Not a fragment of Evelina’s expression changed despite the words that burned his own soul. She was now blank and pale, the only revelation that this shocked or horrified her was the slightest flare to her nostrils. Slowly, she stepped back, hands clenched at her sides, and then she whispered one word.
“Liar.”
He had hoped she was being pretending her denial that she knew about anything going on. It was apparent now that she wasn’t. No matter how she schooled her reaction, his words had hit her like a sword in a battle and he hated himself for being the one who struck her down.
“I’m sorry, Evelina, I truly thought you must have known. The courtesan network…”
She shook her head. “I’ve been in hiding. And my sisters have been spending much of their time with me lately. Or else they knew but didn’t tell me. But no.No. You arewrong.”
“I wish I was.”
“No!” she repeated, this time more loudly and now those around them started to stare. She didn’t seem to care, not when her cheeks were bright with anger and hurt, her eyes wide with the same. “I don’t know why you would say such wretched things, but I don’t wish to speak to you anymore. Good night, Lord Blackburn.”
She pivoted on her heel and stormed back off through the crowd.
“Fuck,” Vaughn said, gripping his empty glass. He glared at the few people near him who were still staring and started across the room himself. However much he’d hated himself ten minutes ago, the feeling was now doubled. All he wanted to do was go home and bury himself in darkness and drink and ledgers so he wouldn’t hurt anyone else.
* * *
Evelina dragged her sister onto the drive and waved frantically at her driver. The man appeared perplexed as it had hardly been a quarter of an hour since he brought the sisters here, but he started back up to the seat of the carriage regardless, tossing his cigar over the side of the vehicle as he did it.
“What is wrong with you?” Julia asked, pulling her arm free and rubbing it like Evelina had gripped her too hard. “We only just arrived and then you grab me and drag me out to go home. What happened?”
Evelina could hardly breathe and it took a few gasping attempts to formulate words. “Did you know?”
“Did I know what?”
“Don’t lie to me!” Evelina ground out. “Did you know?”
Julia shook her head and her concern was becoming more and more clear, as well as her confusion. “I promise you, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”
Evelina tended to believe her. Not only did her sister look truthful, there was the fact that she’d told Julia that she was going to speak to Blackburn upon their arrival. Evelina had to assume that if Julia had known anything about his horrible accusations she would have said something. Surely her sweet sister wouldn’t be so cruel. Arabella wouldn’t either, but Arabella was also far more likely to know the truth and hide it.
The carriage pulled up to where they stood and she looked up at her driver as Julia got into the vehicle. “Take me to Arabella and Silas’s.”
“Yes, miss,” he said, and she must have appeared quite wild, because he seemed as concerned as Julia. That seemed to be what she inspired now: quiet pity and worry. She ignored the humiliation of that fact and threw herself into the carriage across from Julia.
“Please, what is going on?” Julia asked. “I know you didn’t want to go out at all tonight, but when you came across that room like the demons of hell themselves were at your heels and dragged me out…you are frightening me.”
“Is Harry with Lady Blackburn?”
Julia blinked a few times. “I—what?”
“Countess Blackburn,” she repeated. “The earl’s wife. They are divorcing, it’s all the scandal. Is Harry with her? Has he been fucking her for ayear?” Her voice elevated on the last word and she struggled for breath to calm herself.
“That cannot be possible,” Julia said with a small shake of her head. She looked as shocked as Evelina felt. She wasn’t certain whether to be relieved or even more horrified at that fact.
“So you hadn’t heard this horrible rumor, you didn’t drag me there knowing it?”
Julia caught her hand. “You ask me that, truly? You think that I would bring you to a lion’s den without warning you if I’d heard such a dreadful thing?”
“No.” Evelina whispered, trying desperately to control her wild emotions so she wouldn’t burst into loud tears. “No. I cannot think you would ever be so cruel. You aren’t capable of it. But Arabella…”
“Arabella isn’t capable of such a thing, either!” Julia burst out.
“Not of cruelty, no. But of trying to protect me by lies of omission? Oh, yes.”
“But she wouldn’t have sent me to take you out without telling me, at least.”
