“Then you know why I’ve summoned you so quickly.”
The doctor nodded.
“We must know what our options are,” Ewan continued. “Lady Theodora has been here for three weeks. How is her leg? Can she be moved? Has the bone healed enough?”
“I will need to examine her again, of course, my lord. It certainly will be better to move her now than it would have been three weeks ago, but there remains a risk.”
Ewan bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. “Very well. Lord Blackstone will be here shortly. We’ll discuss the options with him. I fear we have few.”
“WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?”Thea asked Maggie as soon as the maid came rushing back into Thea’s bedchamber.
Thea had sent Maggie on a mission to discover what she could about Lord Clayton’s whereabouts and whether he’d learned of the story in theTimes. It made her exceedingly nervous that no one had mentioned anything to her yet.
“Your father is here,” Maggie reported, wringing her hands. “He just arrived. Mr. Humbolt is showing him to Lord Clayton’s study right now.”
Thea pedaled her wheelchair toward the door. If she’d ever wished there was a time she could stand up and pace, it was now. “Father? Here? Why, that must be because they plan to discuss the entire affair.”
“It looks that way,” Maggie agreed.
Thea pressed her lips together tightly. “Lord Clayton hasn’t sent for me, which means they plan to discuss it without me. That’s unconscionable.”
“Perhaps they don’t want to worry you, Thea.”
“Worry me? It’smylife. First of all, I’m already quite worried. Secondly, it’s my future. My family. My scandal! They cannot possibly believe they should be discussing the fallout without me present.”
Thea pedaled up to the door and stopped. “Open the door, please, Maggie and call for the footmen to carry me downstairs. I refuse to allow those blasted men to meet without me.”
MINUTES LATER,Thea and her chair were downstairs and being pushed by Giles directly toward Ewan’s study. Maggie hadn’t argued with Thea’s decision to interrupt the gentlemen’s meeting. Even Maggie knew not to argue with Thea when she was as determined as she was at the moment. Instead of arguing, Maggie had opened the door immediately and rang for James and Giles who both hurried up to assist.
As Thea and Giles approached the study door, she motioned for the footman to be silent and then dismissed him. She pedaled herself the two or three lengths left to put her ear to the study door.
“I’m sorry this happened,” came her father’s voice.
Thea rolled his eyes. How sorry was he? The man had left her here, knowing full well a scandal would ensue if anyone were to tell, and someone obviously had.
“No, I am the one who owes you an apology, my lord,” came Ewan’s reply. “It would seem someone in my staff provided the information to the papers.”
“You cannot know that for certain, Clayton,” came Father’s reply. “Two of my servants are aware of Thea’s being here. It may well have been one of them.”
Thea narrowed her eyes. How dare Father accuse Maggie of spreading the rumor. Thea doubted it was Giles either. The obvious culprit was loose-lipped Rosalie, though Thea supposed they would never be able to prove it.
“At this point it no longer matters who told. The damage has been done,” came Ewan’s voice next. There was a long pause before he continued. “I suppose we’d both agree there is only one way to handle this situation.”
Thea held her breath. His voice sounded decidedly resigned.
“I know what you have in mind, Clayton,” Father replied. “And I quite agree.”
What? What did he have in mind? Thea’s heart was pounding so rapidly in her ears she had to strain to hear.
“I’ll summon my solicitor,” Ewan said sharply. “We’ll draw up a marriage contract.”
“If it’s any consolation, Clayton, she has a large and apt dowry,” Father replied.
Heat and cold suffused Thea’s body simultaneously. She was melting. She was freezing. The walls of the corridor were closing around her. No. This couldn’t be happening. This couldnotbe happening. She braced a hand on the wall next to the door to steady herself. She was going to be ill.
“I’m not worried about a dowry,” came Ewan’s reply. “I’m much more worried about how I shall explain this to myfiancée.”
Fiancée?Fiancée! What? Thea had had no idea that Ewan had afiancée! No, no. This couldn’t be happening. It wouldn’t be happening! Not if she had any say in the matter. And shewouldhave a say in the matter. There was no possible way she was going to marry a man who didn’t want her. Who was marrying her out of a sense of obligation over a mistake that she’d caused in the first place. She would not be a burden to Ewan the rest of her life.
