Chapter 22
Thalia stared wide-eyed at her old friend. She blinked hard, as if the scene might change and something unexpected might happen, such as waking up in her own bed with a sense of amusement at the nonsense she had just dreamed.
No such luck.
The scene remained the same. Laura, staring at her brother as if he were the one who’d been missing for so long, and Christian staring right back, eyes nearly bulging out of his head.
“L-Laura?” Thalia stammered.
At last, her friend glanced at her, her eyes softening.
“Good day, Thalia. I’ve read a great deal about you in the scandal sheets, you know. You’ll have to tell me all about that when we return home.”
Thalia couldn’t cobble the words together. In the end, Christian spoke up.
“Mr. Hobbs,” he said pleasantly. “Mrs. Hobbs, I wonder if cabs pass by even at this late hour?”
“Y-Yes,” Mr. Hobbs stammered.
“Excellent. Fetch one for me if you will. I am afraid we will be leaving rather sooner than expected. Once we have, of course, settled the bill.”
Mr. Hobbs brightened. Thalia thought it likely that a few items would be added to their bill, especially since they were not going to stay overnight after all.
Well, that was Christian’s concern, not hers.
Her paltry store of coins, determinedly saved from her allowance, would likely not cover a large bill.
The Hobbses retreated, leaving them in relative privacy. Christian, his face white as a sheet, took a step forward.
“You are here,” he whispered, half to himself. “What are you doing here, Laura?”
Laura folded her arms. “That is not your concern.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “So that’s it, then? After all the effort I have gone through to find you. After your mother and I have worried so much we were almost ill, you simply encounter us in a pub of all places and refuse to explain why you have disappeared.”
Laura’s face twisted briefly. “I will explain in time, but not yet. I cannot.”
“Oh, you cannot?”
“No.” She tilted up her chin, meeting her brother’s gaze squarely.
Thalia glanced uncertainly between them. In the past, she had never quite understood the resemblance between Laura and her brother, but it was plain now. She could see it in the sharp, furious eyes, the tight jaws, and the lifted chins.
For a moment, the air sparked between them. Laura did not glance away, and Christian certainly did not.
“You’ll tell me what this is all about,” Christian gritted out. “And you will tell me now.”
“I can’t,” Laura insisted, a tinge of desperation creeping into her voice. “I will tell you, Christian, only not now. You will have to trust me on this.”
He stared at her, furious, and raked a hand through his hair. Then he turned to Thalia.
“Does your brother infuriate you as much?” he asked, teeth clenched.
“Yes, I suppose so,” she murmured.
Before the conversation could go further, the door slammed open, and all glanced up to see none other than Lady Pembroke standing in the doorway.
Thalia’s heart sank again.
I thought she’d left. But apparently, she only left to regain her composure. Wonderful.
The woman strode across the pub towards them.
“Well,” she began, “imagine my shock, Lady Thalia, to look over and find the woman promised to my son kissing another man. Your brother will hear of this, I can assure you.”
“I’m sure her brother will be happy to discover that she is engaged to a duke,” Christian snapped. “We, of course, have obtained his permission.”
That was a lie.
Thalia glanced up at him uncertainly. Lies made her uncomfortable. They were too easily unraveled.
Lady Pembroke narrowed her eyes. “Is that so?”
“It is so. And what are you doing here, Lady Pembroke?”
She was clearly prepared for the question. Puffing out her chest and throwing back her head, she met Christian’s eyes with steely determination.
“I traveled to meet an old friend. They have just left, or I would have introduced you to them.”
“A gentleman friend?”
“Naturally not.”
Thalia bit her lip. If Lady Pembroke was lying, there was no way of proving it. She suspected that the ever-helpful Hobbses would suddenly become mute if they were asked too many questions about their customers, especially if Lady Pembroke was sensible enough to tip generously.
So, that left her with the moral high ground. Judging by the way she folded her arms and glared defiantly around at them, she knew it, too.
“This is rather improper,” she added, then her gaze fell on Laura. “Good heavens. You are recovered, then? I heard that you were sick or traveling or perhaps both at once, My Lady.”
Sarcasm dripped from her voice. Apparently, Lady Pembroke had not believed the rumors spread about to explain Laura’s departure.
Laura narrowed her eyes. “I was visiting a cousin in Scotland,” she responded smoothly. “For my health, you know. And now, I am back.”
“And since my sister is here, celebrating our engagement with us,” Christian added, stepping forward, “there can be nothing improper here.”
