Page 9 of Hot and Bothered in July
“In that regard, my lady, I suspect there are many in agreement with you. But that is a stigma I have decided to leave in the past.”
There was something in Mr. Carrington’s tone that caused Sariah to pause. Until now, they had been having a particularly engaging exchange, but she’d gone too far. She wouldn’t say she’d hurt his feelings, but there was definitely a stiffness to his shoulders, a firm set to his jaw, that was not there a few moments before.
Ugh. Was she now supposed to feel sorry for him? Until now she’d been doing quite well in resisting his charms which were, she grudgingly admitted, rather plentiful.
She decided that she would find a time to apologize if she had actually injured him. Whatever he might think of her, she did not want him to believe she was intentionally cruel.
They made their way inside the theatre box and Sariah tugged on her escort’s arm to make him halt. “Mr. Carrington, forgive me if I said anything to cause any discomfort?—”
“Not to worry.” He patted her hand and smiled in a tolerant manner, as if expecting nothing less from her. “I am familiar with your particular mannerisms by this point, Miss Kent. Nothing you can say truly surprises me.”
How he managed to spin her efforts from guilt to annoyance with a mere twist of his words was nothing short of remarkable. She took her seat, her lips pursed in frustration. Thankfully, he did not join her, allowing her mother to take that position. Instead, he sat beside her father, presumably to discuss business matters.
Sariah yearned to roll her eyes in frustration. Must it be that the only thing men talked about was politics and money rather than something of substance?
Deciding to ignore what was happening behind her, Sariah took her opera glasses out and scanned the other boxes around them. She started with the Earl of Blasingame and Viscount Holdton, but to her dismay, her friends were not in attendance. She mourned their loss but realized their absence likely meant that their parents were concerned that Sariah’s influence might mark them in an unsavory light. Maggie and Ava knew that she was going to the theatre tonight, so their parents were likely curious to see how Sariah and their companion would be received.
She sat back, effectively disheartened. It was to be expected that they would not suffer the same strict consequences since they were not directly named in the Belle’s article. It was just another unjust retaliation against the fairer sex, in Sariah’s opinion.
During most of the initial the performance, Sariah was able to discount the man behind her and actually enjoy the opera. Bythe time intermission was upon them, she was looking forward to the second half.
“Shall I fetch you some punch?” her father asked. Both Sariah and her mother declined, and so he turned to Mr. Carrington. “Perhaps now might be a good time to introduce you to a couple of my colleagues.”
Mr. Carrington put a hand over his chest and inclined his head. “Lead the way, my lord.”
After they left, the baroness spied something of interest in another box. “Lady Arnold is here. I have been meaning to catch an audience with her.”
Sariah knew what that meant. Lady Arnold was a gossip. No doubt her mother was eager to gain the lateston ditas she slipped away.
Glad to be left to her own devices for a time, Sariah’s relief was particularly short lived when she was soon interrupted by an unwelcome visitor. “Miss Kent.”
She bristled at the slithering voice of Lord Baltimore. Every respectable lady in London avoided him like a snake because of his reputation. He had been banned from most polite gatherings, although the theatre was open to one and all.
“My lord,” she said stiffly, not bothering to rise to her feet.
“I admit I never knew you had it in you,” he murmured as he confidently slid into the seat next to her.
She frowned as he did then sat up straighter and glanced behind her, already planning her escape through the concealing curtains should it become necessary. “What exactly is that, my lord?”
“Come now,” he chortled. “You do not have to play coy with me. Unless of course, it is how you prefer to play these games.”
A sense of unease deepened. She frowned. “I can assure you I am not playing any sort of games.”
“Are you not?” he countered smoothly, reaching for her.
Sariah shot to her feet, and he followed. She braced herself, preparing to bring her knee upward if necessary. It was a method of deterring attention that she had learned from her elder brother some years ago. While she had not found it necessary to attempt the maneuver before, she was certainly considering it now.
“No,” she said flatly. She slid around the back row of seats, intending to cut their conversation short. She lifted her chin, feeling as though there was a respectable distance between them. “I will remind you to keep your distance, sir, and now I think it is time for you to take your leave.”
“Why? Because you are sovirtuous?” He caught up to her in short order and grasped her arm roughly. “After this morning’s article, I would have cause to doubt that.”
Sariah was willing to endure most any insult, but a direct slight to her dignity could not be tolerated. She faced off with her opponent, prepared to give him a scathing set down before enacting her original intent, but he was abruptly removed from her sight and slammed against the wall, a furious-faced Mr. Carrington pinning him in place.
“It is not very polite to accuse a lady of wrongdoing when she is innocent. Would you not agree?”
As Lord Baltimore’s cravat was tightened fractionally, his eyes bulged and he quickly nodded. “You are quite right. Of course, I meant nothing by it.”
“That better hold true,” his assailant warned quietly. “If I discover otherwise, I will not hesitate to make a personal call to remind you of your promise. Do you understand my meaning?”
