His Dark Enchantress (Books We Love Regency Romance) (15 page)

“He’s being sent to India!”

“What?” Emmaline was astounded. “But why?”

“His father insists that William start learning their family business
with the East India Company. Sir Henry says he is not getting any younger and William must stop wasting time. Oh, I am so angry!”

Juliana
buried her nose in the now sodden little piece of linen. Emmaline swallowed her own misery, got up and rang the bell for Annie.

As soon as the maid appeared she ordered tea and fresh handkerchiefs. Annie nodded, eyes round at the sight of the sobbing Juliana, and ducked out of the room again.

“Juliana, you really must pull yourself together. Nothing can be resolved whilst you are being a watering pot.”

“
I know, I know,” wailed Juliana. She sniffed hard. “I cannot imagine my life without William in it and I am so cross with Lucius and these stupid, stupid society rules that do not allow women to make up their own minds.”

“That’s better.” Emmaline gave an approving nod
when she saw the struggle to compose herself flit across Juliana’s tear stained face.

They sat side by side in
a silence occasionally broken by Juliana’s jagged hiccups until Annie brought the tea tray and placed it on a side table. Emmaline passed a fresh handkerchief to her distraught friend.

“I am so sorry, Em.
Please forgive my outburst.”

“Don’t think on it, silly.” Emmaline
poured the tea and handed a cup to her distraught friend. “What are friends for? Now tell me all.”

“Well, William came in
this morning in a great rush. He was expecting to find Lucius at breakfast and was going to confront him immediately.” Juliana sipped her tea. “But when he found me he sort of crumpled. He and Lucius have been life-long friends, but on the subject of requesting my hand in marriage William feels himself very much at a loss. He told me he has loved me since he put me up on my first pony.”

“What age were you?”

Juliana’s eyes shone with an expression of wonderment. “Five years old and he just had turned thirteen. Have you ever heard anything so romantic?”

“No, never.” Emmaline looked down so that Juliana would not see
her smile.

“And then,” Juliana continued, “he went down on one knee and said he couldn’t bear to go to India without me and begged me to be his wife.”

“And you do not know where Lucius might be?”

“Edward would only say that he
is gone out of town and will not be back until after the Derby next week.”

“Oh.”

Disappointment at hearing of Lucius’ absence beat on the door of Emmaline’s heart, but then she mentally abraded herself. Lucius would hear about her soon enough. The only way she could think of to repay his kindness was to tell him the truth about herself but, after the debacle of the previous evening, she really did not want to face him. It was obvious to her that Lady Darnley wished for Lucius to reject her and in this the woman had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.

“So tell me about Catalani,” Juliana said, giving her eyes a final wipe and turning the conversation to what she perceived as a happier event. “I have never heard her sing but I am told she has the most glorious voice.”

“Yes, glorious.” For a moment Emmaline was swept back into the darkened drawing room, remembered the weight of
Lucius’ hand on hers remembered, oh – too much.

Juliana looked at her suspiciously.

“Are those tears in your eyes?”

Emmaline shook her head. “No. The recital was wonderful but
the dinner party was not. Amongst the guests were two gentlemen, although I think neither of them are, who knew of me in Spain. Lady Darnley made much of my involvement in the hospital at Salamanca. Sir Peregrine had somehow heard that I had last been seen there with a French officer and she asked some rather disconcerting questions.”

Juliana’s eyes grew round. “Do you mean Sir Peregrine Styles?”

“Yes.” Emmaline looked up. A frown drew her dark brows together. “I believe he is Lady Darnley’s nephew. Do you know him?”

“
Our paths have crossed but his reputation precedes him. He has been involved in one scandal or another every Season since my come out. He is not to be trusted.”

Emmaline nodded her head in agreement.

“So your brother warned me. The dinner party was so distressing. Lady Darnley made me so cross that I snapped and spoke out of turn. Now my image is sullied I doubt I will be welcomed into society.”

Her face hot with the recollection of her ordeal,
Emmaline covered it with her hands to hide her dismay. Not dismay for her actions, but dismay at the thought of the
on dits
which must already be circulating and discrediting her. “How I wish I were plain like Olivia Darnley and then no one would notice me, no one would remember me.”

“Oh, don’t say that!” Juliana gave Emmaline’s arm a firm shake. “I believe Lady Darnley to be quite out of countenance with you because she was expecting Lucius to offer for
Olivia.”

“Lucius? Offer for
Olivia? Is she mad?” Emmaline leapt to her feet, indignation clear in her balled fists and the swish of her skirts. “Why, that girl’s a ninnyhammer. No, no, no, Olivia would never do for Lucius!”

“Would she not?”

Emmaline missed the gleam of comprehension that crept into Juliana’s eyes as she sat in quiet contemplation of her friend
’s outburst.

“Definitely not!” Emmaline wrung her hands in front of her, so deep in her own thoughts she quite overlooked the bemused expression on Juliana’s face. “
Olivia is milk to Lucius’ brandy. She is poorly educated, quavers every time he speaks to her and. . and . .”

“Yes?”

“Oh, hang it all!” Emmaline stamped her foot. “He cannot marry Olivia Darnley. She will quite simply bore him to death.”

“While you, on the other hand . . . “ Juliana cast her a knowing look.

“Me?”

“Yes, you!” Juliana chortled with sudden glee
, her own woes temporarily forgotten. “You would never bore him and would likely drive him to distraction, which would be very good for him. And I can’t think of anyone I would rather have as a sister-in-law.”

“No, this is all wrong.” Emmaline dropped with a thump onto the sofa, shaking her head as she did so as if to clear her thoughts. “
But why would Lady Darnley expect Lucius to make Olivia an offer?”

