little mare tossed her head in protest. Hastily, Emma relaxed her grip. There was no reason to take out her own frustrations on the poor horse.
“Well, sir?”
“Well, what?”
She glared at him. “You have no doubt realized that I am no longer in a position to assist you in your inquiries. I suppose you intend to dismiss me, too?”
Edison frowned. “Why would I do that?”
“There is no need to beat around the bush or try to tie it up in pretty wrappings. I am well aware that you have brought me out here in order to tell me that I no longer have a post. You probably think that I ought to be grateful for what you did for me last night. And I am. But only to a point.”
He watched her with an expression of amused interest. “I see.”
“I am well aware that you saved me from the hangman’s noose. But now I have lost my position with Lady Mayfield because of your actions, and, as I am thereforeof no further use to you, I shall be obliged to look for another post.”
“Emma—”
“Which will not be an easy matter, because Lady Mayfield refuses to give me a reference.”
“Ah.” There was a wealth of understanding in the single soft exclamation.
Emma narrowed her eyes. “She claims I won’t need one as I am now your fiancée. I could hardly explain that I am not actually your fiancée without ruining my alibi, could I?”
He looked thoughtful. “No.”
“It will be impossible for me to find another post back in London once Ware’s guests return to Town and inform their friends and cronies that I was briefly engaged to you, sir, and am very likely a murderess into the bargain.”
“Yes, I can see that would raise some difficulties.”
“Difficulties?” The anger that had been simmering in her all morning exploded. “That is putting it much too mildly, sir. Once you announce that our engagement is ended, I will be ruined.”
“I realize that under the circumstances, a broken engagement would cause a scandal.”
“It will be a
disaster
. Thanks to your attempt to provide me with an alibi, everyone believes that, whether or not I am the killer, I am most certainly having an affair with you. Without the protection of a formal engagement, I shall be viewed as little better than a bit of muslin. A woman of easy virtue. No one who learns of this incident will even contemplate hiring me as a companion.”
“Ah, yes. The virtue problem.”
“I shall likely be obliged to change my name, obtain another wig, and go north to find a post. Perhaps all the way to Scotland.”
“A dire fate,” he agreed.
A flicker of hope flared in Emma. At least he was not denying his culpability in the matter. “You do see, then, that I face an extremely unhappy situation and it is entirely your fault, sir.”
He nodded. “Yes, I suppose one could say that.”
Her spirits lifted. She rushed to press her small advantage. “Given the circumstances, I trust you will also agree that it would be grossly unfair of you to refuse to pay me the wages you promised.”
“Grossly unfair,” he said, readily enough.
“I explained about my sister’s school fees.”
“Yes, you did.”
Relief poured through her. He was not going to be difficult, after all. She may as well try for the rest of it. “I feel that in addition to paying me the amount we agreed upon, the very least you can do for me is write me a reference.”
He raised his brows. “A reference?”
“Yes. With a reference signed by a man of your importance, it will be much easier for me to find employment in the North.”
“I see.”
She quickly pondered the details of her plan. “Luckily, I have copies of my last two references, which I wrote myself. I shall loan them to you, if you like. You may use them as models. I must say, they are excellent.”
“Glowing, no doubt.”
“Indeed. I am quite pleased with them. I shall fetch them for you as soon as we get back to the castle.”
“Kind of you.”
“I shall think of a new name for myself
“Well, sir?”
“Well, what?”
She glared at him. “You have no doubt realized that I am no longer in a position to assist you in your inquiries. I suppose you intend to dismiss me, too?”
Edison frowned. “Why would I do that?”
“There is no need to beat around the bush or try to tie it up in pretty wrappings. I am well aware that you have brought me out here in order to tell me that I no longer have a post. You probably think that I ought to be grateful for what you did for me last night. And I am. But only to a point.”
He watched her with an expression of amused interest. “I see.”
“I am well aware that you saved me from the hangman’s noose. But now I have lost my position with Lady Mayfield because of your actions, and, as I am thereforeof no further use to you, I shall be obliged to look for another post.”
“Emma—”
“Which will not be an easy matter, because Lady Mayfield refuses to give me a reference.”
“Ah.” There was a wealth of understanding in the single soft exclamation.
Emma narrowed her eyes. “She claims I won’t need one as I am now your fiancée. I could hardly explain that I am not actually your fiancée without ruining my alibi, could I?”
He looked thoughtful. “No.”
“It will be impossible for me to find another post back in London once Ware’s guests return to Town and inform their friends and cronies that I was briefly engaged to you, sir, and am very likely a murderess into the bargain.”
“Yes, I can see that would raise some difficulties.”
“Difficulties?” The anger that had been simmering in her all morning exploded. “That is putting it much too mildly, sir. Once you announce that our engagement is ended, I will be ruined.”
“I realize that under the circumstances, a broken engagement would cause a scandal.”
“It will be a
disaster
. Thanks to your attempt to provide me with an alibi, everyone believes that, whether or not I am the killer, I am most certainly having an affair with you. Without the protection of a formal engagement, I shall be viewed as little better than a bit of muslin. A woman of easy virtue. No one who learns of this incident will even contemplate hiring me as a companion.”
“Ah, yes. The virtue problem.”
“I shall likely be obliged to change my name, obtain another wig, and go north to find a post. Perhaps all the way to Scotland.”
“A dire fate,” he agreed.
A flicker of hope flared in Emma. At least he was not denying his culpability in the matter. “You do see, then, that I face an extremely unhappy situation and it is entirely your fault, sir.”
He nodded. “Yes, I suppose one could say that.”
Her spirits lifted. She rushed to press her small advantage. “Given the circumstances, I trust you will also agree that it would be grossly unfair of you to refuse to pay me the wages you promised.”
“Grossly unfair,” he said, readily enough.
“I explained about my sister’s school fees.”
“Yes, you did.”
Relief poured through her. He was not going to be difficult, after all. She may as well try for the rest of it. “I feel that in addition to paying me the amount we agreed upon, the very least you can do for me is write me a reference.”
He raised his brows. “A reference?”
“Yes. With a reference signed by a man of your importance, it will be much easier for me to find employment in the North.”
“I see.”
She quickly pondered the details of her plan. “Luckily, I have copies of my last two references, which I wrote myself. I shall loan them to you, if you like. You may use them as models. I must say, they are excellent.”
“Glowing, no doubt.”
“Indeed. I am quite pleased with them. I shall fetch them for you as soon as we get back to the castle.”
“Kind of you.”
“I shall think of a new name for myself
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