vacated. This couldn’t be true. Fate wouldn’t be that cruel. This intriguing man who’d been so charming last night couldn’t be her fiancé?
“I was. I just returned from America last night .”
Mirabella cringed with shame. He had to emphasize the words “last night.” Reminding her they had met. She had been alone. She had kissed him. Oh, merciful heavens, what must he think of her? And all of it was true! What rotten, rotten luck.
She looked up at him and realized she had been prepared for everything but this. She wanted to run home and bury her face in her father’s shoulder and sob. But she couldn’t do that. She had to stay calm and dig deep inside herself and find the strength to face Lord Stonehurst.
Mirabella forced herself to look into his eyes and say, “I’m sorry you chose this awkward moment to seek me out.”
“I’m sure you are.” His words were clipped.
“I’m afraid you’ve caught me off guard.”
“Obviously.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You could start with an apology,” her uncle barked in a barely controlled tone of anger, “but I doubt it will do any good.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t,” the viscount answered.
“What to do? What to do?” Archer mumbled under his breath along with a few other incoherent words as he mopped his face with his handkerchief. He turned to Lord Stonehurst and said, “You’re not going to call Mr. Farthingdale out for this, are you?”
“No,” he said coldly. “You have my word on that. Once was enough. I don’t need anyone else seeking asylum in France because of me.”
“Yes, very well. Good. No doubt Mr. Farthingdale will be pleased to hear that, too.”
Lord Stonehurst’s piercing gaze didn’t waver from Mirabella’s as he talked to her uncle or when he said to her, “I think it would be appropriate to conclude you haven’t been pining away with loneliness during my absence.”
Mirabella winced. His cutting words hit their mark, but instead of being cowed by them, she lifted her chin and shoulders and answered as strongly as she had a moment ago. “Pining away? Over a man who left me on the shelf for six years. I think not, my lord.”
“Mirabella, it’s best you don’t say anything else,” her uncle said and motioned for her to come to him. “I’m not responsible for this—this is a situation for your father to handle. No doubt he’ll blame me, but I’m not responsible for what you have done. Come. We’ll get your wrap and go home immediately.”
Ignoring her uncle, she stared into Lord Stonehurst’s fathomless dark brown eyes and a part of her wanted to cry. God help her, she was angry with him for being her fiancé, angry with him for being here tonight, and angry with herself for getting caught doing something she had to do. She knew as far as he was concerned she was without excuse. She had no defense. She had no way to explain her unacceptable behavior. Mirabella would tell no one of Sarah’s shame.
This was far worse than she could have ever imagined. She had convinced herself that Viscount Stonehurst would never return for her. That her fiancé could have shown up and caught her in the arms of another man was bad enough, but for her fiancé to be the same man who had filled her heart with a longing to be kissed made the hurt almost unbearable.
If only they had exchanged names last night. If only she’d waited a few days after Uncle Archer had spoken to her about her behavior. If only fate hadn’t decided to be so cruel. And worst of all, her father would have to know what she had been up to and that she had deliberately ruined her reputation and the possibility of marriage.
“Mr. Hornbeck, would you leave us alone for a few moments?”
Mirabella’s gaze flew to Lord Stonehurst’s again.
Her uncle shook his head, clearly distressed. “I’m sure I can’t do that under the circumstances, Lord Stonehurst. I think you should talk to her father, not to me and not to
“I was. I just returned from America last night .”
Mirabella cringed with shame. He had to emphasize the words “last night.” Reminding her they had met. She had been alone. She had kissed him. Oh, merciful heavens, what must he think of her? And all of it was true! What rotten, rotten luck.
She looked up at him and realized she had been prepared for everything but this. She wanted to run home and bury her face in her father’s shoulder and sob. But she couldn’t do that. She had to stay calm and dig deep inside herself and find the strength to face Lord Stonehurst.
Mirabella forced herself to look into his eyes and say, “I’m sorry you chose this awkward moment to seek me out.”
“I’m sure you are.” His words were clipped.
“I’m afraid you’ve caught me off guard.”
“Obviously.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You could start with an apology,” her uncle barked in a barely controlled tone of anger, “but I doubt it will do any good.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t,” the viscount answered.
“What to do? What to do?” Archer mumbled under his breath along with a few other incoherent words as he mopped his face with his handkerchief. He turned to Lord Stonehurst and said, “You’re not going to call Mr. Farthingdale out for this, are you?”
“No,” he said coldly. “You have my word on that. Once was enough. I don’t need anyone else seeking asylum in France because of me.”
“Yes, very well. Good. No doubt Mr. Farthingdale will be pleased to hear that, too.”
Lord Stonehurst’s piercing gaze didn’t waver from Mirabella’s as he talked to her uncle or when he said to her, “I think it would be appropriate to conclude you haven’t been pining away with loneliness during my absence.”
Mirabella winced. His cutting words hit their mark, but instead of being cowed by them, she lifted her chin and shoulders and answered as strongly as she had a moment ago. “Pining away? Over a man who left me on the shelf for six years. I think not, my lord.”
“Mirabella, it’s best you don’t say anything else,” her uncle said and motioned for her to come to him. “I’m not responsible for this—this is a situation for your father to handle. No doubt he’ll blame me, but I’m not responsible for what you have done. Come. We’ll get your wrap and go home immediately.”
Ignoring her uncle, she stared into Lord Stonehurst’s fathomless dark brown eyes and a part of her wanted to cry. God help her, she was angry with him for being her fiancé, angry with him for being here tonight, and angry with herself for getting caught doing something she had to do. She knew as far as he was concerned she was without excuse. She had no defense. She had no way to explain her unacceptable behavior. Mirabella would tell no one of Sarah’s shame.
This was far worse than she could have ever imagined. She had convinced herself that Viscount Stonehurst would never return for her. That her fiancé could have shown up and caught her in the arms of another man was bad enough, but for her fiancé to be the same man who had filled her heart with a longing to be kissed made the hurt almost unbearable.
If only they had exchanged names last night. If only she’d waited a few days after Uncle Archer had spoken to her about her behavior. If only fate hadn’t decided to be so cruel. And worst of all, her father would have to know what she had been up to and that she had deliberately ruined her reputation and the possibility of marriage.
“Mr. Hornbeck, would you leave us alone for a few moments?”
Mirabella’s gaze flew to Lord Stonehurst’s again.
Her uncle shook his head, clearly distressed. “I’m sure I can’t do that under the circumstances, Lord Stonehurst. I think you should talk to her father, not to me and not to
Similar Books
