Chapter 13 - Emily
Emily
Emily stared at the scene before her. Juliet, for it could only be she, was still in the arms of her brother, sobbing on his shoulder. Rupert lay on the ground, and for a moment, Emily wondered if someone had killed him. Absurd.
Then he moved. Thank goodness.
He rose to his feet using a chair to support himself. His jaw was reddened and would soon bruise to match his nose. He looked terrible. He also looked defeated.
“Thank goodness we got here in time,” she said to no one in particular. “I feared we would be too late.”
“Too late for what?” Rupert asked, rubbing his jaw. “To find us cast out upon the road in the middle of the night? Well, you were definitely too late to see the floor show.” He glared at Theo. “Your sister should be in the boxing ring.”
Emily looked back at Theo, who was not doing most of the holding where his sister was concerned. She was wrapped around him like a limpet on a seaside rock. He met her eyes over his sister’s head and winked.
Emily glanced back at Rupert and immediately saw the funny side of this. However, something needed to be done to salvage this situation before they caused even more spectacle for the locals. “Give her to me,” she said to Theo, and held out her arms.
Juliet came with surprising willingness into the arms of a stranger, and Emily held her close, whilst observing Theo dealing with the innkeeper.
He took out a bulging purse from his great coat pocket.
“I am the Duke of Capendale.” His voice had deepened and sounded as though it might be the one he used in Parliament.
Everyone looked at him with sudden respect.
He rather filled the taproom, the top of his head being perilously close to the low beams.
The innkeeper swept a hasty bow. “Your Grace, we had no idea these two were connected to you.” His voice was oily and obsequious. Whatever had happened here before their entry, this man appeared to be kicking himself for it.
Emily found her handkerchief, which was substantial rather than the usual delicate thing, and handed it to Emily, who blew her nose noisily and sniffed. “He was going to throw us out.”
“A misunderstanding entirely,” the innkeeper said in a hurry. “I had no idea. You must understand, Your Grace, that on first impressions I made a mistake…” His voice trailed away.
Emily patted Juliet. “Was it you who hit my brother?”
The girl nodded. “I hate him. This was supposed to be fun, and it’s been anything but.” She stamped her small foot, narrowly missing Emily’s.
Emily patted her some more, while trying to control the urge to burst out laughing. It seemed the eloping couple had done all the work for them. It did not look as though they were very much in love at all anymore.
“Rooms,” Theo said. “One for the ladies and one for us…gentlemen.”
The innkeeper and his wife scurried to oblige.