Her confusion, as usual, must have shown on her face, for Lord Mannis laughed. The laugh turned into a hacking cough. One of the ladies, the one Regina didn’t know, quickly handed him his handkerchief. The other gentleman gently patted Lord Mannis on the back.
“I’m afraid my younger brother will be the one to inherit the dukedom,” Lord Mannis explained. He pulled the handkerchief away from his face and Regina saw a spot of red upon it. The spot glistened.
She felt slightly ill.
“Must you frighten the girl?” Said the unknown lady, the one who had passed Lord Mannis his handkerchief. “We all know you are dying, you needn’t go on about it.”
“The lady hiding her undying devotion behind a scolding is Lady Elizabeth Thornby,” Lord Harrison said.
Lady Thornby was a tiny woman, the same size as Regina. She had light brown hair and light brown eyes that matched. In contrast to Lord Mannis, Lady Thornby looked the picture of health. Her skin had a robust glow to it and every movement spoke of contained energy.
“Miss Eliza, please,” Lady Thornby said. “As if we stand on ceremony around here.”
“Miss Eliza is in love with Lord Mannis,” Lord Harrison said. “And he with her. Although you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at them.”
“Simply because you don’t know what love looks like doesn’t mean the rest of us have to suffer for it,” Miss Eliza replied.
She then smiled warmly at Regina. “I beg you, ignore how we snap at one another. I assure you that Edmund and I are entirely devoted to one another, and our friendship with Harrison is just as strong.”
“Why are you not Lady Mannis then?” Regina blurted out. She nearly clapped a hand over her mouth.
“There’s the awkwardness everyone was telling me about,” Lord Harrison said. He sounded delighted. “I’ve been waiting for it to show up.”
Regina had been hoping that she could get through the evening without saying the wrong thing. Apparently that had been too much to ask of her runaway mouth. Why could she not stay quiet? She managed it ninety percent of the time. If she had to speak why did it always end up being something like this?
Miss Eliza only laughed. Lord Mannis winced but it didn’t seem to be because of Regina.
“I’m afraid that I don’t have long,” he admitted. “Eliza and I have spoken at length and we thought it unfair for me to wed and bequeath all my lands to her and deprive my brother. George will undoubtedly live for quite a long time. And Eliza is sought after by many men. She can marry after I am gone. It is better for both of them.”
“He refuses to believe me when I say I shall never love anyone but him,” Miss Eliza pointed out.
“I never said you would love again, I said that you would marry again,” Lord Mannis replied. “There is a difference.”
He looked at her then, his gaze bright and full of love. Regina found that there was a lump in her throat. She swallowed it down. In that moment there was no doubt in her mind that Lord Mannis loved Miss Eliza with a terrible, all-encompassing devotion.
When she looked into Miss Eliza’s eyes, she saw that same devotion reflected back at Lord Mannis.
“I am a selfish woman,” Miss Eliza admitted. Her voice was softer now. “We are not marrying so that George may become Duke and inherit the lands when his father and Edmund are gone. But I refused to let Edmund leave me without living as his wife, even if it is not so in the eyes of the law.”
“And so you will not see us about much in society,” Lord Mannis added, turning back to face Regina. “There have been enough to see and object to our closeness even if they do not know the full truth.”
“They fraternize with me instead,” Lord Harrison said. “Adding to their rakish reputation.”
“Oh come now, I am merely a beguiled young woman,” Miss Eliza protested. “Seduced by the charms of rakish men. But I myself am not rakish.”
“Whatever helps you to sleep at night, my dear,” Lord Harrison replied.
“And what are we?” Said the other gentleman. “Scraps for the dogs?”
“Ah, yes, of course, we mustn’t forget to stroke your ego,” Lord Harrison said. “Miss Regina, this is Lord David Quentin. He’s been a friend of mine since childhood.”
Lord Quentin was on the shorter side, with a broad chest and dark skin that told with no reservation the truth of him having mixed heritage. His hair was short and curled against his head but he had light green eyes. It startled Regina, for she had expected dark ones.
Regina gathered herself. This man was a lord. She would treat him with the same respect that she would the others.
“I must admit I have not heard of the Quentin family,” Regina said, giving a curtsy. “Are you from up north?”
Lord Quentin gave a small laugh, flashing brilliant white teeth. “My father is a baron, but I doubt you will have heard much of us. After he conceived me and then dared to bring me home from the Caribbean and raise me as his own, society has been less inclined to invite him to parties.”
“Quentin here and I have known each other for years. He helped me when I was gambling to earn my family’s money back.” Lord Harrison spoke with a deep fondness and respect.
“They let me keep the title and all for now,” Lord Quentin said. “But the moment my father’s dead they’ll find some way to take it all from me. Best to have an independent fortune I can rely upon.”
“I admit, I shall continue to call you Lord,” Miss Eliza said. “Even when you have become a lonely ‘Mr.’.”
“You never call me Lord anyway,” Lord Quentin pointed out. “It’s all Quentin fetch me this, and Quentin read me that.”
“There are some who claim I’m spoiled,” Miss Eliza said, giving Regina a conspiratorial smile.
“I am deeply sorry,” Regina said, for she was. Lord Quentin would get to have no piece of his family history. And it was because of something he had no control over. He hadn’t asked to be born out of wedlock and he hadn’t asked to have darker skin.
“Why be sorry?” Lord Quentin asked. “I have good friends and have gambled my way to quite an extensive private fortune. The gentry might not let me own land but I’ll never lack.”
Regina considered that. It was an unconventional way to look at things. It was also pragmatic. But it was Lord Quentin’s decision and his life. If he was not concerned then why should she be?
“And of course you already know our final guest tonight,” Lord Harrison said, “The lovely Lady Cora Dunhill.”
“I’ve had the distinct pleasure of becoming this charming lady’s chaperone,” Lady Cora said. She looked over at Harrison accusingly. “Harrison has been quite cruel to hide a little sprite from us.”
“Perhaps I didn’t want my dear young cousin corrupted by such as you,” Lord Harrison replied.
Lady Cora laughed. “If she were determined to be corrupted in the way that I am, then I should think she’ll have already started without any help from me.”
Regina had no idea what they were talking about and decided it was best not to ask and stumble into more awkwardness.