Page 84 of The Girl Out of Time
“Sheis the one who owes us an explanation!” The viscount’s face colored red. “I don’t know how she did it, but I will have the truth, and I will have you”—he wagged his finger at Emmeline—“rotting in prison!”
“How many drinks did you have that you’re not able to recognize your own daughter?” the duke asked. “For God’s sake. She arrived in your own carriage with your driver and servant!
“I’m not drunk!” Viscount Grey shook his head, reminding Emmeline of an angry bulldog. Only it wasn’t all anger. This man was desperate. And how couldn’t he be? His daughter was gone, and he had no answers.
“He’s right.” Her voice shook so badly the words barely came out.
Daniel whipped his head to her. “What?”
She clutched the silver lamé of her dress, almost tearing the delicate net with her nervous force. “I—I—I’m not Maria Grey. But I can explain—”
“And you will!” Grey said.
“Let her talk,” the duke said. His tone remained calm, but he turned to Emmeline with the look of a stern father. “Your name, dear?”
“Em … Emmeline Marshall.”
The duke stared at her, blankly.
“I didn’t mean to do it!” She gulped. “The duchess mistook me for her because I arrived in her carriage—the driver picked me up on the way—and I had nowhere else to go and didn’t know what to do …”
“What do you mean?” Daniel asked.
“I have no family here. No home.”
“Liar,” Grey said. “This is a scheme! You assumed my daughter’s place so you could marry into the family. What did you do to her? Where is she?”
“I don’t know!” Emmeline looked from one to the other, silently begging them to believe her, if only in this one matter. She couldn’t tell them she transported Maria Grey to some other time. They’d put her straight into an asylum. But she couldn’t leave Grey without any answers, either. “On the day I arrived, I met her driver, who asked me to deliver the message about Maria falling ill. I intended to, I swear! But the duchess thought I was her, and I … I went along with it. I thought it would only be for a few weeks, until I fixed my situation. But then I went to visit Maria in town, and she …”Was about to run away?“She disappeared.”
Grey shook his head. “My driver came back. He told me she’d been ill for about a week, but she’d recovered and had been taken to the estate.”
“I know,” Emmeline said in a small voice. “I left that note when I realized she was gone.”
“You covered your tracks,” Daniel said in slow realization.
“Why didn’t you tell us of your problems, child, instead of continuing this charade?” the duke asked. “If it was a simple misunderstanding …”
“Her servant.” Daniel narrowed his eyes at Emmeline, but spoke to the viscount. “You said you’d sent a driver with her, yes? And a servant?”
“A lady’s maid, Hannah. She returned with the driver.”
“But you didn’t arrive with a lady’s maid,” Daniel now said directly to her. “Mother said you came with that manservant. Theo.”
“I’m not employing anyone by that name.” Grey’s eyes widened. “He must be her accomplice!”
“Will you go fetch him?” The duke said to Daniel.
“No!” Emmeline burst out. “He has nothing to do with this.” Too late—Daniel had already left. So she turned to the duke. “Your Grace, please.”
“What kind of a despicable being are you?” Grey spat out.
Emmeline flinched, as if his words were a physical slap to the cheek. Shewasdespicable, wasn’t she? She’d kept up the pretense because somewhere along the way, she’d convinced herself this life was hers. She’d paid no heed to real problems, real suffering she caused, or what her deception might do to Theo.
Daniel returned with Theo, who stared at Emmeline with his best poker face.
“Here they are, the two criminals,” Grey said. “Conveniently gathered so I can call the constables on them.”
“Sir?” Theo said, his glance shifting between the viscount and the duke.
