Chapter 15
The party after the play was flowing with champagne, punch, and lemonade. A buffet of the most delicious treats had been set up in its own room. The company sparkled with enthusiasm and good humor as musicians played merry tunes.
The ballroom was full to the brim with lords, ladies, artists, and the most fascinating people of literature, music, and philosophy dancing and chattering away.
Muriel’s mother, her sisters, and their fiancés were all in attendance, and she?
She was a total triumph!
The play had gone off without a hitch.
Muriel could hardly believe it, but she had soared through the performance without a single mistake. It had been absolutely terrifying standing in the wings, moments before she went on stage. But somehow, with Perseus standing in the wings with her, she’d known it was her destiny.
And so she had strode out and made her debut on the London stage with confidence, with determination, and with the love of her family.
But most importantly, the love of her husband.
The audience had gone completely and totally wild because the theater had made no secret of the fact that she was a Briarwood, that she was a young lady of the ton.
As a matter of fact, word had reached the street that she was to replace the young actress who had become so terribly ill.
The theater had been packed with every seat taken, and she knew part of that was because they were all fascinated by the possibility of seeing a young lady of the ton upon the stage.
Rumor was that every night was sold out for the rest of the week, and she was to perform for the rest of the week until the young actress got better.
And Estella had told her, after the bows, after the waves and waves of applause that had lasted for minutes, that she was to be offered a part in the next play, which would open in but a few weeks’ time!
She had said yes, of course. How could she not?
Perseus had been there, urging her on, and the joy in her heart was immense.
She sipped lemonade now, for she did not want to dull her senses as she all but floated, watching the Briarwoods chatter with each other, along with the earls, the viscounts, the marquesses and their wives, and the young bucks of the ton, all celebrating her success.
She could have sworn half of London was there this night, for when the Briarwoods threw a party, everyone wanted to attend. And she was a novelty, something exciting for everyone to focus on.
Her sisters were so proud of her, and her brother, Cassius, was too.
But there was one face that was making her nervous now, one face that she could not ignore.
Her oldest sister, Alice, was with her intended. His face was dark. There was something odd about him. Frustrated. He and Alice stood in a corner of the room, away from the crowd, whispering together.
Alice looked as if she was going to cry.
Muriel turned to Perseus, grabbed his hand, and said, “Something is wrong there.”
Perseus looked to Deimos, his cousin, the very one who she had spotted wrestling with him the day they met.
Deimos gave a nod, and then he and Perseus began to dart over to the couple.
She could not linger back.
This was her sister. She had to know what was amiss. And so she followed her husband through the thick crowd to where Lord Isleton and her sister stood.
“You’re making a scene,” said Deimos sotto voce, his eyes hard with warning.
“Scene?” Lord Isleton mocked with a sneer. “I am making a scene?” Lord Isleton’s eyes, sharp with anger and disdain, darted towards Muriel before he hissed, “That one was in almost every scene this evening, and she certainly has caused a terrible scene.”
Perseus stiffened. “What did you just say, my lord?”
Lord Isleton glowered, his pomaded hair shining in the candlelight as he squared his perfectly tailored shoulders.
“You heard me, Perseus. You may be the grandson of a duke, the nephew of a duke, but you are a mere mister. You have married low, it seems to me, and now, upon reflection, perhaps I,” Isleton looked to Alice, his lip curling, “have been tricked into it too, thinking I had found gold when it was dross instead. The blood in the Mitchell family is clearly showing itself. When I asked Miss Alice to marry me, it was because I thought I was attaching myself to someone of honor, but this is despicable. What if I have a child who wants to go upon the stage? I could not bear it. The shame of it.”
“And yet you were willing to be married into a ducal family with a dowager duchess who was an actress,” Deimos growled, his whole body crackling with anger.
Lord Isleton let out a dry laugh before he narrowed his eyes.
“We all have a few wild characters in our family history, and your grandmother is one of them. Sometimes they can be overlooked. She had the intelligence to marry a duke. She clawed her way up to a place of honor, but this? This is ridiculous. Perseus, your wife was born a lady, but she’s choosing to act like a creature of the night.
I thought your family ascended. All I see now is descent. ”
“Careful,” Perseus gritted, clearly not wishing to spill blood. Yet.
She winced.
A creature of the night. Her mouth filled with a bitter tang.
Even she knew that many actresses were ladies of ill repute. Many had patrons. Or made assignations. There were novels written about it.
The insinuation that the dowager duchess had also once been a lady of the night, who had maneuvered herself into the position of a duchess, was clear.
