Page 67 of One Perfect Dance
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Ash spent mostof the day with Geoffrey, who continued to feel responsible for Regina’s abduction and Ash’s injury, despite what anyone said. The young man was pleasant enough company. They played cards for penny points, argued trade politics, and shared opinions on books, poets, music, and all sorts of other things.
Regina had joined them for breakfast but had otherwise been out for most of the day.
She came in again late in the afternoon and crossed straight to the bed to kiss Ash on the cheek. “I am sorry to have neglected you today,” she said. “Wilson tells me, Geoffrey, that you have been keeping Elijah company. Well done.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, too, and he blushed and ducked.
“There is no one to see except Elijah,” she scolded fondly, reaching up to tousle his hair. “He does not think the worst of you for allowing your mother to show you affection. Do you, Elijah?”
“On the contrary,” Ash said, honestly. “I just regret my own mother cannot be here to embarrass me in front of other people.”
Both Paddimores laughed, as he had intended.
“I have returned to collect my maid and my costume,” Regina explained. “I have a few more things to do at Cordelia’s, and I will get dressed there. Remember, Geoffrey, you are having dinner with us at the Deerhavens before the ball.”
She hesitated, frowning.
“What is troubling you, my love?” Ash asked.
Regina put her hand on her son’s arm. “Geoffrey, you will keep your temper, will you not? If anyone says horrid things to you about the other night? We have been telling everyone that Elijah and I came to get you from your friend’s place after you were taken ill. That’s all anyone can prove. All the rest is speculation and a lot of it is lies.”
“I will not stand for people insulting my mother,” Geoffrey insisted.
“You will turn it away with a laugh or with scorn,” Ash commanded, “rather than making a fuss that will lead people to believe there is something in the rumors.”
Geoffrey, who would have argued with Regina had she said the same thing, looked helplessly at Ash. “I can see that’s best, but I don’t know what to say.”
An impish mischief lit Ash’s eyes. “For example, ‘My dear Lord Pompous, I am not surprised Mr. Deffew wishes to turn attention away from his own—shall we say activities? I would not have thought him the low kind of worm that would do so by insulting an innocent woman. I suppose she hurt his feelings by repeatedly refusing his proposal. Instead of taking his dismissal like a gentleman, he appears to have decided to find comfort in unfortunate practices and then slander an innocent woman in what I can only assume is some kind of revenge. Alas that a gentleman cannot dirty his hands with such slime. A horse whip, perhaps?’ Would that do? Or something like?”
Geoffrey had brightened as he listened to Ash’s drawl. “Can we practice some more,” he asked.
“Just try not to be late for dinner,” Regina said.
Ash and Geoffrey were still entertaining themselves with different ways of painting Dilly as the villain of the piece when Rex and William arrived. Geoffrey insisted on sharing the latest riposte. “If someone suggests to me that my mother has behaved an unseemly manner, I am going to say, ‘A mother should be able to be escorted by her betrothed to the bedside of her son without villainous people telling lies about her and casting aspersions on her reputation. It is a sad reflection on Society that these calumnies are being repeated.’”
William nodded. “That’s it, lad. You’re not letting them get away with it, but you are being civil and dignified.”
“You need to go and get changed for dinner,” Ash reminded Geoffrey.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After the youngman had left the room, Elijah asked the other two, “How bad is it?”
“Our friends are all with us, of course,” Rex said. “And many others are content to be convinced. However, some have made up their minds the other way, with Deffew as the victim of a designing woman.”
William sighed. “This goes back before this Season, for I’ve had people tell me that they’ve known for years that there was something between Regina and Deffew. Mother suspects the Deffews and others in their circle of building up to this for a long time.”
“I need to go to the ball,” Ash announced.
“Regina won’t like it,” William warned. “She wants you to stay still with your leg up.”
Ash set his jaw. “I won’t like it if Regina is scorned at her own ball, and I am not at her side.”
“We will need something smaller than a bed,” Rex announced. “Lord Kingsley, see if your sister has a sofa long enough for my large friend here to stretch his leg out. Footman to carry it will not to be a problem. And I can have most of the seats taken out of the landau to fit the sofa in. Ash, my friend, you will go to the ball.”
William nodded. “That just might work. It is no distance at all to the Deerhavens, and the streets are in good condition.”
“It will work.” Ash grinned. “Not a word to Regina,” he warned.
