Page 95 of Irresistible
It took several minutes to reach the inner circle, and Jess heard everyone using the same excuse for bothering him—paying their condolences and respects over the death of his father.
She sank into a deeper than normal curtsey. While she didn’t want him to pursue her, she had a great deal of sympathy for him. “Good evening, Lord Gregory. It’s lovely to see you again.”
“We are so sorry for the loss of your father,” her mother put in, also offering a curtsey.
“Mrs. Goodfellow, Miss Goodfellow. Thank you for coming to celebrate my brother’s engagement. This is a happy occasion, but I do appreciate your kindness.” He spoke as if he’d repeated this dozens of times. Jess was fairly certain he had, that she’d heard those exact words as they’d waited their turn. He also failed to make eye contact with anyone. His gaze passed briefly over each person, then settled somewhere on the middle distance.
Elbowing Jess, her mother whispered, “See if you can get him alone.”
Jess turned toward her mother. “No. He doesn’t seem to want to be here.”
“But I have it on good authority that he’s in the market for a wife.”
“Not tonight, he isn’t.” Jess could see her mother didn’t want to give up. “Please, just look at his eyes. He doesn’t want to be here.”
Her mother sniffed. She also didn’t move.
Jess tried to find their father, who’d remained back by the ballroom door they’d come in. Instead, she saw a surprising face—Dougal. He’d just walked in, and he wasn’t alone. He was flanked by an attractive, older white man and a young Black man who looked as though he could be Dougal’s relative. They shared the same eyes and face shape. Was he one of the cousins Dougal had mentioned?
Her heart skipped at the sight of Dougal, and she had to stop herself from cutting a swath through everyone who stood between them. Instead, she watched as they moved into the ballroom and conversed with several people.
“He’s leaving,” her mother said in dark disappointment.
Of course she meant Lord Gregory. Jess tore her gaze from Dougal and turned back toward her mother’s quarry. Lord Gregory was extricating himself from those clamoring around him. It took a moment, but he slipped outside through one of the doors to the terrace.
That left Jess and her mother amidst a gaggle of disappointed mothers and daughters. Jess wanted to applaud him for finding an escape. Even if he was inclined to marry, he just didn’t seem up to the task this evening.
“My goodness, is that the Earl of Stirling? He hasn’t been to London in years.” This came from somewhere nearby, though Jess couldn’t see who’d said it.
“It’s rather jarring, isn’t it?” Another woman said. “One wonders why Stirling claimed him.”
Jess didn’t know who had uttered such awfulness, which was probably for the best. She would never have been able to keep from responding.
“I knew his youngest—I suppose now he’s Lord Fallin—wasn’t his by blood, but seeing them side by side is shocking.” This comment came from just behind Jess.
Jess turned, glaring at the woman who’d said it. She knew precisely what the woman meant and didn’t bother trying to disguise her contempt. “Do tell us how that is shocking.”
“I don’t understand how it’s been accepted, let alone tolerated. They clearly aren’t father and son. And who is that other Black man with them?” She didn’t realize that Jess’s disdain was directed athernot at Dougal and his father.
“It isn’t shocking at all, you obnoxious harpy. I doubt anyone cares about your opinion on the matter. Anyone can see they share a close bond. I wonder if the same can be said of you and your children.” Jess had no idea who the woman was, but assumed she at least had a daughter since they were in the swarm around Lord Gregory.
Spinning around, Jess started toward Dougal and his family.
“What was that about?” her mother demanded.
“Those horrid people were making nasty comments about Lord Stirling and Lord Fallin. Did you not hear?” Jess dearly hoped her mother didn’t agree. If she did, Jess didn’t know what she would say that wouldn’t ruin their relationship forever.
“I thought I heard something to that effect.” Her mother sent an angry look back toward where they’d just been standing. “I detest malicious gossip.”
“Why should the specifics of a father-son relationship matter to anyone but them?” Jess asked, her indignance still quite hot as she continued moving.
“Where are you going?”
“I thought I would say good evening to them.”
Her mother looked surprised. “You know Lord Fallin?”
Jess almost asked how her mother could forget that she’d danced with him four years ago since she seemed to catalogue every gentleman who’d paid her even a breath of interest. But she realized in that moment that she wasn’t being entirely fair. Perhaps it was the situation she’d just witnessed and her need to defend the relationship between a parent and his child that gave her pause. Her mother had made mistakes and was singularly-minded, but in the end, she had Jess’s best interests at heart. At least, what she believed to be Jess’s best interests.
