Page 58 of A Symphony for the Earl

She opened her mouth to make a sharp reply, but they were in the drawing room. Instead, she flashed a brilliant smile at him for the benefit of those watching.

Not to be outdone, he tenderly lifted her fingers to his lips and escorted her into the room.

The announcement of their marriage went as well as could be expected. Lady Amelia and Valentina were excellent at hiding any astonishment they may have felt and embraced her with genuine happiness. Richard did not falter in his address, and she had to admire his control of the situation. Fiona glanced at Mrs. Drummond-Burrell, who looked satisfied as a cat with a saucer of cream.

The remainder of the evening passed in a flurry of good wishes. Beside her, Richard met congratulations right and left, answering questions in his calm way.

“I intend a fairly short period of engagement. We wish to take advantage of the Season to hold the wedding.”

“Why, St. James’s, of course.”

“Miss Rafferty and I share a genuine love of music, which brought us together.”

“Unfortunately, she has no family left in Ireland to attend the ceremony.”

He orchestrated things as smoothly as if they all were puppets on a string. If anyone had suspicions, no one dared to make a peep. She was exhausted and on edge and hurried away to find a breath of fresh air while he was still occupied with congratulations. Lady Amelia intercepted her with a concerned look.

“You are very pale, my dear. This has been a stressful evening between your performance and the announcement. Shall I ask Richard to have the carriage brought around?”

“Yes, please,” she mumbled.

Meanwhile, Sir William Denton slipped through the thinning crowd. “Miss Rafferty.” His face was grave, and she wondered if he minded that she shared the news earlier. “Allow me to offer my felicitations on your engagement.”

“Sir William, forgive me that you only heard the news tonight. I—”

Before she could try to explain, Richard was standing at her side.

“Sir William,” he said, nodding briefly. “Come, Fiona, the carriage is waiting.”

“Of course,” Sir William murmured and bowed before taking his leave.

As they reached the door, she rounded on him angrily. “Just as I feared…it’s beginning already.”

“And what might it be?”

“You are acting as if you own me, and it’s just moments since we became betrothed.”

“Were you not about to make some excuse for our engagement to Sir William Denton? Perhaps you don’t grasp the fragility of our escape.”

“I would not have told Sir William. But he is my friend, and I’m concerned that I might have offended him.”

His lips tightened as a footman held the doors open for them.

She looked for the black coach carrying the Merrick crest, but he signaled to the sleek curricle waiting at the curb.

“I have charged Jerome with seeing my mother and sister home. My groom will remain with us.”

Lifting her skirts, she extended her hand for his assistance into the high carriage and sat stiffly, staring straight ahead.

The vehicle dipped as he settled into the seat beside her and took up the reins, waving away the footman who held the heads of his superbly matched bays. His groom settled a lap rug over them and jumped onto the back step.

He flicked the whip expertly and the horses picked up a smooth trot. It was a mild night for mid-March, and traffic was light.

“Come, Fiona…I know a marriage between us is not your first choice, but we are reasonable people. Surely, we can find a way to make it work?”

He ruined this conciliatory speech by raising one dark eyebrow in his usual arrogant manner.

“I wish you would stop doing that,” she muttered.