Laughter rose from the other end of the room. A gentleman spilled wine on his waistcoat. A lady fluttered her fan too close to a candle. All the ordinary things of a ball continued, while Gwen’s life unraveled quietly.
“I must go alone,” she sighed. The decision poured out of her like a confession. “He means to send me to St. Agatha’s in less than three weeks. If I do not leave before he decides the exact date, I will be trapped.”
Tears welled up in Arabella’s eyes. “You cannot run away by yourself.”
“I must,” Gwen insisted. “I cannot stay in London, and Mama will not come with me. So I must save myself.”
“Where will you go?” Eleanor asked softly.
“To Cheltenham,” Gwen replied. “To my mother’s cousin. She has children. I could work there. As a governess. Or a companion. Anything, really. If I earn my own living, Howard won’t be able to touch me there. I won’t be dependent on any man. Never again.”
Arabella squeezed her hand. “You would make a wonderful governess.”
Gwen smiled weakly. “I hope so. Or at least a competent one.”
“And the Duke of Greystone,” Arabella blurted.
Eleanor groaned. “Do not bring him into this, Arabella.”
Gwen flushed painfully. “Victor has nothing to do with it.”
Arabella stared at her meaningfully. “That is not entirely true, though, is it?”
Gwen looked away, blinking hard. “It is my fault. I let myself believe that our arrangement meant more to him than he said. I let myself want something I should never have wanted.”
“That is not a crime,” Arabella whispered.
“It is foolishness,” Gwen said. “I should have known better. He is a duke. He does not feel as I do. He never will. I will not become my mother. I will not cling to a man who cannot love me.”
Her chest tightened at the wordlove, but she stood straighter.
“It does not matter,” she continued. “My feelings do not matter. What matters is a future thatIchoose.”
Eleanor nodded slowly. “Then let us make a plan.”
They moved into a quieter alcove behind a set of palms and marble urns. Eleanor drew a small notepad from her reticule, which she carried for emergencies of both practical and dramatic nature.
“First,” she said, “your letter.”
“Yes.” Gwen nodded. “I will write to Cousin Edith tomorrow morning. No names. No details. Only that I urgently need a place to stay and employment. I will send it with a private courier. Depending on how fast they ride, I should have a response in a couple of days.”
“Second,” Eleanor added, “your finances.”
Gwen touched the purse in her pocket. “I have enough saved for the journey there.”
“Third,” Arabella piped up, “your escape from London.”
“I will have to leave late,” Gwen explained. “When Howard is asleep.”
Arabella leaned in closer. “We will pack the essentials for you. We will distract anyone who might question where you are. I will tell Mama that we plan to stay for supper. She will not question it.”
“And I will prepare false directions for the coachman,” Eleanor said. “So no one will suspect where the hired carriage will go.”
Gwen’s throat tightened again. “I appreciate you both, but I will not put you in danger as well. I will make this trip by myself.”
Arabella swatted her lightly with her fan. “Nonsense. You are our sister in all but blood.”
Eleanor nodded. “You should not travel alone. The road to Cheltenham is well-known, but not necessarily safe for a woman alone. It will take you two days… and an overnight stop.”
