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“Ravenshaw will arrive the night before the wedding, and I swear, if you attempt to go near him, I will lock you up!”

Her mouth fell open at this, and she gaped at him. Robert’s words upset and angered her. It was so out of proportion to the situation. Why would he say such a thing? His color and risen, and she saw the anger he’d been keeping at bay. Why is he so angry?

“You have set a terrible example for your sisters, Ava, and potentially ruined Heather’s chances before she is even presented. To say nothing of Ingrid’s, although that is a few years off, thank goodness. If the details should ever leak out, the girls would be tarred with the same brush and considered as fast as you. Which is the most complete injustice, in particular for Heather, who is the sweetest, most biddable, and unselfish girl alive!” He stopped, his throat working.

Comprehension dawned. His partiality for Heather was showing and stabbed Ava with a jab of jealousy and guilt. Because it was true, Heather was the sweetest soul and Robert’s undoubted favorite. Of course he would arch up in her defense.

“And you have all but broken Mama’s heart. She did not wish this for you.” He stopped again, an expression of pain crossing his features. “If I had known—but it is too late now. The notice was already in The Gazette when Mama—” He stopped, appearing to gather himself.

Mama knew something to Jerome’s discredit. There was no other explanation. Why will they not tell me what it is? Well, whatever it is, I am sure it is not true! I refuse to believe ill of him. She contemplated asking what it was, but something in her shied away from knowing. She would ask Jerome himself when she had the opportunity.

Robert finally continued. “I shall speak with Ravenshaw when he arrives, and we will see what happens from there. I can only pray that it will work out well in the end, although I am not certain that any path will lead to your happiness, for if you do not marry him, you will be ruined forever, and no man will have you. And if you do marry him . . .” His face twisted with pain as his voice trailed away. Ava’s heart skipped a beat, and a shiver passed over her skin. What do they think Jerome is guilty of? It must be something bad. Or are my family just overreacting? What is going on?

He stopped and turned away as if looking at her gave him pain. “Dinner will be served in half an hour. I suggest you go and wash your face.”

Suddenly, she wanted desperately to ask him for the truth, but his expression was so forbidding she didn’t dare. She took refuge in dignity and rose slowly, saying stiffly, “Yes, Your Grace.”

*

Robert turned as she exited the room regretting immediately his callousness, “Ava—” but she either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore him. He couldn’t blame her. He had let his worry and temper get the better of him. He felt wrung out and exhausted. He leaned his arms on the mantelpiece and stared into the flames. The information Mama had imparted to him about Ravenshaw had shaken him.

He had considered posting back to London to confront Jerome and ask him for his side of the story. He had drafted multiple letters demanding the truth and thrown them all in the fire. Though he didn’t quite believe it, he still couldn’t completely shake off the fear that there was something to it. And what that something was ate at the love he bore the man who was like a brother to him. That canker of doubt was now eating at him and made him fear that he had done the wrong thing in pushing Ravenshaw to marry his dear sister. For all she might exasperate him, he loved Ava very much.

If he could have withdrawn the notice, he would have. But it was too late. There were too many rumors swirling around Ava now. He had to get her married off and quickly, or her sisters’ chances would truly be ruined before they were even presented. Lannister was not to be thought of. The only acceptable candidate was Ravenshaw, who had sworn to him that he loved her. And that Robert did believe, because he’d seen the look in his eyes when he said it. Which meant that whatever the truth of the Charis Dunsenay affair, it couldn’t be as bad as Mama thought it was. It just couldn’t.

A few minutes later, the door opened quietly, and he turned his head. Sarah stood there. “How did it go, love?” she asked, moving toward him. He put out his arms, and she walked straight into them. He hugged her close.

“Awful. I was a monster. I lost my temper and just dumped the biggest load of guilt on her. And I threatened to lock her up if she went near Ravenshaw before the wedding.”

“That was a bit medieval of you, wasn’t it?”

“Very,” he said ruefully.

“Well, you might have been a bit heavy-handed, but I’m inclined to think you did the right thing, my love. Ava has needed a lesson for some time, and you might have just administered it. She doesn’t mean to be selfish, but she does tend not to understand the ramifications of her actions on others. Ravenshaw may thank you for that one day. He is the one who will have to deal with it from now on. I do hope he knows what he’s in for.”

“He says he loves her. I hope it’s true.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“No. That’s for him to say. They will have to work it out between them. One thing I know: Once he’s given his word, he’ll stick by it. I trust him to do the right thing by her, despite—” He left it unsaid. He couldn’t bring himself to dwell on what Mama had told him or sully Sarah’s ears with his doubts. He must speak to Ravenshaw as soon as he arrived and learn the truth. Only then would he know peace of mind again.

*

Robert’s harsh words weighed heavily on Ava, and her only comfort in all this misery and frustration was Ingrid. Her little sister was fourteen going on fifteen, and Ava, recalling herself at a similar age, was plunged into a morass of nostalgia and pain. For it was at exactly that age that she first formed a tendre for Ravenshaw.

Unlike her, however, Ingrid was showing no signs of developing an infatuation for any male. She was still the unruly tomboy she had always been, and her forthright observations on the unfairness of older brothers who punished their sisters was somewhat of a balm to Ava’s sore heart.

“I think you did the right thing!” said Ingrid. “Rob was trying to force you into marrying Haldane. You had to do something! You wanted Ravenshaw, and by all accounts he was going to marry this countess if you hadn’t stopped him. I applaud you for taking control of your own destiny. Robert thinks he can control everything because he is a man and he’s older. I don’t plan to be controlled by a man—ever!” she said fiercely, stabbing at her cake with a fork. She and Ava were sitting in the schoolroom sharing afternoon tea. Ingrid’s governess, Miss Dunne, was having a lie down. She had one of her headaches.

“Rob wasn’t exactly forcing me to marry Haldane,” said Ava.

“That’s not what I heard,” said Ingrid, licking icing off her fork. “I think you should have run off to Gretna with him. You were close enough at Ravenshaw. It’s what, half a day’s ride to the border? Now that would have been romantic!”

“Perhaps,” said Ava wistfully. “Rob and Sarah turned up too quickly for that. Jerome was terribly drunk when I arrived. And I was soaked to the skin and freezing. It really was a dreadful storm.”

“You were very brave!” said Ingrid loyally. “How ever did you find the house in the dark?”

“I got directions from the stable boy at the inn, and he gave me a hurricane lamp. I think without the lamp I would have got lost. I could barely see, what with the rain and the dark.”