Daring Miss Danvers by Vivienne Lorret Page B

this was indeed a mock betrothal. Unfortunately, it seemed far too real. After all, betrothal announcements rarely made it into the newspaper. No doubt, this would cause quite a stir. Not only was it staring baldly back at her, but it was worded in a way that gave every impression that the dowager had designed the match herself.
    Now Her Grace’s reputation was on the line as much as Emma’s.
    Briefly, she wondered if her parents would feel an ounce of guilt upon reading this. After all, they were part of the ruse and should—
    The door to the morning room opened. Emma hastily tucked the copy between the cushions of the mauve loveseat. She’d managed to swipe it from Parker before he ironed it, hoping no one else had seen it first. She didn’t want the servants to know what a liar she was. After all, they knew Rathburn came over only to visit Rafe. His sudden interest in her must seem highly suspect.
    Lucy placed a tray with a steaming pot of tea, a cut glass dish of biscuits and buttered scones, and a stack of flowered plates, along with several cups. Before she left, she bobbed. “Mrs. Newman expected you might have callers, Miss, considering the announcement in the Post and all. She also wanted me to offer congratulations from the entire staff.”
    Emma studied her expression, but surprisingly didn’t find even a hint of astonishment. Hmm . . . Perhaps the servants weren’t as observant as she’d always assumed.
    “Thank you, Lucy,” Emma said, and questioned why she’d even bothered to hide the paper. The moment the door closed, she snatched it up, smoothing out the wrinkles and read it again.
    She drew in a breath, hoping a gulp of air would chase away her sudden lightheadedness. What she wanted to do was go back to bed, close her eyes, and see if the next four weeks could pass quickly so this entire affair would be nothing but a memory. Unfortunately, she possessed enough sense to know avoidance wasn’t a solution.
    No sooner had she heard a knock on the door and tucked the paper beneath the cushion once more than the door opened. Penelope, Merribeth, and Delaney filed into the room. Without a word, they sat amongst the overstuffed chairs opposite the loveseat.
    Oh, dear. One look at her friends told her that she wasn’t the only one who awoke early and read the society pages. Though their expressions were carefully reserved—no doubt, a chastisement for not hearing the news firsthand—their eyes were bright and brimming with unfounded excitement.
    “Good morning,” she said, affecting a cheerful smile.
    Merribeth withdrew a cutout from her reticule and placed it in the middle of the table. Emma knew without looking that it was the announcement of her engagement to Rathburn.
    Her head went hazy again. What would she tell them? The entire truth was out of the question, since it pertained to Rathburn and his personal financial matter. Yet, she didn’t want to lie to them either.
    “You said nothing the other day. Not an inkling. Bree knew before I did,” Delaney grumbled and reached forward to snatch a biscuit from the tray. “She came bounding into breakfast waving the paper madly. It thrilled her to no end to see the surprise on my face.”
    Emma felt ashamed. “I should have sent word to each of you. However, if it makes any difference, it surprised me, too. In fact, I’m still trying to decide how I feel about it.”
    “I don’t know why any of you were surprised,” Penelope added, grinning mysteriously as if she held the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle. “It’s been clear for ages how they feel about each other.”
    Emma stared at her friend as if she’d grown two heads. The only thing that could have been clear for ages regarding Rathburn was how much he strove to irritate her. She knew for a fact that she never said flattering things to her friends about him. She’d been careful not to make slightest mention of how his inappropriate flirting stirred her imagination. After all, he was