Page 75 of Unmasking a Wicked Marquess
After their walk in the park where they had met Edward, Cecily had not asked her again what had passed between them nor why Juliet had cried so much, for Juliet had made it plain she would not answer her. The look her mother gave her now suggested very much that she had made up her own mind about what she thought had passed.
“What is it? What is going on?” Robert looked between the three of them, but not one of them spoke. “You are all looking at each other as if there is something I do not know.”
Still, none of them said anything. Violet picked up the embroidery from her lap, returning her attention to it just as Juliet pretended to read her book. Cecily also chose to stoke the fire instead, all blankly refusing to look at him.
“What is happening?” Robert hissed in anger.
“Ahem.” A voice at the door disturbed them all, and they looked around to see Travers standing there. The poor butler looked sheepish and offered an apologetic smile as he gestured behind him. “Mr Pensky has arrived to see Lady Juliet.”
“Ah, lovely.” Robert clasped his hands together. All signs of earlier irritation fell away, and he strode forward to greet Arthur as he walked into the room. “Arthur, lovely to see you again. We will, of course, leave you with Juliet, and perhaps Violet too, who can chaperone you in your conversation.”
“There is no need.” Juliet found the words falling from her lips woodenly. Suddenly, in her mind’s eye, all seemed clear.
Edward was to marry Lady Clarissa. Despite their heated kiss, her weakness when she saw him again, which meant she could not pull away, hearing Clarissa call after him had made her heart shatter into pieces. He was to marry, and she would be left quite alone, perhaps become a spinster, unless she did something about it.
“I am sure Arthur has come for an answer to his question,” Juliet said, struggling to put her book down on the table beside her. “He has been patient enough as he waits for one.” She slowly stood up and turned to face Arthur and her father together. “Yes, Arthur. There, there is your answer.” It felt startlingly anti-climactic to her as if they were talking about the weather and not marriage at all.
“Yes?” Arthur jumped forward, hopping in his delight. He caught Juliet’s hands in both of his. “Yes, you will marry me, Juliet?”
“I will.” She nodded and forced a smile as he raised her hands and kissed the backs. The roughness of his lips again grated on her, and an image flashed in her mind of Edward kissing her, of his softness, of his passion, how it made her want to lay down with him and give him anything. Could she truly imagine giving Arthur the same thing? Could she share her body as she had shared herself with Edward?
If I do not wish to be a spinster, then I have no choice.
“This is wonderful!” Robert clapped his hands together in delight, his smile spreading wide. “Arthur, let us fetch champagne to celebrate, yes?”
“Yes, yes, let’s.” Robert took Arthur’s shoulder and led him to the doorway.
“Congratulations, my good man. I am so delighted to have you as part of the family.”
Juliet’s false smile fell from her lips, and she stared after the pair of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she was aware that neither Cecily nor Violet had declared such vigorous praise or congratulations. Violet had apparently stabbed herself in her finger with her needle in her surprise and was now sucking her finger to stop the blood. Cecily stood still with the wooden poker in her hand, not moving a muscle.
In the doorway, before Robert followed Arthur away, he turned back to face Juliet. There must have been something in her expression that gave him a reason to pause as his smile faltered a little.
“I shall catch you up, Arthur,” he called ahead as Arthur hurried after Travers to bring champagne and glasses. Robert stepped back into the room and caught Juliet’s hand. “This is good news, is it not?” he practically pleaded with her. “I know you have seemed sad for days now, but I thought, now that you had said yes, this was what you wanted.”
Juliet couldn’t speak, for she did not trust her own voice. Instead, she just nodded, hoping this was enough for her father.
“Right, well. Yes, that’s that then.” He seemed quite lost, his words running together as he released her and walked out of the room.
Juliet didn’t face Violet or Cecily. She merely swallowed past the lump in her throat, determined not to shed any tears.
Chapter 24
“Are you ready?” Edward asked as he took Clarissa’s hand. It was now or never. The sun hadn’t yet fully risen, and with the first streaks of red and golden light in the sky, it was time to get Clarissa out of London and to the man who awaited her, ready to take her to Gretna Green.
“I’m ready.” Clarissa smiled giddily in the entrance hall of his house. Beside her was a small portmanteau she had packed overnight, her lace gloves pulled on over her hands. “Look, something borrowed.” She held up her hands. “They were my mother’s. I thought they could act for something old, too.”
“They are perfect.” Edward took one of the gloved hands and lifted her bag in his other palm. “Come, let’s get you out of here. Before anyone suspects.” He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring no one else had yet risen in the house, but the staircase remained firmly empty.
He led her down the stairs and towards the carriage that awaited them. Clarissa had arrived just on her horse from her house, and Edward had arranged for his carriage to escort her to meet Mr Darcy, but it had to be done now before Philip rose and was told by the butler that the carriage was missing.
“I have never known this excitement, never known this feeling,” Clarissa said with a giggle that made her seem much younger.
“I am truly happy for you.” Edward forced a laugh and tried not to let his jealousy show on his face. What he would give to be in Clarissa’s position, to be running off with his love, rather than pleading and begging to be allowed a moment’s conversation with her.
As they reached the bottom step of the porch, a sound made them both stop. It was like a squeak.
Edward turned on the spot to see who stood a few feet away was none other than Lady Violet. His eyes widened in surprise, for she was the last person he had expected to see here.
