Iris winced as another button came loose and hit the marble floor with a ping. Oh, dear God, there was no way Honora would overlookthat.
But Honora didn’t seem to notice. “Oh, Iris. It’s such a dreadful business! He was very wrong to have done it, I know that, and you know how I despise wagering of any kind, but to involve a lady in such a sordid business! But he’s like a brother to me, you see, and I’d forgive him anything.”
Iris reached out and pulled a leaf from her friend’s hair. “Forgive who? Have you been wandering around in the woods this morning, Honora?”
Honora raised a distracted hand to her hair. “I’ve just come from the wilderness beyond the garden. He couldn’t risk anyone seeing him, least of all Captain West or Lord Huntington, and oh, Iris! I do hope you’ll forgive me for meeting him after he’s been so dreadfully unfair to you.”
“Honora!” Iris grasped her friend by the shoulders. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. Who’s been unfair to me?”
For one sickening moment Iris was afraid Honora was going to say Lord Huntington, but before her heart had a chance to sink, Honora burst into a flood of tears.
“Wrexley! He sent me a note this morning by one of the servants. I shouldn’t have gone to meet him, of course I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t say no, even though he’s been so wicked, and—”
“Why should Lord Wrexley have to send you a note? Why not just see him at breakfast?”
Honora’s mouth fell open. “What, you mean to say you don’t know? Captain West and Lord Huntington have sent him away, on account of the race!”
“The race? What…” All of a sudden it dawned on Iris what had Honora so unhinged, and all the blood left her head at once.
The private horse race Lord Wrexley had arranged—Finn had found out about it.
Iris squeezed her eyes closed and tried to fend off her dizziness. Dear God, he must have been furious. He’d have gone to Captain West at once and the two of them—and likely Lord Derrick as well—must have hunted Lord Wrexley down and sent him back to London.
Last night. It had to have happened last night. That’s why Finn had been so late returning to Hadley House. He’d known last night, and he hadn’t told her.
I meant to discuss it with you last night, but I became distracted.
This time her heart did sink, right down to the bottom of her slippers. In the space of a single day he’d arranged the details of their wedding, put an end to the horse race, and chased Lord Wrexley away, all without breathing a word to her about any of it. What else had he been too distracted to tell her last night?
She hadn’t time to dwell on it at the moment, however, because Honora was now sobbing in earnest. “Honora, calm down. It’s upsetting, yes, but you’ll see your cousin as soon as you return to London.”
“No, I won’t!” Honora wailed, crying harder. “He’s collected the wagers for the race already, and he’s used the money to pay off a debt to Lord Avery. If the race doesn’t take place, he’ll have to pay the money back at once. He doesn’t have it, Iris, and he told me there’s not a gentleman left in London who will accept his vowels. He’ll end up fleeing to the Continent, and then he’ll take back up with that odious Lord Harley and be ruined, and I’ll never see him again!”
“How do you know all this, Honora?” Iris’s head was spinning. “And if Captain West sent Lord Wrexley away, then how have you just seen him the garden?”
“He sneaked back.” Honora took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and pressed a crumpled piece of paper into Iris’s hand. “Here. He sent a servant to fetch me, and asked me to give this to you. I read it. Forgive me.”
Iris unfolded the note, but aside from his apologies and pleas for forgiveness, Lord Wrexley’s note said little more than what Honora had just told her.
With one exception.
His companions were still eager to race. If Iris wished to accommodate them, she could meet them tomorrow morning at a field to the east of the Hadley House property, and the race would go off as originally planned. If she won, Lord Wrexley could pay off his debts and remain in London.
“I don’t ask you to do it.” Honora’s voice was quiet. “He was very wrong to involve you in this. Indeed, I don’t know what to say to you. If I’d known of his wagering, I never would have suggested you encourage his courtship.” Another tear slid down Honora’s cheek. “I’m so sorry, Iris.”
“There, now. Don’t cry. You must know I don’t blame you.” Iris enveloped her friend in a tight hug, but even as she murmured comforting words to Honora, her mind was testing and discarding one idea after the next to find a way out of this new tangle.
By the time she’d soothed Honora into a semblance of calm, she had the beginnings of a plan. “Find Violet, Honora, and bring her to Lady Hadley’s sitting room. I’ll go fetch Lady Tallant and Lady Hadley.”
There was only one thing to do that made the least bit of sense.
It was time to call in the ladies.
* * * *
“You don’t owe Lord Wrexley a thing. You do realize that, Iris?”
Violet had been pacing in front of the glass doors that led from the sitting room onto the terrace ever since Iris, with some tearful assistance from Honora, told them the truth about Lord Wrexley.
