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And although the thought of it made Julia feel uncomfortable, she was also filled with anticipation, hoping that after tonight, they would finally get to the bottom of all that had been going on.
Perhaps then all she had been forced to endure over the last few days might be worth it. At Chelsea’s encouraging, she had entered into a false courtship with Barnaby Tatford, or at least his reactions toward her attentions had certainly made her believe that was what he thought it was.
He had been all too eager to join her on walks through the park or to go into London to visit the tearooms or go shopping with her. Julia’s only relief had been the time they had gone into the bookstore and she had been able to make new purchases to keep her mind from spinning out of control.
Now, hopefully, all of that leg work would pay off. Though she did feel a little guilty at the thought of trapping the gentleman in such a way.
He deserves it;she reminded herself over and over again, especially as she slipped into the study after dinner, when everyone else had slipped into the drawing room for further drinking. With all but Barnaby and Lady Sutthers aware that some plan was being undertaken, she found it easy to slip away with the excuse of needing to powder her nose.
And soon she found herself awaiting Barnaby in the study. Though she would have been much more comfortable in that large room, surrounded by all those books, they had decided that the study would be much more intimate and appropriate for what they had planned.
Clearly, it had done the trick in Barnaby’s mind also. The moment he slipped inside, he clicked the door closed behind him and drew her in with his arms outstretched.
“Oh, Miss Pritchard, you have no idea how pleased I was to read your note, how pleased I was that you wished to get a moment alone with me. When I learned of our being invited to dinner, I was worried you might have rekindled things with my cousin.”
Julia’s heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of that, but she forced herself to play the part that Chelsea had assured her would work best.
“Oh, how could I ever have chosen him over you?” Julia asked. The words felt sour on her lips and she struggled to keep a straight face, but Barnaby looked quite pleased with her for saying such a thing. In fact, she was almost certain that she saw his head grow two sizes bigger right in front of her eyes. “We’ve been having such a wonderful time together of late.”
Though it went against everything she had in her, she forced herself to step into his outstretched arms, holding onto his forearms to at least try to maintain a little distance if he got too close.
“I have been imagining a moment alone together all evening,” she admitted, again the words threatening to choke her. “Oh, Barnaby, I have a confession to make.”
Doing just as she and Chelsea had practised over and over again, she fluttered her eyelashes just so, hoping that her expression was filled with longing rather than disgust.
The way he looked down at her with a huge grin on his face suggested that he was eating up all of her body language and her words, the vibe she was giving to him clearly working even though deep down she wanted to vomit from merely being so close to him.
“Go on,” he whispered, his face drawing down to hers, and Julia feared he might kiss her. It took everything she had in her not to run away screaming at the thought. In fact, the thought of being kissed by anyone but Lord Sutthers made her feel traumatised.
“I… I do believe that I am falling for you, Barnaby,” Julia lied and she could feel blood rising to her cheeks.
Holding back a cringe when he reached up a hand to cup her cheek, she forced her gaze to remain on his, smiling gingerly up at him even as he said, “Do not be embarrassed for admitting so, my love, I feel it too.”
It was then that Julia’s mind began to spin. He had fallen right into the trap. There was just one problem. How could she possibly be sure that Chelsea had kept to her end of the plan? This was all for nothing if the right people did not hear him.
“Let me show you,” he breathed, and the smell of wine on his breath threatened to gag her as he leaned down further. This time, she knew he was going to kiss her.
Instinctively, she pulled back. Thinking hard, she raised her gloved fingertips to his mouth and caressed his top lip as she whispered, “Please, do not show me yet. I wish for us to save that for… for… well, you know.”
Playing coy, she batted her eyelashes once more. For a second, she thought that the point might have missed him. He looked confused, maybe even frustrated. Then the knowledge seemed to hit him and in a second he had dropped down onto his knee before her, grabbing hold of her hands in both of his.
Are they there?Julia thought, glancing over his shoulder at the study door for only a moment before she turned her gaze back to him. Her head grew dizzy at the mere sight of him kneeling before her and when he started to speak again she wanted to scream.
“Miss Julia Pritchard, you have made me the happiest man alive,” he announced, “And for that I would marry you in a heartbeat. Will you marry me?”
And there it was, that twinkle in his eye that she had seen many times before. It was the look she had seen on many a man’s face, on all those faces of the men who believed that she could give them all they had ever wanted, money, influence and a direct connection to the King of England. And just like that, she felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever about what they were doing to him.
“Mr. Tatford, oh how I have longed for this day but I could not very well give you my answer without first getting the blessing of my dear papa!” Julia exclaimed, still playing the part while she snatched her hand away from his, covering a gasp upon her lips with her gloved fingertips.
At that, Barnaby jumped up once more, grabbing for her hands once again as he insisted, “Oh, yes, yes. Of course. I shall go to him immediately! Say you wish for me to do so and I shall run to your house right this instant!”
Something should have happened by now!Julia fretted, still committed to the plan and about to open her mouth to continue to the lie, but absolutely terrified that perhaps something had gone wrong.Chelsea, where are you?Julia wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but she knew if she did that, their plan would fall to pieces. All she could do was pray that everything would work out in the end.
Chapter 26
“Whatever is all that noise?” Gabriel’s mother exclaimed where she was seated on an armchair beside the fireplace in the drawing room. Gabriel - feeling anxious to be so left in the dark and with his mother after his brother and Miss Walker slipped away with Debbie the maid, supposedly so that she could chaperone their walk through the gallery for a few moments alone - had already heard the sound of hurried footsteps down the hall outside the room several minutes before.
Now that he heard it again, this time the footsteps rushing in the opposite direction, Gabriel wondered himself what in god’s name was going on.
