Crossing the room toward her, I glanced around at the others to see what their reactions were to the newcomers’ presence. The strained smiles and cordial greetings were all to be expected, as was Lady Hollingsworth’s pinched expression. However, the manner in which Gage’s eyes remained steadily trained on me, as if he was interested in my response to Michael’s troubles, stretched my already taut nerves.
I wrapped my fingers around Alana’s arm. “How are you feeling?”
Her bright blue gaze flickered, searching mine. “Better,” she replied before offering me a weak smile that did not reach all the way to her eyes. “I think it helps that the room is not swaying.”
“Yes.” I wanted to pull her aside, to demand she tell me what she knew, what had upset her so. But I knew I could not. Not with an entire roomful of people watching, waiting on us to go into dinner.
The conversation around us was stilted, the mood uncertain, as if no one knew exactly how to proceed. And so good manners, the fallback of the genteel, took over. If all else fails, proceed with unbending civility.
Laura smiled tightly. “Let’s go into dinner, shall we?”
The others eagerly complied, naturally falling into pairs according to precedence. I could see the strain on Michael’s face as he was forced to offer his arm to Lady Hollingsworth, but I knew his worry over her acceptance was needless. The marchioness would rather suffer the touch of a leper than break protocol.
“Lady Darby.” Laura laid a hand against my arm. Distress tightened her features. “I’m afraid I must apologize. Our numbers are uneven this evening. We had hoped our party would balance out, but . . .” she offered me a sad smile “. . . things do not always go as planned.”
“A blessing, under the circumstances,” Lady Hollingsworth sniped as Michael led her through the door.
I frowned at the marchioness’s back before turning to place a hand over Laura’s where it rested on my arm. “There is no need to apologize,” I assured her. As the lowest-ranked lady in precedence, I had expected to walk in alone. “After all, you were not anticipating three more guests to join you. How could you be expected to make up the numbers on such short notice?”
Her expression was unreadable. “Yes. Well. Thank you for being so understanding.”
My brow furrowed in puzzlement. Once again I felt I did not understand something that should have been clear. But before I could decide whether to press her about it, Gage deftly linked my arm through his left one.
“No worries,” he declared, flashing Laura and me one of his most charming smiles. “I’m quite happy to claim a lady on each arm.”
“An excellent solution,” Laura proclaimed in relief before I could protest. “Thank you, Mr. Gage.”
“No need for thanks,” Gage said. “Not when I’m clearly the one who benefits from such a predicament.” He grinned first at Miss Remmington on his right and then at me.
My face felt tight from the effort it took for me not to frown at his good humor.
“Well, since that’s settled.” Laura touched my arm again before turning away toward her own escort.
Seeing the reassurance Gage’s offer had given my hostess, I bit my tongue against the urge to argue. It would be ungracious to reject his escort now, even if his close proximity did less than comfortable things to my insides.
“Shall we?” He leaned closer to ask as the last couple before us exited the drawing room.
“Of course,” I replied, relieved to hear that my voice did not betray the emotions tumbling about inside me.
Gage’s lips curled up at the corners, as if he was imparting a forbidden secret, and then he straightened to escort us from the room.
Instantly I began to wonder why Gage seemed to be exerting his charm upon me. He had rarely done so before, and then only when he wanted something from me. I scolded myself for being taken in, even if only for a second, by his charisma. I, more than anyone, knew I had to keep my wits about me when I was dealing with Gage. My attraction to him aside, he was a very clever and enigmatic man. And I was not about to become another member of his slavering horde of female followers. If Gage was suddenly determined to befuddle me, I was resolved to find out why.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dinner was an awkward affair of stilted attempts at conversation and Lady Hollingsworth’s determined efforts to steer all discussions back to topics concerning her family. Matters were not improved by the fact that I was seated between Lord Keswick and his sister, whose sole purpose seemed to be to further antagonize her sibling, as well as Lord Damien.