smiled. "Joking at a time like this. How like you, Emily. Wouldn't that please your family? You breaking your engagement with a runaway marriage to a penniless man with five sisters to marry off."
Unbidden, her mother's warning threats against Valentine and his sisters echoed in her ears. Her cousin would not supply a dowry if she managed to break her engagement to Francis, certainly he would not support an elopement. She could bring Valentine no good, only trouble, disgrace, and ruin. She knew her mother well enough to know that her threats were not made idly.
The duke and Miranda were virtually untouchable. but could their protection spread to Valentine and the remaining unmarried sisters? She could not risk it. "I always try to imagine the most amusing absurdities," she said. "It makes the situation somehow more manageable that way." Usually.
She bustled toward him, pretending that her heart had not just broken. "You must be off, now. To be caught here would be a catastrophe."
For a moment, his eyes were focused on her and she had the uncanny sense that he knew how his words had hurt her.
But all he said was, "I will contact you as soon as I have heard from the duke." He leaned down and fished the spare set of keys out from under her pillow. She shuddered, thankful her mother had not ferreted them out. There would have been no explanation for that, as she would not have had sheets out the window if she possessed keys. Her mother would have known that she had indeed successfully climbed out her own window, retrieved the spare ring of keys and locked herself back in. The countess was a clever woman. She would recognize that was not a sensible action for anyone, especially someone with Emily's reputation. There was no way her mother would have rested until she had had the truth from her.
And then her wrath would have had no bounds at all.
Bleakly, she realized that she must not accept help from him. "No. I will do this myself. It is safest for us all."
"First I must show you the letter — "
She held up her hand to halt his words. "You must leave and leave now, Valentine, before you are discovered." "But you do not know — "
"I know all I need to know. Somehow I shall convince Francis that I am truly star-crossed and marriage to him will bring only bad luck."
"Emily — "
She slapped her hands down upon her dressing table, making her little bottles teeter and rattle. "I will not risk everyone's happiness just for my own. Even now you risk your life, Valentine. Mother thinks I do not know you were here yesterday but I do not think she will take any chances. Watch for the dogs as you leave the grounds."
She saw the argument die in his eyes as they both looked toward the brightening window. "I hope to be long gone before she has mustered the game keeper and his minions for a search."
Even as he spoke, the sound of a key startled them both.
"My maid . . ." Emily whispered. Quickly Valentine moved toward the window, but her mother had taken the sheets with her when she left.
In the moment before the maid bustled in, he dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed. As the maid greeted her cheerily, and put the pot of chocolate for her breakfast down, Emily heard the sound of hounds baying in the distance.
CHAPTER FOUR
Valentine had never really noticed how much time a woman's toilette took. Six sisters and still it astonished him how Emily's maid flitted from one thing to the next, always with the comment of, "Lady Emily you cannot hurry or you will disgrace your mother."
First, the maid examined one outfit after the other, until, perhaps after twenty minutes, she found the one she thought was right for this day, this weather, this temperature.
Emily merely laughed as she endured the torture, saying, "Nancy, I think you worry more about how I look than I do."
And then, during the time Emily's hair was dressed — another twenty minutes choosing the proper style and ornamentation — there was discussion as to
Unbidden, her mother's warning threats against Valentine and his sisters echoed in her ears. Her cousin would not supply a dowry if she managed to break her engagement to Francis, certainly he would not support an elopement. She could bring Valentine no good, only trouble, disgrace, and ruin. She knew her mother well enough to know that her threats were not made idly.
The duke and Miranda were virtually untouchable. but could their protection spread to Valentine and the remaining unmarried sisters? She could not risk it. "I always try to imagine the most amusing absurdities," she said. "It makes the situation somehow more manageable that way." Usually.
She bustled toward him, pretending that her heart had not just broken. "You must be off, now. To be caught here would be a catastrophe."
For a moment, his eyes were focused on her and she had the uncanny sense that he knew how his words had hurt her.
But all he said was, "I will contact you as soon as I have heard from the duke." He leaned down and fished the spare set of keys out from under her pillow. She shuddered, thankful her mother had not ferreted them out. There would have been no explanation for that, as she would not have had sheets out the window if she possessed keys. Her mother would have known that she had indeed successfully climbed out her own window, retrieved the spare ring of keys and locked herself back in. The countess was a clever woman. She would recognize that was not a sensible action for anyone, especially someone with Emily's reputation. There was no way her mother would have rested until she had had the truth from her.
And then her wrath would have had no bounds at all.
Bleakly, she realized that she must not accept help from him. "No. I will do this myself. It is safest for us all."
"First I must show you the letter — "
She held up her hand to halt his words. "You must leave and leave now, Valentine, before you are discovered." "But you do not know — "
"I know all I need to know. Somehow I shall convince Francis that I am truly star-crossed and marriage to him will bring only bad luck."
"Emily — "
She slapped her hands down upon her dressing table, making her little bottles teeter and rattle. "I will not risk everyone's happiness just for my own. Even now you risk your life, Valentine. Mother thinks I do not know you were here yesterday but I do not think she will take any chances. Watch for the dogs as you leave the grounds."
She saw the argument die in his eyes as they both looked toward the brightening window. "I hope to be long gone before she has mustered the game keeper and his minions for a search."
Even as he spoke, the sound of a key startled them both.
"My maid . . ." Emily whispered. Quickly Valentine moved toward the window, but her mother had taken the sheets with her when she left.
In the moment before the maid bustled in, he dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed. As the maid greeted her cheerily, and put the pot of chocolate for her breakfast down, Emily heard the sound of hounds baying in the distance.
CHAPTER FOUR
Valentine had never really noticed how much time a woman's toilette took. Six sisters and still it astonished him how Emily's maid flitted from one thing to the next, always with the comment of, "Lady Emily you cannot hurry or you will disgrace your mother."
First, the maid examined one outfit after the other, until, perhaps after twenty minutes, she found the one she thought was right for this day, this weather, this temperature.
Emily merely laughed as she endured the torture, saying, "Nancy, I think you worry more about how I look than I do."
And then, during the time Emily's hair was dressed — another twenty minutes choosing the proper style and ornamentation — there was discussion as to
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