Then Luella joined his mother, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran her hands over her skirts, the way his mother did before guests entered her sitting room. The way Charlotte did before walking into a ballroom.
“You don’t think…” Charlotte’s voice was wary. Her hand tightened on Edward’s arm.
“Surely not. Mother’s expecting her—my—engagement announcement to run inThe Timestomorrow. She’s not reckless. She’ll take that safe win.”
“Oh.” That single, horrified syllable from Will caused Edward’s stomach to drop. His feet froze to the floor.
“William Stirling, what did you do?” Char demanded.
“I might have mentioned that you’d uncovered her plans. She wouldn’t give me a moment of peace this afternoon.”
Edward’s feet were rooted to the floor as he watched his mother march determinedly toward the orchestra, Luella in tow. The girl had a sweet and happy expression on her face, but when she looked over at Edward, he saw a flash of triumph.
“I won’t do it,” he said. “I won’t marry Luella simply because Mother announces that I will. She knows that.” But even he didn’t believe his own words.
“It would be one hell of a scandal,” William said. “She knows you won’t tolerate the Wildeforde name being besmirched like that.”
He shook his head. “I won’t do it.”
“Ned, you’d be painted as the villain. You’d be completely ostracized,” Charlotte whispered. “Two broken engagements in two years.”
The orchestra launched into a final refrain. The duchess raised her kerchief to get the conductor’s attention.
“Move. Move, move, move, move, move,” Edward said. The three of them strode purposefully through the crowd, Charlotte in the lead, clearing the path with her charming smile and friendly hand gestures, literally towing her brothers along behind her.
The final notes sounded. They weren’t going to make it.
Charlotte released Edward’s hand and broke into a run, catching her mother and Luella as they climbed the stairs to stand at the front of the stage.
“I’m not sure a spat in front of the whole crowd is much of an improvement,” William muttered.
But their sister surprised them both. She threaded an arm through Luella’s and shot her a syrupy sweet smile, even going so far as to give Luella a quick peck on the cheek. His mother, stuck in front of the crowd, had no choice but to plaster on a fake smile as she looked at her daughter.
Edward’s heart was in his throat. He continued to make his way to the front of the room, but with all eyes on his mother, he had to weave in and out of a crowd that was too distracted to get out of his damn way.
The usually loud hubbub of the room had died down to a quiet humming as everyone waited for the announcement.
He reached the platform, but by then it was too late. The music had stopped and his mother stepped forward.Goddamn it.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the duchess said. “It gives me such great pleasure to announce that—”
“Oh,” Charlotte said loudly, raising a hand to her forehead. Her knees buckled slightly, and a loud murmur ran through the crowd.
The duchess scowled and ignored her daughter’s outburst. “As I was saying, I am delighted to announce that—”
But Charlotte, the bloody heroinethat she was, wouldn’t be put off. Her knees buckled again, and this time she stumbled forward. The entire crowd gasped as she swooned. The men closest to the stage rushed forward just as she toppled delicately over the edge.
Edward’s heart only slowed once he realized Lord Montford had caught her and she was safe in his arms. The murmur of the crowd swelled into a cacophony of frenzied gossip. His mother’s face twisted in fury. She waved her arms to try and regain the room’s attention, but they were still too titillated by Charlotte’s “accident.”
“She won’t be put off,” William said.
Indeed, their mother shook the conductor’s arm. He motioned to his French horn, who blew a long, loud note.
The crowd hushed again.
“This is ridiculous.” Edward strode forward. Dragging his mother from the stage would cause almost as much gossip as a fake engagement, but it would be infinitely more satisfying.
At least, it would have been—if William hadn’t turned around and punched Lord Pallsbury square in the jaw, and then thumped Lord Alverton when he came to intervene.
