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Verity looked down at her hands. “Why do I need a man who doesn’t think for himself?”
Eloise smiled lightly. “You don’t. But I need a friend who does think for herself.”
“You already have me.” Verity smiled widely.
Eloise rushed to hug Verity closely. “Thank you. I was so worried you were angry with me.”
Verity patted Eloise’s back. “Perhaps I was at first. But I quickly realized it wasn’t your fault. And if he was betrothed all this time while spending his time with me and other women… Well, that’s not the kind of man either of us needs.”
Eloise nodded. “Yes. You deserve a lot better.”
Verity waved a hand. “I am content on my own. And you already got better.”
Eloise let out a nervous chuckle. “If he and my brother don’t kill each other, then yes.”
Just as she said that, the door opened, and Ford stepped out of the room. He nodded toward Eloise. “He wants to speak to you.”
Eloise looked at Verity, her eyes frightened.What happened in there?
Verity cast her a reassuring smile, and Eloise hurried into Keyon’s room.
He sat on the bed, looking pale and tired. He patted the place next to him, and Eloise walked toward him. She sat where he indicated and took his hand in hers.
“What do you think of a spring wedding?” he asked with a grin. Eloise’s eyes widened, and her mouth slacked open.
“What?”
Keyon smiled. “I am not certain any church will take me, though,” he added with a smirk.
Eloise grinned. “Prudence knows a pastor of a nearby parish.”
Keyon leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I love you.”
Eloise turned to him, her face only inches away from his. “I love you more.”
* * *
In the meantime…
The door opened to the Annalise–Lady Payne’s–parlor room, and in walked Olivia, Lady St. John and her cousin Helen, Mrs. St. John.
Helen just recently lost her husband and was currently residing under Olivia and her husband’s roof. Olivia tried to take the poor woman’s mind off her tragedy, and as a result, dragged her around everywhere. Lavinia liked Helen though, and they all embraced her as a new member of their little group of friends.
“Welcome, dears!” Annalise stood from the settee and went to greet the new arrivals.
Lavinia heaved a sigh. She wanted to talk with Annalise alone, and she had come to her house early for their weekly nuncheon with this exact goal in mind.
She wasn’t able to do that. Because at first, Annalise’s husband, Lord Payne, had trouble letting go of his wife, and when he finally left, the rest of the nuncheon guests had arrived.
As they sat in a circle, the conversation around them flowed, but Lavinia wasn’t listening to any of it. She was playing with the pleats of her skirts nervously and thinking what she was about to do when one of two eventualities came to pass.
What neither woman in the room knew was that Lavinia’s father was gravely ill. Lavinia didn’t share any affection toward the abusive man, but if he died, she would end up on the streets. And if he didn’t die…
There was a knock on the door before Annalise’s butler entered. “A note, for Lady Lavinia,” he intoned.
Lavinia sent a fleeting smile toward the other women, then stood to receive the note. She went to the corner of the room to read the contents, because she didn’t want to delay it, nor did she want to read it in front of everyone.
What could it possibly be? Was it her stepmother sending the news about her father?
She unfolded the note and skimmed through the contents. Her eyes widened and she froze in place, her fingers refusing to hold the note anymore.
“Dear, is everything well?” Annalise’s voice rang as if it were far away.
Her vision blurred and Lavinia could not see anything except the words on the paper.
I know what you did.
