Page 99 of Love and the Shameless Lady

“They’ll recover,” Melinda said. “With luck, we can send Lord Hythwick on his way today.”

Gloriana heaved a huge, shuddering sob.

“It’s for the best,” Melinda said. “You never would have been happy with him.”

Her woeful face tore at Daisy’s heart. “I’m so sorry, Gloriana.” Impulsively, she opened her arms, and Gloriana ran to her. Daisy folded her arms around her cousin and held her close.

Gloriana shook in Daisy’s embrace. “Thank you.” She buried her face against Daisy. “Thank you so much.”

Daisy frowned down at her. “For what?”

Gloriana shook her head violently and muttered into Daisy’s bosom, “Don’t let on.”

What? She caressed Gloriana’s hair whilst thinking furiously. Don’t let on about what?

“Pray . . . give me time to control myself,” Gloriana said a little more loudly. She rubbed her eyes. She heaved. She sniffled and dashed away tears.

The marquis strolled forward. “Pray avail yourself of my handkerchief, Miss Warren.”

She controlled herself on the instant, and slapped the proffered handkerchief away without as much as a glance at the Frenchman. She wrenched herself from Daisy’s arms and pointedly wiped her nose on her sleeve. Her eyes, Daisy saw, were not the slightest bit red.

She whirled and stalked away.

“My apologies,” Melinda said on a sigh. “She’s overwrought.”

The marquis watched the departing Gloriana. “One becomes accustomed to her bad manners. Anything else would be a surprise.” But his eyes were sad.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Melinda said. “I’d better call a couple of footmen to carry the earl indoors.”

Gloriana turned, far enough away now that people might not realize she hadn’t been crying. She had found her own handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes with it anyway. Daisy now thought she knew why. “How dare you talk of sending poor Hythwick away?” Her voice throbbed. “He is doubly injured now. Have him brought to the Dower House, where I can have him taken care of properly.”

“Very well,” Melinda said. “We’ll be much happier without him. I’ll have a bedchamber prepared for you here. I hope that by this evening you will have recovered your manners.”

Gloriana put her nose in the air and continued on her way.

“I shall not hold my breath for an apology,” the marquis said with a laugh. He didn’t seem the least bit affronted, but he lingered in the rose garden, watching Gloriana cross the lawn and pass the summerhouse before he turned to go indoors.

Daisy hooked her arm in Julian’s and bore him away toward the lake. “Julian,” she said softly, “is it possible that Philippe has a tendre for Gloriana?”

“He did at one time,” Julian said. “I overheard him saying as much to Lord Garrison last night. He said he changed his mind when she proved to be a fool.”

“I think he still loves her,” Daisy said. “What is even odder, I think she is in love with him.”

“What?” He halted, glancing toward Gloriana’s distant figure. “I’d say she can’t get away from him fast enough.”

“She wasn’t really crying just now. She was relieved. She thanked me! I think she wanted a way out of marrying Hythwick that wouldn’t be her fault.”

“That makes no sense at all.”

“It does with Gloriana,” Daisy said. They moved forward again toward the lake. “I don’t know what happened between her and Philippe in the past, but I’m willing to wager that her pride was hurt. She seems determined to show him and the entire world how much she loathes and despises him and everything he stands for.”

“By marrying Hythwick? Because she loves Philippe? That makes no sense at all.”

“Hell hath no fury, et cetera,” Daisy said. “I should have known she didn’t really intend to go through with the marriage. She wouldn’t sacrifice her entire future to prove a point.” She grimaced. “Perhaps she hoped Philippe would grovel and plead with her to marry him instead. When he didn’t, she needed another way out.”

“If she loves him, which I seriously doubt, but if she knows him at all well, she should know that he is not the groveling sort.” A jackdaw rose from a nearby oak, calling loudly as if in agreement.

“I believe his offer of a handkerchief was as close as he could come to a gesture of reconciliation, and she rejected that.” Daisy sighed. “I wonder what she’ll do now? He may not be the sort to grovel, but nor is she the sort to give up. She must be up to something.”