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He was done over. Utterly dished. Cooked. Caught between desire and duty in a devil of a labyrinth. And the quagmire of her making had no escape.

Chapter Two

London, October 1818

Though the sun outside shone bright, cool air pervaded the carriage carrying Lenora, Nettie, and Lady Emily to Asquith House.

As the conveyance jostled past a magnificent London plane tree, its gold and ombre leaves failed to capture Lenora’s attention. Instead, she tightened her grip on her shawl and frowned.

At the end of summer, she'd left Ravenswood feeling triumphant. Over the weeks that followed, her mood mirrored the weather's gradual shift from pleasant to uncomfortable. Things had been bad enough when Asquith had helped them moved their things into D’Acre House, but today, that discomfort curdled into dread.

Dread that left her stomach hollowed and her throat parched.

Even though Emily and Nettie occupied the opposite bench, Lenora felt isolated. For the first time in her life, she could not share her worries.

She and her sisters had planned her fateful confrontation with Asquith. She’d known exactlywhen and where she would meet him, and what she would say.

In the excruciating time since, she'd had only herself to consult. Alone, her strategic thinking failed.

Nettie leaned toward Emily. “Does Lenora strike you as someone on the cusp of an eagerly awaited rendezvous?”

“No,” Emily replied. “Not in the least.”

“Nettie,” Lenora said with a huff, “I told you I cannot discuss anything about Asquith.”

Nettie groaned. “But not knowing what passed between you two has been slowly killing me!”

Emily held up pinched fingers. “Nettie’s only exaggerating a little. But Nettie, regardless of your frustration, the right thing for us to do is to help Lenora keep her word.”

“Even though she never should have made that wretched promise?” Nettie scowled. “Asquith.”

Emily nudged Nettie with her shoulder. “Now, Nettie, you know lovers’ secrets bring them closer together.”

Lovers. If only.

“Besides,” Emily continued, “you’re just nosy.”

Nettie glanced askance. “And you aren’t?”

“Of course I am.” Lady Emily’s grin widened. “But I hide it better.”

“Neither of you are hiding your curiosity,” Lenora said. “Why can’t you follow Millie’s example? She hasn’t pestered me.”

“I agree! She hasn’t,” Nettie said. “And I find Millie’s sudden lack of curiosity suspicious.”

“Millie’s silence doesn’t seem suspicious to me,” Emily replied.

“Why not?” Nettie asked.

Emily leaned in. “Well, think back to the evening of the yew gathering. Neville stormed out of the parlor in search of Asquith, and then Millie left directly behind him. I believe she and Neville had their own secret meeting.”

Nettie reeled backwards. “But Millie loathes Neville!”

“That’s what she would like us to believe.” Emily’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Once Neville returns from his extended stay in the country, we shall see.”

Nettie scowled. “If you’re right, that would make two delicious stories my sisters never bothered to share with me.”

“Since Lenora refuses to tell us what happened, why don’t you dream up your own account?” Emily suggested.