Anthony was aware of what Sarah Jane was doing the entire evening.

He had been watching her like a hawk. He had known when she took a turn about the room, he he had cataloged each and every person who was introduced to her, and he had definitely known when Sarah Jane wandered to the path leading to him.

He fancied himself even knowing the exact moment when she decided to bring herself and her friend towards him. His skin had pricked with awareness and anticipation, as she approached.

No one had noticed how much he was aware of her, but if anyone did, no one made a mention of it.

Anthony hadn't decided if he should be treating her with indifference. It was probably what she deserved with the way she treated him earlier in the evening.

Sarah Jane had been insulting, and she was ungrateful. Two adjectives he would never have used to describe her if he knew better. But he hadn't known better, and Sarah Jane was a completely different person after having her lessons in London.

He wasn't entirely sure if he should be blaming himself for that change.

Anthony's body stiffened when she neared. She was finally here, and although he was annoyed, he also felt relief of finally having her by his side.

"Hello Anthony," she began and there was a telltale sign of understanding as the small group of people they were in hushed. The lady beside her gasped and tried to pull Sarah Jane away.

It was again a relief that Anthony had been in the presence of good friends, good men who would know better than to berate a small faux pas.

"I beg your pardon." She bowed her head and then decided to curtsy again. "I meant, good evening, my lord." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet and turned to the girl beside her as if asking for support.

"Lady Sarah Jane." He watched her discomfort, satisfied that a semblance of the girl he once knew was still there.

Anthony had just been about to tell his friends the truth of his return when Sarah Jane arrived in their circle. He had wanted to explain to them his absence and silence in correspondences. However, that will have to wait until later.

"How do you do, my lady?" His friend, the taller gentleman of the two in a well-pressed black suit bowed affably. She looked up to scan his face, and Sarah Jane visibly relaxed upon seeing that the man was a friendly sort—a happy fellow, who did exactly as was expected of an affable gentleman.

Charming.

Sarah Jane spotted a thick gold band on his wedding finger. She made a mental note of crossing him out of her list.

She bowed and murmured her greetings. "This is my friend, Miss Anne Hastings." She motioned to a slight of a girl standing beside her.

Anthony recalled that she vaguely looked familiar, but only vaguely.

The tall gentleman was the Duke of Creston. He and Anne acknowledged each other. "Yes, I know Miss Hastings." He said in a friendly tone that only a few among the ton used.

When no one said a word after that, the duke cleared his throat. "And how are your sisters, Miss Hastings? I believe they're out for the season as well?"

"Yes, your grace. They're doing very well, thank you for asking." Anne replied graciously. The Duke of Creston had always been a polite fellow.

Anthony watched the exchange carefully. In the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah Jane's eyes widen in slight surprise. It was subtle, but he noticed it nonetheless.

Sarah Jane was probably surprised that she was in the presence of a duke. She would be more surprised when she finds out that his other friend was also a duke.

"Well." The next gentleman, the Duke of Ravensdale, barked. "Since our friend here has gone mute. I think it is time that we might do the introducing ourselves..."

He tipped his head to both of the ladies. "As it is apparent that you ladies know some of us, some more than others."

Sarah Jane blushed pink. She did not miss the teasing behind the gentleman's tone brought by her own faux pass. No one was to speak to anyone if they hadn't been introduced. And if anyone else was paying more attention to her, she would have quickly become an outcast for lacking any sense of propriety. Anthony was right, she might have been raised by a pack of wolves.

Anthony decided that he liked seeing her a teeny-bit embarrassed. It was only in front of him and a few close friends, after all. It brought back a sense of normalcy that had been lost in all the Season preparations.

"Duke of Creston." The affable gentleman said with a smile. Again, what a charming man.

"And I, the Duke of Ravensdale." The other one chimed in.

Startled, Sarah Jane began dipping in curtsies, hurriedly muttering "your graces" lest the Dukes be offended. Anthony knew better, these are probably the only Dukes in society that could not care less about formalities.

Well, unless someone was watching, and someone was almost always definitely watching them at a party.

