“Thanking you for what?”
“Spankingme.”
“Spanking you?”
“Yes, spanking me! Walloping my backside. S-P-A-N-K-I-N-G!” Eight.
Her younger sister fell silent at this. Bethany could hardly blame her. It was confounding. She herself never would have imagined such a thing…
“As in punishing you? Pardon me for sounding dense, but why on earth would he do such a thing, and why would this lead to our family’s ruination?”
Bethany would not admit to comprehending why anyone would do such a thing. But she had an idea…
“You’ll have to ask Mother. Simply trust me when I tell you, it’s likely your come-out will be canceled. On the way home, Crabtree said Lady Casterley was providing detailed accounts to every guest who hadn’t actually witnessed it, and Lady Stokely declared me to be a trollop. She said without a doubt it will be in all the papers…”
It would have been so much better if her mother had ranted and raved in response to her companion’s running commentary, but she’d sat silently across from Bethany. Looking… defeated.
Disappointed.
Tabetha giggled but then smothered it with one withering glance from Bethany. “If it wasn’t ruinous, even you must admit it’s rather hilarious. I can’t help but picture you turned over Chaswick’s knee like that. I do wish I’d been there.”
This time, the glance Bethany shot her sister was more murderous than withering.
From Bethany’s point of view, there was nothing whatsoever to laugh at.
They were going to have to return to Westerley Crossings in shame and might not ever be welcomed into thetonagain.
Tears stung her eyes. Drat, she hadn’t wanted to become a watering pot over this. It wasn’t as though she’d been ravished. And yet…
She burst into tears.
“Hush, hush, I’m sorry, Beth. I’m sorry to laugh. But let’s look to the bright side. You get to marry Lord Chaswick! It can’t be all that bad.” Tabetha propped herself on the bench, wrapping both arms around her. The sympathy only managed to draw another bout of sobs from Bethany.
Because her annoyingly pretty, outlandishly likable younger sister was going to have to forgo her come-out for God only knew how long. Their only hope was that the scandal didn’t make for a permanent state of affairs.
“But itisbad. Tabby,it is.”
Tabetha giggled, and Bethany sobbed even harder.
Chapter 7
The Day After
“Rise and shine, My Lady!”
Bethany groaned.
“Your mother wants you properly dressed so that you may present yourself in the library within half an hour.” Emily threw back the drapes, filling the room with sunlight, all the while sounding far too chipper in light of what they all faced—in light of what Bethany faced.
It was too early for this. Bethany didn’t remember how many times she’d climbed out of bed throughout the night. Unable to sleep, she’d organized the items on her vanity, refolded several drawers of clothing, and then organized the vanity a second and third time. She felt like she’d only just fallen asleep.
All the while, she’d replayed the evening’s events over and over in her head. On one hand, if she’d not gone to the folly to warn Chase about the trap, she would have absolutely nothing to worry about this morning. But on that same hand, if she hadn’t warned him, Chase would instead be forced to make an offer to Rachel Somerset...
Rationally, of course, Bethany knew that the latter would be far preferable for her own family but… seeing him forced to marry such an unpleasant lady would have been intolerable.
“You mustn’t dally.” The maid pulled the coverlet down, exposing Bethany to the cold. And the air was indeed cold that morning as spring had barely arrived and the fire in the hearth had long since gone out. “Lord Chaswick is already waiting in the library.”
“What an ungodly hour for a visit.” Bethany twisted on the mattress and buried her head in her pillow. She had never been a morning person, what with her tendencies to count and tidy things rather than sleep.
