Page 46 of Three Scandals for the Wild Duke

“Is that what happened?” George asked, his skepticism palpable. He recalled a similar encounter with Emma in the conservatorywhere she had tripped, and he had instinctively reached out to assist her. Was it merely a coincidence? He doubted it.

“You disbelieve me?”

“That is what she probably wants you to believe. That it was all simply an accident.” George stopped and looked about. They had arrived at the thicket that marked the beginning of the old woods where they had spent countless hours as children. George realized he had been walking mindlessly while Alexander had followed him quietly.

“What are you talking about, George?” Alexander’s confusion was now mingled with irritation, his brow furrowed as he appeared to struggle to grasp the implications of George’s accusations.

George paused, mulling over his next words carefully, knowing the weight they carried. Finally, he said, “Have you ever considered that perhaps Emma sees you not as a friend but a suitor, and that she had intended to trap you earlier in that maze?”

Alex now regarded George with an expression that mirrored the way one might look at a stranger. This unexpected shift in demeanor further tore at George’s already strained emotions. He did not need his friend’s shock and disappointment, too. Not now, when his own feelings were so conflicted and raw.

“Do you hear yourself, George?” Alex cried throwing his arms in the air. “A ploy to trap me, you say?”

“To create a scandal and trap you into marriage, yes,” George confirmed. Alex might not understand this because he saw everyone with a generous heart. He believed them to have the purest intentions. George thought that perhaps it was his fault for shielding Alex too much.

“Emma would never do such a thing!” Alex’s defense of Emma immediate and forceful. “Besides, I only see her as a good friend. If you asked me to marry her, I would not, for I have no romantic inclinations toward her,” he added, as if to clarify his stance and perhaps to reassure both George of his intentions.

“If you think her incapable of such, then you clearly do not know her.” George turned and continued walking, again heedless of where he was going. He only knew that he could not remain in one place in his enraged state.

“And you do?” Alex retorted sharply, keeping pace with him.

“I know what you do not,” George responded tersely. “I am not as naively trusting,” he added, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness. This conversation was veering into dangerous territory, threatening the foundations of their longstanding friendship.

“What iswrongwith you, George?” Alexander stopped and pulled George by his sleeve, causing him to stumble slightly.

They stood facing each other for what felt like a long moment. George closed his eyes and inhaled. He could not blame Alex. Even George himself could not fully understand what had comeover him, why the possibility of Emma’s deceit gnawed so deeply at him, and why it hurt to consider that she might manipulate someone’s affections so coldly. Only that he felt a profound disappointment in her, and it was a feeling so potent that it seemed to cloud his judgment and poison his perceptions.

George let out a curse before shoving a hand through his hair and storming off, unable to answer Alexander’s query.

CHAPTER 19

Emma heaved a sigh as she stared at the dress and jewelry Antoinetta had laid out for her on the bed. She did not want to go down for dinner. Every part of her being screamed to defy her lady’s maid’s encouragement and remain secluded in her bedchamber. As if fate conspired against her solitude, her door suddenly burst open.

“Why are you not yet ready?”

Emma turned, expecting to see Antoinetta, but instead, her mother stood in the doorway. Caroline was dressed in a bright peach and gold attire that shimmered ostentatiously under the light, her presence as commanding as her attire.

“You must dress at once. Dinner would not wait for you,” Caroline added, her tone brooking no argument.

“I wouldn’t want it to,” Emma sighed again, her voice low and resigned.

“What is that supposed to mean?” her quirked a brow, her displeasure evident in the sharp arch of her expression.

“That I am not going,” Emma stated firmly, finally making up her mind. Tonight, she was in no mood to endure the company of anyone, preferring own miserable self. “I’m afraid I do not feel well, Mother,” she added, hoping perhaps to soften her refusal with a plea of feeling poorly.

“Listen here, girl. You will go down for dinner even if you have to crawl.” Her mother walked into the room and picked up the dress, tossing it at Emma.

“You are starting to sound a lot like your husband, Mother,” Emma observed, catching the dress.

The anger that ignited in the depths of her mother’s eyes was both immediate and intense, a clear indication that her remark had struck a nerve. “Watch your words!” she warned sharply as she whipped around, her gaze scanning the room with evident irritation.

“Where is your lady’s maid?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she apparently noticed Antoinetta’s absence for the first time. Just as the words left her mouth, fate intervened; Antoinetta, unaware of the brewing storm, chose that very moment to reappear in the doorway.

“You are becoming careless with your duties, girl,” Caroline turned her wrath toward the poor lady’s maid, who blinked in surprise at the sudden accusation. “Perhaps half a wage wouldget you to pick up your pace,” she threatened, her voice harsh and unforgiving.

“Mother!” Emma admonished. “You know how diligent Antoinetta is. You cannot threaten her thusly.”

“Why should I not?” Caroline swiveled back to face Emma, her eyes alight with a challenging gleam. “You best cooperate if you want her wages intact then,” she added with a sneer that turned Emma’s stomach.

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