Words of horror erupted around them.
Marcus jerked his head towards Alaina.
“It’s not true,” she murmured at once. “Marcus, it’s not true –”
“Oh, it is. I saw her with my own eyes!” Lady Markworthy gestured madly towards her face. “I saw it all. Come tomorrow, you can be sure it will be printed in all the scandal sheets in town.”
Lord Woolworth and others suddenly moved towards Lady Markworthy. The effort to shut her up was made by those snatching her glass of wine away and the earl shouting how outraged he was that the gossip would make up such a lie.
“It’s no lie. It isn’t,” she continued to cry. “I know what I saw.”
“Marcus?” Alaina whispered to him, very aware that he had not looked at her yet. He was staring at the ground between them, his skin paling fast. “Marcus, it’s not true.”
“It can’t be true.” He shook his head. “There must be some misunderstanding –”
“I saw it all,” Lady Markworthy exclaimed again. “She has been lying to you. She has been keeping secrets.”
Marcus looked at Alaina, clearly expecting her to disprove it and to argue once more, but Alaina could not deny she had been lying. Something changed on his face, an expression of understanding. He must have read something in her eyes, an understanding of his own.
“I wondered why you did not say you loved me back,” he murmured under his breath. “I guess I now know why.” He released her hand.
“No, Marcus.” She tried to take it back.
“Lambton.” Marcus turned, speaking to the butler who had appeared as if from nowhere. “End this ball. I cannot face it.”
“Of course. Leave it to me.” Lambton stepped forward, taking control, as Marcus darted towards the door.
The whole ballroom was in uproar, and the scandal passed hurriedly between lips as people left the dance floor, eager to see what had caused such a commotion.
Alaina tried to run after Marcus, pressing herself through the crowd to reach him. He slipped through the door, his face averted from her. Only before she could follow him did someone else step in the way.
The Earl of Woolworth was suddenly in front of her.
“Caroline …” He trailed off, his eyes pinning to Alaina’s. “Ala –”
“Shh!” she begged in a harsh whisper. “My Lord, I can explain everything.”
His hand closed over her wrist, his lips parting in a round O of terror.
“I have to get you out of here. Where’s Caroline?” He looked back and forth.
“I don’t know.” Alaina saw her opportunity. As he loosened his hold on her wrist to look for Caroline, she broke free.
“Come back,” he hissed, but she was gone too fast.
Alaina burst out of the door, looking up and down the corridor in desperation, trying to see where Marcus had gone.
It’s time for the whole truth now. Only that may stop him from despising me completely.
Then she saw it – the tails of his coat slipped into the doorway of the library, and the door closed behind him. She raced up to the library and burst through, closing the door behind her.
In the middle of the room, Marcus turned to face her. For a second, nothing was said; they just looked at each other.
It shocked her, the difference in that room. Minutes ago, she had never felt so loved in this space. Now, she had never felt so hated in her life.
“Please, don’t hate me,” she whispered. “There is so much you don’t yet know.”
Chapter 21
