Matthew felt her cringe under his touch, but he continued, “The lady has well and truly tamed me. If our display of genuine affection bothered you, you must excuse us. In any case, I must get my lady out of the rain.”
With that, he pushed between the two gawkers, bringing Purity with him.
“Let’s get you back to your family.”
She nodded. He had a feeling she was in shock. Matthew had been caughtin flagrante delictobefore, but never with anyone who wasn’t prepared for such a fate, certainly not with anyone he cared about, andneverwith a virginal earl’s daughter.
At the copse of trees, they came across another couple, their bodies turned away, the man shielding his lover against the tree to keep her dry and unidentified.
Instead of titillating, Matthew found it sordid for the first time and wondered why they didn’t all go get rooms at an inn.Himself included!He should be shot for what had occurred. And with the memories of other times on the grounds of other estates, doing far more lascivious things for a lark to satisfy a salacious whim, the shame and regret rose to mock him.
He glanced at Purity to determine if she’d seen the couple, but her head remained down, gazing at nothing but the grass ahead of her. She seemed smaller and shrunken as if she might vanish entirely into her misery. Her distraught manner sliced at his heart.
Faced with the trembling woman beside him, he decided to swear off gardens altogether.
Chapter Fourteen
Purity couldn’t clear the haze of stupefaction from her brain. What had occurred simply couldnothave happened.Not to her!A ridiculous thought, but it was the only one that kept circling.
She didnotkiss a man while letting her bottom be squeezed like a ripe peach. She didnothave a tryst next to a massive statue with a giant phallus. And she most certainly didnotget caught sliding down the front of the Fox at a gala.It was inconceivable!
Thus, while her mind tried to make sense of the unthinkable, she remained silent, even when she and Foxford reached the picnic area and found it nearly deserted.
“Everyone has gone to the conservatory, my lady, to wait while the carriages are brought around,” explained one of the staff, clearing plates into a basket.
Turning, they headed up the bank away from the river. Finally yanking her arm out of his grasp, Purity directed her gaze straight ahead. She could not look at him, although from the side of her eye, she saw Foxford sending her curious glances. If they made eye contact, she would turn to salt like Lot’s wife and then melt into nothingness in the rain.
She wished he wouldn’t speak, but quietly he said, “You had best perk up a bit before we see Lord and Lady Diamond.”
Foolishly, he imagined she would be able to hide her ruin from those who knew her best.
Upon cresting the hill, they found other stragglers who had not yet made it under cover, and they joined the last of the guests to find shelter in the duke’s spacious conservatory where he grew an array of exotic plants, as well as fruit trees.
Her family was easy to spot gathered around an orange tree. While her oldest sister had left with her husband, for they were nowhere to be seen, her younger sisters were mischievously touching the ripe fruit while her father gave them a stern eye.
“Do not pluck anything,” he warned as Purity approached.
She made the mistake of looking directly at her mother. At once, Purity felt as though the countess read every moment of her disgrace. Almost imperceptibly, her mother’s expression changed. As it did, the blood drained from Purity’s head, as well.
“You missed all the excitement,” Bri declared.
If she had any more excitement, Purity thought she would combust, but her sister jabbered on.
“The news spread as we were leaving the picnic area. A couple has been caught in a compromising situation.”
Sweet Mary!At that moment, Purity wished she could faint, dropping like a handkerchief the way some women did. She’d seen it happen in rooms that were too warm, both at balls and at the theatre, and in the hot sun of a summer day. Yet she’d never seen one simply escape her disgrace by falling into unconsciousness.
All her family were staring at her and at Foxford, who stood grimly by her side. Too close in fact. The shame of her own sister bringing up the dreadful loss of her reputation and the ruin of her family name was crushing.
“Hush, Bri,” her mother said, still gazing only at Purity. “We don’t gossip, not about that poor country girl.”
Miss Moffett!Purity briefly squeezed her eyes closed, with guilty relief and with regret surging through her. She had known better, and yet, she hadn’t saved either of them from ignominy.
When she opened her eyes again, her mother was closer, reaching out her hand.
“Another megrim?” the countess asked, her gaze darting to the baron and seeming to judge and condemn him all at once.
Offering Purity her arm, her mother led her away. She heard her father bid Foxford good day and his stilted reply. And then she hurried through the rain to their awaiting carriage without a backward glance.
