The Marriage Wager (19 page)

As it was now, there was no hiding the fact that they had been alone.

What little hope she might have kept that a storm of scandal might not erupt was squelched when she saw Muriel marching down the steps toward them, her face coldly furious.

“Bloody hell,” Dominic muttered under his breath as he swung down from his saddle. He did not glance at Muriel as he moved around to help Constance down from her horse.

After a moment Muriel, unable to contain herself, asked shrilly, “Where have you been?”

Dominic stepped forward, putting himself between Constance and Muriel. His eyebrows lifted in an expression of aristocratic hauteur. “The storm caught us by surprise, I fear.”

“Yes, I can see,” Muriel retorted, looking expressively at Constance.

Constance flushed, one hand going instinctively to her hair. She was very aware of everyone’s eyes on her. She was also aware of the unfortunate state of her garments—muddied and damp——and of the untidy mess of her hair. She was even hatless, since the wind had blown her hat clean off her head.

“I am sure that you were worried about Constance and me,” Dominic went on, looking levelly at Muriel. “I apologize.”

“Yes, we were afraid that something dreadful might have happened to you,” Francesca said quickly, hurrying down the steps to join them. “I am so glad you are both all right.” She reached out and hugged Constance. “Poor dear, you must have had a terrible time.”

Constance’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude. Francesca was clearly wrapping the mantle of her approval around Constance. If such a one as Lady Haughston found nothing wrong with what had happened, if she still clearly liked Constance, then who were the others to talk?

“We were quite drenched,” Dominic agreed. “But we were lucky enough to find shelter from the worst of it.”

“Shelter?” Muriel repeated, looking puzzled, but then a flash of understanding crossed her face, and her eyes sparked fire. “That cottage? On the way to the promontory? You were alone together in that cottage?”

“Muriel, hush,” Francesca murmured.

But Muriel was beyond stopping now, apparently. A smile of wicked triumph lit her face. She whirled toward Constance, declaring in ringing tones, “You were with Lord Leighton alone in a cottage for hours! Your reputation, Miss Woodley, is in ruins.”

Constance stiffened. Behind Muriel she heard the low murmurs of the other guests. Her first instinct was to bark back that nothing had happened in that cottage, but, of course, that would not be the truth. If she said it, would everyone see the lie in her face?

“Muriel, be quiet,” Francesca snapped. “They were caught in a thunderstorm. What would you have had them do? Stand out in the rain the whole time?”

“A woman who was careful of her good name would not have ventured up there alone with a man,” Muriel sneered. “And they were gone rather longer than the storm, were they not? Who knows what might have happened in all that time?”

Constance was aware of everyone’s eyes upon her. She flushed with embarrassment. Muriel was obviously intent upon Constance’s public humiliation.

She looked straight at Constance, her eyes glittering maliciously, her voice gleeful as she went on. “Your name is besmirched now. Your reputation is in rags. No one would think of mar—”

“Lady Muriel!” Dominic’s voice lashed out, hard and cold, stopping even Muriel in the midst of her rant. “I am sure that if you but think over the matter, you will realize that there is no harm whatsoever to Miss Woodley’s reputation just because she took shelter from a storm with the man to whom she is
betrothed.
”

A shocked hush fell over the crowd. Francesca and Constance both turned to gape at Dominic. Muriel simply stared at him, the blood draining from her face as she realized what she had just done.

“No, Dominic…” she breathed, her voice barely audible.

He gazed at her calmly, his eyebrows faintly raised, then turned toward Constance. “Sorry, my dear, to announce it so informally. But, as you must realize, I could not allow anyone to get the wrong idea.”

He swung back toward the guests assembled behind Muriel, his hard gaze sweeping over them. Their faces ranged in expression from shock to avid curiosity, but at Dominic’s steely stare, they all quickly settled into the sort of courteously blank face that was the cornerstone of polite British behavior.

It was Calandra who broke the frozen moment, saying, “What delightful news! Francesca, you sly thing, you did not let the slightest indication slip.”

“I could not,” Francesca replied easily. “I was sworn to secrecy.”

