Splendid (28 page)

Chapter 16

T
he lonely walk home gave Emma ample time to scrutinize her ill-fated conversation with Alex. It didn't take her long to figure out exactly what had happened. Belle had told her about Alex's first foray into polite society, and Emma knew that he was still pursued relentlessly for his title and his wealth. She also knew that he detested the women who wanted him for these reasons.

Emma realized that when Alex had asked her what prompted her to propose to him, she'd answered the question all wrong. Practically the first word out of her mouth had been “money.” But, she thought angrily, he had asked what
prompted
her to ask him, not
why
she wanted to marry him. If he had inquired about that, she probably would have gulped down her pride and told him that she loved him, praying that he'd respond in a similar fashion.

But just because she understood why Alex had reacted as he did didn't mean that she forgave him for the injustice. He never should have jumped to such a vicious conclusion about her. She thought that they had built a more solid relationship than that. She had believed that Alex was her friend, not just another one of her admirers. And as her friend, he ought to have trusted her enough at least to ask her what she meant when she said that she needed
money. If he had cared about her, he would have realized that there had to be more to her story than simple greed. He would have given her the chance to explain the sticky situation in which Ned had placed her.

Emma took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. If Alex didn't trust her as a friend, she didn't see how he was going to trust her as a wife. And that probably meant he didn't really love her.

Emma hurried along as she turned the final corner that led to the block where she lived. She had no doubt that Alex would eventually come to his senses and figure out what had happened. He had a stubborn streak that almost matched hers, but he would realize that his image of Emma as a money-grubbing social climber just didn't ring true in light of their two months of solid friendship. He might even apologize. But Emma didn't think she'd be able to forgive him for not trusting her. They could have been very happy together. They could have had a marvelous marriage. Well, she thought spitefully, he had ruined his chances for happiness.

Unfortunately, he had also ruined hers.

Which was why, when Emma finally scurried up the steps and slipped through the front door of the Blydon household, it was all she could do to blink back her tears and race up the stairs to her bedroom before they exploded like a flood. She locked her door with a quick twist of her wrist and threw herself down on her bed, thoroughly soaking her pillowcase within minutes.

She cried with great, big, wrenching sobs that shook her entire body and wrung out her soul. She was oblivious to the noise she was making, nor did she notice the tentative taps that first Ned,
then Belle, then finally Caroline made on her door. A piece of her heart had been ripped out that afternoon, and Emma was mourning its loss. Never again would she trust her judgment when it came to men. And the most agonizing part of it was, she knew that she still loved him. Alex had, in a way, betrayed her, and still she loved him. She didn't think she'd ever learn how to stop loving him.

And she hurt so much. Her father had told her that time healed all wounds, but she wondered if there were enough years left in her lifetime to ease the hard, throbbing ache in her heart. Alex had wounded her, and he had wounded her deeply.

But as Emma's tears slowly subsided, another emotion came to join the sorrow, hurt, and pain that racked her body. Anger. Pure, unadulterated anger. How dare he treat her so callously? If Alex couldn't trust her, the woman he supposedly wanted to spend his life with, he must be colder, meaner, more cynical than the
ton
had ever supposed. For all she cared, he could live out his life all alone with his hard little heart.

She was furious.

And so, when Emma finally unlocked her door, and Ned came tumbling into her room, her eyes were still red-rimmed and bloodshot but she wasn't crying. She was seething.

“What on earth happened?” Ned burst out, quickly closing the door behind him. “Are you all right?” He took her by the shoulders, scanning her features intently. “Did he hurt you?”

Emma looked away. Ned's concern for her well-being diffused most of the explosive anger that possessed her. “Not physically, if that's what you mean.”

“He said no, didn't he?” Ned surmised. “What
an idiot. Any fool could tell he was in love with you.”

“I guess he's the biggest fool of all, then,” Emma tried to joke. “Because he surely didn't know it himself.” She crossed the room and gazed bleakly out the window for a minute before finally turning back to her cousin. “I'm really sorry, Ned. I know how desperately you needed the money. I don't think I'm going to be able to get it now.” Emma let out a harsh little laugh. “Unless
you
marry me, of course.”

