Page 64 of A Lovely White Christmastide
A sham courtship! Beth pushed hard against the door, banging it open in the process.
Mr. Kaye had an arm about Julianna’s waist, his other clasping her hand to his chest. They both stared wide eyed at Beth. A flicker of fear crossed Julianna’s face, but she did not pull away from Mr. Kaye.
He, on the other hand, slowly let go. Taking a step back, he turned to face Beth but kept Julianna’s hand in his.
“Miss Haynes, are you feeling better?”
“Do not ply your false charms on me, Mr. Kaye. How dare you convince my sister to enter into a false engagement!”
“Beth, it’s not what you think.”
“Is it not? I heard it from your own mouth.”
“Yes, but he was trying to save me.”
A sardonic laugh escaped Beth’s lips. “You are so naïve, Julianna. Men like him will say whatever suits them in order to lure you into a seduction.”
Julianna’s blue eyes widened and her jaw dropped, but it was Mr. Kaye’s slanted eyebrows and pinched lips that caught Beth’s attention. Tears filled Julianna’s eyes and he pulled her close to his side. His gaze bored into Beth as if he wanted to call her out for the words she’d wielded like a sword, slicing at her sister’s tender heart.
Hot and sticky shame filled her chest. When had she become so cruel and pessimistic?
“What is happening here?” A deep male voice asked from behind.
Beth’s eyes slammed closed. Why had she not simply gone to her room? The last person she’d wanted to see this morning was Carswell.
Slowly, she turned to face him. He avoided her gaze and focused firmly on his friend.
“I suppose,” Mr. Kaye said, “since Miss Haynes already knows, I should probably inform you that Miss Julianna accepted my hand under duress. It was a split second decision on my part to claim an engagement to her when it appeared as if she might be forced into a marriage with Mr. Caleb Waverly.”
“Yes, I know.”
It was Beth’s turn to appear astonished. “You did?”
“You were not the only one close enough to the library to hear them. If you would have lifted your head, you would have seen my approach from the other end of the corridor.”
The hot, sticky feeling congealed into a lump and sunk into her stomach. That meant he’d heard her accuse his friend of ill intentions.
She ducked her head. “You could have announced your presence.”
He glanced at her. “It is neither here nor there.” Turning back to Mr. Kaye, he said, “Am I to understand that you have decided to make an honest match of it?”
Julianna sniffled. “We have.”
“Good, because your father and uncle are already discussing marriage contracts and I would hate their argument to be for nothing.”
Beth could not see Julianna’s face, but she hoped Carswell’s flippant comment brought back the cheer that she had stolen.
“Might I speak to you privately, Miss Haynes?” he asked, his hand reaching out to straighten several books on the shelf next to him.
“Me?” Beth took a step back, surprised at his direct request.
“I believe you are the only Miss Haynes here, save for Miss Julianna.”
Was he attempting to be humorous or was it condescending? Either way, she had no intention of being caught alone with him.
“I—”
“It will only take a moment.”
