A Stark Mismatch

III. The Worthingtons

Her brother's face crumpled in disbelief. "Surely you are jesting."

She shrugged. "Millie's gossips are rarely wrong."

"That still does not answer my question."

"I told you I went to the garden." She looked him straight in the eyes. "To avoid the woman with the empty dance cards."

Jonathan's eyebrows could have risen higher, but they had reached their threshold.

She groaned inwardly. Oh, how she missed Edward!

She clucked her tongue with impatience. "She was desperate to make acquaintances," she explained.

Jonathan blinked. "With you?"

"I was sitting right next to you."

He frowned. "And you feared that she may express an interest to receive a dance invitation from me through you?"

"No, of course not. I know you ask whomever you like and ignore those you do not."

"Get to the point, Angela," he wryly ordered.

"In her desire to get your attention, I feared she would start a conversation at all," she replied, baffled as to why her brother came to a different conclusion.

Jonathan swore under his breath as he shook his head. "You should have gone and joined Edward in Rutherford. Why did you even decide to join the season in the first place?"

Her hand absently traced the edges of her book, keeping the small poster in place and safely hidden.

She provided the best reason she could. "Father, of course."

"Now, now," a voice said from the direction of the door.

Both Worthington siblings turned to find Spencer Pembroke striding into the room, his face breaking into a wide, bright smile. He removed his bowler hat to reveal the mass of messy brown curls. Angela swiftly used Jonathan's momentary distraction to fold the poster and tuck it into the book before she rose to her feet and offered her hand to Spencer who approached her first.

"I was meaning to write you a missive," she said, breaking into a smile.

"Please forgive me, I was not at Averly last night," he said after planting a quick kiss on her hand. He turned to Jonathan and asked, "What did I miss?"

"Not much, to be honest," droned Jonathan, crossing one leg over the other as Spencer sat on the settee beside Angela.

Spencer turned to her, light brown eyes glinting with familiarity. "I gather you enjoyed the dancing?" He teased.

She rolled her eyes.

"What?" Spencer asked in mock horror. "Dare not tell me no one asked Angela Worthington for a dance!"

"She escaped to the gardens without a chaperone," Jonathan provided, "for God knows how long."

"My head was throbbing. The music was a total sore in my ears," she explained to Spencer.

"But Averly is famous for its great music scores!" Spencer cried out.

"I found it chaotic. And my eyesight can hardly keep up with the movements and dancing; and that horrible yellow wall!"

Her friend turned to Jonathan who rolled his eyes. Spencer chuckled.

She stood to her feet. "Now that you are here to entertain my brother, I must change for tea."

"You are dressed fine—"

"I planned for an afternoon walk with Millie."

"When did she start to enjoy afternoon walks?" she heard Spencer ask Jonathan who only grumbled a reply that sounded like, "My sister can be human, too, Spencer."