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It was frightening, almost, to see her in such a composed state save for her tears. In an instant, she leaped into action, running to her and holding her in an embrace.

“Oh, Sarah,” she whispered. “What is it? What happened?”

“I am to marry.”

“Baron?” she asked, smiling. “Well, that is wonderful news! It is sudden, and I know it is daunting, but–”

“Lord Frenton. Father told me this afternoon.”

The words rang out in Emma’s ears. She had never heard of the man, and she was quite certain that Sarah had not, either.

“Is he… a good suitor, at least?”

“He isold, Sarah.”

Emma, thinking at once of the wide open door, quickly ran to close it before returning to her.

“He is a friend of Father’s,” she continued. “Fifty-six, can you believe it? It is as though Father is punishing me, but I do not know why. I haven’t done anything to anger him.”

“Perhaps he is doing what he thinks is best?” Emma asked, to which Sarah gave her a skeptical look. “Yes, very well, it is not something he does, but you never know. How did he come to this decision?”

“I was paired with the Viscount for the treasure hunt today, and it was awful. He expected me to follow him the entire time and not say a word. We lost, in the end, of course, but the entire time he was saying these… things… He said I would make a lovely wife one day, and that any gentleman would fight until his last breath to have me. I should have seen then and there what would happen, but I never would have thought– Oh, Emma, I do not know what to do!”

She had spoken so quickly that it took Emma a moment to realize what had happened. She remembered the old man she had returned with, and if he had only been six-and-fifty she dreaded to think what he would look like within the next five years. He was not the match for Sarah that Lord Rosendale had been, and their father had been happy with it as it meant at least one of his daughters would no longer be his responsibility. Something had to have changed, and Emma was determined to know what.

“I shall speak with Father,” she promised.

“No, Emma. You are not even supposed to know about any of this. I am forbidden to tell you until the day of the wedding. I was– I was supposed to make you believe I was marrying Lord Rosendale.”

With those words, Emma decided that she truly did hate her father.

“I will tell him I heard Lord Frenton discussing it. I do not care how angry he will be that I know, I want answers. He shall not be unkind to you about it, I assure you.”

“He is always unkind to us, even if we do exactly as he says. There is no escaping this. I must accept it, and even though I certainly am not reconciled at this moment, I will be in time.”

“And if you are content to do that, then you may. I, on the other hand, am not.”

With that, she gave a sister a tight embrace before leaving. Her eyes stung with tears for Sarah, and she could not return in such a manner. She quickly tried to dry her eyes before fixing her posture and going on her way.

Of course, she simply had to see the Duke of Lupton as she did.

He was looking at her kindly and she hated it. She hated that someone could be so nice to her when she was so undeserving. She couldn’t do a thing right, and when it came to the Duke, a man that she was warming to in spite of her best efforts, she did not want to ruin that too.

So she rid herself of him as hastily as she could; she did not wish to spend any more time with him than was necessary, not after what had happened. She would have to sit beside him at dinner, and that was already more than enough.

And so, she returned to the party. Her friends were there, and what she needed in that moment was a mere hour or so where she could forget all that was happening around her and simply be Emma Kendall.

“There you are!” Cecilia said brightly. “How is your sister?”

“She is well,” she lied, “she simply had a long afternoon with the Viscount.”

“Yes, and I thought that my time with Gretchen was terrible,” Beatrice sighed. “Poor girl, she must have been at her wit’s end.I do not know the Viscount, of course, but he doesn’t seem very kind. He was practically dragging her along with him.”

“Such a brute,” Cecilia nodded. “In any case, it is done with now. She is more than welcome to stay with me for the rest of our time here, if she wishes. I am more frightening than any viscount, and if it is protection she is searching for then there is no better chance than with me.”

Emma smiled, knowing Cecilia was only half speaking in jest.

The dinner was excruciating, and Gretchen’s attempt to ensnare her with her own words had been the second worst part of it all. It was not as biting or scathing as such a cutting comment could have been, but it was enough to rid her of her appetite. She had no interest in engaging in such childish behavior, not when there were real troubles coming her way. Within the hour, she would be speaking to her father, and that would be the most difficult thing of all, far worse than anything Gretchen could try to do to her.