And Lord Isleton seemed to feel that she lacked the dowager’s intelligence. For she was going in the opposite direction, starting out as a lady and now becoming a lady of the night.
“You, sir,” she bit out, “are appalling. You are lucky that Alice has agreed to marry you.”
“I cannot agree with you,” Lord Isleton said. “I cannot retract my offer. After all, a breach of promise would ruin me. I am a man of honor, even if you clearly have none.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, deeply grateful that Cassius was not there. If he was, she had no doubt in her mind that the man would be called out in a moment.
Perseus looked as if he might do it, but she grabbed his hand.
“Nobody’s life is worth this disgusting toad,” she declared.
Muriel turned her gaze to Alice. “You don’t have to marry him,” she said. “You really don’t.”
“Marry me,” Deimos declared without hesitation.
Alice’s eye widened. “I beg your pardon?”
Lord Isleton shot a furious stare at Deimos. “What the bloody hell are you talking about? You’re speaking to my future wife.”
“No, I’m not,” Deimos said. “I’m speaking to mine. Marry me, Alice. This man is a fool.”
Alice looked from man to man. Her eyes were filling with tears. She looked as if the world had been yanked away from her, and she had been thrown into a pit. One man was denigrating her, another trying to rescue her, and she clearly had no idea what to do.
“I…” Alice sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m not going to marry you, Lord Isleton,” she said. And then she looked at Deimos. “And you are a kind man for offering, but…”
Alice dashed the tears away from her eyes, stood ramrod straight, then said, “I am no longer sure I wish to marry at all.”
With those words, Alice turned on her slippered heel and darted out to one of the halls, her mint-green skirts flickering as she departed.
Tense with rage, Perseus turned to Lord Isleton and said, “I do hope you like the idea of governing an unpopulated island with only bugs to govern. For I shall petition my Uncle Leander to make short work of your honorable name.”
The man sucked in a breath. “How dare you, sir? Besides, I have the right to speak to my intended any way I wish.”
“You seemed so tolerable, Isleton,” Deimos said harshly. “You seemed so nice. It is a good reminder that a fair face can hide a poisoned heart.”
“Thank God you revealed yourself in time,” Muriel whispered.
Deimos arched a brow. “She is a beautiful girl, that young Alice, and you, sir, are foul.”
“I’m a marquess,” Isleton spat, “and you are nothing.”
With that, the man started to turn away.
Before he did though, the Duke of Westleigh, as if appearing out of the air, grabbed his arm and whipped him about.
“Nothing?” the duke mocked with a dangerous joviality before his eyes went ice cold.
“I think that you don’t really understand what that word means, but I guarantee, my lord, by the end of the week, you will. Now, get out of my house.”
Leander shoved the man from him, then adjusted his sleeves.
The marquess rushed out of the ballroom, clearly surprised, for no one had likely ever challenged him before. Marquesses usually weren’t challenged, and it had no doubt been a shock.
A well-deserved shock.
Leander turned slowly to Muriel.
She was shaking, as her insides now rung with the most awful of emotions.
She had brought this discord about.
She needed to go to Alice. This was all terribly, terribly wrong, a horrible mistake. She had made the choice to follow her dreams, and her own dream had crushed her sister. And brought this argument to Heron House!
The duke lifted his hand and gently stroked a hot tear from her cheek. “Cease,” he said softly. “Whatever mad thoughts are traveling about your head, you must not entertain them.”
“I have to,” she whispered, unable to take succor in his kindness.
“Why?” the duke demanded.
“Because it is my choice that led to this moment. I am the one who has hurt my sister. I betrayed her chances.”
“That idiot is the one who hurt her and betrayed her,” the duke stated. “And that is all I’ll hear about it. Your sister is lucky to be rid of him.”
And with that, the duke and Deimos slipped away, perhaps to plot the marquess’s future, leaving her with Perseus.
A ragged breath shook out of her. “What have I done?” she whispered.
Perseus tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away. She knew she shouldn’t. None of this was his fault. He had only ever believed in her.
“I have been so foolish to think that I could do this without any ramifications.”
“My love,” he began, “we can work through this. It will—”
“I know that you think this will all work out,” she cut in.
She bit her lower lip, longing to comfort her sister.
Wishing she could go back to before she went on stage.
Before she had chosen to make herself the center of attention.
“This is a tragedy, not a comedy. I need to be alone, Perseus. I need—”
In truth, she did not know what she needed, but she had to face the fact that she had chosen a rare path, and now she was experiencing its consequences.