“I will come with you,” Lucien said at once.
“That isn’t necessary,” she began to say, but he shook his head.
“I must insist,” he said. “It is an honor to escort my new bride everywhere.”
He took her arm and together they began to weave through the crowded ballroom toward the balconies that would allow them to get some fresh air.
“Was that very bad?” she asked as they skirted the edge of the ballroom. “Will Lady Crane tell everyone that I insulted her honor by calling her a Miss?”
“Oh, that?” To her surprise, Lucien didn’t look concerned at all. If anything, he seemed as if he had already forgotten about it. “Oh, don’t worry at all. Lady Crane is a very kind and generous woman. She would never hold that against you or put our family honor at risk by gossiping about any of us. Don’t worry, Emery. You have done nothing to worry yourself about.”
Emery bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if the Duke was telling the truth or just being nice to her, but either way, his reassurance went a long way. And by the time they came out onto the balcony, she was feeling significantly better.
“You really don’t think I embarrassed myself?” Emery said, turning to face her husband as the cool air spread over her cheeks and neck, calming her. “I know what a stickler you are for the rules.”
Lucien took a step toward her, his eyes smoldering as a smile licked across his lips. “I’m sure, Duchess. I am, as you say, a stickler for rules, but even thetondoesn’t expect people to be perfect.”
They looked at each other for a moment, then the music changed in the room next to them and Emery glanced through the doors of the balcony and into the ballroom. Ladies and gentlemen were clapping politely for the musicians as others were led to and fro from the dancefloor. And to Emery’s delight, she saw that Georgina was standing nearby, accompanied by her mother. Before Emery could even point her out to Lucien, however, she saw Henry approaching, a strange, almost nervous look on his face.
“There’s Henry,” she said, pointing to him. “We should go and say hello.”
She had just moved toward the door when Lucien held out his hands to stop her. “Wait.” Her husband was wearing a funny look on his face. His eyes were narrowed and he was watching his brother intently as he approached Georgina.
Henry reached Georgina and bowed before her. Emery tilted her head to one side. It was odd to see Henry behave so properly with such an old friend of his. She would have thought he’d justwalk up to her and begin speaking, like he might with Emery herself.
“Henry is being oddly formal,” she said aloud as she watched them. He was now taking Georgina’s hand and pressing the back of it to her lips. “Gosh,” Emery whispered, suddenly feeling the blood rising in her cheeks. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him behave thus to a lady. And especially Georgina!”
“She is a friend of yours,” Lucien said. It wasn’t a question, but he still had a curious look on his face, as if he were trying to place her.
“Yes. She was at the castle last week when we played that board game.”
“Ahh yes. I remember her now. And she is friends with Henry also? Old friends?”
“Well, old-ish.” Emery considered this. “He is much older friends with me. He and I have known each other since the cradle, of course, and Georgina and I have been friends almost as long. But I didn’t introduce them to one another until a few years ago.”
“Hmm.” Lucien’s brow was now entirely knit together. He seemed to have realized something, but it wasn’t exactly improving his mood. “I’m not sure that he and Miss--what is her name?”
“Miss Georgina Holloway.”
“Yes. If he and Miss Holloway should be seen together.”
“What? Why?” Emery stared at him, aghast. “They are good friends!”
“Yes, well, he is behaving most rakishly toward her.”
Emery looked back at the two of them. Henry was now speaking in a low voice to Georgina, close to her ear, and she was laughing. It was perhaps a touch intimate, but one could expect such things from a close friend.
“I believe you are mistaken,” she said. “They are just conversing.”
“He is embarrassing us and our family!” Lucien thundered. His face had become a mask of anger, and Emery felt a small flicker of fear in her stomach.Did something happen? Why is he so angry?
She glanced back at Henry and Georgina, and then something seemed to slot into place.
Oh!
For a moment, it felt as if the ground beneath her had fallen away, as if she were standing on the deck of a ship that was rocking back and forth.It couldn’t be!
And then Lucien’s words came rushing back to her, words she had completely forgotten about in the event of having to unexpectedly share a bed with her husband.He mentioned an attachment to another lady and now the ton believes he may have proposed to, or even tried to elope with, someone other than you, thus violating your engagement contract.
