Chapter 196

Cassandra exchanged greetings with familiar faces as they passed, while Draven remained beside her, offering the proper courtesies to those who approached them.

Their hostess, Lady Sinclair, was a petite beauty whose delicate features brought to mind a woodland fairy from a children’s folktales. Her tinkling laugh was infectious, escaping her whenever she was amused, lending her an endearing charm.

Although this was only the third time Cassandra had met her, Lady Sinclair had managed to leave a favourable impression on each occasion with her delightful company.

"I am delighted you could join us," Lady Sinclair greeted them warmly.

"The pleasure is ours. We are grateful for your kind invitation," Cassandra replied.

"I am glad you could come. I hope you enjoy the evening."

"I have no doubt we shall."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with their hostess, the five of them gradually drifted apart as one acquaintance after another claimed their attention.

Eugenia and Merissa were the first to be drawn away, leaving Draven with Cassandra. For a while, he seemed quite determined to remain at her side for the rest of the evening, but even he could not escape for long. When someone eventually called him away, he promised he would not be long and gave her a lingering look before reluctantly departing.

Cassandra watched him go before turning to Lorelei, who was now her sole companion.

It was then that she began to notice something else about the attention their party had attracted. Not all of it was admiring.

Several ladies had been casting curious glances at Lorelei, exchanging whispered words with each other. They made little effort to hide their interest, their eyes following her movements across the ballroom. When Lorelei happened to turn in their direction, one of the women concealed a smile behind her fan, while another murmured something that drew a quiet laugh from her companions.

Lorelei pretended not to notice. She kept her gaze ahead and continued walking, offering no acknowledgment to the women or their obvious interest in her.

Yet Cassandra noticed the difference in her demeanor. The soft smile that had graced Lorelei’s face earlier had faded, and a stiffness had settled into her shoulders. Her expression was carefully blank, as though she were making a conscious effort to appear unaffected by the attention.

Little by little, she seemed to retreat into herself.

Cassandra did not know the full circumstances surrounding Lorelei’s five-year absence. She understood that something had driven Draven’s sister away from her family, a part scandal but the subject was rarely discussed, and she had never considered it her place to press for an explanation. Whatever had occurred, the family clearly preferred to leave it buried in the past.

The women’s behavior, however, suggested that the matter was not as forgotten by society as the Montagues might have hoped. The details might have been vague but it didn’t stop people from forming their own assumptions.

When Lorelei attended her brother’s wedding, hardly anyone had paid her much attention, as the guests’ interest had been focused primarily on the bride and groom. Tonight was different. This was her first ball since returning to Caldor, and the presence of people who remembered the scandal made it seem less like a distant episode and more like an opportunity to revive old gossip.

Cassandra glanced towards the gossiping ladies again. There were three of them now, all watching Lorelei with undisguised curiosity. One whispered something to her companion, while another looked directly at Lorelei before turning away with a knowing smile.

That was enough. Cassandra was thoroughly displeased by their lack of respect. Something had to be done, and if Lorelei wasn’t going to address the matter herself, Cassandra would do it for her.

"Can I help you?" Cassandra asked coldly.

The women stopped whispering at once, their hushed conversation coming to an abrupt end. They turned towards her with startled expressions, evidently unprepared for the possibility that their behaviour might be called out openly. Cassandra regarded them with a slight arch of her brows, waiting for a response.

"Pardon me," she continued, "but you have looked in our direction so many times that I began to wonder whether you wished to discuss something important with us. Perhaps I have overlooked some matter that requires our attention."

The women exchanged glances, seemingly uncertain how to respond.

Cassandra waited, giving them ample opportunity to answer before prompting them again.

"Well?" she asked. "Let us hear it. What is so important?"

The eldest of the three drew herself up. "Your Grace, we were not—"

"Not what?" Cassandra interrupted brusquely.

The woman faltered, seemingly at a loss for words. Whatever explanation she had intended to offer, she appeared to realise that it would require her to acknowledge precisely what she had been doing. Talking about Lorelei was one thing; admitting to ridiculing her was quite another.

"We meant no offence," another lady replied stiffly.

"Then I am delighted to hear it."

Cassandra’s smile was sharp and devoid of mirth. She had neither raised her voice nor accused them of anything they could easily deny. Instead, she had put them in a position where any further attempt to defend themselves would only make their behaviour more apparent. Whatever they thought of Lorelei, they were unwilling to risk being openly disrespectful to a duchess.

As Cassandra confronted the women, she couldn’t help wondering what her life might have been like if she had someone to shield her from things in her earlier years.

But no one ever had, and she had grown up knowing she could rely on no one but herself. That knowledge had shaped her into the woman she was, and learning to trust others again had taken time.

Now that she had the means to stand up for someone else, she would never hesitate to do so. No one deserved to be ridiculed, least of all someone as sweet as Lorelei. Though they shared no blood relation, Lorelei was Draven’s younger sister, and Cassandra intended to treat her as such. She would gladly become the protective older sister she herself never had.

After another uncomfortable exchange of glances, the women offered hurried farewells before moving away.

Cassandra watched them depart, satisfied that she had made her point without creating a scene. She then turned back to Lorelei, whose gaze remained lowered to the floor.

"Are you all right?"

Lorelei nodded, though the gesture lacked conviction. She made no attempt to meet Cassandra’s gaze.

"I am fine," Lorelei replied, but her answer was far from convincing.

Cassandra considered asking another question, but Lorelei was already looking towards the nearest opening in the crowd, her expression guarded in a way that discouraged further inquiry.

"Excuse me," Lorelei murmured. "I would like to find somewhere quieter to regain my bearings."

"Of course," Cassandra replied. "Do whatever you need to."

Lorelei inclined her head before slipping away between the guests.

Cassandra watched her go, uncertain whether she ought to follow. She wanted to help, but she didn’t know what had upset Lorelei beyond the obvious discourtesy of the women, nor whether her sister-in-law would welcome any further attention. Perhaps it was just as Lorelei said, she simply needed some time to herself.

Reluctantly, Cassandra let her go.