Page 23 of Married to the Lord

Chapter Nine

“Is it true?” Chloe demanded.

“Is what true?” Augusta asked.

“That you have a…” She glanced around the busy tearoom. “Attachment to a certain viscount,” she hissed.

Augusta clapped hands to her cheeks. “Pardon?” Surely she must have heard wrong.

“Chloe!” Joanna scolded.

Chloe shrugged. “Far better for her to hear it from us than someone else.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Augusta demanded, peering between her two friends who appeared decidedly uncomfortable. A rare thing indeed for Joanna.

Chloe waited until an old couple passed by their table and leaned in across the embroidered tablecloth. “Brook said there was talk of you getting, um, close to...Lord Ashwick.” She mouthed the last part.

A chill ran through Augusta, spreading down to her toes and making her release a little shudder. Her vision felt fuzzy for several moments while her heart picked up its pace. Surely no one had seen them kiss? And the only person she had told about it was Joanna. She trusted her friend implicitly.

“Where did Brook hear this?” Augusta asked, her voice husky.

“From a friend of his—Lord Benedict?”

Joanna grimaced. “Lord Benedict could have heard it from anywhere. He is quite the sociable character.”

Augusta resisted the urge to drop her forehead to the table and instead pinched the bridge of her nose. She could not fathom how Lord Benedict might have heard of such a rumor as he had not been in attendance at the party that night. Which meant it had to come from yet another source. And the more people who had heard such a thing, the worse it would be. It only took the faintest whisper of scandal to ruin a lady and an assignation with the brother of a fiancé was certain to ruin her, whether it be true or not.

Unfortunately, it was true. At least as far as the kiss was concerned. They might have vowed to put it behind them and pursue a completely innocent relationship as brother and sister-in-law but it would not matter if word continued to spread.

“Do you know what was said?” Augusta asked, her chin wobbling slightly. She clamped her teeth together to prevent it from happening again.

“There were no details but Lord Benedict came to Brook out of kindness, knowing of our friendship.” Chloe reached across the table and rested a hand over Augusta’s. “Lord Benedict hardly knows you but you can be assured if he believes you above reproach, then so will everyone else.” Chloe laughed. “How could anyone believe such a rumor?”

The chill vanished and was replaced with a swift heat, spreading its way rapidly through her body and up into her face.

Chloe narrowed her gaze. “Augusta?”

Joanna gave a subtle lift of her shoulders when August glanced at her for support.

Augusta removed her hand from under Chloe’s and reached for the delicate china cup in front of her. She drained the last drops of tea before placing it unsteadily back onto its saucer. She took a breath, checked that no one was within earshot, and leaned in. “I kissed Miles,” she admitted. “Or he kissed me. Or we kissed each other.”

Several heartbeats of silence passed over the table, punctuated by the clatter of teacups and the chatter of gossiping ladies. It still seemed deafening in its absence of sound.

“Goodness,” Chloe breathed.

“I know.” Augusta closed her eyes briefly and willed away any tears. What sort of a person was she, kissing her fiancé’s brother? Or letting herself be kissed? Or...whatever it was.

What was even worse was when she had been alone with him yesterday, she had wanted him to kiss her again. She had been about to tell him that she was ready to end things with Henry. That, regardless of what he felt, she could not do it, especially not after falling so easily into Miles’ arms. But then he had announced Henry’s return and she could only thank God she had not said a thing and appeared an utter fool.

“Was it...nice?” Chloe asked.

Augusta blinked. “I...well, yes.”

“Better than Henry?”

“Henry never really kissed me before he left,” she admitted.

“Henry is a fool,” Chloe muttered.

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