announcement about my guest. Until then I’d prefer not to discuss it.”
“Then I shall have to give my readers the only version of the story that I have.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Lady Brumley raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth, probably to protest, but Spence’s look shut it. Even the Galleon of Gossip wasn’t immune to his dire glance.
Evelina shivered. She could never bear to have him look at her like that. Thank goodness Nathaniel had no such black stare, or she’d be terrified to marry him.
Spence went on. “However, since you aren’t the only gossiping female in town, I am prepared to make you an offer.”
“I don’t take money to quash stories, Ravenswood,” Lady Brumley retorted.
He smiled thinly. “Of course not. But I daresay you’d love to hear all the details directly from the horse’s mouth.”
Her ladyship cocked her head, setting the ship’s bells on her nautical-themed headdress to ringing. “What sort of offer do you have in mind?”
“I promise to relate my tangled tale only to you. As long as you wait a few days to write anything.”
“I suppose I could manage that.” She regarded him shrewdly. “But I’ll hold you to it. No trying to evade me or duck out whenever you see me coming.”
“Of course not.”
“And I’ll give you only one day. Tomorrow I’ll be back for my story.”
His face gave away nothing. “All right, come tomorrow at four-thirty.”
“Four. I need time to write it and get it to the paper for the next day’s press.”
“Very well, I’ll see you then.”
Evelina waited impatiently while they finished their good-byes and Lady Brumley left. At last Spence turned to her, looking a trifle easier than before. “And why are you hanging behind, poppet?”
She nearly burst into tears right then to hear him call her by the pet name he’d given her when she was only a girl and he’d come home on leave from the army, bearing French sweets and painted dolls. She’d always thought of him as the older brother she’d never had. “That tale you told us about Nathaniel helping to catch a footpad—that was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
He regarded her with his usual earnest attention. “What makes you think that?”
“Because I know you—if you’d thought Nathaniel might be hurt or have trouble with the police, you’d have left the dinner immediately.”
“I couldn’t leave you and your mother to—”
“It’s all perfectly clear to me. Nathaniel doesn’t wish to marry me, that’s all.” The hurt rose in her throat, threatening to squeeze out all her breath. “That woman who came tonight—she’s Nathaniel’s lady friend, isn’t she?” She’d overheard the ladies in the retiring room saying that, though she didn’t dare tell Spence. He disapproved of gossip. “She came from America to put a stop to Nathaniel’s betrothal, and that’s why he isn’t here and why you pretended she was your wife. To keep it from me.”
“Good God, what a lot of nonsense,” Spence said firmly. “Iassure you that the woman’s appearance has nothing to do with you.”
“He told me she was plain, b-but…” All her determination to be strong crumbled as her tears started to flow. “She’s pr-pretty. He probably married her while he was in America.”
“Don’t be absurd.” Gently Spence drew her into his arms. “You saw that marriage certificate—the name on it was mine.”
“I didn’t really h-have a chance to look at it,” she choked out through her sobs. “Mr. McFee snatched it away too quickly. But N-Nathaniel’s name was on it—I saw it!”
“It was there only to show Nat as my representative. That’s how it’s done for a proxy marriage.” He rubbed her back soothingly as he fumbled in his pocket. Mr. McFee stepped forward to hand a handkerchief discreetly to Spence, who then offered it to her. “Come now, don’t cry. My brother loves you to distraction—I’m sure of it.”
“Then why wasn’t
“Then I shall have to give my readers the only version of the story that I have.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Lady Brumley raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth, probably to protest, but Spence’s look shut it. Even the Galleon of Gossip wasn’t immune to his dire glance.
Evelina shivered. She could never bear to have him look at her like that. Thank goodness Nathaniel had no such black stare, or she’d be terrified to marry him.
Spence went on. “However, since you aren’t the only gossiping female in town, I am prepared to make you an offer.”
“I don’t take money to quash stories, Ravenswood,” Lady Brumley retorted.
He smiled thinly. “Of course not. But I daresay you’d love to hear all the details directly from the horse’s mouth.”
Her ladyship cocked her head, setting the ship’s bells on her nautical-themed headdress to ringing. “What sort of offer do you have in mind?”
“I promise to relate my tangled tale only to you. As long as you wait a few days to write anything.”
“I suppose I could manage that.” She regarded him shrewdly. “But I’ll hold you to it. No trying to evade me or duck out whenever you see me coming.”
“Of course not.”
“And I’ll give you only one day. Tomorrow I’ll be back for my story.”
His face gave away nothing. “All right, come tomorrow at four-thirty.”
“Four. I need time to write it and get it to the paper for the next day’s press.”
“Very well, I’ll see you then.”
Evelina waited impatiently while they finished their good-byes and Lady Brumley left. At last Spence turned to her, looking a trifle easier than before. “And why are you hanging behind, poppet?”
She nearly burst into tears right then to hear him call her by the pet name he’d given her when she was only a girl and he’d come home on leave from the army, bearing French sweets and painted dolls. She’d always thought of him as the older brother she’d never had. “That tale you told us about Nathaniel helping to catch a footpad—that was all a lie, wasn’t it?”
He regarded her with his usual earnest attention. “What makes you think that?”
“Because I know you—if you’d thought Nathaniel might be hurt or have trouble with the police, you’d have left the dinner immediately.”
“I couldn’t leave you and your mother to—”
“It’s all perfectly clear to me. Nathaniel doesn’t wish to marry me, that’s all.” The hurt rose in her throat, threatening to squeeze out all her breath. “That woman who came tonight—she’s Nathaniel’s lady friend, isn’t she?” She’d overheard the ladies in the retiring room saying that, though she didn’t dare tell Spence. He disapproved of gossip. “She came from America to put a stop to Nathaniel’s betrothal, and that’s why he isn’t here and why you pretended she was your wife. To keep it from me.”
“Good God, what a lot of nonsense,” Spence said firmly. “Iassure you that the woman’s appearance has nothing to do with you.”
“He told me she was plain, b-but…” All her determination to be strong crumbled as her tears started to flow. “She’s pr-pretty. He probably married her while he was in America.”
“Don’t be absurd.” Gently Spence drew her into his arms. “You saw that marriage certificate—the name on it was mine.”
“I didn’t really h-have a chance to look at it,” she choked out through her sobs. “Mr. McFee snatched it away too quickly. But N-Nathaniel’s name was on it—I saw it!”
“It was there only to show Nat as my representative. That’s how it’s done for a proxy marriage.” He rubbed her back soothingly as he fumbled in his pocket. Mr. McFee stepped forward to hand a handkerchief discreetly to Spence, who then offered it to her. “Come now, don’t cry. My brother loves you to distraction—I’m sure of it.”
“Then why wasn’t
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