fascinating and exciting to be involved in such an inquiry. Could I please help you, my lord?” She could hear her voice becoming wheedling and blushed with embarrassment. “I am sure I would be of great help,” she continued with more dignity. “I know Rose was happy for my help.”
“Let me first see what you know and then I will determine if you will be able to be of much help to me.”
Elizabeth was frustrated with his noncommittal answer but decided to quit dithering on the subject. If they were going to avoid detection, they needed to keep this audience as short as possible. “Very well, my lord, I will accept that as a polite no, but I will tell you what I know anyway. I agree with you that Broderick is a very bad man and needs to be stopped if he has more schemes up his sleeves.”
Lord Sinclair took her hands and was about to lead her to a chair when there was commotion at the door of the room they were in. Elizabeth froze and knew her mouth was probably dropping open in shock as the door burst open and a crowd of people crammed into the room. It seemed that bedlam broke out as everyone spoke at once.
Elizabeth could feel all the blood draining from her face and head and she felt momentarily faint. She was grateful for the arm the earl placed solicitously around her but knew in that moment that it was about to condemn them both to an uncertain future.
“Elizabeth Marie Castleton, what is the meaning of this?” Elizabeth’s mother demanded, obviously trying to sound strict but the glee was lurking in her tone.
Elizabeth wanted to sink through the floor when she heard the buzz of the other occupants as they speculated about her and the earl. Emmaline and Constance were also in the background fanning the flames of gossip that were about to incinerate her reputation.
She felt almost relieved at the thought that her mother would have to leave her alone now if she was about to be beyond the pale. She smiled wanly at her mother. “We had an important matter to discuss, Mother, and did not wish to be disturbed.” Elizabeth knew they had not done anything wrong so she refused to be shamed.
Elizabeth saw the earl looking about at the gathered gossips and then he met her eye with a look of apology. His next words caused the buzz to increase tenfold.
“We needed to discuss the terms of our engagement. You may all wish us happy, although I cannot fathom what brings you all by.”
“Oh, Elizabeth, that is wonderful news. Now you come right along and accompany me back to the ballroom. It wouldn’t do to sully your reputation at this point. What a coup. The Earl of Heath. You shall make a fine son in law, my lord.” Lady Castleton was beaming at the earl with such delight that Elizabeth felt sick to the pit of her stomach.
She closed her eyes hoping she could open them and it would turn out this had all been a bad dream. Unfortunately, in the next moment, she realized it was sadly very true. Lady Emmaline and her sister were fluttering around her agog with the news. Almost as quickly as everyone had filed into the room they had filed back out, clearly anxious to spread the news of what they had witnessed. Within a couple short minutes it was just the earl, Lady Elizabeth and her mother standing in the room with varying degrees of consternation on their faces. In the commotion, the earl had been jostled to the other side of the room. He stayed where he was but kept his eyes trained upon the two ladies.
“This is not exactly how I would have liked this to be arranged, I must say, but I am thrilled to have you finally betrothed, my dear.”
“Mother, how can you stand there and say you’re happy to see me engaged to marry the Earl of Heath?” Elizabeth was shocked that her mother’s single mindedness would extend to such lengths.
“Why not? He is wealthy, well born, and mannerly. He shall be an excellent husband for you, to be sure.”
“Mother,” she began again. Grateful that he had remained on
“Let me first see what you know and then I will determine if you will be able to be of much help to me.”
Elizabeth was frustrated with his noncommittal answer but decided to quit dithering on the subject. If they were going to avoid detection, they needed to keep this audience as short as possible. “Very well, my lord, I will accept that as a polite no, but I will tell you what I know anyway. I agree with you that Broderick is a very bad man and needs to be stopped if he has more schemes up his sleeves.”
Lord Sinclair took her hands and was about to lead her to a chair when there was commotion at the door of the room they were in. Elizabeth froze and knew her mouth was probably dropping open in shock as the door burst open and a crowd of people crammed into the room. It seemed that bedlam broke out as everyone spoke at once.
Elizabeth could feel all the blood draining from her face and head and she felt momentarily faint. She was grateful for the arm the earl placed solicitously around her but knew in that moment that it was about to condemn them both to an uncertain future.
“Elizabeth Marie Castleton, what is the meaning of this?” Elizabeth’s mother demanded, obviously trying to sound strict but the glee was lurking in her tone.
Elizabeth wanted to sink through the floor when she heard the buzz of the other occupants as they speculated about her and the earl. Emmaline and Constance were also in the background fanning the flames of gossip that were about to incinerate her reputation.
She felt almost relieved at the thought that her mother would have to leave her alone now if she was about to be beyond the pale. She smiled wanly at her mother. “We had an important matter to discuss, Mother, and did not wish to be disturbed.” Elizabeth knew they had not done anything wrong so she refused to be shamed.
Elizabeth saw the earl looking about at the gathered gossips and then he met her eye with a look of apology. His next words caused the buzz to increase tenfold.
“We needed to discuss the terms of our engagement. You may all wish us happy, although I cannot fathom what brings you all by.”
“Oh, Elizabeth, that is wonderful news. Now you come right along and accompany me back to the ballroom. It wouldn’t do to sully your reputation at this point. What a coup. The Earl of Heath. You shall make a fine son in law, my lord.” Lady Castleton was beaming at the earl with such delight that Elizabeth felt sick to the pit of her stomach.
She closed her eyes hoping she could open them and it would turn out this had all been a bad dream. Unfortunately, in the next moment, she realized it was sadly very true. Lady Emmaline and her sister were fluttering around her agog with the news. Almost as quickly as everyone had filed into the room they had filed back out, clearly anxious to spread the news of what they had witnessed. Within a couple short minutes it was just the earl, Lady Elizabeth and her mother standing in the room with varying degrees of consternation on their faces. In the commotion, the earl had been jostled to the other side of the room. He stayed where he was but kept his eyes trained upon the two ladies.
“This is not exactly how I would have liked this to be arranged, I must say, but I am thrilled to have you finally betrothed, my dear.”
“Mother, how can you stand there and say you’re happy to see me engaged to marry the Earl of Heath?” Elizabeth was shocked that her mother’s single mindedness would extend to such lengths.
“Why not? He is wealthy, well born, and mannerly. He shall be an excellent husband for you, to be sure.”
“Mother,” she began again. Grateful that he had remained on
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