His brows knitted in two. “Ah, I suppose I did not entirely make that clear. But I thought it was evident. Why? Are you not sure?”
“I had my doubts,” she gave him a weak smile. “It is simply the pressures, my lord. I felt the scrutiny and the whispers and the comments about us being together, and I began to second-guess myself. I am sorry.”
His face turned. “Do you doubt my intentions toward you?”
“Not anymore,” she tried to reassure him, but in truth, Alice knew she was doing her best to reassure herself.
Benedict’s face cleared. “Would you do me the honor of the next dance?”
She smiled. “I would love to.”
Penelope was beside herself in joy, sighing in relief, and giggling like a schoolgirl in love—who she should be, babbling how happy she was that Rutledge had come around, how happy he was to be back with her, and how eager he was to continue their courtship.
All through her sister’s happy sighs, Alice smiled and nodded, still unsure that they had taken the correct route to get Rutledge to fold.
Is blackmail ever a good idea?
“Alice?” The nudge in her side jolted Alice and belatedly, she realized that it probably was not the first time her sister had been calling her name.
Abashed, she shook her head. “I am sorry, Penelope. I’m a bit tired. What was that?”
“I do not know how to thank you.” Penelope shook her head. “To be honest, I never thought you would get him to come around, but you did. He told me that he was sorry for how he treated me and that his conscience had been ripping him in two.”
Just like mine is about Benedict and Edward.
“He said, when he met you at Almacks a week ago, and you told him how devastated I was about his absence, he realized that he had truly hurt me and wanted to make it right.”
“That’s good,” Alice smiled thinly. “I hope he follows through on his commitment.”
When they arrived at the townhome, it was a shade behind one in the morning and the house was utterly quiet as her aunt and cousin were asleep. After thanking her aunt’s carriage driver andwishing him a good night, Alice led them inside and quietly up to their rooms.
Penelope looped her arms around Alice and hugged her tight, whispering, “Thank you so much.”
“Have a good night,” Alice replied.
Entering her room, she paused to rest her back on the door while she sucked in a steadying breath before she plucked the pins from her hair. After dropping them in the jewelry box, she steadily disrobed before donning her night dress and going to wash her face.
She was tempted to fill a bag with ice and press it to her temple, she didn’t have a headache—it was her soul that tormented her. Aggrieved, she rested her head on a pillow and wondered how Edward felt about this. Did he have no shame at all in stabbing his own brother in the back?
Well, it takes two to dance, doesn’t it? He couldn’t have done what he did with me if I had not let him. We are both at fault here.
Upset, she closed her eyes and tried not to cry. She couldn’t let this go on much longer; it was either leaving Edward alone or letting Benedict go as well.
Sharing breakfast with Benedict was a rare feature these days but this Saturday morning was an exception. Edward walked into the breakfast room, nursing what looked like a third cup of coffee, looking decidedly troubled.
“After last night, I didn’t think you would be so somber,” Edward said as he took his seat. “Were you not over the moon, spinning around with your lady?”
Benedict sat his Sèvres cup down, with little care, not realizing—or perhaps minding—the splash of coffee that splattered the table.
Rubbing his knitted brow, Benedict sighed, “About that. I…” he puffed out a breath. “I feel as if I am having second thoughts, Edward, and it’s… there is nothing against Alice, she is a wonderful lady, and I like how different she is from the ton ladies, but I am not exactly sure how we… fit.”
Calmly, Edward poured a cup for himself and sat across to Benedict. “And what made you come to this realization?”
“I am not sure,” Benedict sagged into his chair. “It is nothing… solid. She asked me if we were courting last night, and it was then I realized how unlikecourtingwe were. She must have sensed it too. You know those emotions that you get when you meet a lady, those giddy emotions—”
“Cannot say I ever have,” Edward shrugged.
“Honestly?” Benedict gaped.
