Page 95 of A Bluestocking for the Wicked Duke

“I was expecting him to talk about it or even allude to it but he didn’t even notice. Then when the dance started, he picked you to dance with and left me unattended to,” Emma said.

“He did have a good reason for picking me Emma. He was to lead me to William after the dance,” Joane said.

“I know. I guess I knew even then but it still hurt all the same,” Emma said.

“But this is before I and William started to talk at the back. When you came to get me, you were still angry,” Joane said.

Emma raised one arm.

“I’m sorry that I was so nasty,” she apologized.

“No harm done,” Joane replied.

“I was angry when I came back because when James came back, I was expecting him to in the least continue our conversation from where we stopped but that wasn’t what happened. James poured a tirade of harsh words on me,” Emma said.

Her voice had broken.

No one has this effect on Emma, talk less a man. Emma must really be love struck.

“Why did he do that? He doesn’t seem a man easily given to angry whims,” Joane said.

“He isn’t,” Emma confirmed.

“He blamed me for my role in developing dissent in your heart towards his friend.”

“But you didn’t.”

Emma lowered her lids and peered at Joane through them. She looked slightly amused at Joane’s response.

“Okay, you did,” Joane admitted. “But you were protecting me, the same thing he was doing when he was pouring it down on you.”

Emma smiled and rubbed Joane on her arm.

“You should know I would never take words like that. I defended myself just as heatedly as he blamed me but he was very angry. He had never been so angry at me and despite my normally harsh character; we had never gotten into an argument of such intensity.”

“And in a public place,” Joane added.

“And in a public place,” Emma repeated.

“I don’t blame you Emma, you did the right thing in telling me,” Joane said.

“You wouldn’t,” Emma said, shaking her head.

“What you do not know is I had asked James severally about you and William and he told me to just watch and keep my curiosity to myself. I had gone to him about seeing Mr. William and Esther before I came to you. If you remember I came in a carriage, I was just with James,” Emma said.

Joane opened her mouth. This part surprised her.

“James told me to leave it, that there was a perfectly understandable explanation. I told him to give me the explanation but he refused. He said he had said enough that I would only go and report everything to you, he asked me not to mention it.”

“But you did.”

“I had to. I couldn’t stomach knowing Mr. William was playing you,” Emma said.

“He wasn’t,” Joane said.

“I guess he provided the perfectly understandable explanation to you but I wasn’t to know that. I still don’t know it,” Emma said it.

Joane wrapped her arms around her friend. Emma hugged her tight.