“Then let him do the talking,” Cassandra advised, “for I am sure there is much he will want to tell you.”
16
His eagerness tosee Langdon again had abandoned Griffin half an hour ago. He no longer wished to catch up with his friend, and he certainly had no desire to meet his wife when the woman had caused Emily distress. Especially since he had yet to discover if it had been done deliberately or by accident. But since etiquette had to be adhered to, Griffin accompanied his brother into the parlor where tea was still underway.
Griffin greeted those present and then turned to Langdon, who had risen. The earl stepped forward, hand outstretched and with a broad smile upon his face. “When your brother invited me to come here, I could not refuse,” Langdon said. “It is so good to see you again, Griffin.” He glanced back at the woman who’d been sitting beside him. She too had now risen. “Victoria, may I present Lord Griffin. Griffin, this is my wife, the Countess of Langdon.”
Griffin forced a smile and executed a bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said while straightening himself to his full height.
Lady Langdon smiled. Her expression was warm and welcoming with no hint of malice. One might even say she was pretty, but what struck Griffin the most was her height, for she was unusually tall for a woman. It was possible then, he considered, that a moment of self-consciousness might have overcome her when she met Emily. Langdon would have been wrong to compliment her on her looks in his wife’s presence. Especially when Lady Langdon knew they had once been attached.
“I have heard so many wonderful things about you, my lord,” Lady Langdon said. “My husband holds you in the highest regard.”
“Thank you, my lady. He and I were once fast friends. It will be interesting to hear how married life is treating him.”
Langdon grinned. “Splendidly, I’d say. Victoria and I are extremely well suited.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Griffin said. He glanced sideways at Mr. and Mrs. Howard, who were busily conversing with his mother. Caleb had now joined in, adding to the noise. Abandoned on the table were four cups belonging to Emily, Mary, Laura and Cassandra. “If you will excuse me,” Griffin muttered. He had no desire to socialize further. All he wanted was to make things right with Emily.
“But you only just arrived,” Langdon said with a hint of distress.
“True, but I have come straight from the stables. If you would please allow me a chance to freshen up, I would appreciate it.”
Langdon inclined his head. “Perhaps we can have a drink later in the library?”
“And a game of cards after supper,” Lady Langdon added. “I love playing with friends, but have had little chance to do so recently. We spent the last three months in Scotland, you see, visiting with Langdon’s sister and brother-in-law. Neither enjoys games.”
“Then you have come to the right place, my lady,” Griffin said. “For there are many here who would happily engage you as long as you are willing to lose.”
She laughed whenhe smiled, appreciating the joke, and Griffin decided that as inconsiderate as she had been earlier, she had not meant to cause any harm. He excused himself once again and went in search of his room. Arriving there, he undressed and used the wash basin to remove the sweat and grime from his ride. Once dry, he dabbed a bit of sandalwood on his jaw before pulling a clean shirt over his head. Next he put on a pair of taupe-colored trousers, a waistcoat, cravat, and a navy blue jacket. He then gave his hair a quick comb before putting on his shoes.
With a glance at his dresser, he considered his purchases and wondered which one he should give to Emily first. Making a decision was complicated by the fact that a gentleman was not supposed to offer gifts to an unmarried woman. He had known this, but had not been able to resist. Not when he knew how happy the items he’d bought were sure to make her.
Deciding that he could not carry anything large around with him, Griffin settled on a smaller package that he could fit in his jacket pocket. Excited to see her reaction, and hopeful that it would help her forgive him, Griffin left his bedchamber and went back downstairs.
After usheringher friends out of her bed chamber with the assurance that she would return downstairs shortly, Emily washed her face and patted it dry, savoring the coolness against her skin. Her initial hurt and anger had subsided, allowing her to think more rationally.
Mary was right. To begrudge Griffin for advising his friend as he’d thought best would be wrong. Especially since he hadn’t known Emily at the time. They hadn’t been friends when this had happened, and his loyalty had been to Langdon, not her. In truth, he had advised his friend well.
Furthermore, feeling slighted by Griffin’s dismissal of her six years earlier was childish. She had made a deliberate effort to change in the years since and was proud of the woman she’d become. She had evolved from a shy wallflower into a bold and courageous woman. Should she not then be happy to have caught his attention now rather than hurt by the fact that he hadn’t given her younger self a chance?
After all, Griffinhadasked her to marry him. His proposal might not have happened on bended knee or included words of endearment, but it did mean that he wanted her to be a more permanent part of his life. And after reflecting on his behavior toward her these past few weeks, she now believed that he cared about her a great deal more than she had last night. Yes, he’d yet to figure out how to put what he felt into words, but so did she. For all he knew, she didn’t love him either, since she’d not declared the fact.
Finding the downstairs empty, Emily drifted toward the back of the house where a French door was flung open to let in a cool April breeze. Through the beveled glass, she could make out Griffin, his long body slumped in a white wrought iron chair with blue damask cushions. He was keeping company with Caleb and Cassandra, who were leading the conversation with animated gestures and encouraging smiles. By contrast, Griffin wore a tight expression devoid of all humor. He appeared like a man for whom joy had died, causing a tight knot of pain to expand against Emily’s breast.
Unbearable guilt was etched in his features, assuring her of the regret he felt over the hurt he’d caused her. She took a deep breath and allowed a brief glance at the lawn where Mary was showing the children how to set up a game of pall mall. The knot eased in response to their happy faces. Peter and Penelope were securing arches to the ground while Bridget and Daphne appeared to be arguing over which colored mallet they would each get to use. Edward’s attention was completely swallowed by a pair of squirrels chasing each other up a tree.
Could she really give them up and move away so soon after they’d had to suffer through losing Mary? Even though she and Caleb had visited Clearview once since their marriage and the children had been to see them in London, they’d expressed deep regret over having to let Mary go. Bridget had been especially forlorn, asking Emily how Mary could possibly choose a man over them. And it would be nearly impossible for Cassandra to manage Clearview on her own.
Emily decided right then and there that no matter what happened, she would not leave her friend unless a solution could be found to this problem. Not after everything Cassandra had done for her over the years.
With this in mind, Emily proceeded out onto the terrace. Langdon and his wife were thankfully nowhere nearby. They appeared like colorful flecks in the distance as they strolled toward the lake, the very picture of wedded bliss.
“There you are,” Cassandra said, her voice pulling Emily toward the seating arrangement and alerting Griffin to her presence. “Will you join us?”
Before she could manage a response, Griffin was on his feet. His eyes burned into her soul, searing her until the heat flooding her body grew almost unbearable. “If I may,” he began, his words uncharacteristically shaky, “I would…” He paused, took a deep breath, but seemed to falter.
It was too uncomfortable for Emily to watch. “Perhaps,” she said, but he spoke simultaneously, causing her to swallow her words. She stared at him and he stared back. A nervous laugh pushed its way up her throat as the air thickened.
