“Congratulations!” Lord Brightley said loudly, leaning towards them. “I couldn’t think of a better match!”
“Oh for God’s sake, John,” Henrietta spat, ignoring Lord Brightley. “Is it so unbelievable?”
“Yes,” Leith said. “It is quite unbelievable, Henrietta. Tremberley getting married! And to you!”
“What’s wrong with me?” Henrietta smoothed her dress and crossed her arms. She and Leith had always been a bit prickly with one another. His fastidiousness irritated her.
“Nothing is wrong with you,” Leith said. “It’s just, well, Trem is…and you are… It’s not…”
Henrietta’s eyebrows were nearly in her hairline listening to this speech. For his part, Trem felt very uncomfortable with John’s silence. He wanted to tell Leith off for offending his fiancée, but he couldn’t risk it at this particular moment.
John opened his mouth, but no words actually came out. He waved his hand in a vague way. Dear God, had he given his friend an apoplexy?
He tried again and, this time, to Trem’s relief, John managed actual words.
“Leith, stop,” John said, surprising Trem with a near return to his normal voice. “This is…well…it’s…”
Everyone in the circle looked at him as he struggled for the word. Trem could feel Henrietta’s hand clenching in his own. God, she was as tense as he was. Bloody hell, this was misery. Henrietta was worth it, but damn this was uncomfortable.
“…it’s…amazing.”
Before he could register what was happening, John had advanced and was embracing them both.
“My best friend and my sister! I never thought it was possible!”
“What?” Trem and Henrietta said the word at the same time and then, catching each other’s eyes, shared stunned looks.
“I wish you joy, Tremberley,” the Viscount of Brightley offered, as his wife clapped. The others appeared poised between disbelief and embarrassment, unsure of whether to congratulate the new couple or not. “A marvelous match.”
Ignoring the viscount, John clapped Trem on the shoulder. “I always thought that you two—but Catherine told me that I shouldn’t pry.”
Trem stared at his best friend. He felt as John had looked not a few moments before. He had imagined John punching him, or disemboweling him, or cursing him. But he hadn’t guessed that he would celebrate.
“You sly minx,” John said, turning to Henrietta. “Courting my best friend without my knowledge. Well, you were right not to tell me. I would have been too set on it from the start.”
He watched Henrietta laugh feebly.
Trem thought about how he had rutted Henrietta in her private drawing room at Breminster House today. Some discreet courtship.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. In fact, it was such a blur that Trem was hardly able to speak to Henrietta. John insisted that they all toast to the engagement. Lady Worthington was overjoyed that the best piece of society news of the season had been announced at her ball—and that it had been led into with such drama. The mood was jubilant. Throughout the evening, various members of the ton dressed as forest creatures kept approaching Trem and wishing him joy.
Lord Hartley seemed forgotten. The scandalous dimensions of the betrothal confusion seemed to blend into Lady Worthington’s entertainment for the other guests.
To him, the evening had an air of unreality. Three days ago, he had no notion of getting married. And now he was an engaged man.
Right before supper, he pulled John aside. He needed to know how his best friend truly felt. It was still difficult for him to believe that he was elated as he looked.
“You’re really not cross?” Trem asked, holding his elbow.
John smiled and clasped his hand. “I understand why you wouldn’t tell me that you were courting her. It would have been too… But I know you would only court her the right way. You wouldn’t do anything improper. I trust you.”
Trem’s stomach roiled with guilt. He wasn’t about to tell his best friend that this “courtship” had begun only two evenings prior. And that he had already tupped his sister twice in that span.
Instead, he choked out, “Of course.”
“Come on, mate,” John said. “Catherine will be overset with happiness. And now you’ll truly belong to the family.”
After supper, Lady Worthington insisted that he and Henrietta lead off the new round of dancing. As they whirled with the other couples, nearly every eye in the crowd on them, he leaned into her.