There were too many people, and although most of them were distracted in a far corner with a pretty debutante, Anthony was sure that someone, somewhere, was intently observing them.

He threw an appreciative glance at his glass and imbibed its contents for what it was worth.

"Won't you introduce yourself, Killsworth? You're being an absolute wretch." Ravensdale gave him a hard slap on his back that made him choke on his last drink.

His lips pinched up together in a very irritable expression.

Anthony used to be as nonchalant as the next man, or as indulging as Creston when it suited him well enough, but people change. He thought gravely, yes people do absolutely change. It was either that or they were disillusioned and forced into change.

Ravensdale was a bear of a man, up until he got married. Creston was the same affable man, though people report that he did have a temper when the topic surrounded his mother. But Anthony...

Anthony was the common rogue. Devilishly handsome, charming and polite, up until the ton thought him differently, and believed it was the truth they did.

"Tsk, tsk." Ravensdale tormented even more. "Really, this is beyond impolite."

With gritted teeth, Anthony's back shot ramrod straight. If it was an introduction they want, then an introduction they would get.

"Well, Lady Sarah Jane, Miss Hastings, I am Killsworth." He lifted his empty glass in salute. He looked sideways to see if anyone was eavesdropping and having satisfied himself, his voice dropped to a low whisper. "And I am her guardian."

The two men faced him with stupefied expressions. Their faces had said a multitude of expletives without having said a single word

Anthony continued as if he had said nothing of importance. "You have met the Dukes of Ravensdale and Creston. Have you a nice evening?"

Lady Sarah Jane stiffened under his careful gaze. Anne, wise as she was, didn't utter a word, curious as she may be.

Creston moved his head imperceptibly to check if there was anyone else within earshot. One cannot be too sure at parties. "Killsworth, what is the meaning of this?"

Ravensdale hadn't said anything but kept his face purposely still, masking his curiosity, lest anyone notice that they were discussing something more interesting than the weather.

"I was as surprised as you are right now," he drawled, hanging his head in an exhausted manner. "Lord Rosenberg might have given me a ward and earldom in paper, but it hasn't been finalized by the solicitor which is why we have not made any announcements yet."

"Well, now." Creston cleared his throat, seemingly changing his demeanor and adding cheerfully. "Isn't that good news?"

"Yes, Killsworth. An earldom is always good news." Ravensdale said, and then added, "If it is not dwindling in accounts and resources, that is."

Lady Sarah Jane gasped.

"Beg pardon, my lady. I have forgotten that you were there." Ravensdale had only mentioned it because he was privy to the state of Killsworth's cotton woes, but Lady Sarah Jane seemed to have been affronted by his glib comment.

"I am not offended that you talk about money in my presence." She waved her hand delicately. "I am offended; however, that you think we are passing an earldom worth nothing!" The lady fairly exclaimed.

Sarah Jane was well aware that she had come over to apologize and rid herself of the guilt she'd been carrying most of the night. But hearing someone speak ill of the Rosenberg title that was once her father's, had been more than terribly infuriating.

"Keep your voice down," Anthony hissed.

"Yes, my lady, please," Anne added and turned to the two men. "I'm sorry, your graces. We have just been shocked that's all."

"Shocked? I am not shocked. I am aware of this. We just couldn't tell anyone because we were all overly concerned about rumors. Still overly concerned about rumors," Sarah Jane matter-of-factly said and gently pushed herself further in the circle. "Is there anything about me that offends you, your grace?"

"Of course not," Ravensdale replied quite uncomfortably.

"Then is there anything in my person that begets you to conclude that we are low on finances?" She pressed on, and Anne pulled on her arm.

"No, of course not." He shifted on his feet.

"Sarah Jane, that is enough!" Anthony hissed again.

She did not know half of what she was saying. Anthony was sure that Ravensdale knew of the state of his financial affairs and poor harvest. Ravensdale and Creston were very involved landowners and they were always looking for technological advances and encouraging Anthony to do the same. Killsworth had always declined as he feared that their finances and his mother's way of life would suffer for this advancement.

He now needed their advice more now than any other time.

Yet, as a Duke had meant to warn him that entailed lands came with great responsibility and great need of money, his ward took it as an offense.