“Because
she has been hounding him forever and he stood up with Olivia at Almack’s. Hmm?”

For a
moment Emmaline was speechless. Thinking of Lucius’ arms around her made her catch her breath and lick her suddenly dry lips.

“It was as I told my aunt,” she began but Juliana instantly silenced her.

“Humbug! I never took you for a coward. You wanted to leave, did you not, to conceal the
tendre
you have developed for my brother?”

Emmaline
raised her head, her cheeks pale.

“You knew?” she gasped.

“Just as you guessed about William and me,” Juliana said gently. “What did you say? ‘
It was the expression in your eyes and the softening of your lips when you looked at him
,’ and that is the way in which you look at Lucius.”

“No, I don’t,” Emmaline stammered. “I mean
, I can’t. . “

“Yes, you do and you can. And,” Juliana took Emmaline’s hands and gave them a shake, “I do believe
Lucius returns your feelings.”

Closing her eyes and wishing it were so, Emmaline willed herself to remain calm. Juliana continued to clasp her hands. The steady warmth of that grip transferred to Emmaline’s heart, bolstering her resolve. When she opened her eyes she smiled at Juliana and shook her head.

“No, it cannot be.”

“Tell me why not,” Juliana persisted.

“You did not see his expression when it was revealed I had tended wounded men.” Emmaline could still see the stark look of shock and disgust on Lucius’ face. Her blood chilled.

If only that were all she had to hide.

When she continued her voice was barely above a whisper.

“It didn’t matter to any of them
that someone could aid those poor souls. It didn’t matter that it was the right and only thing for me to do. What did matter was that I dirtied my hands amongst the injured and dying and worse, I might be a whore. How dare I bring that image with me into polite society?”

“You must not think any more of it,” Juliana declared.

Before either could say more, a knock on the door interrupted them. Fearing her aunt’s headache had worsened, Emmaline got to her feet. The door burst open and Emmaline watched with astonishment as a determined Lady Darnley swept past Annie.

She
advanced into the room, looking about her as if to find something to criticize. Olivia followed behind, eyes cast down and nervously chewing her lip.

Emmaline
, with no expectation of an apology, narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

“Good morning, Lady Darnley. And what might bring you here?”

Lady Darnley completely ignored
her as she approached a glass cabinet and peered at the trinkets displayed there. She moved to the bookcase and perused the titles on the shelves, tinkled the keys on the pianoforte and came to stand in front of the fireplace as if it were her own drawing room. Without a glance at Emmaline, she spoke directly to Juliana.

“I must confess,
Lady Juliana, I am quite shocked to find you in a house such as this.”

“I do not understand, Lady Darnley,” Juliana said firmly. “Miss Devereux and I are old school friends. Why should I not be in this house?”

“Ah.” Lady Darnley paused, tapping a gloved finger against her lips. “I think, when I tell you what I have discovered, you will want to be anywhere but in this house with your old,” she paused again, her hard green eyes raking Emmaline with a scathing glance, “school friend.”

Emmaline stepped forward, fury tightening her features. The burning desire to give Lady Darnley a
well-deserved set down died in her throat as Olivia caught her eye. She immediately realized the reason for Olivia being there. Olivia would witness her further humiliation. Anything she said would very quickly be repeated in drawing rooms around London.

“I
cannot possibly imagine to what you may refer,” Emmaline said stiffly.

“No?” Lady Darnley raised an eyebrow and turned to Juliana. “Old school friends you may be, but I collect there is one fact of which you may not be aware.”

“And what fact might that that be, Lady Darnley?” A worried look crept across Juliana’s face as she looked from Lady Darnley to Emmaline.

“Why, my dear,” satisfaction dripped from Lady Darnley’s rouged lips. “Your old school friend is a murderess.”

CHAPTER 1
2

“A murderess?” Juliana’s eyes widened in shock.

“Indeed.” Lady Darnley inspected her immaculate gloves, mint green to match her morning gown, and looked directly at Juliana. “
I have discovered that Miss Devereux shot and killed a French officer. So you see, Lady Juliana, on being told by your brother’s staff that you were here, I thought it my duty to come and apprise you of this charge. I am quite sure you will have no wish to have your name sullied by association with a person of Miss Devereux’s ilk.”

In the ensuing silence time
stopped. Trapped in the moment, Emmaline saw dust motes dancing down the sunbeams that shone through the window. Heard the jingle of harness and clop of hooves from the traffic in the street. Heard Annie on the stairs then Olivia’s nervous titter.

“You cannot deny the charge, can you Miss Devereux?” Lady Darnley fixed her with a basilisk stare.

“I can and do deny your allegation, Lady Darnley.” Emmaline’s controlled tone gave no hint of the emotions that raged within her. As if in a trance she moved to the door and opened it. “Your visit is at an end, Lady Darnley. Please leave my Aunt’s house this minute.”

“Gladly.” The look Lady Darnley shot her way was one of triumph. “Come
Olivia.”

As soon as she had gone Emmaline shivered and wrapped her arms about her body.

“Is it true?” Juliana whispered.

Emmaline, unable to speak, simply nodded and sank into a chair.

“Now you know why I didn’t want to come to London,” she whispered. “Now you know why I cannot let myself love Lucius. He deserves so much better than I.”

Juliana stood up and drew herself to her full height.

“A short while ago, Emmaline Devereux, you were the one who was taking me to task. Now it is my turn. Sit up straight and look me in the eye.”

Gripping the arms of the chair Emmaline righted herself.

“You listen to me,” Juliana said. “You are the best and strongest person I know. . ”