Chapter Thirteen
At Basil’s suggestion, Edwina returned to the dining room with her arms looped through Basil’s and Lexington’s.
The cozy trio appeared to be lifelong friends and at ease in one another’s company.
Basil, a clever raconteur, was delivering a joke, and Edwina’s face reflected her eager anticipation of what he would say.
“A friend of mine recently returned from a trip to the Continent and was greatly distressed that the lady he’d been courting hadn’t written a single letter to him during his travels abroad. ”
“How distressing. What did the lady say was the reason for her neglectful behavior?” Edwina asked.
“Why, she said, ‘How could I possibly write when you carried away the pen and left me with nothing but the inkstand!’”
“Oh my goodness.” The off-color jest brought laughter and brightened Edwina’s cheeks to a rosy hue.
Lex was still smiling when he locked eyes with Hammond and found the scoundrel glaring menacingly at him. The man was a complete fool if he thought that his displeasure had any effect, and Lex took great pleasure in ignoring him.
Besides, his thoughts were focused on the blissful interlude he and Edwina had just shared.
He’d come to London to find a wealthy woman to become his countess but never expected to find such an angel of inspiration, or a woman who matched his sensibilities so completely.
That she ignited his libido, filling his dreams with erotic possibilities, was beyond anything his waking mind could account for.
He could already envision his life with her and the future they would build. God willing, with many children.
A passing footman was refilling his champagne glass when a snide voice said, “Lady Sinclair, I did not know that the earl and marquess were such dear acquaintances of yours.”
Edwina’s smile froze as she turned to regard Hammond’s leering countenance.
“Whatever do you mean?”
“A lady must always be circumspect and suitably accompanied when in the presence of gentlemen. I found your parading into the dining room like a common strumpet very unsettling and unworthy of a lady of your stature.”
“Are you insinuating that I have behaved in a way that might bring me shame?”
“Oh, of course not. However, I would not have you ill-used by some that might not have your best interests or your reputation at heart.”
“How kind of you to worry over me, but I am quite capable of managing my own affairs.”
“Oh, but I am worried. You looked to be quite accommodating to your two willing suitors,” Hammond countered with a malicious edge.
Gasps echoed around the room as everyone seemed to stop what they were saying in mid-conversation to watch how this exchange would play out.
Lex gritted his teeth, wanting to stomp the worm into the ground for his insult to Edwina.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon, who had been speaking with Titan, turned a frigid smile on the slumlord.
“Mr. Hammond, please do not make unsavory and derogatory accusations in my establishment. I will not have you insult any young lady, and certainly not Lady Sinclair. We are all here for a purpose: to enjoy a pleasant evening of interaction.”
“You, Mrs. Dove-Lyon, are a charming hostess, but I find some of your guests to be of questionable character. There are some in attendance here tonight that are considered rogues, for dallying with married women and threatening Civil Society with their antics. And a so-called lady who encourages these sorts is hardly better than a common strumpet.”
Lex had had enough. “Mrs. Dove-Lyon, Mr. Hammond has crossed the boundaries of gentlemanly conduct, and his blatant insults to Lady Sinclair and me must be answered.”
“And what do you suggest, Lord Capel?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon said with a quirk to her lips.
“A good-old-fashioned fistfight.”
“This is ridiculous,” Hammond interjected.
“Is it, Mr. Hammond?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon questioned.
“Wh-why, yes. You cannot condone a duel being fought on such shaky grounds.”
“You should have thought of that before insulting Lady Sinclair,” Lex growled.
“This is barbaric!” Hammond blustered. “You, sir, dare to call yourself a gentleman. You, who carried on an illicit affair with a married woman. A penniless earldom is all you possess due to your father’s addiction to the cards.
I have taken the time to investigate your shady past and found you lacking.
No real lady would ever consider you a suitable husband. ”
“Why you—”
Basil who had stood and quickly rounded the table at Hammond’s first provocation, grabbed Lex just as he was about to launch himself at the insulting man.
“Mr. Hammond, please cease your incendiary provocations,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon said. “Enough has been said already. I suggest resolving this outside, adhering to Civil Society’s rules, naturally.” She turned to whisper to Titan, who nodded and left in answer to the wily doyenne’s bidding.
“Titan and the lads will be setting up a boxing ring in the courtyard,” the matchmaker said. “And there will be seating so that we may all watch comfortably from a safe distance. And if anyone would like to place a wager, Bottom here will see to your needs.”
Torches lit the night, and a breeze whispered through the leaves of an old oak tree as the guests took their seats in front of a roped-off square in the courtyard. Winnie sat next to Mrs. Dove-Lyon and pulled her shawl tightly around her, shivering.
The other guests were chatting and smiling, occasionally looking at her and then at the boxing ring in anticipation.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon patted Winnie’s knee, but her reassurance brought no comfort.
She was not happy about this. While she was grateful that Lex wanted to defend her honor, she did not want to be the center of attention.
Because she knew the gossip would spread.
How long before word of this reached her grandmother’s ears? Grandmama would not be amused, and it would shade her perception of Lex.
Although her grandmother wished her to be married off as soon as possible, Winnie could not imagine that she would be pleased to accept a man with a string of debt tied to his estate.
If what Hammond had revealed was true, Lex had unsavory skeletons in his closet.
