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“No, my friends have always made certain of that. They are very good to me. You should join us!”

When I have passed away, perhaps,Emma thought to herself.

“Unfortunately, I cannot. Miss Kendall dislikes me, you see, and I fear that she would make life difficult for me.”

“Emma? She doesn’t dislike anyone. Well, apart from a few rakes, but that is more than justified. You must have had a misunderstanding.”

“No, she made it very clear. You shall see for yourself in just a moment, but I am in love, and she is doing everything in her power to stop it.”

Emma paused. Love? Is that what she thought she shared with the Duke? She almost chuckled at her naivety, but that would have led only to her being seen, and she wished to know what was happening. She continued on her way, listening to them as well as she could.

“Emma has never stopped a love match. It doesn’t sound like her at all.”

“All spinsters do it. They envy us younger ladies and do everything in their power to make us one of them. Unfortunately for her, I shall not be one, for I have already found the perfect husband! He wrote a note for me last night and slipped it under my door, asking me to meet him here alone. If you wouldn’t mind…”

They came to a stop outside a door, and Emma pressed herself into a nearby doorway, praying that they would not notice her.

“Could you wait here for a few moments? And then, all I need is for you to open the door. I will take it from there. Thank you for being such a good friend!”

Without another word, she slipped into a room, closing the door behind her. With Gretchen gone, Emma at last approached Beatrice with a puzzled expression. At first sight of her, Beatrice groaned.

“Emma, she is insufferable,” she whispered. “She was ecstatic when we were paired together, and then I had to spend all afternoon by her side while she tried to decipher the clues. Shewas useless at it, by the way, but she wouldn’t let me help her. Now she has brought me here, and for the life of me I do not know why!.”

Emma hushed her gently before pressing her ear to the door. She could not understand any words, but it was undoubtedly the Duke of Lupton’s voice on the other side of the door. Her heart pounded, wondering why he had asked her to meet him again.

Then she heard the frustration in Gretchen’s voice, and her footsteps approaching loudly before the door swung open. Unable to adjust her position, Emma fell forward, and sprawled out on the floor. Gretchen made a horrible scoffing sound and stepped over her, almost kicking her in the process.

Emma scrambled to her feet, Beatrice helping her. Her eyes did not leave his, and though he looked as though he wanted to say something he did not. She turned and left with Beatrice without another word.

“She meanthim?” Beatrice asked incredulously. “But he–”

“It is a long story. She seems to have a plan, but given what we just witnessed it would seem that it has not worked. Leave it be.”

“But you and the Duke–”

“Beatrice, please, I cannot discuss this right now. There is nothing between the Duke and me. I only wished to help save Gretchen from ruin.”

Beatrice nodded, not pressing the matter.

“I will not breathe a word about it to anyone, of course,” she said gently. “Whatever Gretchen is trying to do, I will not help her succeed. Now, if you will, do not let me out of your sight again. Terrible things happen when you are not around.”

Emma laughed softly. She pitied Beatrice for the terrible afternoon she had had, but she also envied her slightly. At least she could call it a terrible day and forget about it, but Emma had spent a wonderful time with the Duke and then he had ruined it. Again.

Well, he hadn’t ruined it exactly. After all, he could not have been blamed for Gretchen ambushing him again, but that did not explain the note. She shook her head, remaining silent until they reached the ballroom and found Cecilia and Dorothy and pulled them to one side. They explained what had happened, and they swore not to tell a soul about it.

“It is very strange, though,” Dorothy reasoned. “Who would willingly tempt such scandal?”

“Fools,” Cecilia replied. “Innocent little fools that think they would be an exception to ruin. They never are, either.”

The Duke reentered the ballroom at that moment, and he saw Emma at once. She did not know what to do except take the moment to find her sister. It had all been a welcome distraction, but she knew that whatever was happening to Sarah must have been worse than what Gretchen was attempting. She begansearching for her, but she was not in the ballroom. Her father, on the other hand, was, and he looked furious that she was approaching.

“Where is Sarah?” she asked as politely as she could.

“She has complained of a headache and retired to her bedchamber for a while. You are to leave her be.”

“But–”

“You are to leave her be. She does not need you storming into her room and filling her head with thoughts. We are in a precarious enough situation as it is.”