Ned stared at her in amazement.

“Although I don't think we'd suit,” she continued wryly. “Frankly I think I'd laugh if you tried to kiss me. I don't think it's going to work. I'm so sorry.”

“For God's sake, Emma!” Ned exploded. “I don't care about the money. I'm not a pauper. I'll find a way to get it.” He strode over to her and pulled her into a brotherly embrace. “I'm concerned about you. That bastard hurt you, didn't he?”

Emma nodded, feeling slightly better now that Ned was holding her. A hug worked wonders for the broken heart. “Actually, the only thing that is keeping me from crying right now is that I'm so furious with him. And,” she added sheepishly, “I've cried so many tears I think I've dehydrated myself.”

“Would you like a glass of water?”

“Actually, I think I would.”

“Wait a moment. I'll fetch a maid.” Ned led Emma to her bed where she dutifully sat down and then crossed the room and opened the door.

Belle tumbled in.

“Oh, for Christ's sake, Belle,” Ned burst out. “Were you eavesdropping?”

Belle picked herself up off the floor with as much dignity as she could muster, which wasn't much, considering that she'd landed on her belly. “What
do you expect?” she demanded in an exasperated voice. “The two of you have been creeping around the house for the past two days, obviously conspiring to carry out some sort of nefarious plot, and neither of you has had the decency to include me.” She snorted at Emma and Ned, planting her hands resolutely on her hips. “Did it not occur to either of you that I might like to know what was going on? I'm not stupid, you know. I might have been able to help.” She sniffed disdainfully. “Or at least had fun trying.”

Emma stared at her blankly throughout the tirade. “There wasn't any nefarious plot,” she finally replied.

“And it wasn't any of your business, anyway,” Ned said, somewhat peevishly.

“Rubbish,” Belle retorted. “If it were only
your
business, it wouldn't be any of my business. And if it were only
Emma's
business, it wouldn't be any of my business. But if it is
both
of your businesses, then it's obviously
my
business, too.”

“Your leaps of logic are astounding,” Ned commented dryly.

“I've quite forgotten what it is we were talking about,” Emma added.

“And then!” Belle said dramatically, working herself into a fine little snit. “And then, I came home from the park today only to find that my only cousin is crying her eyes out behind a locked door, and when I tried to go to comfort her, my darling brother stopped me and said, ‘Leave her alone. You don't even know what she's upset about. Do be gone. '”

Emma turned to Ned, eyebrows raised curiously. “Did you really say ‘Do be gone'? That's a perfectly horrid thing to say.”

“Well, I might have,” Ned said defensively. “If
you recall, it sounded as if you were dying in here. I was quite worried.”

Emma stood up, turned to Belle, and took her hands. “I'm sorry if you felt left out, Belle. That certainly wasn't our intention. It was just that Ned had a problem, I had a solution, and everything happened so fast that we forgot to include you.”

“And I'm sorry I made such a scene,” Belle replied sheepishly. “But now you really ought to tell me what is going on.”

“About which?” Emma asked. “The problem or the solution?”

“Either. Both.”

“Well, to sum things up, I asked Alex to marry me.”

Belle sank onto the bed, nearly pulling Emma along with her. “Whaaat?”

“And the bastard refused,” Ned put in savagely

“He what? He didn't.”

“He did,” Emma said with a morose little nod.

“Why?” Belle asked incredulously.

“Actually, that's a bit personal.” Emma fidgeted slightly and then quickly added, “And I haven't told Ned a thing about it.”

“But why? Couldn't you wait for him to propose? That's how it's usually done, you know. I'm certain he would have gotten around to it sooner or later.”

“I didn't really have much time.”

“What on earth do you mean? You're not exactly a spinster, Emma.”

“That's where I come in,” Ned interjected. “Emma was sacrificing herself on the altar of marriage for my sake, I'm afraid.”

