What he had to say was forher ears alone.
He hadn’t imagined that cryptic little nod at Hyde Park yesterday. “Letty” was Helena Reeves, of course. He’d realized it as soon as he’d seen that subtle exchange between them yesterday. Emma and Helena Reeves knew each other, and it was no passing acquaintance. They were close enough that Lady Emma had risked her reputation to sneak into the Pink Pearl to see Helena that night.
Samuel was determined to discover how one of London’s most notorious courtesans could possibly be acquainted with Lady Emma Crosby.
Samuel led her down a quiet pathway to a nook hidden behind a rose arbor, and shaded by a cascade of heavy roses. “Tell me about Helena Reeves, Lady Emma.”
Tears, denials, loud recriminations, even a swoon—Samuel was prepared for one or all of these reactions, but Lady Emma merely stroked a gentle fingertip over one of the rose blossoms. A few of the petals dropped into her palm, their pink color deeper against the soft white of her glove. “How pretty.”
“I saw Helena Reeves nod to you at Hyde Park yesterday.” Samuel took a step closer, but resisted the urge to touch her. “It makes no sense an innocent young lady—the naïve, virtuous daughter of an earl—should be acquainted with an infamous Cyprian, Lady Emma.”
Lady Emma was clever, but even she couldn’t invent a plausible explanation for that.
She didn’t turn to face him, but instead rose to her tiptoes to inhale the scent of the climbing rose just above her head. “I’d heard Lady Tremaine’s gardens were lovely.”
Samuel looked around them with a frown. Lovely, yes, and extravagantly romantic. This little nook was the sort of place a gentleman took a young lady to steal a kiss, not accuse her of…whatwashe accusing her of? Cavorting with courtesans?
But Lady Emma wasn’t just any young lady. Shenever had been.
He’d known that since he’d watched her float from a windswept terrace through a pair of glass doors,—since he’d first heard that sweet, sultry voice in the deserted library ofthe Pink Pearl.
Lady Emma sighed. “I did hope Lady Tremaine’s picnic would be more enjoyable.”
Samuel had the strangest urge to take her hand, but he said only, “I beg your pardon for ruining your afternoon.”
“Ah, well. It can’t be helped, I suppose,” she murmured, turning to face him at last. She was smiling, but Samuel sensed a sadness in her, a sort of held breath, and all at once he wanted nothing more than to let this thing go—to send her back to her grandmother with the carefree smile every lovely young lady at an afternoon picnic should wear on her lips.
“Please do sit down, Lady Emma.” Samuel led her to a stone bench in the center of the tiny, circular rose garden awash in pale pink roses. “I did promise Lady Flora I’d take care of you.”
“You did, yes.” Lady Emma sank down onto the bench as he’d bid her. “It’s a promise you make often, I think.”
Her voice was so soft, Samuel wondered if her words were for herself rather than for him, but he heard her. “Forgive me, Lady Emma, but I don’t see how you can know anything about the promises I’ve made.”
Or those I’ve broken.
“Not much, no, but perhaps more than you think. Lady Flora told me you’ve gone to great lengths to help Lord Lovell secure her hand. I confess I was surprised, my lord. I wouldn’t have guessed you were such a romantic.”
Romantic? Samuel gaped at her, his lips moving silently until at last he managed to say, “I assure you, Lady Emma, that is the last word that can beapplied to me.”
“Not the very last, I don’t think. I’d rather say subtle, or perhapsaccommodatingare the very last. I can’t make up my mind which I’d choose.”
Her gentle teasing startled a laugh out of Samuel. “Charmingisthe very last.”
Lady Emma’s red lips quirked in a wry smile. “But I can’t think of anything more romantic than your conviction Lord Lovell can never be truly happy without Lady Flora.”
“I wouldn’t putit quite like—”
“I don’t know why you’d wish to deny it. It’s one of the loveliest things I’ve heard in a long time. You told me yesterday you only wanted Lord Lovell’s happiness. It seems you were telling the truth.”
A dozen protests rose to Samuel’s lips, but he bit them back, and said only, “My cousin has always been good to me, and I haven’t always…appreciated it as I oughtto have done.”
The truth was, hehadgone to extraordinary lengths to restore Lady Flora to Lovell’s arms, and for the very reason Lady Emma thought he had. Because Lovell would never be happy without Lady Flora, and Samuel couldn’t bear to see his cousin unhappy.
It had been Lovell who’d seen Samuel through those long, lonely years after his father’s death. His mother had done her best, but her timid protests hadn’t done much to protect him from his uncle’s cruelty.
But Lovell’s sincere affection, his steadfast devotion to Samuel had never wavered. As bad as it had been after his father died, it would have been a great deal worse withoutLovell there.
Samuel had no excuse for abandoning Lovell as he’d done. It was mere chance only that he hadn’t returned to England to find his cousin a corpse.
