In the end, she’d lost Jasper, but she had her dress.
And that would have to be enough.
Anne looped her arm through Katherine’s. “How very fortunate you are,” she said on a sigh. She gave Katherine’s arm a faint squeeze.
A tightness settled in Katherine’s chest. She had a husband in love with a ghost. She would never have children of her own. Her heart would forever belong to Jasper, whether she wished it or not. Her lips twisted wryly. Fortunate, indeed.
She reached up and fiddled with the heart pendant looped around her neck. The latch clicked and the chain slipped into her hand.
“What are you—?”
She held out the necklace. “Here, Anne,” she said softly. Katherine no longer needed the insignificant bauble that forever reminded her of the heart she’d never possess. But, her innocent, whimsical sister still believed, and for that, Anne should be the sole owner of the pendant.
Anne stared down at it a moment. She wet her lips and then reached tentative fingers toward it. She pulled her hand back. “You still need your duke’s heart, Katherine. I can w—”
“Take it,” she insisted. Anne could free her of at least the small reminder of all she’d never have.
Her sister’s fingers closed around the precious memento. She looked down, silently at the bauble, a wishful smile playing upon her lips. She glanced up…and her smile promptly withered upon her lips to be replaced with a scowl.
Katherine followed her disapproving stare over toward Harry, the Earl of Stanhope.
Anne mumbled under her breath. “I do not know why you associate with that man. Mother is right, where he’s concerned.” She grimaced. “And you know I do detest admitting Mother is ever right about anything.”#p#分页标题#e#
From a short distance away, Harry caught Katherine’s gaze, and gave a devilish wink.
Katherine shook her head. What an insufferable rake he was.
“Winking at you in the midst of a ball,” Anne muttered. “Why, you’re a married woman.”
“He’s been a friend to me,” Katherine gently chided.
“That man can have no intentions that are honorable, Kat,” she said in a hushed whisper. “He’s vile, and rude, and completely condescending, and boorish, and…”
“Who is this paragon of a person you and your sister discuss, Your Grace?”
Anne screeched and yanked her arm free of Katherine’s. High color flooded her cheeks as she glared at Harry. She gave a flounce of her curls, otherwise ignoring him. And, cunning, she mouthed back at Katherine as she took her leave with one last black look for Harry.
“Lovely creature,” Harry said, a wry twist of humor to his words. He took Katherine’s hand and bowed over it.
She discreetly pinched the soft flesh of his palm. “Do be kind, Harry. She’s my sister. And she loves me,” she said, pulling her hand back.
Harry motioned to a passing servant and retrieved a glass of champagne. He took a long swallow and peered out at the dancers, who performed the lively steps of a country reel. “It would seem we’ve earned Society’s censure again, this evening.” His tone hardly sounded repentant.
Katherine followed his gaze to the stern matrons who peered down their noses at her and Harry.
“Should we wave and smile?” Harry proposed.
She swatted at his arm. “You’ll do no such thing.”
He sighed. “You are a spoiler of good fun, Kat.”
She hardly cared for her name being dragged through the gossip columns as had happened since she’d made her entrance into Society as a married woman. The gossips had speculated as to her swift and secretive marriage to the Duke of Bainbridge. Then there had been the gossip as to her appearance in light of her husband’s absence. Then the rogues and their vile intentions had descended.
Harry had kept ranks with them for a very brief moment, before becoming her confidante and ultimately, her protector from the lascivious gentlemen desiring a place in her bed.
Katherine searched the crowd, beset by an odd disquiet.
“Are you looking for someone in particular, sweet Kat?”
“Do hush,” she scolded from the side of her mouth. “Don’t be gauche.”
He staggered back a step, a hand to his breast. “You insult me, Your Grace. Next, you’ll be leveling the same harsh insults as your sister.”
Her lips twitched with a distracted sense of mirth.
The orchestra concluded the country reel to a smattering of polite applause from the dancers who’d just concluded the set. They began to pluck the strands of the forbidden waltz.
Harry held his arm out. “A waltz, Kat?”