Sarah Jane was blowing the concerned comment wildly out of proportion!

She waved her hand in front of the duke's face dismissively, squared her shoulders, and faced him once again. "Then why would..."

Ravensdale's eyes shifted to the left, and an elegant woman cutting through the huddle was able to successfully penetrate herself in their little circle.

"Good evening," she said in a very light feminine voice.

Startled out of her furious speech, Sarah Jane retreated a few steps to focus her attention on the new member of their circle.

Creston and Killsworth dipped their heads in a quick salutation to the new arrival. She gave them a nod in acknowledgment. Then, she proceeded to stand by Ravendale's side, who gave her a prompt kiss on her proffered cheek, his hand snaking around her waist.

"I was cornered by Lady Huntington on my way here. She said that she is proud to announce a debutante." The elegant lady who seemed to be Ravensdale's wife smiled. She looked at the two ladies, one she recognized immediately as Miss Hastings who joined her in her previous Season, and the other one, she hadn't a clue who she was. She had hardened silver eyes and unruly ashen hair, who honestly looked quite angry.

"Miss Hastings," she greeted.

Anne dipped in a curtsy. "Your grace." She was acknowledged with a smile.

"So you must be the stunning debutante." She took the appearance of the girl and felt the hot uncomfortable tinge in the air. "I thought Lady Huntington meant Miss Wetherby, but she said to look for the girl in white with green ribbons."

She dropped her head to appreciate that she was correct. "And here you are with green ribbons."

Ravensdale cleared his throat.

"Yes, dear? Have you tasted the lemonade tonight? It was simply refreshing." Creston gave her the most indulgent smile.

"My sweet, this is Lady Sarah Jane." He threw a glance at Killsworth before proceeding to address Sarah Jane. "This is my wife, Duchess Ravensdale."

"Your grace." Sarah Jane dropped to a low curtsy. Her ire quietly dissipated from her body.

"Lovely evening, isn't it?" The duchess said and took in a whiff of the warm air. "On my way here, I saw all of you about ready to come to fisticuffs. What was the heated argument about?"

Creston tried to form sentences with a few words of this and that.

"Ah, don't take me for a fool." Her tone sounded definite and final, but her eyes were mocking. She then turned to her husband, intimately tucking a lump of his dark colored hair behind his ear, and lightly clapped her hands together. "Well?"

"I had offended Lady Sarah Jane," he admitted. "I was trying to congratulate Killsworth's inheritance of an Earldom. But my joke was ill-mannered, forgive me."

Sarah Jane felt the guilt run up from the tips of her toes and settle tautly against the muscles of her stomach. "No, no..."

Anne's eyes widened in disbelief. Lady Sarah Jane had threatened a duke and now she has the audacity to correct him as he was talking! Anne feared that Lady Sarah Jane must have lost her mind.

"Do not worry, I won't cause a scene, Anne." Sarah Jane hurriedly added, and then turned to the Duchess. "I apologize. I was in such a snit. I didn't mean to be rude."

"Well, you seem very sweet. I'm sure it wasn't perceived that way." She turned lovingly to her husband, "Isn't that right, Lucas?"

Anne watched the exchange with disclosed envy.

Ravensdale turned to her with his heart in his eyes. "Of course not. The fault is all mine."

Anthony rolled his eyes in playful disdain, and took Sarah Jane by the arm. "Excuse us, please."

He quickly brought her to the side, near the curtain covering the walls where they were far from the group and was safe from eavesdroppers.

"What," Anthony began, inhaling patience through his nose, "is your problem?"

——-
A/N: I'm trying to empathize with Anthony here. I want him to feel trapped between being an overprotective uncle to a jealous ass. So many themes here to explore!

Thank you for reading my work. It always gives me pleasure to find new readers and meet them or talk to them! I've spent hours dreaming of this story, hours researching so that it would be historically accurate, and hours writing it to the best of my abilities. Comments are highly appreciated so that I can improve further. If you've enjoyed yourself reading this, kindly consider giving it a vote so that it bumps up Wattpad's algorithm :) Thank you!!