The maid chewed her lip, glancing fearfully around the room. Martha was instantly set on edge. She reached out to take one of Lily’s hands in her own, rubbing it soothingly.
“Lily, tell me what’s troubling you,” she said. “It’s all right. I’m here for you.”
The maid didn’t release her hand, but she shook her head.
“It’s not me that I’m worried about,” she said. “It’s you, Miss Elwood.”
Martha’s heart began beating faster. For something to have upset Lily this much, it must be terrible news.
“Say it, Lily,” she urged. “Please. I’m sure I’ll be just fine.” She wasn’t sure, of course. But she wanted to put her maid and friend at ease. And she didn’t know how much longer she could take the suspense.
Lily sighed slowly, but she finally nodded.
“Very well,” she said sadly. “There is gossip circulating around about your relationship with the viscount.”
Martha’s eyes widened. She thought about the way people looked at them in public, and she bit her lip again.
“What kind of gossip?” she asked.
Lily winced, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a copy of the scandal sheets.
“A few different things, I’m afraid,” she said, tentatively holding out the page to Martha.
Martha took the page, opening it up to the section Lily pointed out to her. She leaned against her dresser, reading the words to herself:
Beastly Billington Seen with the Wallflower of Elwood…
Scarred Viscount Ensnares Unpopular Spinster…
Who Bribed Miss Martha Elwood to Court the Famously Scarred Lord Billington?
Martha shook her head slowly, skimming the paragraphs below each of the title lines.
“Miss Elwood Forced to Wed Hideous Nobleman by Overbearing Father,” she read aloud. “Oh, why must people concoct stories about the lives of others?”
Lily shook her head, embracing Martha.
“That’s why I asked you if you were all right,” she said. “I didn’t know if you had seen or heard anything about all this yet.”
Martha shook her head again.
“No,” she said. “Although, I shouldn’t be surprised, what with the way people treat us out in public.”
Lily’s brow furrowed. She took Martha’s hands and led her over to the bed.
“I fear for you, Miss Elwood,” she said. “I can’t help thinking about what happened to my cousin. What if he turns out to be every bit the beast people believe him to be after you marry him?”
Martha shook her head in disbelief. She had seen enough of Lord Billington to believe that was completely untrue. But she also trusted Lily. And if Lily said he was so terrible to his staff members, she must have been telling the truth. So, what if she was right to be concerned?
***
Albert awoke the next morning, completely unaware of the way Miss Elwood was feeling, yet sharing her same disbelief and consumed mind over the connection between them during the dance they had shared at the wedding. He had asked her to dance with the intention of broaching the subject of the arranged marriage, and trying to see how she felt about it. But the second they had started dancing, he couldn’t bring himself to say a word. He had been immediately taken with the spark between them, and with the way her jade green eyes burned with the thrill of the dance. He, too, had felt twinges of excitement as he danced with Miss Elwood. He had been so perplexed that all he could do was invite her to the picnic, as Neil had suggested he did.
Now, however, he was questioning himself. He had been objecting to the marriage idea for many reasons; not the least of which was the fact that he would be marrying a woman he didn’t know and wouldn’t love. He still didn’t think he could love Miss Elwood. But there was something about her that drew him to her, and it was getting harder to ignore. He hoped that the picnic the following day would help clear his mind and put his focus back on his original plan.
He called for Daniel to dress him, then he joined his parents in the drawing room for breakfast. He smiled, sitting beside his mother and helping himself to some of the fruit and toast on the table.
“Good morning, Father,” he said when the earl said nothing when his son entered the room. He had been expecting to see his father smiling, albeit with smug satisfaction, since Albert had been spending so much time with Miss Elwood. So, when he looked up to see his father scowling, he was surprised into speechlessness.
