Page 10 of Marry in Scandal

He looked in every room in the house, even sending a female acquaintance into the ladies’ withdrawing room to look for Lily, but there was no sign of her.

“Maybe Sylvia will know,” Emm suggested when he returned with no news. “I think she was talking with Lily before we stepped outside.”

“Sylvia?”

“That woman over there. Help me up.” Cal helped her to rise, and together they approached Sylvia.

“Oh, yes, she and I were talking,” Sylvia said vaguelyafter the initial pleasantries were concluded, “but that was some time ago. She received a note, a message from her sister, I think.”

“From Rose?” Emm frowned. “What kind of message?”

Sylvia gave her a troubled look. “I couldn’t say. But she did look a bit worried.” She looked around uncertainly. “She might have stepped outside for a moment. It’s quite stuffy in here, I’m sure you’ll agree.”

“Could she have gone into the garden?” Emm exchanged glances with Cal.

“I’ll check,” he said, and strode from the room.

“I must congratulate you on your marriage, Lady Ashendon,” Sylvia said. “It seems such an age since we were all at Miss Mallard’s. I see several of your former pupils are here. Little Sally Destry—a countess now! And you, now a member of the peerage, as well. Marriage changes things, doesn’t it? It certainly changed my life.”

But Emm wasn’t listening. She was watching the exit to the garden. In a few minutes Cal appeared in the doorway and shook his head.

“Sylvia, are you sure she went into the garden?”

Sylvia looked surprised at the question. “No, I didn’t see where she went. She was talking to my cousin, and frankly, I felt a littlede trop, if you know what I mean.”

“Your cousin?” Cal asked.

“Yes, Mr. Victor Nixon. He’s visiting from France. He and Lily were flirting, so I thought I’d be tactful and was edging away, planning to take myself off, you understand. But then she got the message and she and Victor were talking about it, but I confess, I wasn’t taking much notice. I’d seen someone I wanted to talk to, and well, this room is so stuffy and crowded, it’s almost impossible to keep track of anyone, isn’t it?”

“Where’s your cousin now?” Cal snapped.

Sylvia shrugged. “In one of the card rooms, I expect. That’s where he usually ends up. He’s hopeless, but since my husband won’t escort me anywhere, I have to make do with Victor.”

“You don’t think she’s gone home without us?” Emmsaid to Cal. “If she got a message from Rose and couldn’t find us, she might have left on her own.”

Cal’s lips tightened. “It wouldn’t be the first time she and Rose have gone gadding about on their own at night. Dammit, I thought all that nonsense was behind us.”

“I thought it was too,” Emm said. “Did you ask the butler? Or whoever’s at the door?”

He shook her head. “Let’s go.” He gave a brusque nod to Sylvia, took Emm’s arm and hurried toward the exit.

Inquiries from the butler revealed that Lady Lily had indeed left the Mainwaring house some twenty minutes earlier, along with a tall young gentleman who’d collected her cloak.

Cal sent a footman out to summon his carriage.

“I’m going to strangle Rose,” Cal muttered as they waited for the carriage to arrive. “I thought she’d given up on her old tricks.”

“I thought so too.” Rose and her antics were the reason Cal had married Emm in the first place. “Even so, if there was some problem with Rose, I don’t understand why Lily didn’t come to tell us.”

“Don’t you?” Cal darted her a grim look. “Lily’s very loyal. If Rose is up to some mischief, wild horses wouldn’t drag it out of Lily.”

Emm gave a rueful grimace. It was true. “So where do you think she’s gone?”

Cal shrugged. “I’ll take you home first, then—”

“Oh, no, I’m feeling much better now.”

Cal snorted. “Says the woman who’s as pale as paper and looking ready to cast up her accounts at any moment.” He slipped his arm around her waist and said in a softened voice, “Home first for you, my love, to put your feet up and rest. And don’t worry about my wretched sisters. I’ll track them down soon enough.” He glanced at her face and added, “And when I do find them, I’m going to throttle them for adding to your worries.”