“I wouldn’t say shestolehim.” If Lady Cora insisted on tossing that word about, it would only be a matter of time before thievery was added to the list of the Templeton’s sins.
“But every lady in London had her eye on Lord Melrose, and he fell madly in love withyour sister!” Lady Cora clapped her hands together in delight. “Isn’t it wonderful? Idoadore a love story. How lucky you happen to be at Steeple Cross!”
It hadn’t been lucky so far, unless one considered a carriage accident, a near-drowning, and humiliation at the hands of Lord Cross lucky.
Lady Cora cast an anxious glance around them, then reached across the table and grasped Juliet’s hand. “You’ll help me, won’t you?”
“Help you? I don’t see how—”
“My mother has taken it upon herself to arrange a match for me, and you’ll never guess who she favors. Lord Montrose, Miss Templeton! Lord Montrose, of all people! I was so appalled when she told me, I couldn’t say a single word.”
“Oh, dear.” Perhaps the less said about Lord Montrose, the better.
“You see my predicament, then. I must marrysomeone, I suppose. I know very well which gentlemen Idon’twant to marry, but I haven’t the faintest idea which gentleman Ido.” Lady Cora clasped her hands under her chin, her eyes pleading. “You’ll advise me, won’t you?”
“Advise you?” Oh, no. Lady Cora couldn’t mean—
“Advise me whom to marry, of course!”
Juliet stared at her, too horrified to say a word. Oh,whyhadn’t she paid more attention to the bad omens? The moment the rain started she should have insisted she and Lady Fosberry return to London at once. But no, she’d been too arrogant to pay heed to the warnings, and look at where it had landed her! “But Lady Cora, I can’t possibly advise you on something so important as that!”
Lady Cora’s forehead puckered. “Whyever not?”
“Because I could inadvertently choose the wrong gentleman, and doom you to a lifetime of misery!”
“Oh, I don’t mean you can tell me whom to marry, of course, but you can employ your… your…” Lady Cora waved a hand around as she groped for a phrase. “Your magical matchmaking formula for my benefit.”
Magical matchmaking formula? Oh, dearGod. “There’s no magic to it, Lady Cora. It’s mere guesswork, with a bit of mathematical calculation thrown in. There’s no formula, I assure you. It’s little more than a game. You can’t entrust your future to agame!”
“I don’t see why not. The marriage mart is a game, as well. The only difference between them is thatyourgame was clever enough to land your sister Lord Melrose.”
What it had done was land them right in the middle of another scandal, one which could yet end in disaster. But how could she explain that to Lady Cora? The two of them might be of an age, but Lady Cora appeared to be as sweet, naïve, and innocent as ladies of a certain class were meant to be, whereasshe…
Was older. Not in age, but in inexperience. Years older. Decades, really—
But wait. She didn’t have to explain anything at all, did she? She was leaving Steeple Cross. “I’m afraid I can’t help you, my lady. I’m leaving Steeple Cross tomorrow morning. I’m sure you understand a single day isn’t nearly enough time to… to unleash the, er, the wonders of my magical matchmaking formula.”
“Leaving?” Lady Cora’s face fell. “But you can’tleave, Miss Templeton!”
Before she could reply, steps sounded in the hallway outside the breakfast room, and a moment later Lord Barnaby entered. “Good morning, ladies. Coffee, if you please, Rowell.” He strode toward the sideboard, piled a plate high with eggs, sausages, and honey cakes, then joined them at the table. “I trust you’ve recovered from your ordeal last night, Miss Templeton?”
“Thank you, yes.” From last night’s ordeal, that is. There seemed to always be another one lurking around the corner.
“Ordeal?” Lady Cora asked. “My goodness, what happened?”
Lord Barnaby turned to Lady Cora, and froze with his fork partway to his mouth. “Cora? Is that you? I’ll be damn—”
“Lord Barnaby!” Lady Cora glared at him, scandalized. “I’ll thank you to mind your language!”
“I beg your pardon, ladies.” Lord Barnaby lowered his fork to his plate, his gaze lingering on Lady Cora’s face with blatant admiration. “Why, Cora, how you’ve changed! I wouldn’t have known you.”
“It’sLadyCora, Lord Barnaby.” Lady Cora’s pink rosebud lips pinched into a disapproving frown. “For a gentleman who hardly knows me, your address to me is much too familiar.”
“But we’re old friends, aren’t we?” Lord Barnaby gave her a charming grin.
“Not so old as that, and not so friendly, either.” Lady Cora sniffed. “Still, I would have knownyouanywhere, my lord.”
Lord Barnaby, who looked as if he relished Lady Cora’s scolding, gazed at her with his chin in his hand. “Would you, indeed? I’m flattered.”
