he here?” She blew her nose on McFee’s handkerchief, wishing she didn’t have to look so unladylike in front of Spence.
He tipped up her chin. “I told you, poppet. He was involved in some little mess with a footpad.”
“You’re not going to tell me what really happened, are you?”
“There’s nothing to tell. You’re worrying yourself for no reason.”
Swallowing her tears, she tried to regain control of herself. She wanted to believe his tale about the footpad. But it just seemed so unlikely.
Unfortunately, Spence would never take her into his confidence. He thought he had to protect her from the truth.
“All right, whatever you say.” She stared down at her feet. “But if he does come here for her, you’ll tell me, won’t you? You won’t let me go on thinking he loves me?”
“I promise you it’s nothing like—”
“Just say you’ll tell me if he does.”
He sighed. “Yes, I’ll tell you. Now you’d best go on. Your mother is waiting.”
Dabbing at her eyes with his handkerchief, she nodded, then hurried out to the waiting carriage.
The ride home was interminable. Mama kept babbling about Spence’s new wife and was too oblivious to connect Nat’s mysterious disappearance with Miss Mercer’s mysterious appearance. But Evelina was nearly certain the two were related.
And now that she and Nathaniel had already…Oh, the possibility that he might not love her was too awful to consider.
Mama was still chattering away when they reached home, which was probably why she didn’t notice the footman press a note into Evelina’s palm as he helped her out of her coat.
A quick glance revealed only one line: Meet me in the garden as soon as you can . It lacked a signature, but there was no need for one. Evelina would recognize Nat’s fine hand anywhere.
Her heart began to pound. “Mama, I believe I shall take a turn in the garden before I go up.” When her mother eyed her curiously, she added, “I had a bit too much wine at dinner. I need to clear my head before I can sleep.”
Thankfully, that explanation sufficed, for her mother shrugged and said, “Go on if you must. But don’t stay out too long. That chill air will give you a headache.”
“I’ll be quick,” she said in a rush, already halfway down the hall to the back entrance. When she went out, she saw nothing at first. What if he’d come and gone already? Who knew how long ago he’d given that note to the footman—what if he’d tired of waiting for her?
Suddenly a hand pulled her behind a tree, and she was in Nat’s arms, being kissed so thoroughly it made her forget everything but him. Until his kiss grew ardent and his hands began to roam, bringing her to her senses.
She pushed him away in high dudgeon. “How dare you show up here as if nothing has happened? How dare you?”
Nat held up his hands. “I know, I know, my love. I’ve behaved very badly. But I had no chance to warn you. By the time my man notified me of Miss Mercer’s arrival—”
“I knew this had something to do with that woman!” Evelina’s stomach twisted into a knot as she wagged her finger in his face. “She’s your mistress, isn’t she? And you think you can bring her here under my very nose—”
“My mistress!” he said, laughing. “Miss Mercer? You must be joking. Why would you think she was my mistress?”
Pouting, Evelina crossed her arms over her chest. “You told me she was plain, and she’s not. She shows up at our betrothal dinner, and you don’t. It’s pretty clear to me what’s going on.”
“That was purely coincidental, I swear. She was supposed to arrive next week. If I’d dreamed she would show up today, I’d have convinced your mother to schedule our dinner sooner.”
“You mean you knew Miss Mercer was coming?”
“Of course I knew. It’s part of my plan.”
Evelina’s eyes narrowed. “For what? If you don’t explain this instant why she’s here, Nathaniel Law, I’ll call a footman to come
He tipped up her chin. “I told you, poppet. He was involved in some little mess with a footpad.”
“You’re not going to tell me what really happened, are you?”
“There’s nothing to tell. You’re worrying yourself for no reason.”
Swallowing her tears, she tried to regain control of herself. She wanted to believe his tale about the footpad. But it just seemed so unlikely.
Unfortunately, Spence would never take her into his confidence. He thought he had to protect her from the truth.
“All right, whatever you say.” She stared down at her feet. “But if he does come here for her, you’ll tell me, won’t you? You won’t let me go on thinking he loves me?”
“I promise you it’s nothing like—”
“Just say you’ll tell me if he does.”
He sighed. “Yes, I’ll tell you. Now you’d best go on. Your mother is waiting.”
Dabbing at her eyes with his handkerchief, she nodded, then hurried out to the waiting carriage.
The ride home was interminable. Mama kept babbling about Spence’s new wife and was too oblivious to connect Nat’s mysterious disappearance with Miss Mercer’s mysterious appearance. But Evelina was nearly certain the two were related.
And now that she and Nathaniel had already…Oh, the possibility that he might not love her was too awful to consider.
Mama was still chattering away when they reached home, which was probably why she didn’t notice the footman press a note into Evelina’s palm as he helped her out of her coat.
A quick glance revealed only one line: Meet me in the garden as soon as you can . It lacked a signature, but there was no need for one. Evelina would recognize Nat’s fine hand anywhere.
Her heart began to pound. “Mama, I believe I shall take a turn in the garden before I go up.” When her mother eyed her curiously, she added, “I had a bit too much wine at dinner. I need to clear my head before I can sleep.”
Thankfully, that explanation sufficed, for her mother shrugged and said, “Go on if you must. But don’t stay out too long. That chill air will give you a headache.”
“I’ll be quick,” she said in a rush, already halfway down the hall to the back entrance. When she went out, she saw nothing at first. What if he’d come and gone already? Who knew how long ago he’d given that note to the footman—what if he’d tired of waiting for her?
Suddenly a hand pulled her behind a tree, and she was in Nat’s arms, being kissed so thoroughly it made her forget everything but him. Until his kiss grew ardent and his hands began to roam, bringing her to her senses.
She pushed him away in high dudgeon. “How dare you show up here as if nothing has happened? How dare you?”
Nat held up his hands. “I know, I know, my love. I’ve behaved very badly. But I had no chance to warn you. By the time my man notified me of Miss Mercer’s arrival—”
“I knew this had something to do with that woman!” Evelina’s stomach twisted into a knot as she wagged her finger in his face. “She’s your mistress, isn’t she? And you think you can bring her here under my very nose—”
“My mistress!” he said, laughing. “Miss Mercer? You must be joking. Why would you think she was my mistress?”
Pouting, Evelina crossed her arms over her chest. “You told me she was plain, and she’s not. She shows up at our betrothal dinner, and you don’t. It’s pretty clear to me what’s going on.”
“That was purely coincidental, I swear. She was supposed to arrive next week. If I’d dreamed she would show up today, I’d have convinced your mother to schedule our dinner sooner.”
“You mean you knew Miss Mercer was coming?”
“Of course I knew. It’s part of my plan.”
Evelina’s eyes narrowed. “For what? If you don’t explain this instant why she’s here, Nathaniel Law, I’ll call a footman to come
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