Page 58 of Marry in Scandal

“I hope you’re not going to tell me he’s shy,” Rose said, and she and George laughed.

“No, he’s not shy,” Lily said with dignity. “He’s reserved. I know he seems cold, but underneath, he’s... different.”

“How so?”

“I can’t explain, but he’s more than he appears to be.”

Rose gave a snort worthy of her aunt. “Everyone is more than they appear to be.”

George cocked her head curiously. “Are you saying you might be willing to marry this man after all?”

Lily shrugged. “I’m not sure. In any case, he hasn’t asked.” Yet. She was all a-flutter about the possibility. She wanted him to ask her, of course she did, but not if she was to be forced on him, like a bitter pill.

Though pills could be sweetened...

“But he’s shown not the slightest bit of interest in you. If he did propose, it would only be out of duty.”

Lily bit her lip. “Cal and Emm weren’t in love when they got married.”

Rose eyed her narrowly. “You’re not in love with Galbraith, are you, Lily?”

“No, of course not,” she lied. She wasn’t sure if she was in love or not. She was, to put it simply, in turmoil.

Rose gave her a long, thoughtful look. “I hope it’ll never happen, Lily darling, but if you gave your heart to that piece of granite, I fear he’d break it.”

• • •

Ned Galbraith had heard the rumors himself. At first there were just the odd few sly, suggestive hints, then one or two of his friends taxed him openly with it. He denied all knowledge of it and went in search of Elphingstone.

As luck would have it, he encountered the fellow as he was leaving his lodgings. Ned pushed him back indoors. “What the devil do you mean by spreading rumors about me and Lady Lily Rutherford?”

Elphingstone’s eyes almost popped. “So itwasLady Lily at the inn, after all? Fellows at the club said you’d run off with her but changed your mind after sampling the goods—awkk!”

Ned grabbed him by his exquisitely arranged neckcloth and shook him like a rat. “Speak of her with respect—or not at all—if you want to live to see another day.” He dropped Elphingstone back on his feet.

Elphingstone, his composure as ruffled as a cat dipped in water, smoothed out his rumpled clothing and fiddled with his crushed cravat, muttering, “It’s ruined, quite ruined.” Seeing Ned’s expression he said pettishly, “No need for violence—it wasn’t I who linked your name with Lady Lily’s. I never saw the face of the lady you were with at that wretched inn, so how could I? I’m just repeating theon-ditaround town. The tale was already out there, entries made in the betting book at White’s before I even arrived in London—which was yesterday. That demmed village wheelwright took a week! A week to mend a simple wheel! A week at that dreadful inn!” He shuddered.

Ned still itched to strangle the man, but his story added up. If Elphingstone had only just arrived in town the day before, the rumors couldn’t have spread as far as they had. Bets in the betting book at White’s—damn, that was serious.“Very well. But if I hear you’ve been adding to any of the gossip...”

Elphingstone gave him a shocked look. “Gossip?Moi? Perish the thought!”

Elphingstone was still spouting faux indignation when Ned left. Deep in thought—who the hell had spread the scandal?—he walked along Piccadilly, heading for White’s—he wanted to check that damned betting book—when he almost bumped into a lady coming out of Hatchards bookshop.

“Watch where you’re walking, young Galbraith!”

Startled, he looked up and came to an abrupt halt. “Lady Ampleforth? You’re in London?”

She gave him a dry look. “A singularly foolish observation.”

“I thought you were on your way to Hereford.”

“Changed my mind, didn’t I? Now, if you’ve quite finished blocking my way...”

He stepped back. She handed her parcels to a waiting footman and prepared to enter her carriage.

And it hit him. He lunged forward and stopped her. “There’s a scurrilous story circulating among the ton, linking my name with that of Lady Lily Rutherford.”

“Is there really?” Her look of mock innocence confirmed his theory.