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The moment Colin spoke up, Phoebe moaned piteously and dropped her face in her hands. Of course, her new brother-in-law would make sure that Ethan answered for what was mostlyherfault anyway.

The only one who seemed unfazed by all the chaos was Ethan himself, who only chuckled at the implicit threat.

“I am not sure if he has mentioned it,” he drawled with a slight smile. “But come to think of it, old friend—is it not the other way around? Was it not Lady Phoebe who compromisedme?”

Phoebe gaped at him in shock. The sheeraudacityof this man!

But then again, he had a point…

“I doubt you would want to hit your dear sister-in-law, however,” Ethan continued with that same smug smile as he glanced at her.

Kill me now. Kill me and bury me where the sun will never touch my disgrace…

“Indeed, what were you thinking, Phoebe?” Alice chastised her gently. “If you had this… this thing for Ethan, why did you never tell me?”

“I do not have a thing for His Grace!” Phoebe cried with all the vehemence her heart could muster. “I wouldneverfall for a Wolf!”

Colin winced visibly, and she felt a twinge of remorse in her heart. Perhaps she was a bit too emphatic in her declaration.

“No offense to you, Colin,” she apologized bleakly to her brother-in-law. “And Alice.”

She could see her older sister struggling to smile reassuringly at her. “None taken, my dear. I understand you are simply overwrought.”

Overwrought. It was much too simple a term for what she truly felt. She had sowed chaos and was now reaping its harvest—even morechaos.

“In any case, there is no reason for all of you to step in,” she told them glumly. “I simply did what I did to savehim.”

She glared pointedly at Ethan, who only continued to smile at her. For a groom who had just been told that his bride had deceived him, he was in remarkably good spirits.

Colin’s eyes swiveled to his friend and narrowed. “Savehim?” he echoed. “Save him from whatexactly?”

Phoebe immediately clamped her mouth shut. “It is not my position to say.”

Alice sighed and took her hands. “Dearest, how are we supposed to help you when you insist on keeping everything from us?”

“That is correct,” Colin concurred. “You are so intent on protecting this one—” He paused and glared at his friend. “But who is going to protectyou?”

Alice looked at her sister worriedly. “Not to mention that it is inevitable that the Viscount will hear of this…”

He will not want to marry you now.

The words hung unspoken in the air.

“Such a tragedy…” Phoebe muttered under her breath.

She looked up at her sister and felt something likehopefill her for the first time since her father announced her betrothal to the Viscount Dexford.

“Alice,” she said excitedly. “This is all for the best, do you not see? I will not have to marry the Viscount! I could be a happy spinster?—”

Her excitement was cut off when the door to the study burst open with a force enough to tear it off its hinges.

“A spinster!? Absolutely not! The Duke will rectify this situation immediately and save your reputation himself!” the Marchioness of Brandon howled.

There was never a sight more formidable than a mother whose daughter’s prospects had just been ruined. Alice visibly shuddered as their mama stormed into the study, with the Marquess trailing after her quietly.

Even Colin winced slightly.

At the sight of her mama, cheeks flaming with rage, Phoebe realized that there was no hole she could dig deep enough to bury herself and save herself from mortification.