?” Marrow asked.
“To see what the fuss is about.”
“I wonder how they will handle it,” Sarah said, staring in the direction that several of the guests were walking.
“I suppose we will find out soon.” Theo could not look away either.
Not many minutes later, Lord Ashford, his mother, and Lady Giselle, and her mother reentered the ballroom. Lady Giselle had a shawl tied around her shoulders.
“Good Lord!” Sarah gasped. “Did she actually rip her bodice?”
“It appears like it,” Chandos, who had been silent, commented drily. “Stupid chit.”
Lady Smythe and Mrs. Smythe reentered the room, both wearing happy smiles. They went to the couple and their mothers. The room fell silent as the ladies clapped their hands. “We have some excellent news, Lord Ashford and Lady Giselle Darnel are to be wed.”
Footmen came around with champagne. Leo took two glasses, handing one to Theo. “I suppose we must toast to the happy couple.” He gazed across the room to where they were standing and raised his glass to them. He didn’t care that they knew he was happy they’d failed.
“That was exciting,” Kenilworth said. He stared directly at Theo. “How did you manage it?”
Leo resisted a laugh as she opened her eyes wide and gave her brother-by-marriage an innocent look. “Manage what?”
Kenilworth fixed her with a firm look. “Do not try to bamboozle me, my girl. I’ve known you much too long.”
“We were all in on it.” Leo indicated Theo, Sarah, and Marrow. “We had a feeling Lady Giselle and Ashford were up to something.”
“We did.” Sarah smiled. “When the footman came looking for Chandos, I directed him to Lord Ashford.”
Kenilworth glanced at Theo again. “You, I take it, came up with the plan.”
She had the grace to look at least slightly guilty. “Mary and I, but only the outline. Everyone had a hand in working out the details.”
“But truly,” Sarah said, “Theo and I were not sure it would work.”
Theo nodded. “I do not understand how they did not figure out what our response would be.”
Leo wanted to take her in his arms. “It was as Miss Pettigrew said, Lady Giselle believes everyone is like her. And she does not have the intelligence to realize that someone would plan against her.” He glanced down at Theo. “It was a good scheme.”
Marrow nodded. “And it succeeded perfectly.”
“The four of you are making me feel old.” Kenilworth sauntered away.
It had been successful. Lady Giselle was no longer a threat to Leo, and Ashford could no longer attempt to court Theo.
The only problem Leo could see was that women like Lady Giselle did not take losing well.
If she found out Theo had anything to do with foiling her plan, the damned chit would find a way to get back at her.
Perhaps it was his turn to save Theo. He’d have to stay even closer to her.
Several of the guests had left. It was probably so that they could go to other entertainments and tell people what had occurred.
The music began again. This time it was a country dance.
Leo had been told that the supper set would be a waltz, but he did not know how many waltzes there would be, and he dearly wanted to dance with Theo more than once this evening.
“Would you like to stand up with me for the country dance?”
Her eyes were wide with confusion. “Two sets?”
“As a celebration of sorts. We won.” Hopefully, as an excuse, that would do.
“Yes. I have never stood up with you for a country dance.”
Because given a choice, he’d rather waltz with her. He took her hand and placed it on his arm. “Now is the perfect time.”