appointment, I’m sure.
Mr. Fletcher tilted his head and looked at Conrad for a few moments. He shook his head briefly and then gave a little smile. “Well, good day to you, Lord Lofton.”
What had just occurred? “And you as well.” He headed to the room nearest the front entrance. Perhaps his fear of having to revisit the frightening place again caused his thoughts to muddle. Surely, he hadn’t perceived things as they had appeared to be. He couldn’t for the life of him imagine what Mr. Fletcher had been speaking of about Mother.
“ Lord Lofton?” Cecilia hurried from the back room.
“ Yes?”
“ I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
Conrad smiled. “Yes. I’m fine. But thank you for asking.”
She didn’t return his smile.
“ Is there something else?”
“ It’s just… When I observed you talking to my father just now, the two of you… The similarities in your actions, the cadence of your voices as you spoke, gave me pause. It was almost as if…”
“ As if?”
“ As if you could be related.”
Chapter Eleven
Amelia smiled when she heard Lucy’s voice. How strange to think that only a few days before, they’d hardly shared a civil word. That the sight and sound of her had put Amelia’s teeth on edge. But now, she was delighted when Lucy was near. It was so nice to have a friend with whom to discuss anything and nothing.
Lucy reached the bench where Amelia sat, sketching a duck. “Good day, Amelia.”
“ Good day.”
“ How is your drawing coming along?”
“ It’s still poor, but at least you’ll be able to tell the wing from the bill. At least I hope so.”
Lucy sat down and eyed the drawing. A smile curved her lips. “Ah, yes. You’re doing so much better.”
“ Am I?”
“ That’s a very good likeness of that duck by the pond.”
Pleased to no end, Amelia laughed. “So you can tell what I’ve drawn.”
“ Yes.”
Amelia sketched in a few more lines around the duck’s bill before she realized Lucy had become quiet. She lifted her gaze. “Is something amiss?”
“ No. I was just wondering how things are going for you.”
“ For me?”
“ Last we spoke you had asked several questions about Lord Lofton.”
Amelia’s face heated. “Oh. Yes.”
Lucy nudged Amelia’s hand. “So? Has something occurred… between you two?”
“ I suppose you could say that.” Amelia lowered her gaze.
“ Don’t keep me in suspense, Amelia.”
“ I… I’m…”
“ Tell me.”
“ I’m betrothed.” Her gaze rose to meet her friend’s.
Lucy’s eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”
“ It’s true.”
“ But how? When?” She grabbed Amelia’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Tell me everything .”
With a giggle, Amelia squeezed back. “It all happened so quickly.”
“ I’d say. Very quickly. Something must have happened. Something extraordinary.”
If you call blackmail extraordinary … “I… After you and I talked, I invited him to my home.”
“ You did? Was it a dinner party, then?”
“ Of sorts.”
“ I don’t follow.”
“ I sent him a note inviting him to a small gathering.”
“ Go on.”
“ He accepted and arrived right on time.”
Lucy tapped her finger on her knee. “Surely there is more to the story than that.”
“ I neglected to mention in the invitation that the gathering was for a party of… two.”
“ You didn’t!”
“ I’m afraid I did.” Heat filled her face and spread down her neck.
“ Amelia. How brave of you.”
“ You think so?”
“ Absolutely. I’m not sure I would have had the nerve to do the same with Oliver.”
“ It didn’t feel brave at the time. I was terrified. Afraid he wouldn’t accept the invitation, but also afraid that he would .”
“ Truly?”
“ Yes, I was so nervous. And then when he arrived, I wasn’t sure I could go through with…”
Lucy leaned close and lowered her voice. “Amelia… did you… were you trying to seduce him?”
She tried
Mr. Fletcher tilted his head and looked at Conrad for a few moments. He shook his head briefly and then gave a little smile. “Well, good day to you, Lord Lofton.”
What had just occurred? “And you as well.” He headed to the room nearest the front entrance. Perhaps his fear of having to revisit the frightening place again caused his thoughts to muddle. Surely, he hadn’t perceived things as they had appeared to be. He couldn’t for the life of him imagine what Mr. Fletcher had been speaking of about Mother.
“ Lord Lofton?” Cecilia hurried from the back room.
“ Yes?”
“ I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
Conrad smiled. “Yes. I’m fine. But thank you for asking.”
She didn’t return his smile.
“ Is there something else?”
“ It’s just… When I observed you talking to my father just now, the two of you… The similarities in your actions, the cadence of your voices as you spoke, gave me pause. It was almost as if…”
“ As if?”
“ As if you could be related.”
Chapter Eleven
Amelia smiled when she heard Lucy’s voice. How strange to think that only a few days before, they’d hardly shared a civil word. That the sight and sound of her had put Amelia’s teeth on edge. But now, she was delighted when Lucy was near. It was so nice to have a friend with whom to discuss anything and nothing.
Lucy reached the bench where Amelia sat, sketching a duck. “Good day, Amelia.”
“ Good day.”
“ How is your drawing coming along?”
“ It’s still poor, but at least you’ll be able to tell the wing from the bill. At least I hope so.”
Lucy sat down and eyed the drawing. A smile curved her lips. “Ah, yes. You’re doing so much better.”
“ Am I?”
“ That’s a very good likeness of that duck by the pond.”
Pleased to no end, Amelia laughed. “So you can tell what I’ve drawn.”
“ Yes.”
Amelia sketched in a few more lines around the duck’s bill before she realized Lucy had become quiet. She lifted her gaze. “Is something amiss?”
“ No. I was just wondering how things are going for you.”
“ For me?”
“ Last we spoke you had asked several questions about Lord Lofton.”
Amelia’s face heated. “Oh. Yes.”
Lucy nudged Amelia’s hand. “So? Has something occurred… between you two?”
“ I suppose you could say that.” Amelia lowered her gaze.
“ Don’t keep me in suspense, Amelia.”
“ I… I’m…”
“ Tell me.”
“ I’m betrothed.” Her gaze rose to meet her friend’s.
Lucy’s eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”
“ It’s true.”
“ But how? When?” She grabbed Amelia’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Tell me everything .”
With a giggle, Amelia squeezed back. “It all happened so quickly.”
“ I’d say. Very quickly. Something must have happened. Something extraordinary.”
If you call blackmail extraordinary … “I… After you and I talked, I invited him to my home.”
“ You did? Was it a dinner party, then?”
“ Of sorts.”
“ I don’t follow.”
“ I sent him a note inviting him to a small gathering.”
“ Go on.”
“ He accepted and arrived right on time.”
Lucy tapped her finger on her knee. “Surely there is more to the story than that.”
“ I neglected to mention in the invitation that the gathering was for a party of… two.”
“ You didn’t!”
“ I’m afraid I did.” Heat filled her face and spread down her neck.
“ Amelia. How brave of you.”
“ You think so?”
“ Absolutely. I’m not sure I would have had the nerve to do the same with Oliver.”
“ It didn’t feel brave at the time. I was terrified. Afraid he wouldn’t accept the invitation, but also afraid that he would .”
“ Truly?”
“ Yes, I was so nervous. And then when he arrived, I wasn’t sure I could go through with…”
Lucy leaned close and lowered her voice. “Amelia… did you… were you trying to seduce him?”
She tried
Similar Books
