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“No, they were blatantly staring and whispering behind their fans.”
“I am sorry to hear that, but the scandal will die down shortly enough,” Mary encouraged. “You just need to give it more time.”
Emmeline sighed. “But that wasn’t even the worst part.”
“No?”
“I decided I needed a moment alone, so I went out into the gardens, and I witnessed Oliver having a conversation with Miss Jenkins.”
“I am not familiar with her.”
Emmeline pursed her lips, then said, “Miss Jenkins is not someone that I would willingly choose to associate with. She has a sharp tongue that she uses quite frequently.”
“I can see why you wouldn’t wish to associate with her, then.”
“I was unable to hear what was being said, but it was evident that Miss Jenkins was flirting with Oliver.”
“How did Lord Oliver react?”
“He didn’t appear to reciprocate her advances, but it made me realize that I’ve been awfully unfair to him. By marrying him, I took away his right to find his own bride.”
Mary came to sit down next to her on the bed. “Oliver knew what he was getting into when he agreed to marry you.”
“I told him how I felt,” she admitted.
“I take it that it didn’t go well.”
Emmeline shook her head. “It did not,” she shared. “He politely informed me that he didn’t feel the same way.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Mary responded compassionately.
“When I look into his eyes, I feel as if he does hold me in some regard, but something is holding him back.”
Mary shifted on the bed to face her. “Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know,” she replied. “Perhaps I am just being hopeful.”
“There is nothing wrong with remaining positive.”
“But what if I’m wrong?” she asked. “What if Oliver never comes to acknowledge his feelings for me, and I am trapped in a loveless marriage?”
Mary reached out and encompassed her hand. “That is what you agreed to by marrying Oliver in haste.”
“I know, but I want more now.”
Mary gave her a sad smile. “What do you intend to do?”
Shifting her gaze towards the crackling fire in the hearth, Emmeline said, “I believe I wish to depart for Lockhart Manor tomorrow morning.”
“Truly?”
“I can’t face Oliver right now, and I need some time to think. Besides, Lockhart Manor is only a day’s travel by coach.”
Mary removed her hand from Emmeline’s and said, “Then I should start packing.”
“You don’t mind?”
“I do not. But I must wonder if you are just running away from your husband.”
