Free At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh Page A

self-conscious anyway under the circumstances—though fortunately he had no way of knowing what her expectations had been when she set out for the ball this evening.

    But he had heard the Earl of Sheringford calling her my love , and though she had told herself that it was none of his business what anyone else called her, nevertheless the words seemed to hover in the air about them as they danced. It did not help that they danced in silence for the first ten minutes or so.

    She smiled until her lips felt stiff.

    Did he know who the Earl of Sheringford was ?

    But of course he must know.

    He was the one who spoke first.

    “Miss Huxtable,” he said gravely, “forgive me if I am speaking out of turn now and forgive me if I did not speak when perhaps I ought. I ought to have taken that fellow to task for the familiarity with which he addressed you, when I daresay you have never met him before this evening.”

    That fellow? Yes, indeed he knew.

    “Lord Sheringford?” she said lightly. “Oh, I did not take offense, my lord. He was joking. I am relieved you did not take any more notice of his words than they merited.”

    “But as your friend,” he said after hesitating a few moments, “I feel that I ought to warn you to keep your distance from the Earl of Sheringford, Miss Huxtable. It would pain me to see your reputation tarnished by any connection with his. I daresay you do not know who he is or why he is justifiably shunned by all respectable people. I would wager he did not receive an invitation to the ball tonight but came quite brazenly without one. And I do not know who thought it appropriate to introduce you to him.”

    “You are wrong about one thing,” she said. “I do know about him. I even remember the scandal, which was still quite fresh when I made my first appearance at a London Season five years ago, just after Stephen inherited his title. You must not concern yourself, my lord. I am quite capable of looking after myself and choosing my own acquaintances.”

    Like the gentleman he was, he said no more on the subject, and Margaret thought that was surely the end of the matter—beyond having to deny admittance to Lord Sheringford if he did indeed put in an appearance at Merton House tomorrow, of course, and beyond having to tell Crispin the truth when she saw him next.

    Oh, dear, she had behaved foolishly this evening.

    She was not proud of herself. She had always been the soul of propriety and discretion. She would remember this evening for a long time and with considerable discomfort. She turned hot and cold again when she remembered all that she had poured out to the Earl of Sheringford—all her most embarrassing and humiliating secrets. That was surely the worst thing she had done all evening.

    Whatever had possessed her!

    Vanessa and Katherine were both waiting for her when the marquess returned her to their sides. Elliott and Jasper were conversing with a group of gentlemen nearby.

    “Meg.” Vanessa linked an arm firmly and possessively through hers.
    “I was never more happy in my life than to see you dancing with the Marquess of Allingham. Whoever presented you to the Earl of Sheringford? If it was Lady Tindell, she really ought to have known better and I will not scruple to tell her so. The earl is absolutely beyond the pale.”

    “He even looks disreputable,” Katherine added. “And downright dangerous. Meg, do you know that—”

    “Yes,” Margaret said, interrupting. “I do know that he eloped with his bride's sister-in-law five years ago. I cannot see that that makes him an utter pariah today. Perhaps people ought to be entitled to a second chance.”

    “That is true,” Vanessa said, patting her hand. “It is very true, indeed. I daresay he is a very sad and contrite gentleman. She died recently, I have heard—the lady with whom he eloped, I mean, though he never married her. Her husband would not divorce her. It is just like you to refuse to give him the cut