Page 2 of The Earl's Secret
His ungloved hands brushed against hers when he accepted it back, causing a most unwelcome tingle to rush up her arms and down her spine. He crushed the handkerchief in his hand as he nodded to her and then the rest of her friends before he turned on his heel and swiftly left the room.
Leaving quite the shocked air behind him.
Cassandra’s shoulders stiffened for a moment, knowing what she would be facing when she turned around to her friends.
“Well,” Percy said with wide eyes. “That was… interesting.”
Madeline, the only one of the women who knew the full story of Cassandra’s history with Devon, was wearing a knowing smile as she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Cassandra’s response. Some help she was.
Cassandra cleared her throat.
“Shall we return to our discussion?”
Faith lifted a brow.
“Perhaps you should first tell us of what just transpired between you and the earl.”
Cassandra should have expected this, although she wasn’t entirely sure how to explain. Behind closed doors here in their book club room they were not the most proper of women, but they were still, for the most part, innocent young ladies who would be rather shocked if they knew the full truth.
“Lord Covington is my brother’s closest friend,” she said, lifting a hand as though it didn’t mean anything.
“Of that we are aware,” Faith said. “But I can hardly see how him being the friend of your brother could lead to such… tension.”
Cassandra walked over to the sideboard and repoured her brandy before taking her seat, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts by sipping from the glass.
“He and my brother spent much of their youth torturing me,” she said, hoping her tone was nonchalant. “I have never been particularly pleased with the part he played in encouraging Gideon.”
“How long did thistorturelast?” Percy asked, clearly understanding there was, perhaps, more to the story.
“It has never ended,” Cassandra said, allowing her ire at the man to flow into her words. “Although I haven’t seen him in some time. I have tended to avoid him since I… returned.”
“Sometimes they say mocking is a form of flirtation,” Hope said in her soft voice. “He could have a particular penchant for you.”
“That is a lovely way to look at it, Hope, but I can assure you that he most certainly does not.”
Hope shrugged as she took a small sip of her drink. Cassandra knew Hope would never admit to another soul outside of this room that she enjoyed it, preferring her lemonades when drinking in public. But then, she was as sweet of a woman as one could ever find and would never want to disturb her mother nor cause any discord.
“Lord Covington is nothing more than a nuisance, and a nuisance that I would prefer to avoid,” Cassandra said, picking up her book to note to the rest of them that she was finished with their current conversation. “Now, can we discuss how much better this book would have been had the hero not been killed in the end?”
They seemed to accept her explanation – or at least respect her obvious preference to not discuss it any further – for now, at least. It wasn’t until the women had concluded their book discussion for the day and departed, leaving just Madeline and Cassandra, that Cassandra knew she would have to face the truth.
“So tell me,” Madeline said, as she settled back against the sofa, her brown eyes flashing in amusement as she looked at Cassandra impishly, “just what are you going to do about Lord Covington?”
“There is nothingtodoabout him,” Cassandra said, walking around the room and collecting their glasses. Of course the maids would be in to clean, but Cassandra didn’t want them knowing exactly what she and her friends were doing in here. It was one thing to discuss books that none of them were supposed to be reading, and quite something else for them to be drinking brandy while doing so.
Her mother was aware of their book club, but as far as she knew, they were readingAn Enquiry Into the Duties of the Female Sexand discussing just how they should be conducting themselves in order to attract proper husbands.
“Cassandra, the moment he stepped into the room, the air was filled with an obvious edge,” Madeline said. “Perhaps what was between you was never completely resolved.”
“Itwas,” Cassandra said with vehemence in her voice, more so to convince herself than Madeline. “It was a mistake. One that should never have happened.”
“One that left you ruined.”
“No one knows that.”
“Except you. And him.”
“What does it matter?” Cassandra asked, lifting her hands. “Only my mother and Gideon were aware that I made an immoral choice. Although they never discovered the full extent of it, they ensured I paid for it. No one else knows anything for certain, so therefore, no slight on my honor.”
