“What would you like to talk about, Cecily?”
As with most of life’s trials, the only way out was through.
“You’ve been keeping secrets from me, you wicked thing.”
Jane fought to keep her face at neutral.Don’t panic. Don’t give yourself away.The others hadn’t come back to the house until nearly an hour after Eli left her room. She couldn’t possibly know.
“What can you mean, Cousin?”
“You and Eli.”
Jane knew a split-second of utter horror, where her heart lurched in her chest. She saw her future unfold before her, bleak and inevitable. A forced marriage. A husband who hadn’t chosen her, and left her for the sea the moment he could. A life of gossip and pity.
Before she could make any answer, Cecily continued. “And John MacPherson.”
“I…beg your pardon?” Jane was too shaken to piece these names together into anything like an explanation. What had Mr. MacPherson to do with anything?
“Don’t you know?”
“Know what?” She hated to beg, but Cecily would draw the news out until she did, and this was giving her a nervous fit. “Pleasetell me what you’re talking about.”
“Eli came to blows with MacPherson last night. Over you.”
“That’s impossible.” Jane shook her head. “Lieutenant Williams would have told me.”
“But Mr. MacPherson wouldn’t have? How interesting.”
A misstep. Perhaps a fatal one.
“I hardly saw Mr. MacPherson,” she replied, thinking quickly. “Except for our dance.”
“Why would they have cause to fight over you? Have you been up to something you shouldn’t?” Her cousin’s eyes were ravenous. “Did Eli use his forfeit for something naughty?”
“Of course not. I told you, this can’t be true. Where did you hear it?”
“From Mrs. Gladstone, who heard it from Miss Berry, who saw it with herown eyes.”
“It would have been difficult to see with someone else’s eyes.”
“You’re so droll. But you must have some idea why they were fighting over you. I won’t rest until I have it.”
There must be a way out of this. There had to be. “What did Miss Berry see, exactly?”
“She was on her way to the powder room, and she saw them in the next room with a third fellow. She said Eli and MacPherson were in fisticuffs, and she distinctly heard your name mentioned.”
Gossip could distort things, but this wouldn’t have come from nowhere. There must be some kernel of truth to it.
Even if there wasn’t, it hardly mattered now. It was being talked about, which was more dangerous than truth. What had Eli done? He’dpromisedher that no one would know about them. This was the perfect opposite.
Cecily was watching her carefully. “Do you love him? You can tell me, darling. I’m the soul of discretion.”
This was so outrageous that Jane almost laughed, but she managed to keep herself in check. Cecily had the power to hurt her if she spread the rumor any further. It wouldn’t do to inflame tempers.
“Who, Lieutenant Williams or Mr. MacPherson?” She squinted, as if both men were texts written in a sloppy hand.
“Either one.”
“Neither one,” Jane returned. “I can’t tell you why they came toblows, if it truly happened, but I’m sure I didn’t do anything to provoke it. You know me, Cousin. Have I ever been the sort to inspire men to grand gestures?”
