Page 86 of Rescued from Betrayal
“How long have you been awake?”
“I am not sure, probably the better part of an hour. Did you enjoy the soiree?”
“Define enjoy. If you mean did I find it diverting, not really, but in a calculating and perhaps slightly vengeful way I believe it was quite enlightening.”
“Then you discovered something?”
“Yes, mostly more questions, but there were a few answers as well.”
She rolled onto her side to see the outline of his face and chest in the dark. He remained silent, his chest rising and falling with each breath. She wondered if he was waiting for her to ask questions, but that was the last thing she wished to do, so she remained silent.
He finally turned to face her. “Why were you in the cloakroom?”
The question caused her heart to thud in her chest. It was the one she never wanted to face. “In the cloakroom?” Her voice sounded shaky even to her.
“Yes. Did you need something from your cloak?”
She could lie. It was tempting, but then she’d be adding one more deception to her guilt.
“Were you lost and wandered into it accidentally? Or did someone direct you there?”
Edith had directed her where to go, but she had known what Melior was about. Wait… Edithhad knownwhat she was about. No. It was not possible. But who else would have known she would be down that hall?
She bolted upright, slapping her hands down on the covers.
“Melior?” Nathaniel’s voice held a note of concern.
“It was Edith.”
“How do you know?”
“She was in the hall and told me to go into that exact room.”
It was half of the truth, but all she could admit without drawing out more questions. Melior fell back on her pillows, letting her breath whoosh out.
Nathaniel lifted a hand as if he wanted to touch her face, but then pulled it back, closing his fingers into a fist before placing it on the bed. “After tonight, I am quite certain you are right.”
Reaching up, Melior swiped away the hair that tickled her nose. “What did you find out?”
“Not much, but I saw plenty. While Lord Caraway did give quite a bit of attention to Lady Jane, he was most often with Lady Edith, or more accurately, she was most often with him. And tonight I recalled passing said lady when I left the ballroom the night of the Durhams’ ball.”
“I cannot believe it. Why would Edith do such a thing? She was my dearest friend and closest confidante.”
“I do not know, but we have no firm proof yet. Only that she was there and directed you to the cloakroom. As condemning as it looks, there might be a simple explanation. Where were you going when she directed you to that room?”
Melior gripped the blanket. Perhaps a little untruth would not hurt. “I was looking for Lord Caraway. We were supposed to meet.”
There. It was close enough to the truth without confessing her guilt. She truly had been trying to give him the opportunity to propose, but she could see now that providing the setting was simply trapping him in a position where he would have to offer or be seen as a rake.
Nathaniel was silent. She waited.
“Did you have an understanding with him?” he asked softly.
Was that hurt radiating in his voice? She mentally berated herself for her stupidity. No matter what direction she turned she was going to cause damage. “Not exactly.”
“But you had wished to?”
His pain was so palpable she wanted to cry. She had wanted that understanding, but that was then and this was now. Carefully she reached out and found his cheek, roughened by a day's worth of stubble.
