Lady Montague shrugged. “Friends must be warned, my lord.”
“Your friends, if that is what you think they are, were threatened.”
At this, Lady Montague began to comprehend that Lord Hampton might not be entirely in agreement with her way of thinking.
“Surely not,” she said with somewhat less confidence.
“Surely so,” Edwin said. “Were you a reasonable lady, I would task you with correcting others’ opinions of Miss Knightsbridge as those opinions are patently false. The lady has been unjustly accused and everybody of any sense must know it. As it happens, I have never found you reasonable and would not trust you to do it creditably. Rather, I think you would make it your business to defend your initial opinion, as you so little care to be wrong. Therefore, you and your lord will absent yourself from London as soon as you can pack your cases and no later than the morrow.”
“But the season—”
“I insist,” Edwin said.
“I am not so certain that youcaninsist,” Lady Montague said petulantly.
“I can. And I do. If you refuse me, my friends and I will make certain that all the best houses shut their doors against you. You are not the only individual who can hold sway over thetonand I wager we can bring to bear a lot more force than you have at your disposal. I will make you a pariah and the people who fear you now will cut you on the street.”
Edwin’s speech had been well thought out and composed to strike fear into the heart of a lady who valued her place in the world above anything else. He had no doubt he’d accomplished what he set out to do, as Lady Montague sank down to the sofa.
“Good day, madam,” he said, “I will eagerly anticipate hearing the news that the Montagues have decamped to Yorkshire.”
*
The Montagues didindeed leave for Yorkshire the following day, Lady Montague developing a cough that only her home county could cure.
While the Montagues’ carriage barreled out of London, Edwin called the gentlemen of the pact to Dalton’s house, determined they develop a plan of action.
“Lady Montague has been sent packing,” he said. “Now, we must have everybody understand that we are the authors of this pack of lies going round about Miss Knightsbridge. It is the only way to put an end to it.”
“Fall on our swords, eh?” Cabot said.
“More like fall on a hundred swords,” Dalton said drily.
“What of our fathers?” Lockwood asked. “They will lose their minds over this.”
“They well may,” Hampton said. “But we are gentlemen and must face the consequences.”
There were various sighs and foot shufflings and lookings askance, but Hampton could see that they would do it. The news would fly through London unimpeded by Lady Montague’s naysaying. Miss Knightsbridge would be recognized as the innocent victim that she was. They would all be hailed as scoundrels, and a well-earned moniker it would be.
News of it would surely travel to Surrey one way or the other, and that was the one aspect that worried Hampton exceedingly. He would not be on hand to personally explain what had happened.
“In any case,” Dalton said, “it will get you off the hook. No need to marry the girl if we’ve set her to rights. No further need of rescue, I think.”
“Well, as to that…” Edwin trailed off. In truth, he was not certain he wished to answer those comments. As soon as he had resolved to marry Miss Knightsbridge, it had begun to seem a pleasant idea. After all, where was another like her? She had beauty, she had wit, and well… she was rather extraordinary.
In truth, it had become more than a pleasant idea. With him hardly realizing it was happening, marriage to Miss Knightsbridge had begun to feel anecessaryidea.
“That’s right,” Ashworth said, “she’ll come back looking the tragic heroine and then marry some fellow.”
Edwin stiffened. As if Miss Knightsbridge should waste herself on some fellow! She was born to be a duchess. She had all the fortitude of his mother and grandmother, not like all those simpering misses who fanned their faces to keep themselves upright. Then of course, there was that face…
She was smashing in every respect. Marrysome fellow, indeed.
“Even if we are successful,” he said carefully, “I may still find I owe her a debt.”
“Good Lord,” Grayson said, “you have fallen. You are in love with Miss Knightsbridge.”
“Nobody spoke of love,” Edwin said. Least of all himself, though it sat in front of him like a waving flag.
