He’d plucked them from their fun too. By their rosy cheeks and excited expressions, they were oblivious to the tension coating the air they four breathed.
“Oh, Meghan!” Andromena chose the exact moment His Grace entered the carriage to air her joy. “Wasn’t it the most wonderful nightever?”
Meghan’s nails bit sharp into her palms.
Silently, imploring her family to relent, Meghan held their eyes. She signaled a quiet “no” with her head.
“No?” Fleur drew her head back. “What do you meanno?”
Meghan didn’t have a chance to answer.
Fleur swung her attention Andromena’s way. “What does your sister mean by no?”
With every wordtheyspoke, the more dire Meghan’s situation became.
“It is unfathomable!” Andromena cried out. “Unfathomable, I say. It is almost as though being betrothed ruins a lady of her fun.”
Meghan briefly closed her eyes.
Even the new snide, jaded Culross would have riposted with some teasing repartee for the girl. He’d not been able to help himself from doing so with Meghan.
The duke let the girl keep digging all three McQuoid ladies’ graves.
“I did not know you intended to meet Hartwell.” Her sunny-tempered sister wrinkled her brow. “I thought it was to be our grand secret, Meghan.”
Please, Lord, let the carriage floor open up so I can disappear and be crushed beneath the heavy wheels.
Miserable, Meghan’s eyes slid closed a second time. “It was.”
Fleur caught on. She whispered to Andromena.
Unfortunately, their cousin’s attempts were futile.
“But ifMeghandidn’t invite Hartwell, then who—”
“That will be all.” The duke spoke with a chilling lack of emotion.
Not a further word was spoken.
Fleur was the first returned home to her parents, Lord and Lady Abington’s Mayfair residence.
Meghan sneaked a glance through the heavy velvet curtains as her cousin—lucky girl—was escorted inside by the loyal family butler.
Then the carriage continued down the cobbled street to Meghan’s more modest, less ostentatious, lesseverythingfamily townhouse.
“Thank you for delivering us home, Your Grace!” Andromena said happily. “As I said, we had a most wonderful evening.” Her innocent, always cheer-filled sister looked at Meghan. “Isn’t that right, Meghan?”
Meghan’s gaze remained locked on stoic-faced, Hartwell.
Her betrothed answered for her. “You may go, Miss Smith.”
For a moment, something shifted in Andromena’s eyes. Her sister looked worriedly at Meghan.
She mustered a smile for the younger girl’s benefit.
A servant arrived and helped Andromena down.
In a desperate bid, Meghan took a step to follow her retreating sister.
