Desperate to distract herself, she reached for the pencil and paper on the small table beside her chair.
“Do you want me to fetch your writing desk?” Josie asked, watching her curiously from across the room.
“No.” But she didn’t look up.
And her hand was shaking as she wrote a numeral one at the top of the page.
Surely, aside from a proposal of marriage, there had to be other ways to salvage her family’s honor. But that was as far as she got. Before she wrote a single word, a deluge of problems flooded her mind.
Primarily, the gossip. According to Caroline, both theLondon Enquirerand theCouriermentioned the kerfuffle at the ball last night—embellishing on the truth so that people would believe Melanie and the duke had been rolling around in a heated embrace.
Which was only partly accurate.
She closed her eyes.
Melanie dared not imagine what was being said in aristocratic drawing rooms all over Mayfair.
With nothing to add to her list, Melanie’s gaze drifted to the window. She could, of course, leave London and return to Breaker’s Cottage—her childhood home. It was isolated, but comfortable, and filled with memories of better times. She could envision herself there, blissfully ostracized and forgotten, but she knew that retreat wouldn’t protect her family. The stain of scandal—although nothing more than a massive misunderstanding—would still cling to them.
Even as she dismissed the idea, movement from across the street caught her eye. Leaning forward, she watched as the door to Preston Hall swung open, revealing Helton and Reed as they stepped outside.
Her breath stalled for a moment, caught between hope and dread.
But, oh, no, they were not alone. Another man emerged behind them, his tall figure unmistakable against the stark gray of the street. He paused on the threshold, looking both resoluteand impossibly distant, before following Reed and Lord Helton across the street.
The Duke of Malum was coming here.
Melanie’s mouth went dry. Her fingers tightened around the pencil until it nearly snapped.
“Thank heavens,” Caroline said. Goldie clasped her hands together, and Josie let out a little squeal.
“What do we do now?” Josephine asked, her voice high with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty.
Their mother, however, remained perfectly still, annoyingly calm. “We offer him tea, of course,” she said with a certain gravity. “And once that’s over, we’ll leave the happy couple alone for him to make his offer.”
The words hung in the air, no one questioning them. It sounded so simple, but Melanie’s stomach twisted violently, because she couldn’t… It was impossible!
She had to resist the urge to dash upstairs and hide in her room.
But no.
Everyone expected her to meet with him, and to accept his proposal.
Although she still wasn’t completely convinced that he would, and there was one small part of her that still hoped they could fix all of this without having to resort to an engagement. But she wouldn’t know for sure until she actually talked with him.
So, she straightened her back and nodded just as heavy footsteps echoed through the hall. Moments later, they entered the drawing room, and Reed’s eyes quickly found Melanie, a flicker of concern breaking through his hardened expression. Helton, more composed, touched Caroline’s shoulder briefly before turning his gaze back toward the door.
Behind them, the Duke of Malum stepped into the room. His eyes remained steady, fixed on Melanie with a directness that made her feel far too exposed.
“Won’t you join us for tea, Your Grace?” Lady Roland asked.
“Thank you, but no.” He dipped his chin, acknowledging Melanie’s mother. “I’d like a word with your daughter.” His gaze flicked toward the window, not looking at any of them. “Lady Melanie.”
The rejection of this simple civility only heightened the awkwardness in the room. Reed shifted uncomfortably, his brow furrowing as he glanced between Melanie and the duke. Helton, always more adept at social niceties, stepped forward with a semblance of formality as he addressed everyone else.
“Shall we allow the couple a moment alone?” he asked, although it wasn’t really a question.
After glancing between one another, a beat of silence hung in the air, just before her family erupted into a flurry of activity. Goldie approached Melanie and reached out to give her arm a gentle squeeze. “It will be fine,” she whispered.
