to look him in the eye and pretend she didn't know about the atrocity he'd committed, never ever have to speak a civil word to him. She would never have to suffer Jane's presence or cruelty again either, though that was certainly minor in comparison to her uncle's sins, and she would never again have to feel ashamed or humiliated.
Taylor let out another sigh. Freedom was just a few steps away.
'Is it almost midnight, sir?'
She blurted out her question, her eagerness sinfully evident. He gave her a quick nod in response. 'We can leave now.'
Everyone started pulling on her then. 'Leave? Taylor, where is it you think you're going?' Constance demanded to know.
'Is she leaving with him?' Jennifer asked with a wave of her hand in Lucas's direction. 'She shouldn't do that, should she? What will people think?'
'Exactly when and where did you two meet?' Hampton asked.
'They couldn't have met before,' Morris stubbornly insisted.
'You aren't going anywhere with him,' William announced in a near shout so he'd be heard. He was so angry, the veins in the sides of his neck stood out. His complexion turned a splotchy, ugly red. 'You're coming with me, Taylor. I demand a word in private with you. This blackguard you're lowering yourself to speak to is actually…'
Alison interrupted him. 'Do be quiet, William. Taylor, darling, please introduce me to this gentleman.'
William wasn't about to be deterred. He reached out to take hold of Taylor's arm. Lucas's command stopped him. It was whisper soft, yet chilling all the same.
'I wouldn't touch her if I were you.'
He hadn't raised his voice, and his tone was actually quite mild, but the warning was there all the same, and William reacted as though Lucas had roared the command. He took a quick step back. It was probably an instinctive reaction, Taylor thought, but it was still quite telling. William was actually afraid of the man.
Jane let out a sharp gasp. 'Keep Taylor here, William, while I go and fetch Father. He'll know what to do.' She glared up at Lucas when she added, 'My husband might be intimidated by you, but my father won't be. He's Taylor's guardian.'
Lucas gave Jane as much attention as he would a gnat flying by. He showed absolutely no reaction to her remarks and didn't even bother to glance her way.
Taylor decided to follow his example. She refused to look at her cousin when she gave her denial. 'Your father is not my guardian.'
'He will be,' Jane boasted. 'Just as soon as the old lady dies. You'll be sorry then, Taylor. Father's going to lock you away before you can do or say anything further to disgrace us. Why, everyone knows you're in need of a keeper.'
Morris and Hampton were the first two to rush to Taylor's defense. 'You're the disgraceful one, Jane Merritt,' Hampton fairly shouted. He lowered his voice when he added, 'Haven't you wondered why neither you nor William has received any invitations to the affairs this season? You have both been marked off all the lists,' he added with a nod.
'The only reason you were invited tonight is because you received the invite a good week before you eloped. You've done yourself in this time,' Morris snapped. 'Acting like a trollop with Taylor's fiance. Tell me this. Are you really carrying William's child or did you make that up to trap him?'
'How dare you slander my character,' Jane cried out. She slapped her husband on his shoulder to gain his attention. 'William, aren't you going to defend my honor?'
Her husband didn't say a word. His full attention was focused on Taylor.
'Lady Taylor isn't mad or crazed, but you are if you believe she's done anything wrong. You're despicable, Jane, Oh, yes,' Morris sputtered with indignation. 'You and William deserve each other. I pray the two of you will get exactly what you deserve.'
The war with words soon jumped to shouts, then shoves. Taylor found it impossible to keep up with who was giving what insults. Alison started pulling on her arm again, demanding her attention, and Constance was diligently poking her in the shoulder from behind with the plea that she please turn around and explain what was going on. Jennifer, the peacemaker in the crowd, was trying to get all of them to lower their voices.
Taylor became quite frazzled in no time at all. She turned to her left to tell William she had no intention of going anywhere with him but before she could get the words out of her mouth, Alison pulled on her arm again to gain her attention, and Taylor turned back to her. Constance wasn't about to be ignored, however, and once again prodded her from behind.
Taylor's head felt as though it were spinning. She glanced up at her escort to see how he was reacting to the fiasco and was quite astonished by the expression on his face.
The man looked bored. She wondered how he could remain so unaffected by the slander William was spewing about him. William was going on and on about his black character when Lucas reached into his pocket, pulled out his timepiece, and flipped open the latch to check the time.
Then William called Lucas a bastard. Alison, Jennifer, and Constance let out loud gasps, almost in perfect unison. Taylor waited for her escort to defend himself. A good fifteen seconds passed before she realized he wasn't going to do or say anything.
She suddenly became his champion. William repeated the blasphemous charge again. Taylor was outraged. She turned to Alison, snatched her fan out of her hand, then turned back to William. Before he had a glimmer of her intent, she smacked him across his face with the fan, then turned back to Alison.
'Thank you,' she said as she handed the fan back to her friend.
Alison's mouth was gaping open. Taylor's shoulders slumped. She detested making a scene, for it really wasn't ladylike, but there came a time when proper behavior had to be set aside.
William was slow to understand that Taylor had reached her limit. 'If you'll only listen to me,' he demanded. 'You'll realize I speak the truth. He's nothing but a…'
Taylor grabbed Alison's fan again. She turned to confront William once again.
'If you say one more slanderous word, I swear I'll poke your eye out.'
'Taylor, whatever has come over you?' Alison whispered.
Taylor tossed the fan in her friend's direction. She turned her gaze to her escort.
'May we please leave, sir?'
She sounded desperate. She didn't care. Lucas smiled in reaction. 'Yes,' he answered. 'It's past midnight.'
She let out a long sigh. Lucas nodded to Morris and Hampton, then started for the entrance. He passed Taylor, didn't pause, but clasped hold of her hand and continued right along. His stride was long, purposeful. She didn't resist. She turned around and let herself be pulled along, and Lord, she was actually smiling now.
Hampton's shout made Lucas stop on the top step. 'Will she be safe with you?'
He should have been insulted by the question. Yet the concern he heard in Hampton's voice overrode his initial irritation. It was a logical question, he decided, given the fact that the Englishman didn't know him well at all.
He turned around to give his answer. 'Yes, she'll be safe.'
Alison ran forward to shout her plea next. 'Taylor, before you leave, won't you please introduce me to the gentleman?'
'Yes, of course I'll introduce you,' Taylor agreed. 'He's…'
Her mind went blank. Dear God, she couldn't remember his name. Panic grabbed hold. Taylor didn't know if she were going to burst into laughter or dissolve into tears. Maybe Jane was right after all. Maybe she was crazed and in need of a keeper.
She opened her mouth to answer. No words came out.
'Well?' Alison demanded. She put her hands on her hips and frowned with impatience. 'Who is he?'
'Yes,' Constance blurted out. 'Who is he?'
Taylor looked up at her escort, hoping he might come to her rescue. He didn't say a word, however. He simply stared down at her and waited to see what she would do.
Taylor was mortified. Why couldn't she remember his name? She took a deep breath, shook her head over her own sorry behavior, and then turned back to her audience.
She couldn't remember who he was, but she at least remembered what he was.