That wasn’t strictly true, of course. This pub was respectable but not exactly the sort of place that a member of the ton would care to be seen. Lady Pembroke would not have returned to confront them if she hadn’t been convinced that she would get the juiciest gossip out of them.
Thalia cleared her throat, drawing Lady Pembroke’s attention. “As you see, Lady Pembroke, the Duke and I are engaged. I understand that my brother gave your son false hope. I am dreadfully sorry about that, but I am not responsible. I hope that you’ll convey our apologies to Mr. Pembroke.”
A few heartbeats passed. Lady Pembroke’s face twisted in fury. Of course, news of the ‘engagement’ would soon be all over London—she’d see to that—but in the meantime, there really was nothing she could do.
At that moment, Mr. Hobbs inched back into view, glancing anxiously between them. “Sir,” he ventured, “your carriage is outside. The bill…?”
“Of course,” Christian responded smoothly. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a handful of coins and handed them over. “Will that cover it?”
Mr. Hobbs’ eyes went wide. “Why, thank you, sir. Thank you very much, indeed!”
“Then that’s settled. Come along, ladies. We had better leave this place behind. The company grows stale.”
Turning on his heel, Christian strode towards the door. Laura and Thalia exchanged quick, worried looks and scuttled after him.
Apparently, he did not plan to ride in the carriage. A horse waited outside, saddled and ready to go. The cab waited, with a yawning driver balanced on the front seat.
“Laura, get inside,” he ordered. “I want to talk to Thalia.”
Laura hesitated, and he shot her a long, pointed look.
“Sister, you are already in disgrace. We shall see how long your refusal to explain what you are doing lasts in front of our mother. For now, get in the carriage and give me a moment’s privacy.”
Laura pressed her lips together, threw Thalia an apologetic look, and reluctantly obeyed. She clambered into the cab, closing the door behind her with an unnecessarily loud slam.
Silence flooded into the ensuing pause. Christian eyed her, and she stared back.
“I must ask your forgiveness,” he began, “for the kiss.”
A cold rush inched down her spine, and she swallowed. “It was hardly your fault alone.”
“I should have controlled myself. I should not have done it.”
“Well…” She cleared her throat, glancing away. “I kissed you back, did I not?”
He inclined his head. “True, but now the news will be all over town by tomorrow morning. News of our engagement, that is. Your brother will be furious at not being asked for his permission. More to the point, after being caught kissing in a public place, neither of us will be able to draw back.”
Her eyes shot up to his face. “What? That cannot be true.”
“Come, Thalia, you’re not a fool. This is a stain on both of our reputations. Society will forgive us, but only if we marry. This… this was not my intention, but it is where we find ourselves now. Our engagement must become a real one.”
A real engagement.
Thalia let out a choked sob, staggering back. “My… my money…” she whispered.
“We’ll wait until you have turned three-and-twenty.
I’ll ensure that you get your money, Thalia.
What’s more, I’ll make sure that it is kept separate from my own, so you can access it whenever you want.
I have no intention of stealing what is yours.
I’ll be frank; I don’t care much for my own reputation, but I care for my sister’s, now that she’s returned.
Her disappearance will occasion talk, no matter what excuse we give. I can’t afford to take the risk.”
Thalia felt faintly dizzy. The world spun around her, and she reached out a hand to steady herself. She flinched when her hand touched warm flesh instead of the carriage.
“Are you all right?” Christian murmured softly.
She glanced down at his hand, curled securely around hers, and then up at his face. “Marriage,” she breathed. “We’re getting married.”
“We must, but don’t fret. It will be a marriage of convenience. You’ll have all the freedom you want. In fact, your life doesn’t need to change at all if you don’t wish it. Mine certainly will not.”
She flinched again. Mine certainly will not. So, he would continue with his rakish lifestyle, gambling and drinking and taking lovers, then?
Men are allowed to do that, she reminded herself bitterly. The rules are quite different for them.
“Thalia?” he prompted.
She drew in a shuddering breath. “But you’re a rake.”
He bit back a smile. “Thank you for your kind words as I propose to you.”
A proposal. She supposed that was what this was, but somehow it didn’t feel like anything of the sort. Not a proposal, but a business deal. A deal that was not anybody’s first choice.
That’s fitting, I suppose. After all, I was not anybody’s first choice.
“I have to agree,” she managed weakly, “don’t I?”
He eyed her with something that was almost pity. “Yes, my dear. I’m afraid you do.”
As those words sank in, Laura stuck her head out the window, glowering at them both.