“How did you and Emma meet, Adelaide?” he asked.
She jerked her face up to look at him. He truly seemed interested in the answer, just as he had when he’d asked her a dozen other questions during supper.
Fighting for control over her emotions, she shot Emma a look. “We met at a tea party hosted by…” She trailed off.
“Lady Laura of Liars,” Emma finished with a giggle that warmed the room and took the edge off of Adelaide’s discomfort.
“Oh, gracious I’d forgotten about that,” Adelaide laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
“What exactly?” James asked, his expression warm with indulgence as he watched his wife. “Whatever it is, my wife’s blush tells me it’s a wicked joke between you two hellions.”
Adelaide shook her head. “Wallflowers cannot be hellions.”
Graham snorted out a laugh and she glared at him. He lifted his shoulders without a hint of apology to his face. “I’m sorry, my dear, I’ve spent too much time with you as of late to believe that. And Emma clearly has a devilish side or she’d never caught the attention of James.”
James winked at his wife and Emma’s cheeks turned an even deeper red. “Adelaide and I used to come up with silly little names for some of the meaner girls in our acquaintance,” Emma explained.
“To be fair to the honor of your wife,” Adelaide interrupted, “Istarted it. Lady Laura, I believe she’s…she married the Marquis of Hedgebottom, didn’t she?”
Emma nodded. “Twenty years her senior. I’ve heard she’s utterly miserable.”
Adelaide smiled despite herself. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer girl. At any rate, she tossed a horrid little set down at Emma, and I’d just received one of my own. So I said something nasty about her being Lady Laura of Liars and it set off from there.”
“You two little gossips,” James said with a shake of his head. “Standing at the wall, looking innocent and sweet as sugar and all along you had depths galore.”
“I’ve never looked sweet as sugar in my life,” Adelaide laughed.
“I would disagree with that,” Graham said, and his gaze focused once more on her face.
She shifted beneath his unexpected regard. What in the world was happening? He couldn’t possibly like her. It was a foolish notion to even think such a thing. What was happening was that shewantedhim to like her, the real her, and so she was finding meaning in every fleeting glance. Every offhand comment.
It really had to stop or she’d end up with an even more broken heart than was surely coming when she finally revealed the truth to him.
The servants cleared the last of their supper courses and James stood. “Northfield, would you like to join me for a chat? I think you and I have some arrangements to make.”
He shot Emma a brief look and Adelaide recognized the fear that flitted over her friend’s expression. Fear over Sir Archibald. She felt terrible she’d never even known Emma’s relationship to the bastard.
Graham got up, and his gaze flitted to Adelaide once more. “Yes. Perhaps we could join you ladies after?”
Emma smiled. “Of course.”
James moved forward and pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek before he helped her to her feet. Then he smiled at Adelaide and the two men left the room.
Once they were gone, Emma sagged slightly and Adelaide moved to steady her. “You look tired,” she said as the two walked to another parlor for their own drinks.
Emma nodded. “I am. I’m still feeling sickly in the morning time thanks to the baby, and sometimes it’s as if emotions just…overwhelmme. Hearing about Sir Archibald…”
She trailed off, and Adelaide helped her to a seat. “Oh Emma, I wish I’d known.”
Emma shrugged. “As I said earlier, I’ve had such happiness since my marriage, I didn’t want to speak of it.” She sighed. “James and Graham will take care of it, though.”
Adelaide pressed her lips together. “Yes, I’m certain they will.”
“You two seem to be growing more connected each time I see you,” Emma said softly.
Adelaide glanced at her friend. Emma seemed very focused now, the sharpness back in her stare. And once again Adelaide wanted to tell her everything.Everything.
Only she couldn’t. Not yet. She owed it to Graham to tell him before anyone else. After…well, after she would tell Emma. Carrying all these lies was becoming far too difficult a burden. And if Graham turned on her, as she had to believe he would, she would need Emma more than ever.
