of myself. It is why I have been so miserable.”
Emily sniffed and wiped away the last of her tears. He was right to end this. It had been a wrong decision on both their parts. “You should not feel ashamed. You have been honest with me.” Yet she would not be able to bring herself to walk back into that room. “Would you ask a footman to bring the carriage and take me home, and please send for my parents? I know you wish me to walk back into that room as though nothing is wrong but that is you, Peter, not me. I do not have the confidence. Please just let me leave.”
He sighed. Then his hands slipped away. “Very well, wait here.”
She cried again when he’d gone, but not because she loved him, because she felt a fool. Peter had made her feel important, she had travelled on the back of Mary’s excitement, and now she’d fallen. She was not pretty as Mary was.
When the door opened again she wiped away the tears.
“Your parents are in the hall. I have said my goodbyes and told everyone you have a headache. I shall take you and your parents home.”
“Thank you,” she acknowledged, but she would rather have left alone so she might feel like a silly girl in peace.
Part Eight
Peter opened the carriage door and pushed it wider for Drew. Drew jogged down the steps of the Duke of Pembroke’s House—his brother-in-law’s impressive home.
“Hurry.” Peter had spent all day preparing for this. He’d chosen a ring and collected a special licence from the Bishop. He was prepared to win Lillian back and willing to bring every ounce of bloody charm he possessed into play.
Drew climbed in and dropped into the seat opposite. Peter’s footman shut the door.
“Has Mary seen Emily?” Peter may have spent his day preparing to propose to Lillian but he had not entirely set Emily from his mind. He still felt guilty, no matter that she’d said she did not love him. He had embarrassed her.
“Mary called on her this morning. The family were packing. They are leaving town. I think they are all a little embarrassed. They had won a man with a title and now he’s slipped through their fingers.”
“Emily was not calculating like that.”
“No, but I think her parents were, and Mary told me last night that Emily had said to her she was not in love with you, and yet she would have married you because you are wealthy, titled, and handsome.”
No.
Peter laughed.
But then there had been no package of returned gifts from Emily this morning; she had kept all he’d given her.
Peter leaned across the carriage and gripped Drew’s knee, shook it and then leaned back. “How does a man feel guilty and insanely happy all at once?”
“I think it is known as love. I felt the same when I stole poor Mary away from her family and knew that I had broken her heart.”
“Then it is a good job you fixed it again. Now we just have to see Emily’s heart settled and then we may all be happy.”
But he had no guarantee of Lillian; he may not be happy yet.
The ring and the accompanying licence, tucked in his inside pocket, pressed against his chest when he breathed in.
They did not go into the theatre to watch the earlier sections of the performance; they found an inn and drank ale together. Peter did not want Lillian to hear of his attendance until she walked up the aisle. But when he did enter the theatre, he felt like running to her, like a bloody boy. Instead he walked through the dark hall created just for those who used the boxes, his heartbeat racing and thumping in his ears.
She had asked him to give up his box. He had not done it.
Lamps flickered on the walls at intervals.
The audience within the auditorium cheered, applauded, whistled and whooped. The chorus girls were taking their curtsy. He had become so familiar with this place he understood it like the workings of a clock.
Peter opened the door to his box and held it for Drew to pass. “Wait until you see her.” Eagerness raged inside
Emily sniffed and wiped away the last of her tears. He was right to end this. It had been a wrong decision on both their parts. “You should not feel ashamed. You have been honest with me.” Yet she would not be able to bring herself to walk back into that room. “Would you ask a footman to bring the carriage and take me home, and please send for my parents? I know you wish me to walk back into that room as though nothing is wrong but that is you, Peter, not me. I do not have the confidence. Please just let me leave.”
He sighed. Then his hands slipped away. “Very well, wait here.”
She cried again when he’d gone, but not because she loved him, because she felt a fool. Peter had made her feel important, she had travelled on the back of Mary’s excitement, and now she’d fallen. She was not pretty as Mary was.
When the door opened again she wiped away the tears.
“Your parents are in the hall. I have said my goodbyes and told everyone you have a headache. I shall take you and your parents home.”
“Thank you,” she acknowledged, but she would rather have left alone so she might feel like a silly girl in peace.
Part Eight
Peter opened the carriage door and pushed it wider for Drew. Drew jogged down the steps of the Duke of Pembroke’s House—his brother-in-law’s impressive home.
“Hurry.” Peter had spent all day preparing for this. He’d chosen a ring and collected a special licence from the Bishop. He was prepared to win Lillian back and willing to bring every ounce of bloody charm he possessed into play.
Drew climbed in and dropped into the seat opposite. Peter’s footman shut the door.
“Has Mary seen Emily?” Peter may have spent his day preparing to propose to Lillian but he had not entirely set Emily from his mind. He still felt guilty, no matter that she’d said she did not love him. He had embarrassed her.
“Mary called on her this morning. The family were packing. They are leaving town. I think they are all a little embarrassed. They had won a man with a title and now he’s slipped through their fingers.”
“Emily was not calculating like that.”
“No, but I think her parents were, and Mary told me last night that Emily had said to her she was not in love with you, and yet she would have married you because you are wealthy, titled, and handsome.”
No.
Peter laughed.
But then there had been no package of returned gifts from Emily this morning; she had kept all he’d given her.
Peter leaned across the carriage and gripped Drew’s knee, shook it and then leaned back. “How does a man feel guilty and insanely happy all at once?”
“I think it is known as love. I felt the same when I stole poor Mary away from her family and knew that I had broken her heart.”
“Then it is a good job you fixed it again. Now we just have to see Emily’s heart settled and then we may all be happy.”
But he had no guarantee of Lillian; he may not be happy yet.
The ring and the accompanying licence, tucked in his inside pocket, pressed against his chest when he breathed in.
They did not go into the theatre to watch the earlier sections of the performance; they found an inn and drank ale together. Peter did not want Lillian to hear of his attendance until she walked up the aisle. But when he did enter the theatre, he felt like running to her, like a bloody boy. Instead he walked through the dark hall created just for those who used the boxes, his heartbeat racing and thumping in his ears.
She had asked him to give up his box. He had not done it.
Lamps flickered on the walls at intervals.
The audience within the auditorium cheered, applauded, whistled and whooped. The chorus girls were taking their curtsy. He had become so familiar with this place he understood it like the workings of a clock.
Peter opened the door to his box and held it for Drew to pass. “Wait until you see her.” Eagerness raged inside
Similar Books
