Haywood arrived. Although I can’t believe he hasn’t heard by now.”
“Oh, Celie,” Amanda said with a giggle. “You’re amazing.”
“No, I’m just very independent. Haven’t you realized that by now?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t sure your independence was a match for the hatred Hadleigh harbors toward the Earl of Haywood.” She paused with a frown on her face. “Do you think he isn’t quite so bitter anymore?”
“One can only hope. Perhaps if Jonah goes slowly and doesn’t force Hadleigh to accept him immediately, he might have a chance.”
Amanda paused, then rolled her eyes heavenward. “Then I predict the earl doesn’t have a prayer of succeeding.”
Amanda’s voice had a doleful tone to it and the furrows between her eyes grew deeper as she focused her gaze on something over Celie’s shoulder.
“What is it?” Celie asked, refusing to turn around. From the worried expression on Amanda’s face, Celie was sure she already knew what she saw. The prickling of the tiny hairs on the back of her neck confirmed it. “Tell me Haywood isn’t here,” she demanded, clutching one of Amanda’s hands.
“Very well. Haywood isn’t here.”
“Now tell me you aren’t lying.”
“Very well. I’m not. But that would be a lie.”
Amanda’s eyes were like large blue orbs, and when their gazes met, Celie saw more than a hint of worry on her friend’s face.
“What are you going to do?” Amanda asked.
“Me?”
Amanda hesitated. “Oh, very well. What are we going to do?”
Celie breathed a sigh that lacked any semblance of surety. “I don’t know. What’s happening now?”
She couldn’t bring herself to turn around. Instead, she sat ramrod straight in her chair and waited for Amanda to warn her when disaster was about to befall them.
“Lord Haywood is talking to Viscount and Lady Remmington.”
“How does he look?”
Amanda shrugged. “Stunningly handsome. But you already know that.”
“I don’t mean how does he look,” Celie said with a hint of frustration. “I mean, how does he look . Does he seem nervous?”
Just then, a group of guests at the back of the room laughed. She recognized Jonah’s laughter.
“No. I wouldn’t say he’s nervous. In fact, I would say he is having a most pleasant time.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t realize Hadleigh is here.”
“Then he’d have to be blind.” Amanda gave Celie another worrisome look. “Your brother is standing not ten feet from him.”
“How does Hadleigh look?” Celie asked. “And don’t say he’s stunningly handsome. He’s my brother. I already know that he’s passable.”
“Passable?”
“Very well. Stunning. But how does he look?”
“You mean, does he look angry enough to run a sword through Lord Haywood?”
Celie swallowed. “Yes.”
“Yes, but I don’t think he’ll do murder.”
“Oh, good.”
“At least, not here—not tonight. I’m sure he’ll wait until morning.”
“You mean challenge him to a duel?” Celie became more nervous by the second.
Amanda looked thoughtful as she studied the two men at the back of the room. She pried Celie’s fingers from her hand, then patted her in a consoling manner. “I don’t think there’s cause to worry that there will be a duel.”
Celie breathed a sigh. “Oh, good.”
“Hadleigh would never stoop to dueling. I think it’s more likely he’ll simply hire an assassin to do the deed for him.”
Celie wanted to hit her. That last comment was so absurd she knew Amanda had been stringing her along the whole time. “Ooh,” she said through clenched teeth. “How could you?”
Amanda giggled. “How could I not? You are so pathetically obvious.”
“Obvious?” Anger slowly replaced the worry. “Obvious about what?”
“Your feelings for Lord Haywood.”
Celie sat back in her chair and folded her hands in front of her. “I don’t have feelings for Lord Haywood. I simply want to avoid a repeat of what happened three years ago. Wanting to
“Oh, Celie,” Amanda said with a giggle. “You’re amazing.”
“No, I’m just very independent. Haven’t you realized that by now?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t sure your independence was a match for the hatred Hadleigh harbors toward the Earl of Haywood.” She paused with a frown on her face. “Do you think he isn’t quite so bitter anymore?”
“One can only hope. Perhaps if Jonah goes slowly and doesn’t force Hadleigh to accept him immediately, he might have a chance.”
Amanda paused, then rolled her eyes heavenward. “Then I predict the earl doesn’t have a prayer of succeeding.”
Amanda’s voice had a doleful tone to it and the furrows between her eyes grew deeper as she focused her gaze on something over Celie’s shoulder.
“What is it?” Celie asked, refusing to turn around. From the worried expression on Amanda’s face, Celie was sure she already knew what she saw. The prickling of the tiny hairs on the back of her neck confirmed it. “Tell me Haywood isn’t here,” she demanded, clutching one of Amanda’s hands.
“Very well. Haywood isn’t here.”
“Now tell me you aren’t lying.”
“Very well. I’m not. But that would be a lie.”
Amanda’s eyes were like large blue orbs, and when their gazes met, Celie saw more than a hint of worry on her friend’s face.
“What are you going to do?” Amanda asked.
“Me?”
Amanda hesitated. “Oh, very well. What are we going to do?”
Celie breathed a sigh that lacked any semblance of surety. “I don’t know. What’s happening now?”
She couldn’t bring herself to turn around. Instead, she sat ramrod straight in her chair and waited for Amanda to warn her when disaster was about to befall them.
“Lord Haywood is talking to Viscount and Lady Remmington.”
“How does he look?”
Amanda shrugged. “Stunningly handsome. But you already know that.”
“I don’t mean how does he look,” Celie said with a hint of frustration. “I mean, how does he look . Does he seem nervous?”
Just then, a group of guests at the back of the room laughed. She recognized Jonah’s laughter.
“No. I wouldn’t say he’s nervous. In fact, I would say he is having a most pleasant time.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t realize Hadleigh is here.”
“Then he’d have to be blind.” Amanda gave Celie another worrisome look. “Your brother is standing not ten feet from him.”
“How does Hadleigh look?” Celie asked. “And don’t say he’s stunningly handsome. He’s my brother. I already know that he’s passable.”
“Passable?”
“Very well. Stunning. But how does he look?”
“You mean, does he look angry enough to run a sword through Lord Haywood?”
Celie swallowed. “Yes.”
“Yes, but I don’t think he’ll do murder.”
“Oh, good.”
“At least, not here—not tonight. I’m sure he’ll wait until morning.”
“You mean challenge him to a duel?” Celie became more nervous by the second.
Amanda looked thoughtful as she studied the two men at the back of the room. She pried Celie’s fingers from her hand, then patted her in a consoling manner. “I don’t think there’s cause to worry that there will be a duel.”
Celie breathed a sigh. “Oh, good.”
“Hadleigh would never stoop to dueling. I think it’s more likely he’ll simply hire an assassin to do the deed for him.”
Celie wanted to hit her. That last comment was so absurd she knew Amanda had been stringing her along the whole time. “Ooh,” she said through clenched teeth. “How could you?”
Amanda giggled. “How could I not? You are so pathetically obvious.”
“Obvious?” Anger slowly replaced the worry. “Obvious about what?”
“Your feelings for Lord Haywood.”
Celie sat back in her chair and folded her hands in front of her. “I don’t have feelings for Lord Haywood. I simply want to avoid a repeat of what happened three years ago. Wanting to
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