“I’ll come,” Miss Lancaster said. “That is my entire purpose, in fact.”
“It’s not your entire purpose,” Cassandra said with a laugh. “Sabrina?”
“Er, my mother is coming this way.” She would have much rather gone with Cass and Miss Lancaster. Indeed, she would have much rather jumped onto the dais and burst into song. That was how much she dreaded the coming encounter. She’d rather face her greatest fear—being the center of attention—than suffer her mother’s company. No longer having to do so had been the brightest part of marrying a stranger.
Cass linked her arm through Miss Lancaster’s as Sabrina’s mother arrived. Shorter than Sabrina, she still had the ability to make Sabrina feel small.
“Good evening, Mother, Peggy.” Sabrina pivoted toward Miss Lancaster. “Allow me to present Lady Cassandra’s companion, Miss Lancaster.”
Sabrina’s mother and sister curtsied to Cass, from which Sabrina took a regrettable, perverse pleasure. Her sister-in-law outranked them, but then so did Sabrina. Her sisters’ marriages might look more successful from the outside, given the fact that they’d produced offspring, but Sabrina had married the best of any of them since she would one day be a duchess. That still seemed unbelievable to Lady Tarleton, who never failed to seize an opportunity to comment on the fortune that had allowed Sabrina, of all her daughters, to marry so well.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lancaster.” Peggy gave her a bright smile before turning her attention to Sabrina. “You look well, Sabrina.”
“Thank you.”
“Please excuse us,” Cass said. “I must speak with someone.” She leaned toward Sabrina and whispered, “I’ll find you again soon. Or you find me.”
Sabrina nodded, and the two women left. Summoning the courage that was becoming easier to find, Sabrina faced her mother and sister with a serene expression, her hands clasped before her. “You also look well, Peggy.”
Peggy always looked more than well. She possessed a vibrancy that had never failed to make Sabrina feel lacking, not that her sister had ever sought to do so. In fact, when they were young, Peggy had tried to coax Sabrina to relax and feel less anxious. Though Sabrina had tried, she could never come close to her charming and dazzling eldest sister. Her dark blonde hair was perfectly styled, and she wore a stunning gown of several hues of blue.
Sabrina caught sight of herself in one of the mirrors hanging around the room. Her hair looked elegant and pretty—Charity had done her usual brilliant work. And Sabrina’s gown, another new confection of peacock blue and gold, made her look like the countess she was trying to be. The countess she was.
“Thank you.” Peggy took a small step forward, her blue eyes alight. “I received your invitation to the ball. I’m eagerly anticipating it.”
“If you invited Alicia, I doubt she will attend, since the new babe is barely two months in the world.” The viscountess’s gaze dipped to Sabrina’s belly. “I don’t suppose you are expecting.” It wasn’t even a question.
Sabrina fluttered her hand briefly in front of herself. “It’s certainly possible.” In that moment, she realized it was. She and Constantine had lain together that one night last week. However, while possible, it was unlikely. They’d shared a bed on many occasions, and so far, she had nothing to show for it, unlike her sisters, Peggy and Alicia.
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “Well, that would be a miracle.”
“Mother,” Peggy murmured as she cast a frown in her direction.
Their mother clucked her tongue. “So late for your invitations to go out, Sabrina. You’ll be lucky if even a fraction of who you’ve invited will attend.” She paused a moment, likely for her words to land with their intended distress upon Sabrina. In response, Sabrina kept her features placid and worked not to squeeze her hands together.
The internal wobble that had been so much a part of Sabrina’s youth and that made her feel as if she could crack into a hundred pieces at any given moment returned. Gritting her teeth, both against the unsettling sensation and her mother’s obnoxiousness, she surprised herself by asking, “And how will you respond, Mother?”
The viscountess’s eyes rounded, and a victorious surge beat down Sabrina’s anxiety. “I haven’t yet decided, to be honest. I can’t imagine it will be well executed since you seem to be rushing to host it.”
“Mother, you must come,” Peggy pleaded. “Sabrina is going to be a duchess.” That her sister had to use that argument to persuade her mother to attend her own daughter’s first ball was incredibly sad.
Sabrina gave her mother a smile that should have peeled the paint from the drawing room walls. “By all means, if you anticipate that the ball—that I—will be a failure, it’s best if you don’t come. When the duke asks where my parents are, I will explain they were too busy to attend.”
Her mother’s gasp was the most satisfying sound Sabrina had ever heard.
“There you are, my dear.”
Sabrina pivoted to see her husband moving to her side. He set his hand against her back, eliciting a shiver along her spine. Had he ever touched her like that? Let alone in a social setting?
“Good evening, Lady Tarleton.” Constantine inclined his head toward Sabrina’s mother and then toward her sister. “Lady Stinton. How delightful to encounter you. It’s so rare that we see you both, especially you, Lady Tarleton.”
There was an acid to his tone that made Sabrina want to smile. Then hug him until he couldn’t breathe.
“Good evening, Lord Aldington,” Sabrina’s mother said stiffly. “I’m not sure I recall the last time I saw you and my daughter in the same company.”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t at your house for dinner or even a visit.” Constantine flashed her a smile that Sabrina hadn’t even realized he possessed. Spectacularly handsome and deliciously taunting at the same time. Oh, yes, she was going to hug him at the earliest possible opportunity.
He presented his arm to Sabrina. “Come, lady wife, let us take a turn. Good evening, ladies.”
The moment Sabrina put her hand on his arm, he steered her to the other side of the drawing room and into an adjoining room with tables of refreshments. He didn’t pause to offer her anything. Instead, he guided her to a door and pushed it open. They stepped onto a small balcony, and he closed the door behind him.
Sabrina immediately chilled as gooseflesh rippled across her bare shoulders. She suddenly realized they were alone. The balcony was small—perhaps one other couple could fit—and it overlooked the rear garden. Without pause, she threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. “Thank you,” she said against his collar.
He clasped her back, his hands warm against her. “Are you all right?”
“I am now. What you did inside… What you said to my mother…” She drew back so she could look up into his eyes. The faint gold flecks seemed more brilliant tonight, despite the darkness on the balcony. “Thank you. No one has ever…rescued me like that.”
A smile teased his lips. “I heard what you said before I interrupted. I’m not sure you needed rescuing, but I’m afraid I couldn’t resist contributing.” His fingertips stroked her spine, trailing upward until his glove met her flesh.