Page 37 of Bad Luck Bride

“Sorry. But that is the one, isn’t it?” she added in a whisper asshe rose and crossed the room to Kay’s side. “Or have I got it mixed up?”

“No, you’re quite right.”

Josephine paused beside her chair, looking thoroughly let down. “Well, then, we certainly won’t be going.”

Kay made a face. “We might have to. Wilson’s involved in that hotel as well, if you recall.”

“Mama won’t like it if we go.”

“No,” Kay agreed. “And Wilson won’t like it if we don’t. You remember how he practically dragged us into that opera supper.” Again, she glanced at the bills on her desk. “No, dear sister, I’m afraid Wilson’s wishes trump Mama’s.”

“What about you?” Josephine asked. “What do you want to do?”

“Do you need to ask? I’d rather have teeth drawn than be anywhere near Devlin Sharpe.”

“Well, then, refuse it. Wilson surely won’t want you attending an affair you don’t want to attend.”

“Won’t he? Still…” Kay paused, considering, then reached for a sheet of stationery, her mind made up. “You’re quite right. Why should I go to something I don’t wish to?”

The matter settled, Jo returned to her own letters, and Kay inked her pen, but she’d barely written the words, “With regret,” before Devlin’s amused voice echoed through her mind.

Running away?

Kay paused and set her jaw, working to shove his provoking words out of her mind.

Of course, if you’d rather scurry off like a frightened rabbit…

She was not a rabbit, and she certainly wasn’t afraid ofhim. It was both galling and infuriating that he thought so. Suppressing anoath, Kay shoved aside the sheet of paper, reached for a fresh one, and before she could change her mind again, she had accepted the duke’s invitation and sealed her acceptance inside an envelope.

Her mother would be a trial, and the evening would be unpleasant, but Kay consoled herself with the knowledge Wilson would be pleased, and pleasing Wilson was her most important duty.

Nonetheless, as she gave the letter of acceptance to her mother’s maid to post, she knew full well the real reason she was accepting had nothing to do with pleasing her fiancé. No, she was going to this soiree because she had no intention of letting Devlin Sharpe ever accuse her again of being a coward. She’d hurl herself onto the train tracks before she’d ever let him have the satisfaction.

Kay knew, probably better than anyone, that impulsive decisions could lead to surprising and unintended consequences, a fact that was brought forcibly home to her that evening when Wilson called at her suite on his way to a business meeting, and she launched the topic of the Mayfair.

“I hear this new hotel of yours is opening in less than a fortnight,” she began as she poured him a whiskey.

“Yes, I know. Calderon’s got some big grand opening party on in honor of it.” He paused, giving her a look that was almost apologetic as he took the offered glass of whiskey from her. “My attendance will be required, of course.”

“Of course,” she agreed as she poured a small glass of sherry for herself. “No doubt that is why I also received an invitation.”

Wilson stilled, his glass halfway to his lips. “You got one?”

“Yes. So did Mama, of course, and Josephine. Would you care to fetch us in your carriage, or shall we meet you there?”

He lowered his glass, staring at her as if she’d suddenly grown a second head. “My dear Kay, you won’t be going.”

She stared, not sure she’d heard right. “I beg your pardon?”

“As I said, I must attend, but there’s no reason for you to be there.”

She thought again of that night at the opera supper when he’d insisted on hauling her forward to converse with Devlin, his fiancée, and his future in-laws, and her confusion deepened. “I’d have thought you’d want me to be there,” she said slowly. “But you don’t want us to go?”

“Of course I don’t. What a question. I don’t want you anywhere near that scoundrel Devlin Sharpe.”

“But… but… the other night…” She paused, laughing a little at the vagaries her fiancé possessed. He really was the most unpredictable man. “Three weeks ago at the opera supper, you practically dragged me into Calderon’s supper party and behaved as if we were all happy as clams together.”

“Of course I did.” Wilson shrugged and took a sip of whiskey. “But only because at that point there was no graceful way to bow out. When you told me Lady Stratham had invited us to supper, I was quite glad to attend, with her fiancé being a business partner of mine. And she’s got a lot of influence in society as well, so keeping in with her will be good for Charlene down the road.”

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