Page 48 of The Viscount's Promise
His friend gripped his shoulder. It was meant to be comforting, he knew. Instead it made him feel as if he wanted to jump right out of his skin.
“We can leave,” Tristan insisted, his voice low and fierce. “I don’t give a good damn what anyone might say about it. I’d rather it be remarked on than for you to have to suffer through her presence.”
“My lord? Is anything amiss?”
Emily. He had forgotten her for a moment. She looked up at him with wide, confused eyes. Malcolm wanted to simultaneously drag her into his arms and run from here as fast as he could.
Damn it.For one blessed moment he had forgotten Lydia, had forgotten why he needed to shield his heart.
Had believed that maybe, just maybe, he could open it up again. To Emily.
He wanted to weep. He wanted to curse. Instead he stood mute, gazing down at Emily as a horrible numbness spread through him.
Lord Randall approached, Lydia in tow. “My lord,” he said with a self-satisfied smile, “you must be surprised by our little deception.”
“Deception,” Malcolm repeated dumbly, his eyes shifting of their own accord to Lydia.
Lord Randall chuckled in delight. “You were right, my dear,” he said to Lydia. “He is completely flummoxed.” He returned his attention to Malcolm. “Lady Morley was quite insistent that we surprise you with her presence. And after witnessing your reaction myself, I must say it was a splendid idea. Never have I seen someone so surprised.”
“It has been an age, after all, and this is a family reunion of sorts. Isn’t that right, Malcolm?” Lydia said with a small smile. He would have thought it affectionate at one time, when he didn’t know her character quite so well. Now he knew the woman wasn’t capable of softer feelings.
“And, Sir Tristan,” she said, transferring her gaze to his friend. “So lovely to see you again.”
“Lady Morley,” Tristan said stiffly.
Her eyes glinted with a teasing light. “I am glad to see the two of you are still such fast friends after all these years. Though I was surprised to learn that the third corner of your fraternal triangle had set sail on the tide of holy matrimony. Lord Willbridge has become domestic, has he?”
“Just over a sennight now,” Lord Randall confirmed when no one else offered the information. “My wife and I were witness to the happy event ourselves.”
“How wonderful. I wish him well, then.” Just then Lydia seemed to notice their little group contained another. Her gaze shifted to Emily at his side.
Her face took on an immediate change. She blinked and jerked back slightly, her nostrils flaring as she looked Emily over in disbelief. She quickly schooled her features, her brow furrowing delicately as she smiled quizzically at her. “And who is this young lady?”
It all happened so quickly, he might have missed it had he not been watching Lydia so closely. He hoped that Emily had not seen it. Yet when he looked down at her, his stomach fell. There was a faint flush to her cheeks, her chin tucked into her chest, her head tilted to better disguise her scarred cheek. Yes, she had seen Lydia’s reaction.
He had the sudden and violent urge to shield her.
“This is Lord Willbridge’s sister, Lady Emily Masters,” Lord Randall replied once more into the yawning silence. “Lady Emily, Lady Morley.”
As the two women acknowledged one another, Lord Randall turned to Malcolm. “My lord, as you and your sister have much catching up to do, why don’t you escort Lady Morley to the picnic.”
“No.”
The one word, said with such force, had every eye turning their way.
Tristan spoke up then. “He has promised Lady Emily his escort.”
“Lady Emily?” Lord Randall’s voice was colored with amused relief. “You wouldn’t mind releasing Lord Morley from his promise, would you, my dear? After all, he has not seen his sister in an age. And she is only here for the day. It would be a lovely chance for them to reconnect.”
A spurt of rage broke through the numbing cloud Malcolm had found himself in since clapping eyes on Lydia. A scathing retort rose in his throat. Emily’s hasty response cut him off.
“Certainly, Lord Morley. Please feel free to see to your sister.”
He frowned. “I would not dream of breaking a promise.”
“There was no promise given,” she replied, smiling slightly, though it did not reach her eyes. “And I cannot hold you to an assumption. Please,” she continued, quietly but insistently, when he made to stand firm on escorting her once again, “I would not hear of you refusing Lady Morley your company.”
She was being polite. That was her, unfailingly kind, always looking to cause the least ripples in the pond. That thing in him that had awakened with her and had gone into hiding with Lydia’s presence stirred again.
