Page 50 of Burning Secrets of a Lady's Pen
Imelda’s eyebrows rose slightly as she turned to him in question, not yet quite recovered, but interested enough to hear him out.
“My plans to court Charlotte,” he continued, his voice as bland as if he were announcing the weather as he flicked the reins to pull away from the street. “I figured I’d better do it before we made it home in time for Uncle John’s celebratory party, but I did want you to hand over your manuscript first. Do you think they’ll have whiskey tonight? I rather—”
“Oh, you rotten child!” Imelda squealed, slapping at her twin’s arm as a smile finally broke through her funk. “How can you bury the news like that? You intend to court her? Properly? As in, you mean to propose to her?”
Spencer laughed, his grin growing as he shrugged. “That is the intention, yes, as soon as it’s polite to do so. I did think that much was obvious.” His hazel eyes practically glowed as he looked over at Imelda, and she felt her heart swell.
“I really would love her as a sister-in-law,” she confessed happily.
“Because that’s the most important bit.” Spencer chuckled as he turned the gig toward their aunt and uncle’s estate. “We’re talking about the rest of my life and future happiness, but as long asyouget along with her, Mel, I suppose all is right with the world.”
“I was so terribly afraid you’d fall for a vapid socialite,” Imelda admitted with a grin as Spencer pulled into the drive. “And—”
But her words were forgotten as she realized that they weren’t the only people to have arrived.
As they pulled up, she could see several carriages already waiting, her aunt and uncle entertaining several people on the front lawn as they moved toward the entrance.
And chief among them were Mr. Theodore Fellowes…and Corin.
Imelda felt her heart skip a beat in her chest, the memory of what Mr. Batten had said fresh in her mind as her brother took over speaking for her, prattling on about this, that, and some other thing as he parked and jumped down to help her alight from the gig as well.
Oh, why did they have to be standing side by side?
And why…
“Oh, Lord,” Imelda breathed, another familiar face swimming into focus as they made their way up the steps. Her fingers turned into claws against her brother’s arm, her breath catching beneath her ribs as the person to one side, as her uncle turned with an appraising look.
“At last, my children grace us with their presence,” Mr. Merrit greeted dryly, his gray eyes sweeping over the both of them almost like an assessment. “I was just asking your aunt and uncle where the two of you might have gotten off to.”
“Father,” Spencer greeted haltingly. “We didn’t know that you were coming—”
“Of course, I came down,” Mr. Merrit said dismissively, one brow raising in contest to Spencer’s words. “John deserves my support on the opening of such an auspicious play. I’ll admit to having an ulterior motive, though…When Cassandra here wrote to me as to Imelda’s upcoming courtship I decided an appearance was to be made. I have to meet the suitor in question, do I not?”
Imelda stopped breathing entirely as her eyes flickered to Corin, her heart racing in her chest in remembrance of Mr. Batten’s words.
But it wasn’t Corin that her father was gesturing to at all.
It was Theodore Fellowes.
And everyone saw him do it.
Everyone, including Corin.
Corin whose whole face fell, devastation haunting his dark eyes.
And Imelda realized that Mr. Batten hadn’t been joking at all. Not even a little bit.
Corin loved her.
Chapter 18
May 1818
Corrin worked very hard to keep from turning when he saw Imelda and her family walk out of the French doors leading into the garden. He worked so hard at it, in fact, that he could feel a twitch beginning in the corner of his left eye.
He needn’t have bothered. The matron he was speaking to had long ago given up wearing her spectacles on her nose in public and her advanced age all but ensured that she couldn’t see his facial expression with any real clarity anyway. But Corrin didn’twantto see Imelda, and that was part of the issue.
He didn’t want to look at those who had entered with her and see Theodore Fellowes walking arm in arm with her. He didn’t want to see if her father had stayed or see anyone beaming at her and the Fellowes prat as if it were some great thing that they were witnessing. He wanted no part in any of that.