Is he a rogue with a long line of broken hearts in his past?
Was he interested in her solely for her money?
She couldn’t allow Hammond’s words to get under her skin. He was a vile man, and she knew that he’d lied and cheated his way to amassing a fortune.
She would put her trust in Lex, who’d captivated her from the moment she met him. Or rather, from the moment she’d robbed him. And there was also that conundrum. How would she ever be able to tell the man that she’d developed strong feelings for that she was the Lace Bandit?
The two men reemerged dressed in loose-fitting trousers, their torsos bare.
Winnie felt the color rise to her cheeks.
She could tell that Lex was fit but had no idea how perfectly he embodied masculinity.
His physique, defined by muscles that flexed with his graceful movement, was powerful, and she shivered as she remembered what those big hands had made her feel a short while ago.
With a worried glance, Winnie forced herself to look at Hammond. He was of a similar height but far heavier and stockier in his torso. His extra weight might give him an advantage over Lex.
Lex and Hammond entered the ring, and before Titan, who would officiate, could even begin to state the rules of the match, Hammond charged like a bull and knocked Lex off his feet.
A gasp echoed around the group, and Winnie’s hand flew to her mouth.
But Lex bounced back to his feet, grinning, appearing not the least bit discomfited by the low blow before the match had even begun.
“I’m glad you’ve come with serious intent,” he said. “At least I won’t have to chase you around the ring, you cowardly prig.”
Hammond grunted. “We will soon see who the better man is.” He pranced around Lex as if dancing an Irish jig at a village fair, his fists raised in what resembled a parody of a fighter’s stance, jutting his chin out determinedly.
Lex stood calmly, merely rocking on the balls of his feet. Winnie could see the intense focus in his eyes, and in that moment, she realized that he was not merely concentrating; he was strategizing.
Hammond swung first and missed making contact, which caused the spectators to groan. It was a near miss and would undoubtedly have done damage. Winnie covered her eyes, her stomach clenching in a knot. She could not bear the thought of Lex’s handsome face being bloodied.
Hammond moved in again with a wide swing, and this time made contact. The loud impact of his fist on Lex’s cheekbone was excruciating to hear. A cut opened, and droplets of blood dripped down Lex’s cheek. The crowd roared in excitement.
Lex wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and shook his head, clearing his vision.
“Bravo, Hammond, first blood,” someone shouted from the crowd.
Hammond laughed, perhaps sensing an imminent victory, and moved in to deliver another blow.
But he was unprepared for Lex’s block and then a walloping left hook that sounded like it might have cracked his jaw.
Hammond teetered back, then regained his balance and roared, charging again, and would have knocked out a lesser man.
At the last moment, he lifted his foot and was about to kick Lex.
But Lex danced away a second before, and Hammond, given how fast he was going, tripped and fell to the ground, landing with a resounding thud.
Titan counted to ten and then raised Lex’s hand as the victor. Shouts and cheers echoed around them, and Lex, who had his back to Hammond, didn’t see him make a move.
“Look out!” Winnie shouted. Lex turned, but not fast enough to avoid the brutal kick to his shin. Lex stumbled and was dragged down by Hammond, who got in a few punches to his gut.
“You bastard,” Lex cursed as he rolled away, leaped to his feet, and then dragged Hammond up and delivered a bone-crunching hit to his face, sending him flying back several feet, where he landed sprawled on his back.
Then everyone shouted at once as Titan raised Lex’s hand again and once more declared him the winner. Titan shook Lex’s hand. “Well, done, my lord.”
Lex nodded and thanked him, then turned to Basil, who’d run up to congratulate him. Meanwhile, Titan’s footmen dragged Hammond away.
Basil raised Lex’s arm in victory. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your winner!” The crowd erupted in applause and shouts of congratulations.
Winnie stood and was about to go to Lex’s side when the voluptuous ladies, Beatrice Weatherby and Lavinia Rayford, who’d been seated on either side of Lex at dinner, rushed up to kiss him on both cheeks and threw their arms around him.
Winnie froze as a surge of jealousy coursed through her. She turned to Mrs. Dove-Lyon, thanked her for the dinner, and left.
By the time she got to her carriage, tears were rolling down her cheeks.
On the drive back to the townhouse, she reprimanded herself for being childish.
Lex hadn’t asked the two women to throw themselves at him.
But Winnie knew that both Beatrice and Lavinia came from wealthy families.
And while both had scandals in those families, Winnie had not heard anything directly related to them.
There were no real skeletons in their closets.
But there was in Winnie’s. What would Lex think when he found out that she was the Lace Bandit? His fight for her honor would have been all for naught. And she didn’t want to embarrass him, considering he had his own problems with his late father’s gambling debts.
Winnie, you are a fool for living in a dream world.
She didn’t regret the pleasurable interlude she’d spent with Lex in the private suite…
no, that she would tuck away in her memories for safekeeping.
But she’d been na?ve to think she could marry and live happily ever after, given her alter ego.
And even though her motives were justified in her mind and heart, they were not justified by the law.
No matter what her grandmother wished, Winnie couldn’t possibly marry, because that would mean exposing herself as the Lace Bandit, and then what? What would become of her then? She must resign herself to a lonely life, for that would be her fate.