“A perfect one,” Chloe admitted, and with those words she roused an honest, unrestrained laugh from Jane.
Oh, how much this young lady had come to mean to her. Another twinge struck her heart with the truth of the briefness of this stolen interlude with Chloe and her family. As she dropped a curtsy and sought out a moment of solitude, she acknowledged that, at the very least, life should have conditioned her to the inconstancy of relationships and happiness.
*
What the hell was Montclair doing with Jane? With Alex and his wife, Imogen, before him carrying on about God knew what, Gabriel remained fixed on the young, slender siren at the corner of the room. The healthy color of Jane’s cheeks faded and even with the distance of the ballroom between them, he detected the flash of terror in her eyes. He’d end the man if he’d insulted her. He snapped the stem of his champagne flute. A servant hurried over to collect the remnants of his glass and to sweet up the crystal.
“Whatever is the matter with you?” his brother drawled sounding more amused than concerned. “You’ve gone all red in the face. Aren’t I right, Imogen?”
“Do hush.” His sister-in-law, the logical young lady who’d managed to tame his rakish brother, swatted her husband’s arm. “You’re insufferable.”
Alex grinned.
At that thankful moment, Chloe interrupted Jane’s exchange with Montclair. “Nothing is the matter.” Bloody hell, what had come over him that he’d be so demmed hot-headed, wanting to exact violence against Montclair for all manner of imagined slights?
His brother followed his stare and furrowed his brow. “Who is that?”
At one time, they’d shared everything from dreadful wishes for their evil sire to hopes for the future. He flicked an imagined piece of lint from his sleeve. “That is Chloe’s companion.” There had been a time when no two souls had been closer than he and Alex. All of that had been forever changed at the altar of their father’s abuse. Alex had never forgiven him for allowing those beatings to carry on. Now, they each held their own secrets. Which was only right. Gabriel had never forgiven himself.
His brother chuckled. “You’ve hired another companion.”
“I didn’t hire you,” he pointed out with a frown.
“Ah, yes. That is correct,” Alex said, inclining his head. “You threatened me.” He gave a wry grin. “You are still foisting off that role on anoth—oomph.” The words ended as his wife buried her elbow into his ribs.
“Do you have a problem with that role you’d been assigned?” Imogen arched a single, fiery eyebrow.
“Not at all,” Alex replied automatically.
And the silliest, most hapless grin marred his brother’s lips that Gabriel shifted on his feet, feeling like the worst sort of interloper on the loving couple’s shared moment. Had he not demanded Alex escort Chloe about Society, then he’d not, even now, be married to Imogen, Chloe’s best friend.
Odd, he had spent the better part of his life disavowing those shared sentiments with another human being, and yet standing here, he was filled with an unholy envy for his younger brother’s happy existence. Gabriel worked his gaze over the dance floor and located Chloe. Alone. He silently cursed and quickly scanned the room. “Where in hell is she?”
“She is beside the column,” his brother put in, pointing his finger.
Gabriel wrinkled his brow. “No, she’s—” Chloe. He clamped his lips tight. His brother erroneously believed Gabriel even now sought out their headstrong sister. Which if he was a good, worthy brother, he should be, and yet time had proven how very inadequate he was. “Ah, yes.” He coughed into his hand. “If you’ll excuse me. Imogen, Alex.” He sketched a brow and then started after his sister. If anyone would know where Jane Munroe had taken herself off to, it was Chloe.
Not that he should be concerned with his sister’s companion. After all, by nature of her role, Jane was just that—a companion. She didn’t require a companion. And yet, with each footfall that carried him closer to his sister, his ire grew. Jane couldn’t be more than a handful of years older than Chloe. Regardless of her station or status or wedded state, a woman of her young years was deserving of the same care and protection as any other young lady. He stopped beside his sister. “Where is your companion?”