“Do you still love Christopher?” Rose gained her attention instantly.
“No, I do not.” Emmeline turned her attention away from the two people whom she had once considered as close to her as family in their own ways. “In truth, I cannot now think that what I once felt for Christopher Lennox was, indeed, real love.”
“Because it is not what you feel for Hunter?”
“You are too wise for your years, Rose Fitzgerald. I cannot think that I was as clever as you when I was but fifteen years. You shall soon overtake me in sense and intellect, I am quite sure.”
“Perhaps not overtake you, my dear. I should be content to simply catch up, and that is all.” Rose laughed. “And I am only so sensible because I chose to pour myself into the mould that you created. I always thought that if I behaved as you did, Papa would let me out in society early. And since he did, I have you to thank.”
“Rose.” Emmeline protested, blinking hard at sudden tears of emotion.
“It is true; I have always used you as my role model, and I likely always shall.”
“You must stop it, Rose, or you shall have me weeping.” Emmeline pinched her sister’s arm gently and playfully.
“As you wish, but it is true,” Rose said, clearly determined to have the last word.
“Perhaps I am beginning to feel a little more comfortable in my gown after all,” Emmeline said, suddenly determined to relax and enjoy the evening, even put her doubts to rest for a few hours.
“Well, I am pleased to hear that at least.” Rose smiled broadly. “Although I do have one little concern of my own.”
“And what is your concern, my dear?”
“I wonder if we ought to have invited our cousin this evening.” Rose chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. “After all, he is our closest living relative, and he will soon be master of Tarlton Manor. As much as we do not like the idea, or even do not like him, perhaps etiquette would dictate that we ought to have extended him an invite.”
“I should not have him here at any price, Rose,” Emmeline said, suddenly vehement.
“I realize that you are still angry about the manner of his inheritance and I …” Rose began.
“No, it is not even that. I had reconciled myself with the dreadful conditions of the inheritance of Tarlton some time ago.”
“Then what is it?”
“Kent Fitzgerald is not an honourable man, Rose.”
“What do you mean?” Rose looked suddenly concerned.
“Kent has developed an interest in me, one that I did not, I promise you, encourage.”
“I had no idea.”
“And he has made his interest known in most indelicate ways.”
“Good heavens, you mean he has …?”
“No, I have nothing to accuse him of, nothing of that nature, at any rate. But he has sat a little too close to me on occasions, and he sought me out when I was alone at the top of the garden. He made it clear that he would wish to marry me and told me that I ought to do so to save my family.”
“That insufferable man!”
“Yes, he had picked up my book from the bench and refused to give it back. In the end, I had to flee without it for he made a reach for me, and I had the awful feeling that if he caught me, he would not let me go. In truth, I was forced to run from him.”
“Oh, my dear sister, why did you say nothing of it before? If Mama knew, she would never allow him back inside Tarlton Manor until the day of his inheritance.”
“I know, but I would not have her last days at Tarlton Manor made uncomfortable. I know we have that period of grace, but there is nothing to say that Kent Fitzgerald would not make life very awkward. And there would have been nobody to protect us if he had chosen to do so. In the end, I thought it better to leave it, to say nothing. After all, I shall soon be married, and you and Mama will be provided for. Once that is the case, there is nothing that our cousin can do to us then. The worst he can do is to move into Tarlton Manor, and that he was to do anyway. Really, I would not have you worry about it, and I would beg that you do not mention it to our mother. You know how she worries, and I think she is only just beginning to rally a little after Papa’s passing.”
“Yes, I promise, of course.” Rose took her sister’s hand and gently squeezed it. “But I still wish you had told me. I can hardly bear to think of you suffering such a thing alone, feeling you had nobody to talk to. I realize that you do not have Clara in your life anymore, but perhaps you could see me as your confidante instead of her now?”
“Yes, of course, I shall. In truth, I do already. And after all, did I not just tell you the secret feelings in my own heart? If you are not already my confidante, I do not know who is.” Emmeline smiled, pleased to see the pride on her younger sister’s face.
“And I shall be a very much finer confidante than Clara. I shall be more attentive and provide very much finer advice,” Rose said grandly, and Emmeline laughed. “Oh, but there is curious timing,” Rose’s tone was suddenly downbeat.
Emmeline looked at her sister and then turned, following Rose’s gaze. Walking timidly towards her was none other than Clara Lennox herself, her blazing cheeks testament to her fear and embarrassment. Emmeline felt her heartbeat quicken just a little but knew that she was suffering none of the embarrassment of her old friend at that moment.
Chapter 22
For Hunter Bentley, the evening seemed to be interminably long, and he was spending much less of it with the woman who was soon to be his fiancée than he had hoped to do. Emmeline had spent a good deal of the evening with her sister. Her mother was on the other side of the ballroom, greatly engaged with her dear friend Lady Harbury, a woman that Hunter could barely look at without fear of laughing. Every time he saw Lady Harbury, he could not help thinking of her full sennight without sleep on account of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
“I must say, cousin, you have been awfully quiet and downcast for a man who is about to announce his engagement. It really would not do for all present to think that you are being dragged kicking and screaming into the thing. After all, has Miss Fitzgerald not suffered enough as far as public regard goes?” Algernon had hardly left his side all evening.
“Forgive me, but I cannot help feeling the lady is a little downcast herself,” Hunter said quietly. “Perhaps I ought not to have invited Mr and Mrs Lennox.”
“Surely you do not think that Miss Fitzgerald would, even now, sooner she had married that insubstantial, cowardly young man?” Algernon gave a deep laugh albeit a mercifully quiet one.
“There is no telling what is in that young lady’s heart, I am afraid.”