knots dotted with diamonds. At this point she spoke, voice
accented and low.
“Lord Hartwell, what a surprise to see you
here.” She did not bother to make any excuses for her intrusion.
The woman also did not look at all surprised to encounter Thomas.
While his face had paled as if he had seen a ghost.
“I must say, Miss Loring, that I am far more
surprised.”
“It is Lady Carradine now, my lord.”
Carradine? Emma remembered the name from
Debrett's. It was an earldom and currently belonged to an elderly
gentleman, Lord Dudley Carradine. He was said to be without any
heirs. He had to be at least seventy as Emma had last heard. The
technicalities were not important right now. How did this woman
know Thomas?
“Sadly Lord Dudley Carradine passed away but
I married the new heir, Lord Edward Carradine. He is a distant
nephew of the late earl.”
“I thought I had heard something of the sort
about Lord Carradine dying. I am surprised to know he had a living
heir. Many thought the earldom would go back to the Crown.”
“Male relations have a way of popping up
once they can inherit an earldom,” Lady Carradine said simply with
a shrug of her shoulders.
Emma felt a violent shiver overtake her body
as a gust of wind hit them. It was really too cold to be conversing
on balconies with strange women. Thomas then took notice of his
fiancé.
“You are turning blue, Em—Lady Emma. I
should get you inside,” he stated worriedly. Emma nodded meekly
allowing him to lead her towards Lady Carradine.
“When you are done tending to your ward.
Perhaps you will join me in a dance.”
Emma pursed her lips at the jibe. Everyone
in London knew of Lord Hartwell's engagement. That was not vanity.
It was pure sense. Events in the ton spread like wildfire. Not only
did this woman feign ignorance, she also had the audacity to ask a
man to dance. That was simply not done, especially when a woman was
married. Emma felt so silly decrying this woman for her liberal
views. She herself found the rules suffocating. Yes, women gained
more freedom after marriage. To blatantly ask an affianced man to
dance was not one of the newly found freedoms.
A sudden and intense dislike for this
paragon overcame Emma and she stumbled. Thomas caught her placing a
hand on her waist. He smiled down at her.
“I am afraid my dances are all for my
betrothed now. May I introduce to you, my future bride, Lady Emma
Wren?”
Lady Carradine nodded coolly, an eyebrow
raised. She mustered out a curtsy. Though she currently outranked
Emma, in a matter of weeks, Emma would be above her. It would not
do to make enemies with a future Duchess.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Emma
Wren,” she greeted. Emma noted again that she made no effort to
apologize for her mistakes. What a slight. Thomas had previously
addressed her as a 'Miss', which meant she was not the daughter of
nobility. It is possible her father was a baronet or a knight or
just extremely wealthy. In any case, she was rude and neither
wealth nor beauty excused it.
“It is a pleasure for me as well, Lady
Carradine.” Thomas released her to a more appropriate distance as
they re-entered Almack's. The evening was winding to a close. Emma
took a deep breath, relishing in the empty expanse. It felt nice to
breathe and not inhale the particular musty scent of a dowager’s
gown.
“I wonder where my family has gone...” Emma
murmured, searching for them among the dwindling crowd. Normally,
her mother's flamboyant chartreuse turbans were a good guiding
point. She was not to be so helpful this evening.
“I can take you home in my coach, Emma.”
“I rather like that idea. You can tell me
all about your history with the illustrious Lady Carradine.”
“Ah...yes...” Thomas cleared his throat. “I
quite expected that. You do deserve an explanation after she was so
rude to you. It really is unforgivable, but she has always been
like that. She slights many people, yet she has friends in
accented and low.
“Lord Hartwell, what a surprise to see you
here.” She did not bother to make any excuses for her intrusion.
The woman also did not look at all surprised to encounter Thomas.
While his face had paled as if he had seen a ghost.
“I must say, Miss Loring, that I am far more
surprised.”
“It is Lady Carradine now, my lord.”
Carradine? Emma remembered the name from
Debrett's. It was an earldom and currently belonged to an elderly
gentleman, Lord Dudley Carradine. He was said to be without any
heirs. He had to be at least seventy as Emma had last heard. The
technicalities were not important right now. How did this woman
know Thomas?
“Sadly Lord Dudley Carradine passed away but
I married the new heir, Lord Edward Carradine. He is a distant
nephew of the late earl.”
“I thought I had heard something of the sort
about Lord Carradine dying. I am surprised to know he had a living
heir. Many thought the earldom would go back to the Crown.”
“Male relations have a way of popping up
once they can inherit an earldom,” Lady Carradine said simply with
a shrug of her shoulders.
Emma felt a violent shiver overtake her body
as a gust of wind hit them. It was really too cold to be conversing
on balconies with strange women. Thomas then took notice of his
fiancé.
“You are turning blue, Em—Lady Emma. I
should get you inside,” he stated worriedly. Emma nodded meekly
allowing him to lead her towards Lady Carradine.
“When you are done tending to your ward.
Perhaps you will join me in a dance.”
Emma pursed her lips at the jibe. Everyone
in London knew of Lord Hartwell's engagement. That was not vanity.
It was pure sense. Events in the ton spread like wildfire. Not only
did this woman feign ignorance, she also had the audacity to ask a
man to dance. That was simply not done, especially when a woman was
married. Emma felt so silly decrying this woman for her liberal
views. She herself found the rules suffocating. Yes, women gained
more freedom after marriage. To blatantly ask an affianced man to
dance was not one of the newly found freedoms.
A sudden and intense dislike for this
paragon overcame Emma and she stumbled. Thomas caught her placing a
hand on her waist. He smiled down at her.
“I am afraid my dances are all for my
betrothed now. May I introduce to you, my future bride, Lady Emma
Wren?”
Lady Carradine nodded coolly, an eyebrow
raised. She mustered out a curtsy. Though she currently outranked
Emma, in a matter of weeks, Emma would be above her. It would not
do to make enemies with a future Duchess.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Emma
Wren,” she greeted. Emma noted again that she made no effort to
apologize for her mistakes. What a slight. Thomas had previously
addressed her as a 'Miss', which meant she was not the daughter of
nobility. It is possible her father was a baronet or a knight or
just extremely wealthy. In any case, she was rude and neither
wealth nor beauty excused it.
“It is a pleasure for me as well, Lady
Carradine.” Thomas released her to a more appropriate distance as
they re-entered Almack's. The evening was winding to a close. Emma
took a deep breath, relishing in the empty expanse. It felt nice to
breathe and not inhale the particular musty scent of a dowager’s
gown.
“I wonder where my family has gone...” Emma
murmured, searching for them among the dwindling crowd. Normally,
her mother's flamboyant chartreuse turbans were a good guiding
point. She was not to be so helpful this evening.
“I can take you home in my coach, Emma.”
“I rather like that idea. You can tell me
all about your history with the illustrious Lady Carradine.”
“Ah...yes...” Thomas cleared his throat. “I
quite expected that. You do deserve an explanation after she was so
rude to you. It really is unforgivable, but she has always been
like that. She slights many people, yet she has friends in
Similar Books
