Page 33 of Thief of the Ton
In the end, hope always surpassed reality.
Lavinia blinked, and tears clouded her vision. She moved toward the terrace doors. But a hand caught her sleeve.
“Miss de Grande—little Guinevere—have I said aught to distress you?”
“You never came to see us after we left Fosterley Park,” she said. “You abandoned me, just as Papa’s friends abandoned him.”
He shook his head. “Is that what you think? I had no idea where you’d gone after Lord de Grande’s ruination. My father said—”
“There’s no need to tell me what he said,” she replied. “I know the contempt with which a ruined man is viewed by his former friends. I shall loathe every one of those former friends for all eternity, and I would have my vengeance if I could.”
He recoiled at the hatred in her voice.
“Forgive me.” She sighed. “Sometimes I feel so—angry—at the world.”
“Many men suffer ruination,” he said, gesturing toward the terrace doors. “I’ll wager most of the guests here tonight faced ruination at some point. Men of the aristocracy are notorious for having a lack of understanding of the need to balance one’s finances. I happen to know that it’s only by virtue of having an excellent steward that Lord Francis remains solvent. Lady Francis likes to entertain a little too often, to maintain the appearance of status.”
“You’re acquainted with Lord Francis?” she asked, keeping her voice as smooth as she could.
“My father and his attended Harrow together.”
“Aunt and I attended a dinner at his house a month ago,” she said, “but I didn’t see you there.”
He laughed softly. “Lord Francis is at liberty to invite whom he wishes. A man isn’t obliged to invite all of his acquaintances to every social function he holds, or he’d grow heartily sick of them, would he not? The benefit of acquaintances, as opposed to family, is that you can keep them at a healthy distance. With family, we have no choice in the matter, and are burdened no matter what.”
“I would not be without my father for anything in the world,” Lavinia replied. “I’dneverthink him a burden.”
He bowed his head. “Forgive me, I meant no offense. Your father—is he well? I’m ashamed to say that I recall very little of him. Then, when you moved away…” He colored and looked away, then, after a pause, resumed his attention on her. “Is he in London?”
She shook her head. “He remains in the country. Springfield, if you know it?”
“In Sussex, if I recall,” he said. “Less than a day’s ride from London, so it would be no trouble for your father to travel. I hope to see him in London soon.”
“He’s not in good health,” she said. “I’m afraid traveling is out of the question.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he replied. “But a visit to London might be beneficial. There are many excellent physicians on Harley Street. Or he might consider a vacation on the Continent? My own father resides in Italy, and the warmer weather does wonders for his—”
“It’s quite impossible,” she interrupted. Was the man a fool?
“I fail to see why—”
“My father wasruined,” she said. “He does not have the means to afford a London physician, or a vacation in Italy.”
Curse him! Curse the lot of them!
Lady Francis’s spiteful words came back to taunt her. Was she nothing but a charity case, here by the grace of Cousin Charles and his benevolence?
To his credit, Lord Marlow looked ashamed.
“I meant no offense,” he said. “I recall so little of Lord de Grande, and I’m not in a position to give an informed opinion on his circumstances.”
“Hiscircumstances, as you call them, are that he was betrayed by those he called friends, by men he had the misfortune to trust, and I wish nothing but misfortune onthem.”
“May I ask who has inspired such hatred?” he asked.
Hatred…
An ugly word—filled with evil. Did she hate them, the faceless men who had ruined her life? Perhaps not for her sake, but for Papa’s. His ill health had been brought about by their machinations. The once virile man on whom she’d been able to lean had been reduced to a shell.
