Remember Then

XX. Threats

"Surely Lord Durley cannot be that all bad!" Nicholas heard Ysabella utter. His two sisters, Ysabella and Emma, were secretly staring across the ballroom, their eyes flickering from one point to another. "And so is his mistress, poor thing! Everyone is gawking at her! Just look!"

Nicholas followed the direction of their gaze and found Durley talking to Osegod while Sophia lingered merely a few paces away, enough to draw everyone's attention on her and not on Durley. She was wearing the same gown she was wearing earlier in the gaming room, her face unreadable yet beautifully out of place.

"Lady Gedge is coming her way!" Ysabella hissed at Emma.

"That woman knows everything but her rightful place," Emma growled back.

It was too late when Nicholas realized what his sisters were about to do when they suddenly jumped to their feet and crossed squeezed their way through the crowd in their gallant attempt to rescue a woman they did not even know.

"Bloody hell!" he cursed under his breath, rushing after his sisters, but his mother's voice called out to him. When he deliberately ignored the call, a hand grabbed his arm and he turned to find Lady Alice beaming up at him. "I have a very important task for you, son," she uttered.

Nicholas craned his neck to find his sisters. They were already making their way toward Sophia who was slowly being surrounded by Lady Gedge, Wickhurst's biggest gossipmonger, and her friends.

"Mother, I am afraid I am quite occupied at the moment. See, your two daughters are currently—"

"Oh, let them be. Ysabella is a married woman and Emma ought to learn from her. Now, come with me and I have something for you to do."

His mother pushed him to the right.

"Mother, I do not think Ysabella is the best teacher Emma can learn from—"

"Now, son," her mother continued, not hearing his words, leaning close to him in a conspiratorial manner, "I believe you and your brothers are not too fond of Osegod, but we must at the very least be nice to him—"

"I do not understand what you are trying to do, Mother. If you wish me to dance with the man, I have to consider that you are starting to go senile."

His mother lightly slapped his arm in warning. "Do be serious, Nicholas. Now, as I was saying, Benedict might have refused Lord Ransford's offer to be a partner in our trade. And of course, I do not know the secret you and your siblings are keeping from me, but I trust that it does not include Lord Ransford's daughter."

Nicholas frowned at his mother. She was as perceptive as Maxwell and it still amazed all of them to this day. He was not certain how much she knew about Osegod, but they must consider the fact that they did were not raised by a foolish mother.

"Mother, whatever misunderstanding Osegod has with—" he paused when her last words finally dawned on him. "What daughter?"

Lady Alice gave him a knowing smile as she turned him face another direction. "Her, son."

Nicholas frowned at the crowd, not quite certain where his mother wanted him to look. But he soon found who she was referring to when he spotted a woman standing idly in one corner wearing a dark blue gown that almost resembled the wall. A few feet away was Osegod himself. Nicholas returned his gaze to the woman.

There was no mistaking it. She had the same dark hair, square jaw and thin lips. She was not striking, but something in her spoke volume of her character—strong and confident. She was not dressed to impress anyone. She simply carried herself in such manner that despite being alone in one corner with her hands clasped in front of her, one could not easily come forward and make light of her.