Page 38 of Courting Miss Lancaster
Adam was putting on a good show, Harry would give him that. But no one would ever accuse him of enjoying himself.Poor Athena,Harry thought. She was so very sensitive and, no doubt, assumed Adam’s disgruntled attitude was somehow her fault. Her eyes darted in his direction, and Harry offered a reassuring smile.
“She doesn’t appear to be any happier about this than I am,” Adam muttered under his breath.
Harry smiled. “She is nervous, Adam,” he answered, also sotto voce. “Try not to look so entirely irritated when Daphne has her come-out.”
Adam’s eyes snapped to Harry, wide for a fraction of a moment, before his usual annoyed expression returned. “I’m placing Daphne in a convent,” he declared almost silently.
“She is not Catholic,” Harry replied.
“I don’t care.”
The music began, and thus the dancing, ending the very entertaining conversation. Harry had suspected that Adam had grown fond of Daphne. The fact that Adam had very nearly appeared panicked at the thought of Daphne looking for a husband confirmed the suspicion.
“Smile, my dear,” Harry whispered to Athena as the movements of the dance crossed their paths with one another. “You look beautiful and are doing very, very well.”
Her smile was equal parts gratitude and nerves. Harry managed to continue with the movements of the dance despite his almost overwhelming desire to pull Athena into his embrace until she looked at ease once more. Her father, Harryunderstood, had never taken an active role in the lives of his children, and Adam was notoriously aloof and intimidating. If Harry didn’t miss his mark, Athena needed reassurance, but there had seldom been anyone to offer it. The fact that she had retained as much optimism and hope as she had was testament to her strength of character.
“Is she going to survive?” Persephone asked as she and Harry met up once more.
“Absolutely,” Harry answered. With a kind and considerate husband, Athena would thrive. It was a depressing thought. What he wouldn’t give to have been that lucky gentleman.
“Areyougoing to survive?”
But Harry wasn’t entirely sure he’d heard the whispered question correctly. Persephone had moved a little too far away for him to be certain. Before he was near enough again to ask her to repeat the perplexing comment, an enormous distraction arrived in the form of the ever-expanding Prince of Wales.
Adam muttered a profanity just vulgar enough to make Harry laugh out loud. The assembled guests would have a show, that was for sure and certain.
At the arrival of the prince and his entourage—noticeably thin of members, due, no doubt, to the uncertainty of Adam’s reaction to His Royal Highness’s arrival—the music, and thus the dancing, had come to an abrupt and somewhat awkward stop. The guests had parted, as was customary, every pair of eyes darting between Adam and the royal guest.
Adam, looking not in the least overawed, slipped Persephone’s arm through his and remained precisely where he was, waiting for the prince to come to him. Harry would have laughed if he’d thought there was any chance Adamwouldn’tcall him out for ruining the moment.
“Is this a good sign or bad?” Athena asked so quietly Harry almost didn’t hear her, despite the fact that she was standingdirectly beside him, or curtsying directly beside him, as it were.
“That depends a great deal on the prince,” Harry replied.
The Prince of Wales came to a stop directly in front of Adam. Any other man would have offered a very deferential bow to the prince. Adam simply raised an eyebrow. For a moment the men stood perfectly still, watching one another. The room was so silent Harry was certain he could hear the prince sweating.
Every rule of protocol dictated that Adam offer the first acknowledgment—that he, possessing a lower rank, should bow to his prince. But Adam never bowed to anyone. During royal drawing rooms, Adam would allow an inclination of his head in acknowledgment of the queen and a greeting was spared for her son, but more out of consideration for Her Majesty than out of any sense of duty to the prince.
“This is treasonous, Harry,” Athena whispered.
“Adam is more revered than our prince,” Harry replied quietly. “This is a battle for precedence.”
The prince, Harry knew, was reluctant to concede defeat. His position as Prince of Wales afforded him little, if any, influence in the world, beyond the deference he received attongatherings. Adam was about to take even that away from His Royal Highness. It was no wonder the entire world was deathly afraid of the Duke of Kielder.
The room had collectively risen from their bows and curtsies, and still the duke and the prince stood watching one another. If Adam’s victim had been anyone other than the Prince of Wales, Harry would have intervened. For the victim’s sake. Poor Prince George was on his own.
“Kielder.” The prince accompanied this acknowledgment with the slightest inclination of his head. An audible gasp echoed around the room. The prince had just, effectively, bowed to a duke—not even a royal duke—and had done sobeforesaid duke had bowed to him.
Every eye was glued to Adam. How would he respond? Harry could all but hear the question pulsating in every mind.
“Please don’t call him out.” Athena’s nearly silent plea was so desperate and so worried, Harry couldn’t help taking her hand in his and squeezing it reassuringly. Her eyes, like everyone else’s, were riveted to the scene playing out before them all. “Oh, Harry,” she whispered. “This will ruin my ball.”
“Nonsense,” Harry replied, leaning a little closer, enveloping himself in the scent of violets and soaking up once more the pleasant sensation of simply standing near her. “I assure you, Adam has full control of the situation. He will not allow scandal to touch your ball.”Provided he doesnotdecide to call the prince “Georgie” again.
“Your Highness,” Adam acknowledged but didn’t so much as lower an eyelid, let alone his head, nor did he offer a bow. The tone with which Adam addressed the prince was not remotely deferential, but more than a touch annoyed. “You have interrupted the opening set.”
“My sincere apologies.”
