He patted her cheek quickly before striding out of the room. Hector exhaled.
Verity burst into tears. “What have I done?”
“If he really loves you,” Hector said, “he won’t care.”
“He looked shocked.” She wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
“Because he was surprised. Once he ponders the situation and realises how much he loves you, everything will be all right.” Otherwise, Ernest didn’t deserve Verity’s affection.
“Let’s go home.” Maddie went to lead Verity out, but her sister swatted her hands away.
“It’s a disaster.” Verity sagged against her sister.
“Do you want me to come?” Hector asked.
Maddie shook her head. “Thank you. We’ll go home and wait for Ernest to finish thinking.” Sarcasm tinted her voice.
“Be patient with him.” Hector held the door open for them. “He’ll see reason.”
“Or I’ll force him to.” Maddie held her sister, leaving the parlour.
twenty-nine
MADDIE PACED WHILE Verity and Ernest talked on a bench in the garden. It was theirbigdiscussion. She was dying to hear it because if Ernest hurt Verity, if he shamed her or broke the engagement, she’d intervene and kick him out of the house herself. But it was difficult to understand how the conversation went. Both were flustered and agitated and waved a lot. Only Ernest sometimes looked petrified, and Verity shook his arm with some strength as if to spill some good sense into him.
“What’s happening?” Mother stopped next to Maddie, jolting her. “Why are you spying on them? What are they talking about?”
Maddie lifted a shoulder. “Oh, nothing really. Lord Quentin is blackmailing Hector, using his affection for me and some nude pictures he has of Verity to force him to renounce his title.”
Mother’s gaze shot up. “You and your silly novels. If you don’t want to tell me, just say so.” She hurried away, her back straight. “I’ll ask Verity once she’s done.”
Maddie held her breath as Verity and Ernest walked towards the French doors. They didn’t hold hands. Bad sign. She held the door open for her and studied her sister’s face to understand if Verity’s heart had been broken.
“How are you?” Maddie took Verity’s hand, ready to punch Ernest.
“Tired.” She turned towards Ernest and hooked her arm through his. “But I think we’ve understood each other.”
Ernest raked a hand through his already dishevelled hair, his face turning the colour of raspberry jam. “If there’s a good thing about the incident in the Serpentine is that it made me realise how much I love Verity.” He paused. “I’m not going to lie. Those pictures made my blood boil and I want to chase those men down and punch them senseless and beat them into a pulp and then—”
“I think Maddie got the point, darling.” Verity stroked his cheek.
He took her face and gave her a passionate kiss that caused Maddie to blush. He poured more than love into that kiss. There was a healthy dose of possessiveness and carnal desire, too. She wouldn’t be surprised if Verity got pregnant after that kiss. Gosh, Maddie could see their tongues. And could they breathe? No one could survive that long without air.
She cleared her throat, shifting her weight. “So, ahem, I suppose everything is all right between you two.”
They broke the kiss, taking deep breaths as if emerging from a deep dive.
“I love Verity more than anything,” Ernest said, having eyes only for Verity. “I’ll face the world for her.”
Verity giggled and brushed a lock of hair from her red cheek.
Maddie hugged him. “Thank you, Ernest. You’re wonderful.” Not as wonderful as Hector though. “What are we going to do now?”
Ernest draped an arm on each sister’s shoulder. “We face the world.”
* * *
Once again,a sense of impotence and uselessness pressed against Hector’s chest. Maddie had told him Ernest was ready to face the scandal and marry Verity, which was great, but nothing could hide the fact Hector didn’t know how to force Quentin to leave.
