I pulled my hand away and stood up.
Henry stepped around Nora and walked to my side, where he placed a protective hand on my shoulder. “Good day, Lord Stroud,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “I didn’t expect to find you here this morning. Do you have business with Miss Kilbrid?”
“Nothing too serious,” Julian said. “I wished to make her acquaintance before she was flooded with callers.” He reached down and took my hand, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it as he bowed. “Good day, Selah. I hope we shall meet again soon.” He then nodded to Henry and left the room.
At the sound of the front door closing, I turned to face Henry. He was staring at me, a deep frown etched on his face. James and Nora remained a safe distance away near the doors.
“I didn’t know that you and Lord Stroud were such intimate friends,” James said, with just the right amount of scandalized delight to imply all sorts of illicit activities.
I wanted to throttle the man, to knock the smug expression from his face before beating him to a bloody pulp. Luckily, there was more than one way to skin a cat, or to stop James from turning a bad situation worse. Leaning into Henry, I rose up onto my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You are the most wonderful man in the world,” I said in a soft voice so only he could hear. “Thank you for the gowns. I shall consider them an early wedding present.”
Henry raised one eyebrow, diminishing the severity of his frown. “And I shall speak to Cate about giving my secret away.”
“You mustn’t be angry with her. My gowns were in terrible condition from traveling and she really didn’t have another choice.” I gave him a coy smile. “She assured me that all the fashionable ladies wear their bodices so low and that it wasn’t just your personal preference.”
The frown disappeared entirely and his arms went around my waist. “Then perhaps I should thank her,” he said, gazing down at me. “You look more beautiful in that color than I imagined. It’s no wonder Lord Stroud was devouring you with his eyes when I came into the room. Poor man must know he doesn’t stand a chance.”
I wanted desperately to explain about Julian and the reason he had been holding my hand a moment before. But my promise took precedence, so I settled for batting my eyes. “Lugh himself doesn’t stand a chance against you, my lord.”
“Isn’t he a Celtic sun god?”
“Yes, and a god of battle if the stories are true.”
“In that case, I’ve no cause to be jealous of a mere mortal.” He bent his head down to kiss me, allowing his mouth to linger long enough to make my heart race.
Nora cleared her throat. “Maybe we do need to come back at another time,” she said pointedly. “Or send for the clergy.”
Henry pulled back till only our foreheads touched. “No need,” he laughed, “we shall behave ourselves.”
“Good, because I’ve something to show you before my mother comes back downstairs.” She walked over and handed me a pamphlet. “I picked it up this morning while we were out.”
I looked at the cover. “A Collection of Dissenter Sermons on Morality. Surely your mother wouldn’t disapprove.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “That was just a necessary guise. You need to look inside.”
I did as she bid and found a playbill tucked in between the pages. “The Beggar’s Opera,” I read aloud.
Nora’s face glowed with excitement. “It’s playing at Drury Lane through the end of the week. What do you think? Shall we all go this evening?”
“The production is tolerable,” Henry said, his voice somewhat stiff. “I would recommend Tom Thumb instead. It’s at the Haymarket and has a far superior cast in my opinion.”
Nora turned to James. “Which do you prefer?”
“I am partial to The Beggar’s Opera,” he admitted. “The humor can be ribald at times, though nothing so much to cause offense.” He glanced at Henry. “And the actress who plays Polly Peachum is a rare specimen, don’t you agree, my lord?”
Henry’s arm tensed on my waist. “If you say so, James.”
Intrigued by his reaction, I opened the playbill to the cast list and soon felt the blood drain from my face. Justine Rose was playing the part of Polly Peachum. Well, I for one had no intention of watching Henry’s alleged mistress prance about on stage this evening. Nor any other evening if I could help it.
Henry cleared his throat. “Neither James nor I are free tonight as we are obligated to dine with my father.”
James gave Nora a gentle look. “I would gladly cancel, but I fear the duke is not the most understanding of men.” He grinned at Henry. “The rest of the week remains clear though, my lord. How about tomorrow evening?”
“Sorry,” Henry said, a dark shadow crossing his face. “You have forgotten that I attend the men’s club every Friday.”