Belle drew back, looking at Emma with a skeptical glance. “You'd do that for Ned?”

“Anyway,” Ned continued loudly, pointedly ignoring his sister's jibe. “I've gotten myself into a bit of a mess. A gambling debt.”

“How much?” Belle asked bluntly.

“Ten thousand pounds.”

“What?!” Belle shrieked.

“My reaction precisely,” Emma murmured.

“Are you crazy?”

“Look, I've already been through all this with Emma,” Ned sighed. “Suffice it to say that Wood-side was cheating.”

“Oh no, not Viscount Benton,” Belle groaned. “The man's a swine.”

“He's worse than you think,” Emma added. “He offered to trade the debt in for you.”

“For me? Oh no, you don't mean…”

“Actually I think he wants to marry you. And he probably thought that compromising you would be the only way to get you to agree.”

Belle shuddered. “I suddenly feel extremely dirty. I think I would like a bath.”

“I have a bit of money that my mother's family left to me,” Emma explained. “I thought I would give it to Ned so that he shouldn't have to tell your parents about it, but I'm not allowed to touch any of the funds until I marry.”

“Oh my,” Belle breathed. “What on earth are we going to do?”

“I don't think I have any choice,” Ned said. “I'll have to see a moneylender.”

“Unless…” Emma said thoughtfully, her words trailing off.

“Unless what?” Ned asked sharply. “The last time you said ‘unless, ' you decided to propose to Ashbourne, and all that got you was a broken heart.”

The mention of Emma's shattered emotions near
ly sent a tear rolling down her cheek, but she quickly blinked it back.

“You idiot,” Belle hissed, kicking her brother in the shin.

“I'm sorry, Emma,” he apologized immediately. “I should never have said that. I really didn't mean it the way it sounded.”

“It's all right,” Emma said in a small voice, glancing over her shoulder so she wouldn't have to look at her cousins while she regained her composure. “While I was talking to the two of you, everything was so, well, normal. I'd almost forgotten to be sad. You just reminded me, that's all.”

“I'm sorry,” Ned repeated.

“Don't be. I'm sure I'll remember to be sad a hundred times before I fall asleep tonight. And I'm sure I'll remember to be angry a hundred more times. But perhaps, just for now, the two of you can try to help me forget.”

“Right!” Belle said quickly, skipping back to their previous conversation. “You said ‘unless. ' I think you were devising some sort of plan.”

Emma stared off out the window for a few more moments before finally replying. “Oh yes. Right. Here is what I think we should do.”

Belle and Ned leaned forward expectantly.

“I think we should steal Ned's voucher.”

“What?” her cousins asked in disbelieving unison.

“If Woodside hasn't got the voucher, he can't very well try to collect the debt. And there is no way he can convince anyone that Ned hasn't paid up if he doesn't have the voucher to prove it. It's a beautiful plan.”

“It might work,” Ned said thoughtfully. “When do you want to do it?”

“We'd better start right away. We haven't got
long, and we don't know how many times we'll have to try before we find it.”

“How on earth are you going to make sure that he's not home when you steal it?” Belle asked. “I don't think he goes out every night. And I certainly don't know enough about his habits to predict when he would leave if he actually did go out.”

Emma looked her cousin straight in the eye. “That,” she said decisively, “is where you come in.”

Belle recoiled visibly. “I don't like the sound of that.”

“Oh, for goodness sake, Belle. I am not asking you to prostitute yourself. All you have to do is send Woodside a flirtatious little note that you are eager to see him at the…” Emma bit her lip and looked upward as she mentally scanned her engagement calendar. “At Lady Mottram's ball tomorrow night. We already know that he is thoroughly infatuated with you. I haven't a doubt that he'll race to meet you there. All you have to do is contrive to keep him entertained for a couple of hours while we slip in and grab the voucher.”

“And how do you propose I do that? He's probably going to think that Ned has decided to sacrifice my virginity for ten thousand pounds.”