“Hush,” Caroline whispered back to her companion. The chairs weren’t all that large, and Mr. Black’s thigh pressed against hers. And every time he whispered like that, heat shot to her core.
The night was going to be a long one, indeed.
TELLING STORIES
Discordant notes still ringing in her ears, Caroline happily climbed into her brother’s carriage behind her younger sister and her mother following the conclusion of what would have been a very painful performance if she hadn’t been so distracted by Mr. Black sitting beside her.
Trying to ignore that kind of awareness, she’d quickly learned, was exhausting.
At least the ride home was a short one.
“That wasn’t at all what I expected,” Caroline declared as the driver pulled their vehicle into the slow-moving traffic. Her mother sat beside her on the front-facing bench while Goldie and Reed sat together across from them.
“My lady’s maid warned me,” Goldie said. Away from the large manor where lights had been set up along the front, shadows danced in the darkness inside the carriage.
That made it easier to avoid her brother’s eyes. And that worked all the way until they arrived at their home, as she sat waiting for her sister and mother to step out onto the pavement.
“Come to the house tomorrow afternoon,” Reed ordered Caroline as he dropped a kiss on her cheek. “The two of us need to talk.” His voice came out level but the look in his eyes wasn’t.
The last time the two of them had discussed Maxwell Black, Reed had been facing prison. Somehow, her dunderheaded brother didn’t realize he was facing that possibility again.
Even if she wanted to meet with him, however, she couldn’t. She had a job!
“He was merely being kind when he danced with me. You needn’t punish him for extending the courtesy.”
“You know what kind of man he is.” Reed’s voice was low.
“Well, he asked me to dance when no other gentleman would. That ought to tell you something about his character.”
Reed merely grunted, and even in the dark she could see the warning in his eyes. Thankfully, they were already stopping.
“Goodnight, Reed,” she said, waving his concern away. “Goodnight, Goldie.”
“Sweet dreams,” Goldie called out.
Caroline held her sister-in-law's stare, wishing she could talk to her alone. “You too.”
Later, although Caroline’s eyes drooped when she climbed into bed, her mind raced, keeping her up until the early morning hours.
Mr. Black was going to expect her to mention that the duchess had sat with her daughters. He’d said the consequences weren’t her concern.
It was the truth, she reasoned. And if she didn’t write about it, the duke would likely hear it from somewhere else.
And this was her job…
This was different from the gossip that had been written about Reed—because that had only been speculation. And the speculation was all lies!
The duchess and her daughters had spent time talking with each other at the musicale. Furthermore, Caroline had overheard them making plans to meet later this week—at the Minerva Lending Library.
The other story she couldn’t ignore was that not one of Lady Mann’s daughters were musically inclined. Musicales fell under the heading of ton events. But was a critique of such a performance even newsworthy?
Did it even matter?
Caroline had made a mental list of the members of the ton who’d been forced to endure the performance. She had stories to write, but still, she felt uneasy. As she mulled it over, Caroline turned over and punched her pillow. She would only write the truth. People had a right to know the truth, didn’t they?
After giving up on sleep completely, Caroline rose, struck a flint, and by the light of three flickering candles, sat down at the small desk in her chamber and penned the articles she’d all but written in her mind.
She would have thought she’d get some sleep afterward, but her hope had been in vain. Before leaving for the newspaper offices much later that morning, the glance in her looking glass revealed dark circles under her eyes.
