Emmeline blinked. Well, that didn’t sound much like love, but…
“Do you admire him?”
“Yes, but only because it amuses me to foil his efforts to offend everyone. I’ve never seen a man more determined to thwart admiration than Lord Cross.”
Juliet shrugged, but it didn’t escape Emmeline’s notice that she hadn’t answered the question, and her cheeks had gone a deep pink. Emmeline said nothing, but a cautious smile rose to her lips as they made their way down the stairs to the waiting carriage.
Perhaps, just perhaps, the Templeton’s fortunes were finally changing.
“My goodness, Emmeline, do stop flailing about, won’t you, dear? That’s the third time you’ve trod on me since we left for the theater.” Lady Fosberry tugged on the hem of her gown to coax it out from under Emmeline’s foot.
“I beg your pardon.” Emmeline hastily tucked her feet under her chair, her cheeks heating. Since they’d arrived at Covent Garden Theater, she’d been so preoccupied with searching for a golden head atop a pair of broad shoulders it was a wonder she hadn’t tumbled from their box.
“What is everyone gossiping about?” Juliet whispered, glancing at the surrounding boxes. “The ton’s got some delicious tidbit between their teeth, and they’ve been gnawing on it since we arrived. Has something happened? If it has, please tell me at once. I can’t bear any more surprises.”
“Nothing’s happened, dearest. I’d know if it had.” Lady Fosberry gave Juliet’s hand a reassuring pat.
“You may be sure something’s happened. The muttering is positively deafening. We seem to be the only ones who don’t know what it is. Oh, I don’t like this at all.”
Emmeline shivered in her rose silk gown, rubbing her bare arms to chase away a sudden chill. They’d arrived early, and a great many of the boxes were still empty, but in the box beside theirs sat a gray-haired lady she didn’t recognize, her head bent toward a younger companion who was seated beside her. The first lady’s lips were moving rapidly as she whispered something into her friend’s ear, and both of their faces were alight with ill-concealed delight.
She recognized that expression, that look of vicious glee.
Juliet was right. The ton was aflutter over some rumor, and if she could judge by the rising whispers, it was spreading like a contagion.
Dear God, what now?
She stilled, straining to catch a word here or there, praying with everything inside her she wouldn’t hear anything about Lord Melrose or the Lady in Lavender, and paralyzed with dread that she would.
Juliet snapped open her fan, and ducked behind it. “There’s another scandal afoot, you may be certain of it.”
“I do believe you’re right, Juliet. Stay here, girls, while I go and find out what it is.” Lady Fosberry nodded toward the gray-haired lady in the neighboring box. “Lady Browning and her daughter are just there, and they’re both dreadful gossips. I’ll have the whole of it soon enough, I promise you.”
Emmeline’s heart rushed into her throat, and before she knew what she was doing, her hand snaked out to stop Lady Fosberry. “Please don’t, my lady! Perhaps it’s best if we stay out of it this time.”
“It’s much too late for that, I’m afraid. It’s best if we know what it is at once.” Lady Fosberry gently pried the folds of her skirt from Emmeline’s fingers. “My dear, why do you suppose we came tonight? Not to hear Juliet Capulet chatter about love from her bedchamber balcony, I assure you.”
“But—”
“At worst, it’s something regarding poor Lord Melrose’s predicament. At best, a new scandal’s afoot, and the ton has moved on from the Lady in Lavender. We can only hope it’s the latter.” Lady Fosberry rose from her seat with a sigh. “Dear me, this season has quite soured me on gossip.”
“But I don’t think—”
It was too late, however. Lady Fosberry was already gone. She appeared in the neighboring box, and Lady Browning tugged her down into an empty seat and began a furious whispering.
“For pity’s sake,” Juliet hissed. “Does Lady Browning imagine she’s being quiet, with that flapping tongue? They can likely hear her down in the pit!”
“Hush! I’m trying to listen.” Emmeline laid a hand on Juliet’s arm to quiet her. “I can’t quite tell what all the fuss is, but Lady Browning said something about…Lord Cudworth. Yes, I’m certain she said something about Lord Cudworth.”
Dear God, what awful lies had spewed from his lips this time?
“She just said something about Lady Christine Dingley. Goodness, Lady Browning can go on, and none of it to the purpose,” Juliet muttered from behind her fan. “I wonder how Lady Fosberry hasn’t choked it out of her by now.”
Lord Cudworth, and Lady Christine? A shudder tripped down Emmeline’s spine. No good ever came from those two.
“Wait! Lady Browning just mentioned Lord Melrose.” Juliet gripped Emmeline’s arm. “Of course, she’s chosen now to lower her voice, the maddening thing, but it’s something to do with Lord Melrose, Lord Cudworth, and Lady Christine Dingley. Oh, dear, that doesn’t sound promising, does it?”
Lady Fosberry came rushing back into their box then, looking pale and grim. “Well, my dears, it isn’t good news. The ton hasn’t moved onto another scandal.”
