Page 44 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
Her smile widened. “It is the way of the ton, as you know, my lord. Appearances are everything.” She paused. “I wanted to apologise to you…”
He stiffened further. “Apologise? Whatever for? It seems that I am the one who should be apologising, to you, and to everyone else at this ball…”
She sighed deeply. “I am not talking about the scene that happened here, my lord. I am talking about what happened between us, many years ago.” She hesitated. “I know that you probably do not want to acknowledge it, but fate has brought us together again, and I have always wanted to say sorry and explain what happened.”
He watched her carefully, rather as a bird watches the movements of a snake, waiting to see if and when it would strike. But he didn’t say a word, of either encouragement or denial. He wasn’t going to make this any easier for her, and besides, he was truly interested in what she was about to say.
She took a deep breath. “I am sorry for leaving you all those years ago,” she continued slowly. “I was young, and foolish. I made the mistake of choosing money over love, and I have long regretted it.”
He still didn’t say a word. He just gazed at her steadily.
She squirmed slightly but ploughed on. “Ididlove you, Miles,” she said, in a quiet voice. “I know that you probably think that I did not, but I always did. But my family were in danger of losing our ancestral home, and the Earl seemed to offer a solution to the problem…”
His face tightened again. “And why did you not marry the Earl, Miss Edge? You seemed adamant at the time that he had offered you marriage, and that you would accept.”
Her face twisted slightly. “Yes, his offer seemed genuine, at the time. But as soon as I accepted, he started to back away, which bewildered me. Gradually, he stopped calling on me.” She laughed shortly, but it was not a happy sound. “I heard later that he had married another young socialite, who was more endowed financially than I was. So, I got my comeuppance in the end, Miles, for what I did to you…”
Miles stared at her. Her apology seemed genuine, and somehow, he suddenly felt a lightness of being, as if a heavy weight had been hoisted from his shoulders. His lingering bitterness towards her abruptly dissipated, like morning mist. He was almost amazed that he had held on to it for so long.
“I accept your apology,” he said quietly. “God knows, I think that it is finally time for me to let it all go…”
She nodded, tears in her eyes. “Thank you. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.” She hesitated. “Miles, what happened between you and the young lady earlier this evening? Who is she to you?”
His face twisted. “Her name is Ara. Miss Arabella Nott. I love her, Lucy. But it seems that I cannot do anything right, anymore. I have surely ruined things forever between us, now…”
Lucy gazed at him steadily. “I can see that you care for her deeply. And I can tell, by the way she acted, that she cares for you too. Only true passion can elicit such a dramatic response, Miles.” She hesitated. “Do not give up on true love.”
He smiled sadly. “I do not know what to do now. After what happened here tonight, I do not think she will ever see me again.”
Lucy smiled. “I am willing to help you,” she said slowly. “I am a woman, like she is, my lord. I know how she is probably thinking and feeling.” She hesitated. “If you like, and will accept it, I can offer you advice to try to win her back, Miles….”
Miles gazed at her in amazement, simply unable to believe what she had just offered.
Lucy Edge. The woman who had broken his heart so severely he thought that he would never recover. And she was offering to help him win his new love back.
It had turned into a very strange night indeed.
Chapter 22
Ara opened the drawing room door. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest. She took a deep breath, stepping into the room.
She had been waiting for the summons from her parents all morning in her room. As soon as she had woken up, the events of the previous evening had all flooded back into her mind, and she knew how serious it was. The fact that Papa and Mama refused to really talk to her at the breakfast table underscored how seriously they were taking it. She knew that they were waiting to speak to her formally.
Her eyes drifted around the room. Papa was standing at the far window, gazing out onto the street below. Mama was perched on an armchair, sipping a cup of tea in a distracted way, her eyes cloudy with concern. They both swivelled around on hearing her footsteps, gazing at her intently.
“Sit down, Arabella,” said her father slowly.
She did as she was told, her heart beating faster still. Their faces were so grave, she could barely look at them. Guiltily, she blinked away tears, staring into the fireplace.
Her father sighed heavily. “Your mother and I have discussed the events of last night in detail, Arabella.” He stared at her intently. “I am afraid that we have no choice but to leave London immediately.”
Ara jumped a little. Of course; she should have known that they were going to do this. What choice did they have now, after all?
Her heart plummeted further. She was so confused, after everything that had happened, that she simply didn’t know how to respond to anything anymore. Only a week ago, if they had informed her that they were all leaving London, she would have been over the moon. But now, everything was upside down, and topsy turvy, and she simply didn’t know how she felt about anything.
“It is the only way,” said her mother quietly. “There will be a scandal, and we do not want to stay here while it is in full force. It will make things most unpleasant for everybody.”
Her father nodded. “Indeed. We cannot partake in this season anymore. Everywhere that we go, we shall be whispered about, and people will shun us.”
