Page 35 of The Scot’s Seduction (Heirs & Spares #2)

W here is everybody?”

Miss Emily had asked the same question a few times over the past hour, and Drusilla no longer had a reasonable answer.

The two of them, plus Murdoch and a few of the staff, were in the drawing room, biscuits at the ready, a fresh pot of tea having been brewed to replace the earlier pot of tea that was no longer fresh.

“Maybe they—” Drusilla began, then shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Just then, the door opened, and Joey appeared. She wore her close approximation of a butler’s wardrobe, meaning her jacket was cut a bit snugger than usual, and her trousers were made of a slightly finer wool.

“Mrs. Smithwick, Mr. Venning, Mr. Venning’s mother, and a few of the other guests from last evening are here. They’ve brought some flowers.”

“Thank you, Joey. Can you take the flowers to the kitchen and have them put in vases or whatever? Priscilla will know what to do.”

“Indeed.”

She stepped away but returned immediately, ushering the guests inside.

“And tea, please,” Drusilla said. Joey nodded.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” Drusilla said, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.

She waited as the guests took their seats; Mr. Venning, she noticed, did not sit next to Miss Emily, even though there was an empty seat there, but on the other side of Murdoch, while his mother took the chair Drusilla would have wanted for the young gentleman.

She picked up the tray of biscuits, a foreboding feeling in her chest. This did not seem like the usual post-party call.

“We are so grateful to find you at home, my lady,” Mrs. Smithwick began. “One might have thought, following the events of last night, that you might have left for the country or some such like that. But of course you are made of stronger stuff.”

Drusilla bit her lip to keep from snapping out a sharp reply.

“What about last night?” Miss Emily said, sounding entirely confused.

Mrs. Smithwick emitted an elegant snort. If such a thing was possible. “Oh, dearest Miss Davenport, you are truly a treasure. That you did not notice everything that happened is a testament to your sweet nature.”

“But the things that occurred, all of those were just mishaps,” Miss Emily said, still sounding confused.

Drusilla felt her patience wearing thin. If there was one thing that was certain to make her want to hit something—or someone—it was obliquely underhanded conversation. A skill Mrs. Smithwick was adept at.

“Mrs. Smithwick, it seems you are here with a purpose. Perhaps you could explain? I do not want to waste anybody’s time,” Drusilla said in a terse tone.

Mrs. Smithwick gave her a smile devoid of warmth.

“So direct, my lady.” She took a breath.

“Well, it seems that several of last night’s guests have taken issue with the irregularities of the party.

While it is not untoward behavior on your part, my concern was for Miss Davenport and the earl.

” She turned a simpering gaze toward the two she’d mentioned.

I just bet you’re concerned about them. Concerned you won’t get your talons into him.

The door opened, and Joey stepped in bearing a tray holding the tea. Drusilla shook her head, and Joey gave her a surprised look, then narrowed her gaze, giving a pointed stare toward Mrs. Smithwick before leaving again.

“What about us?” Murdoch said, sounding combative.

Drusilla automatically reached out her hand to touch his arm in warning to settle down, but that only drew Mrs. Smithwick’s attention. Drat. She should not have done that.

“I know that you two are here in order to find Miss Davenport a place in Society,” she replied, turning to look at Miss Emily.

“It would be unfortunate if you were not invited to certain events because you are associated with...” She let her words hang in the air, as everyone there filled in the end of her sentence.

“You’re saying,” Drusilla began through gritted teeth, “that because there were some incidents last evening at Miss Emily’s party, that people will be less inclined to invite her out?”

Mrs. Smithwick looked to the rest of her group with an expression that seemed to say You see now what I am talking about?

“It is not just that, my lady. I believe we have been tolerant of your...eccentricities, because your parents were much beloved. But you do have certain undesirables residing here, and that is merely one behavior among many.” She paused, then cleared her throat.

“There is a way out of this, of course.”

Of course there is , Drusilla thought.

“The earl and Miss Davenport could find another place to stay, and another person to handle the duties of navigating her launch into Society. I would be happy to volunteer—she is a lovely young lady.”

Murdoch opened his mouth to speak, and this time Drusilla clamped her hand on his arm, not even pretending to be discreet.

She rose, which made the gentlemen rise as well.

“Thank you for this information, and for the visit. We will take everything into consideration. Good day.”

Mrs. Smithwick looked nonplussed but left the room, followed by the Vennings and the assorted other guests who’d come likely only to watch the discussion. Or the fireworks.

The door shut, and Drusilla heard Joey’s voice, and then the door burst open again, and Joey walked inside, her expression both concerned and furious.

“What the hell was that about?” she asked.

