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Authors: Michelle Diener
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he flinched from her cool expression.
“No, I … no.” He looked away.
“Well then stop doing it. I pay your wages; I took you and Betsy in, not him. Remember that when you run off with your stories. Or, if you can’t stop tattling, at least squeeze a bit more ready out of him.”
She turned on her heel and stalked back inside.
The world was crashing around her, and she still hadn’t dealt with Frethers.
E mma knew something had happened between her brother and her hostesses even before Charlotte came into the room with a sharp rap to her step.
Catherine had been sitting by the window, looking out, and when Emma’d inquired about Edward and Charlotte, her hostess had struggled to keep a calm face. “Your brother has left. I saw him riding past in his phaeton not a minute ago.” There was something cold in her voice.
“What has he done?” She heard the weariness in her voice, the same weariness she’d felt too long with Geoffrey. She tried to cover it up with a smile, but when Catherine turned her gaze toward her, she could see she had not been quick enough.
“I’m sorry. None of this is your doing.” Catherine rose and came to sit next to her, taking her hand. “Your brother has learned Charlotte’s secrets, and he was rude to her, in the shock of his discovery.”
“Oh, what a blithering idiot he is.” Despair rose up in her, threatened to make her weep. These were her friends. She had never had friends like them before. Geoffrey had made sure of it. She’d only known the superficial niceties of the ton. And now Edward had ruined it, damn him.
“Shhhh. Shhhh.” Catherine pulled her close, and before she knew it, Emma’s head was on her shoulder and she truly was weeping. “You are not your brother, and we will not give you the cut for his actions. Never.”
They both heard Charlotte coming down the hall toward them, and Emma sat straight in her chair, brushing away her tears as she heard the fury in every tread.
“I think your husband is having the house watched,” Charlotte said as she closed the door behind her, and her announcementwas so unexpected, Emma simply stared at her, her heart thundering.
“I just caught a pickaninny—” Charlotte brought herself up short as she said the street word. She drew in a deep breath, pinched the bridge of her nose, and exhaled. “A boy—spying on us. He said a man paid him a farthing to watch the house and tell him if Lord Durnham came to call.”
Emma watched, fascinated, as Charlotte brought herself under control, forced whatever emotions were surging in her beneath a calm, serene surface.
“This isn’t your Luke’s doing?” She felt stupid, the moment she spoke. Charlotte would not make the accusation it was Geoffrey lightly.
Charlotte read her face correctly, because she waved her hand, as if to let Emma off the hook. “I thought it was, myself, at first. But no. The boy was instructed to watch the house by a gentleman, and to report to the man’s club if he saw the same crest visiting us as was on the carriage of the man who hired him.”
Emma got to her feet and forced herself not to bite her fingernails. “Geoffrey’s crest isn’t the same as Edward’s,” she said. “But my stepfather’s is. He uses Edward’s rather than buy his own. Geoffrey’s gone to the old man for help.”
“Is your stepfather friendly with Geoffrey?” Charlotte couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice, and Emma winced.
Nodded.
“He never gives Geoffrey any money—I don’t think he has much of his own—but he’s steered Geoffrey toward some investmentsthat at least offered a return, from time to time. Given him entry into places he might have struggled to gain access to.” She shook her head. “He was the only one who didn’t stand against me when I wanted to marry Geoffrey.”
“Will this boy tell Geoffrey or Emma’s stepfather that we know they are watching?” Catherine asked, and Emma saw she was pouring them all a cup of
“No, I … no.” He looked away.
“Well then stop doing it. I pay your wages; I took you and Betsy in, not him. Remember that when you run off with your stories. Or, if you can’t stop tattling, at least squeeze a bit more ready out of him.”
She turned on her heel and stalked back inside.
The world was crashing around her, and she still hadn’t dealt with Frethers.
E mma knew something had happened between her brother and her hostesses even before Charlotte came into the room with a sharp rap to her step.
Catherine had been sitting by the window, looking out, and when Emma’d inquired about Edward and Charlotte, her hostess had struggled to keep a calm face. “Your brother has left. I saw him riding past in his phaeton not a minute ago.” There was something cold in her voice.
“What has he done?” She heard the weariness in her voice, the same weariness she’d felt too long with Geoffrey. She tried to cover it up with a smile, but when Catherine turned her gaze toward her, she could see she had not been quick enough.
“I’m sorry. None of this is your doing.” Catherine rose and came to sit next to her, taking her hand. “Your brother has learned Charlotte’s secrets, and he was rude to her, in the shock of his discovery.”
“Oh, what a blithering idiot he is.” Despair rose up in her, threatened to make her weep. These were her friends. She had never had friends like them before. Geoffrey had made sure of it. She’d only known the superficial niceties of the ton. And now Edward had ruined it, damn him.
“Shhhh. Shhhh.” Catherine pulled her close, and before she knew it, Emma’s head was on her shoulder and she truly was weeping. “You are not your brother, and we will not give you the cut for his actions. Never.”
They both heard Charlotte coming down the hall toward them, and Emma sat straight in her chair, brushing away her tears as she heard the fury in every tread.
“I think your husband is having the house watched,” Charlotte said as she closed the door behind her, and her announcementwas so unexpected, Emma simply stared at her, her heart thundering.
“I just caught a pickaninny—” Charlotte brought herself up short as she said the street word. She drew in a deep breath, pinched the bridge of her nose, and exhaled. “A boy—spying on us. He said a man paid him a farthing to watch the house and tell him if Lord Durnham came to call.”
Emma watched, fascinated, as Charlotte brought herself under control, forced whatever emotions were surging in her beneath a calm, serene surface.
“This isn’t your Luke’s doing?” She felt stupid, the moment she spoke. Charlotte would not make the accusation it was Geoffrey lightly.
Charlotte read her face correctly, because she waved her hand, as if to let Emma off the hook. “I thought it was, myself, at first. But no. The boy was instructed to watch the house by a gentleman, and to report to the man’s club if he saw the same crest visiting us as was on the carriage of the man who hired him.”
Emma got to her feet and forced herself not to bite her fingernails. “Geoffrey’s crest isn’t the same as Edward’s,” she said. “But my stepfather’s is. He uses Edward’s rather than buy his own. Geoffrey’s gone to the old man for help.”
“Is your stepfather friendly with Geoffrey?” Charlotte couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice, and Emma winced.
Nodded.
“He never gives Geoffrey any money—I don’t think he has much of his own—but he’s steered Geoffrey toward some investmentsthat at least offered a return, from time to time. Given him entry into places he might have struggled to gain access to.” She shook her head. “He was the only one who didn’t stand against me when I wanted to marry Geoffrey.”
“Will this boy tell Geoffrey or Emma’s stepfather that we know they are watching?” Catherine asked, and Emma saw she was pouring them all a cup of
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