“When I am married, I hope my husband takes me straight to the shops on Bond Street,” Miss Lyons continued excitedly. “They are far superior to any others I have seen. Brighton is tolerable, but the selection is not nearly as impressive. I will buy parasols, fans, shawls, and all the lace and gowns I can afford. What do you think, Alice? Do you think my husband will allow me all these pretty things?”
Alice tapped her finger on her lap. “Perhaps.” They shared a smile. I stared at them with a furrowed brow. What were they plotting now? Had Charlotte set her sights back on Edmund? If that was the case, then Mrs. Everard’s plan wouldn’t work…Miss Lyon’s wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.
Alice’s expression turned inquisitive in my direction. “I’m curious about how your engagement to my brother came to be.”
My stomach flipped. “Oh?”
“Was it love at first sight? I do adore anything romantic.”
My eyes shifted to Miss Lyons who was listening intently. Heat spread on my cheeks. An opportunity to reveal Mrs. Everard’s scheme was hovering over me. Heart pounding, I tried to plan my confession in my mind. It would devour every last bit of my pride to tell Alice and Miss Lyons before Mrs. Kellaway, but I couldn’t invent a story just to continue the sham.
“Alice! You’ve made the poor thing blush!” Miss Lyons appeared to be barely concealing a catlike grin that could rival even her mother’s. “He undoubtedly stole your heart with endless flirtation and compliments. That is his way. Everyone knows it.”
I looked down, my heart sinking. Being called “poor thing” twice in one conversation was enough to cool my cheeks. “That is not what stole my heart.”
Alice’s face lit up with curiosity. “What was it then?”
There were too many things to add up, too many reasons. I couldn’t name just one thing, nor could I make a list that encompassed it all. The reason I loved him was the same reason Owen loved what he loved, and the same reason I felt so hopeless now. I had fallen in love with him because I couldn’t help it.
“Everything else,” I said finally.
Miss Lyons was very near glaring at me when I glanced her way again. Quickly, she cast me a smile. But I had seen the daggers.
“I wonder,” she said in a quiet voice, trailing off. She cleared her throat and arched an eyebrow as she stared at her cup. “I was just thinking . . . what have you to trade for the living Owen is providing you with at Willowbourne? I don’t wish to cause offense, but your family is practically unheard of. Remarkable, is it not, Alice?” Her eyes darted in my direction. “That he should choose to marry her for lack of all that?”
My cheeks tingled with heat once again. Alice shifted uncomfortably.
“It is astonishing that he should overlook so much for the sake of his heart.” Miss Lyons shook her head in false awe. She was very skilled at making one aware of one’s flaws. But I did not need assistance to recognize how inept I was. I no longer wanted to tell her about the fake engagement. I wanted her to think that I, even lacking so much, had still managed to win.
She took a bite of a lemon cake, pausing to chew. Her gaze settled on Peter and Charles. “You really should have left those boys with the maid. She has been employed to the task for a reason, and it is only a matter of time before they run you positively ragged.”
I stood, keeping my gaze fixed on her. “I would sooner be run ragged by your criticism, Miss Lyons. I have had enough for one day, thank you.”
Her eyes widened with unmasked shock. My skin buzzed in the aftermath of my retort. My ability to hold my tongue had been decreasing ever since my insult to Mr. Coburn. Perhaps it was time that I accepted that I was not fit to be a vicar’s wife.
Alice acknowledged me with a nod. I thought I saw an unspoken apology in her eyes. Stepping away from the bench, I took two lemon cakes from the tray to save for Peter and Charles.
There was one cake remaining, and Miss Lyons was staring quite possessively at it. So, in a sudden impulse, I swiped it off the tray from under her longing eyes. I was certain that she hated me even more now, but I wasn’t particularly fond of her either.
I released a tense sigh as I led my brothers out of the orangery. Anxious didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. The thought of Miss Lyons discovering the truth about the counterfeit engagement was enough to make my stomach heave. I could already imagine her laughing, leaning over to Alice and saying how she knew it was fake all along.
I found a large tree with plenty of shade, and played a game of charades with Peter and Charles. My mind wandered, though I tried my hardest to focus. I chased them across the grass, knowing full well Miss Lyons and Alice might see me on their way back from the orangery and call me improper. I didn’t care. Not anymore. We found three large sticks in the woods and used them as swords for fake duels, and for a moment, my worries faded. I laughed again, and by the end of the game, the weight on my shoulders felt much lighter.
After the game ended, we returned to the house for a drink of water. In the entry hall, a footman stopped me with two letters. My surprise blossomed into concern as I read the name on the first letter.
Mr. Martin Frampton
I held it against me, a tightness clutching my chest.
I hadn’t told Mr. Frampton my location. He would have no way of knowing that I was at Kellaway Manor, unless…
I swallowed hard, checking the name on the second letter.
Mrs. Ruth Filbee
My heart hammered in my chest as I opened Mr. Frampton’s letter first.The words leaped off the page, making my head spin.
Dear Miss Downing,