M urdoch wanted to applaud himself for not slamming his bedroom door after leaving the drawing room. After the visitors left, they’d spent half an hour discussing the threat, with Emily alternately crying and proudly insisting she did not want to abandon Lady Dru.

Drusilla, for her part, was adamant that Murdoch and Emily should leave, since Society would be watching their every move for a potential slipup.

When Murdoch had said he didn’t care about Society and its silly rules, she’d pointed out that while that could be true now, there might be a time in the future when he would need someone in London’s support.

“If you decide to do something with your buildings, for example, or you want to expand your business interests.”

She wasn’t wrong. It just irked him that people would be so small-minded.

He had no misapprehension that Mrs. Smithwick was acting for any reason other than her own interests.

And he had no intention of allowing Emily to be under her care.

He needed, therefore, to figure out how to honor his promise to her without compromising his beliefs.

He heard a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” he said in a gruff voice.

It wasn’t Drusilla, as he would have expected.

Miss Joey came in, closing the door gently behind her, as though not wanting the noise to be heard.

“Come in,” he said, but she shook her head and put her finger to her lips.

“You don’t want me to talk?” he whispered.

She beckoned him over, sitting on the edge of his bed, gesturing for him to take the seat beside her.

“I don’t want Dru to know I’m here.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, it’s not because I’m interested in you that way,” she said, returning to her usual wry humor for a moment.

He rolled his eyes, and she shrugged.

“I’m here because I know you want to stay here and stand up for her, but you shouldn’t.”

“I shouldn’t?” He would’ve expected Miss Joey to want him to stand and fight.

“No. Dru has been through these types of scandals before. Not this intense, of course, but people are always bound to talk when there is an unmarried lady doing unusual things.”

“But if we leave, wouldn’t that be seen as confirmation that she is scandalous?”

“Well, they all know she is already. They like it. They wish they could be that free to be who they are.” She sounded proud. Murdoch couldn’t blame her; what he’d said to Drusilla during their night together was true. Few people had the courage to be as authentic to themselves as she did.

“It will die down, eventually. It’s not like Dru is going to sponsor another debutante anytime soon, and we already know she won’t be getting married, so—”

“Right,” Murdoch said, feeling his heart sink at Miss Joey’s words.

“Don’t tell me you were thinking of—?”

“No! No, not that,” Murdoch said hastily. “She’s told me about that man. No, it’s just that I don’t want Lady Drusilla to suffer because of us.”

“She told you about Mr. Wallins?” Joey said, sounding surprised. “Don’t worry, she won’t suffer,” Miss Joey continued in a confident tone. “Dru recovers from things quickly. She’ll just find another project to immerse herself in. You’re still going to give her that building, right?”

“Of course.” It hadn’t crossed his mind not to.

“So right there, she’ll have plenty to do. She won’t even remember all of this in a few months. The Season will be over, those judgmental prigs will be off shooting innocent animals in the country, and you’ll be safely back in Scotland, with nobody hurt.”

Nobody hurt.

She sounded so certain that Drusilla would move past all of this, and he had to presume she knew her friend best. It wasn’t as though they’d made any promises to each other, except the promise that this was temporary.

So it would be more temporary than he’d hoped. The outcome would be the same, regardless of the timing.

The heartbreak would be the same too.

But he wouldn’t allow the woman he loved to suffer because of some mean-spirited people in her world.

“What do you suggest we do about Emily?” he asked.

She was the most important element, after all.

Miss Joey’s expression grew serious. “It is difficult to tell what she truly wants—she is young, and her wishes can go from one extreme to the next. I propose you speak to her after some time has passed and see what she thinks. Asking now will only be frustrating for both of you.”

Murdoch gave her a considering look. “You are very wise, you know that?”

Miss Joey put on a coy look, one very at odds with her usual mien. “Oh my lord, you flatter me so.”

He laughed, nudging her shoulder. “I will miss everyone here, including you.”

“You mean your drinking partner.”

“That too. If you ever want to come to Scotland—”

“With the sheep and the people who sound like they’ve got rocks in their mouths?” she said, her eyes dancing with laughter. “How can I say no?”

He glared at her, and she nudged him back. “You know I am teasing. I will visit, I promise. I have grown fond of you too, my lord.” She rose, gesturing for him to stay seated when he would have stood as well.

“I should be on my way. Drusilla is probably plotting something, and I need to either persuade her not to or figure out how to fund it. I’ll see you later.”

“Indeed,” he said, as she walked out of his room.

So that was it. They would leave the house, and Drusilla would forget him. Simple.

If only he hadn’t fallen so deeply in love with her it felt like he couldn’t breathe.