Page 37 of Kismet

“It is no matter. I am glad you are here now,” Catherine smiled up at him. It had looked like rain earlier and on top of everything else going on, Catherine had worried he might have been in an accident. Shuddering at her dark thoughts, she chose to focus on how happy she was that he had arrived.

Mrs. Ansley coughed at that very moment, causing everyone to look her way. As she dropped the remaining bit of biscuit in her hand, her hands immediately went to her throat. Miss Catherine rushed to her side and started rubbing the woman’s back. “Are you well, Mrs. Ansley?”

Rasping roughly, she said, “I am sorry, I only swallowed wrong.” Blinking rapidly to clear her watering eyes, Mrs. Ansley tried to clear her throat only to start coughing again.

“Why don’t I go get you and Mrs. Ansley some refreshments?” Theodore suggested.

“I’m fine. I—” Another cough disrupted her statement that she was indeed not fine.

“That would be lovely. Thank you, Theodore.” Catherine smiled as she continued to try and help Mrs. Ansley.

Reaching out, Theodore took Catherine's hand and bowing over it, kissed her knuckles. “I will return shortly.”

Only moments after Theodore left, Lady Matlock approached, her lavender gown elegant despite its nod to her mourning. The pleasant smile on her face seemed to lose its luster as she looked at Catherine. “Oh, Miss Catherine, I have heard the rumors and I wanted to come and lend you my support. People love to talk, my dear, and your aspirations to catch an earl is a topic that will never fail to spark conversation.”

Catherine fought the urge to roll her eyes at the woman and her factitious show support. She took the older woman's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze as she forced a smile onto her face. “It is so kind of you to come and lend your support, though I feel I must inform you that you are mistaken. I am not trying to catch an earl. Frankly I already have an earl, and I would love your son no matter his position and responsibilities. To me, it matters not if he is an earl or a soldier. It is his inner qualities that make me love him so deeply.”

“You have some very original sentiments, Miss Catherine.” Lady Matlock’s face had lost all traces of her former smile.

Lady Matlock appeared to tense slightly when Catherine had mentioned love and it was obvious the woman did not support the idea of such affection in a marriage. Catherine had never been very close to Lady Matlock and was slightly intimidated by the possibility of the woman being mother-in-law. This did not prevent her from noting the way her speech of support rang false. Catherine fought the urge to call the woman out of her false comfort. She knew, however, that she did not want to make more of an enemy out of her by being rude while on display in the middle of the ballroom. “Yes, I believe some hold my sentiments to be unusual. Thank you for your support, Lady Matlock.” Catherine curtsied without looking away or backing down.

Lady Matlock’s eyes had just narrowed when Theodore returned with some lemonade for Mrs. Ansley. “Hello, Mother. Are you enjoying the ball?”

Smiling broadly, Lady Matlock replied, “Yes, it is lovely, despite the gossip circulating.”

“Gossip?” Theodore glanced from his mother to Catherine with concern in his eyes.

With a tsk, Lady Matlock shook her head. “Yes, I did warn you that gossip was probable.”

“Yes, I know, Mother. I also know you have been part of society for longer than I have been alive, so I am sure you can help things along.” Catherine noticed that though Theodore smiled, his eyes had grown hard. “If you let everyone know how much you support our match, who can say anything? You are the Countess of Matlock after all.”

“Well,” Lady Matlock replied with a tight smile, “I suppose I should circulate the room then.” She left their group and crossed the ballroom without so much as another glance.

They were quiet for a moment before Theodore smiled at Catherine. “So, were you able to save any dances with me?”

“Be glad I penciled your name in for the supper set before Lord Deerhurst accosted me.” Catherine wrinkled her nose at the memory.

Stepping closer, Theodore practically growled, “He what?”

“He wanted to dance with me, and I refused him. He was rather displeased, but we were close enough to others that he could do nothing about it.” Patting his arm, Catherine was glad when she could feel the muscles under her hand unclench. “Because I turned him down, I cannot dance with any additional gentlemen, so my dance card is rather empty. Would you like to sit with Mrs. Ansley and chat until the supper set?”

“Try and keep me away.” A slight chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled a chair out for her.

Giggling as she sat, she looked deeply into his eyes, happy to be with him after all the earlier unpleasantness. “I would never even want to try.” Catherine knew the night would be hard, but she would hold her head up against the gossip and suspicion and was grateful to have Theodore at her side.

Theodore looked around the ballroom from where he hovered on the edge, in the shadows. Catherine was ensconced with her family. Their defenses were up, and their heads were held high in defiance of the gossip making its way around the room. He was glad she was protected while he was away from her.

The things he had heard that night made him wish he was less civilized. He had been on his way back from using the facilities when one of the gentlemen that he had met at one of the endless dinner parties approached him. The man, whose name he could not recall, asked, “So between gentlemen, how did she convince you to court her? I will admit that Miss Catherine seems meek and even timid in company, and I never gave her a second thought, but I am wondering if I misjudged.”

Nostrils flaring, Theodore had struggled to keep his tone relatively level. “What are you implying?”

Taking a long slug of whatever was in his flask, the man continued, “She must have done something that made courting her worth your while. Everyone is speculating about it. She does not have an impressive dowry, her connections are meager, and though pretty enough, she is not especially well-endowed. She must have some amazing skills, right?” With a lopsided grin, he seemed to wait for Theodore to confirm his suspicions.

Theodore’s blood boiled so fast that he was dizzy. Glaring fiercely, he took a step closer to the man who clearly did not recognize the danger he was in. He wanted to pound the man into a bloody pulp but refrained. Instead, he threw his arm around the man’s shoulders and drew him in close, his whisper deadly. “I know you know I am an earl, but did you know I am also a colonel from the regulars? I survived a great many battlefields by whatever means I had to. I could end you in a moment if I chose to, even without my weapon, but I will not. Do you know why?”

The man’s inebriated gaze sharpened, and the whites of his blue eyes grew large. Shaking his head, he whispered, “No, why?”

“Because you are going to tell everyone that I am courting Miss Catherine because I love her. You are also going to tell them that Colonel Theodore Fitzwilliam, the current Earl of Matlock, protects those he loves. I will use all the means at my disposal to make sure she is safe, happy, and loved. If anyone ever disrespects her as you just did and I find out about it, I will know how to act.” Shoving the man away from him, Theodore stalked away.

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