Emily was her friend, and Lord Harford…well, he was complicated and frustrating, but he was not mean-spirited.
Emily suddenly released a heavy sigh, pulling Victoria from her meandering thoughts.
“Marriage is such a complicated issue sometimes,” Emily said, sounding almost tired by the subject.
“You think so?” Victoria asked. “I thought you and Mr Radcliffe were quite happily married.”
“Oh, we are, most definitely,” Emily quickly assured her. “No, no, my marriage is not an issue by any means. It is my brother’s…or rather, his lack of a marriage.”
Victoria tried to ignore the way her heart sped up at the mention of Lord Harford and marriage. She schooled her features so as to not give herself away.
“Why is Lord Harford not yet married?” she asked, genuinely curious. He was an eligible bachelor with wealth and a title, and he would be a Duke one day. How was it that he did not have a wife already?
A strange look crossed Emily’s expression. It was almost…angry. Victoria had never seen the lady angry before.
“Emily?” she gently prodded when the lady remained silent.
As if she had to force the words past her lips, Emily said, “My brother was supposed to marry…or, rather, he had plans to be engaged to a lady. Her name was Cressida.”
Victoria was somewhat taken aback by this. The idea of Lord Harford with another woman was unnerving, to say the least. It provoked an emotion within her that she was not unfamiliar with but had never felt so sharply.
Jealousy.
She was jealous of this Cressida, whoever she was. Jealous that she had once been so close to Lord Harford. He had been so adamant that he would never marry, and yet he had been so close with this one lady.
“What happened?” Victoria murmured, her curiosity overwhelming her.
Emily glanced around as if afraid someone was nearby to overhear them. When she appeared satisfied that they were very much alone, she turned back to Victoria and spoke in a low, serious tone.
“Edward was set to ask for her hand,” she explained. “Their marriage was considered a guarantee. However, Cressida rejected him for another man who she thought was in a better immediate position in society than Edward. It crushed him, though he would deny it were you to ask him. Not that I would recommend doing so, mind you. He would be quite furious with me if he found out I had told you this.”
Victoria’s eyes widened, and she momentarily lost her ability to speak. She was not certain what she was feeling exactly. Her heart hurt for Lord Harford, but there was also a sense of relief which she was instantly ashamed of.
Much of Lord Harford’s behaviour made sense to her now. Of course, he would be reluctant to put himself through such an ordeal again.
“He must have loved her a great deal,” she said carefully, that curiosity of hers burning even hotter.
Emily sighed and shrugged. “It’s entirely possible, but I am not sure. I believe he thought himself in love with her, but I do not think he really knows what that means.”
Victoria considered that a moment and wondered if she even knew what it meant to be in love. She was not certain. It seemed a rather strange concept to her when all was said and done, but she reminded herself that she was not destined for love. She would likely never experience such feelings as she would never pursue them.
I could have loved Lord Harford.
The thought stunned her, and she quickly pushed it away. What was she thinking? She could not fall in love with Lord Harford! There was an attraction between them, yes, but that was all. She was certain it was something that would eventually run its course, and they would move on from it.
Love was simply not a possibility.
Pushing that idea aside, she asked, “What become of the lady? Did she end up married to the other gentleman?”
Emily released a contentious snort and grumbled, “I do not know. I know almost everyone expected a wedding to take place and quickly, but I have not heard whether it has or not. Truth be told, I do not like talking about Cressida. I have not even bothered to ask mother if she has heard anything.”
“I see,” Victoria murmured. “That is entirely understandable. I do not think I would want to hear about the woman who broke my brother’s heart either.”
Emily reached out and took Victoria’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “You must promise me you will not breathe of a word of this to Edward. While I think it is important you know the truth of things, I do not want him upset over it.”
“Do not worry,” Victoria replied. “I swear I will not say a thing.”
Emily gave her a grateful smile. “You are a good and loyal friend, Tory. I am so happy you came into our lives.”
