Page 14 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
Together, they walked along the main hall and entered the hustle and bustle of the ballroom. Ephraim did not wish to linger very long, but he realized he had to make his presence seem convincing. His days of ballrooms and dances were long gone.
“Might I fetch a drink for you, Lady Adelaide?” Jasper asked, as they came to a halt on the periphery of the dance floor.
She nodded. “Oh yes, that would be delightful. Might you get one for Miss Green, too?”
“Of course,” he replied. “I will not be too long.”
“Good, for I fear my guest is losing patience with you.” Adelaide chuckled and took off towards the far side of the room. Ephraim squinted to try and make out the others who sat with her. He knew of Countess Gaumont and her daughter, but he did not know either of them very well. Miss Green, however, was a familiar face. A nice enough young girl, if a little overzealous.
“You should tell her,” Jasper whispered, distracting Ephraim.
“There is no need.”
“You believe this will work?”
He nodded. “It must. If it does not, I shall be ruined.”
“Your wife and daughter will appreciate your honesty,” Jasper insisted.
Ephraim smiled, “You are still young, Jasper. There is much you do not know about the world, and I am sorry that you have had to see certain sordid aspects of it because of me. I thank you for your continued assistance.” He paused, fixing his gaze on Jasper. “However, when it comes to my family, I know what is best. This will soon be over, and there will be no need to worry any longer.”
“You truly believe so?”
“It is a small task that Lord Rowntree has requested, in return for a large reward,” Ephraim went on. “He has been kind enough to give me half upfront. With that, I may guarantee the happiness and security of a much beloved daughter. It is worth the risk.”
Jasper exhaled anxiously. “If you are sure.”
“I am… I have to be.”
“Well, regardless of what you decide, you may continue to rely on me.”
“I thank you for that, Jasper.”
“I just hope you may extricate yourself from this web, once all is said and done,” he said softly.
“As do I, my boy, as I do.”
* * *
Ephraim watched the dancers from the sidelines. It was close to midnight, and he had stayed at the Assembly Rooms far longer than he had intended. There was something about the warmth and the noise that comforted him. It was most unusual, but he was not averse to the pleasant sensation. Indeed, it was rather lovely to see his daughter in her element. She appeared to be the belle of the ball.
“Congratulations on the engagement between your daughter and the Duke of Bradford, My Lord,” one well-wisher said, in passing. He thanked the gentleman and returned to his spectating. There had been several such gestures of congratulations throughout the evening, both to him, and to Adelaide herself. With the evening creeping into the wee hours, she looked positively radiant with joy. If this was the kind of happiness that his risky endeavor could buy, then he was more than willing to do it.
“All the young men are much too frightened to ask your daughter to dance, My Lord,” remarked another well-wisher, a distant acquaintance named George Milburn. “She will soon be the Duchess of Bradford, if I am not mistaken?”
“You are not, Mr. Milburn,” he replied.
“A fortunate match, indeed.”
“Yes, very fortunate. They seem fond of one another.”
“Then they are luckier than most,” Mr. Milburn commended.
Ephraim nodded. “Yes, I believe they are.”
His gaze moved towards Jasper and Leah, who had come to a halt with the fading cessation of the music. They had danced the previous dance together, but a frosty distance stretched between them. Ephraim wondered what might have happened during the dance to leave them looking so melancholy. Whatever it was, it did not seem his place to enquire.
A moment later, Leah strode towards Adelaide, whilst Jasper headed out of the ballroom altogether. Ephraim contemplated going after Jasper, but common sense held him in his place. It was likely nothing more than youthful exuberance and a touch too much champagne.
