“Your grace.” The older woman turned to Prescott now. “I expect you’ll have a word with the earl. Meanwhile, Rhoda, take Miss Goodnight to her room. Oh! This is horrible! Something’s going to have to be done to remedy this! Otherwise, it will reflect upon all of my girls!”
At this, Rhoda rolled her eyes.
Sophia and Cecily appeared, questions and concern clearly written on their faces. “Two of your guests have been caught acting scandalously, your grace.” Rhoda’s mother would never let this rest. While she went on to explain, in exaggerated detail, to her hostess what she’d discovered, Rhoda pulled Emily along toward their chambers.
Emily expected congratulations. She expected excitement and a cheer of victory once they closed her bedchamber door behind them.
Instead, Rhoda covered her face and moaned. “I can’t believe you did it! I can’t believe he did it! I’d thought he wasn’t the type. Why are all men destined to turn out to be disappointments?” Rhoda dropped into a chair in resignation.
“He’ll make an offer, won’t he?” Emily suddenly felt far less certain than she had while standing in the dark. But then a question occurred. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’d told Lord Carlisle about your engagement to Blakely?”
“Hetoldyou?” Rhoda’s eyes flared in anger. “Quite the littletete-e-tetethe two of you shared.”
Was Rhoda…jealous?
She couldn’t be! “Lord Carlisle thought I was you.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Rhoda waved a hand away. “I’m at least six inches taller—”
“I was standing on a box. And I’m wearing your perfume, remember?’” Rhoda stilled at her words. “Rhoda, do you, are you—”
“No!” Rhoda responded vehemently. “I mean, he’s been a friend to me. But I… I’m not at all…” She smiled weakly. “You did it. You actually did it.”
“Well, you said you wouldn’t leave with Blakely until I did. Figured I’d best get it over with.” A pang shot through her at the thought of Blakely leaving Eden’s Court.
A tap at the door and Cecily slipped in.
“You two deserve to be thrashed!” Red faced and shrouded in disappointment, Cecily appeared angrier than Emily had ever seen her. “Did you plan this together? I’ve no doubt this was your idea.” She glared in Rhoda’s direction. But then she turned toward Emily. “But you cheated, I’d venture to guess, at the game. And now! Now there is a very kind, very innocent gentleman sitting in the duke’s study who’s going to have to offer for you. He’s going to have to make an offer due to no fault of his own. What you’ve done is utterly reprehensible!” A few red curls had escaped her coiffure and now hung in front of her face and down her back as she paced across the room. “How could you? How could you?”
Emily winced but Rhoda glared defiantly. “You don’t understand, Cecily.” She turned her face toward the window. “And you never will.”
“Why don’t you explain it to me then?” Cecily sat in the chair beside her. “You’ve been secretive for months now. We’re your friends, aren’t we? Tell us what’s wrong. I mean, besides the obvious. Besides the fact that St. John took advantage of you and then died. What else is bothering you? None of us are perfect. You know this! I made a horrible decision when I married Flavion, but all of you stood beside me. And then I committed adultery. Adultery, Rhoda. Whether it fit the legal definition or not, I lay with a man who was not the man I thought was my husband. What can you have possibly done that is any worse than that?”
Emily felt it happening again. “Why are you blaming Rhoda?” she demanded, surprising both the other women in the room at her outburst. “She had nothing to do with it.Icompromised Lord Carlisle.Iam the person responsible for that poor dear man sitting with Prescott now. And I’m glad.” She burst out of her seat and paced across to Rhoda. “Now Rhoda is free to marry Blakely without worrying about me. And she won’t have to worry about any stupid bets, or insincere praise… or worse! Now, if both of you will excuse me, I have some business to attend to.” She spun on her heels and opened the door.
“What business?” Rhoda asked.
“I’ve an elopement to plan.” And with that parting shot, she closed the door.
Where would he be? She stormed down the corridor toward the stairs, thinking she’d begin by looking in the billiard room. It was dark outside but not even midnight. Perhaps she could arrange for them to leave early in the morning.
She turned the corner and her heart sank when she came face to face with Prescott. Even in the shadows cast by the few candles lining the foyer, she knew it was him immediately.
She’d never spoken alone with this large, imposing man, who’d spent ten years in the army before inheriting one of the most powerful titles in all of England. But she’d requested his help. And oh, but hell, she’d just trapped one of his cousins into a betrothal.
“Miss Goodnight.” He nodded. “Sophia has gone in search of you. Perhaps you and I might have a word?
Emily straightened her spine. She would not be afraid of him. And she would follow up on her request. “Of course.”
He led her past a few large doors and then opened one before gesturing for her to precede him. When she entered, she understood the power of tradition, of legacy, of history. This room encompassed all of these things. Spicy wooden smells blended with the unmistakable scent of leather. She imagined most people who entered this room felt intimidated at one time or another.
She refused to be one of them.
He indicated a chair for her and then took his own behind the large desk. Several candles burned in sconces along the wall, as well as on side tables and the desk.
“My cousin will wait upon you tomorrow morning.” He frowned. “But I wanted to ask, first, if this is something you are happy with? Is it possible, I am compelled to ask, that a mistake has been made? That perhaps what is thought to have been seen was not what actually occurred?”
His voice was not at all imposing, rather kindly and understanding. It made her glad to know that Sophia’s husband had such a side to his character.
