“Yes, Your Grace,” Smith said with the faintest of smiles for Adelaide. “I’ll make sure Rebecca gets everything together and is sent to your home as soon as possible.”
“Excellent,” Emma said, going back to Adelaide and putting her arm around her again. “Then I will take Adelaide now.”
Adelaide stared at her. “Emma…”
“No refusals,” Emma said, in almost the same tone she had used with Opal. A tone of strength and confidence. Adelaide found she rather liked it. She envied it.
Only Lydia had that tone. Adelaide had never mastered it when she didn’t wear a mask.
So she followed Emma, out of the house, into her carriage. It was only when they were moving that Emma’s cool countenance fell and she rushed to Adelaide’s side of the vehicle to hug her.
“Oh, Adelaide!” Emma all but sobbed. “What in the world happened?”
Adelaide stared at the floor, humiliation and pain and fear hitting her at last now that she was safe. Tears pricked behind her lids and she had no strength to fight them, so she let them fall.
“It’s nothing,” she tried to argue, but Emma shook her shoulders gently.
“She was choking you!” Emma cried. “You were turning blue. Please stop lying to me.”
Adelaide bent her head. “Very well. She came into the room, making accusations about my guardianship of my virtue.” She chose her words carefully, since she’d always kept Emma in the dark about so much. At first because she didn’t want Emma to worry when she was in no better position. Now because she didn’t want to mar her happiness.
“And that inspired her to attack you?” Emma asked.
Adelaide drew in a deep breath. “I didn’t expect it,” she whispered. “I was…terrified.”
“I can well imagine.” Emma held her tightly, and Adelaide allowed her head to drop to Emma’s shoulder. They sat like that for a while, then Emma sighed. “You will not return.”
Adelaide jolted. “Opal would never allow it.”
Emma snorted out derisive laughter. “Let her go to battle with James over that. I would wager he’ll win.”
“Why would he do that?” Adelaide asked.
Emma blinked as she looked at her. “Because he loves me. And I love you. Of course he would stand up for what was right.”
“I’m getting to be with you two tonight,” Adelaide said, unwilling to argue over what she knew Opal would do. Her aunt had always jealously guarded her power over Adelaide. She had no doubt she would fight to keep it, even though she felt no love for her niece. “That will have to be enough.”
Emma shifted and slowly moved back to her side of the carriage. She met Adelaide’s stare. “I must tell you something.”
Adelaide wrinkled her brow at the change in Emma’s demeanor. “Very well,” she said slowly. “Though your expression is very ominous.”
“Graham will be joining us tonight.”
Adelaide shut her eyes slowly. “Of course he will be,” she muttered. It was entirely fitting. A few days ago she had seen him at his lowest and most vulnerable. Tonight she was at hers.
And he’d be there. And he wouldn’t care.
“You sound disappointed,” Emma said. “You like him, don’t you?”
Adelaide looked at Emma and her heart sank. Her friend had never been much able to hide her heart, her hopes. Now they were written all over her face. She wanted Adelaide to somehow find an impossible match with Graham.
“He doesn’t likeme,” Adelaide said slowly, both avoiding her friend’s question and trying to gently end her hopes. End her own.
Emma tilted her head. “How do you know that?”
Adelaide almost laughed though there was nothing amusing about the situation. “I just do,” she said with a shake of her head. “He wants…something I am most certainly not.”
Emma was quiet for a long moment, then she leaned forward. “I was something James didn’t want. Or thought he didn’t. And here I am.”