“Congratulations, Dominic,” Calandra went on, coming down the steps to join them. “And, Constance, I am delighted that you will be living close to us in the future. The neighborhood is already brighter.”

She took Constance’s shoulders and leaned in to lay her cheek against Constance’s, murmuring, “Are you all right?”

Constance nodded, saying, “Thank you.”

It was a trifle difficult to speak past the lump in her throat. Bless Calandra and Francesca for their aplomb and kind natures. They had eased the awkward situation and, perhaps, even lent some air of truth to Dominic’s words.

“Dominic, don’t be a fool!” Muriel snapped, her voice strained.

Francesca turned to her, her smile grim. “I am sure you are as surprised as everyone else, Muriel, at this good news.”

She walked over to Muriel, gripping her arm and turning her aside. In a low voice underlaid with iron, Francesca told her, “Pray, do not make yourself look any more foolish than you already have. You have managed with your maneuvering to bring about the last thing you really wanted. I suggest that you close your mouth before you do any more damage to yourself or your family.”

Francesca’s smile never wavered as she looked meaningfully into Muriel’s eyes. Muriel jerked her arm away, her face etched with anger. She shot a look of pure venom at Constance, then turned on her heel and strode over to her horse. She jerked its reins from the hand of the astonished groom who was holding it. He recovered quickly enough to give her a leg up into the saddle, and Muriel thundered off without a backward glance.

“I suppose it is time we
all
went back to the house,” Francesca said calmly, turning toward the other guests, as if Muriel’s behavior was perfectly ordinary.

“You must ride with me, Constance,” Calandra said. “I want to hear all about the wedding plans.”

Francesca and Calandra flanked Constance the entire ride home. Despite Calandra’s words, they did not in fact speak about the supposed wedding or engagement. In fact, beyond an inquiry or two into whether Constance felt chilled in her damp clothes, the two women said very little.

Constance was immensely grateful. As she was sure Calandra had intended, no other prying person could quiz her about the scene that had just transpired as long as Calandra and Francesca rode on either side of her. And at this moment, Constance did not think she could talk to anyone, even Francesca.

Earlier she had been floating in a dreamy state of love, muzzily refusing to think about reality. But the scene with Muriel had awakened her with a vengeance. Constance could not believe how foolish she had been. She had known that the amount of time she and Dominic had spent together would just skirt the edge of scandal. But she had not stopped to think it through clearly. She had not thought about how much her ragged looks would intensify everyone’s suspicions. And she had assumed that their friends would smooth over any intimations of scandal; it had never occurred to her that someone like Muriel would do her very best to make the situation look the worst it possibly could.

Constance knew that she should have been more careful, though she was not sure exactly what she could have done. But she should at least have been better prepared to deal with Muriel Rutherford’s attack. Because she had not, Dominic had moved in swiftly to save her reputation. And that was what made her feel the worst.

The embarrassment of everyone’s stares and whispers would have been bad enough, but the social humiliation was nothing compared to the guilt she felt over Dominic’s announcement of their engagement. She did not fool herself into thinking that he had said what he did because he actually wanted to marry her. No, he had simply acted as any gentleman should. Seeing that Muriel would make certain that Constance’s reputation was shattered, he had said the only thing that could save it—that they were engaged.

Having said so, he could not back out of it now. A gentleman could not honorably break off an engagement, especially in a case such as this, where the jilted bride’s honor was under such a shadow. He was committed to it now and would have to marry her.

Constance glanced over at Dominic, riding a few feet on the other side of his sister. His face was grim, his jaw set. It was clear that he was furious. Looking at him, Constance felt perilously close to tears. Less than an hour ago he had gazed at her with desire—even, she had thought, with love. Now, she was certain, his only feeling toward her was anger.

An even worse thought came to her: what if Dominic assumed that she had maneuvered him into such a situation, hoping for exactly the result that had come about? She had heard rumors about women who had done exactly that, placing themselves in a compromising position with a man so that he would be forced to marry them. She did not think she could bear it if Dominic held such a low opinion of her.

When they reached the house, the grooms hurried out to take their horses. Dominic came to Constance’s side to help her down. When he set her down on the ground, she looked up into his face anxiously, but she could read nothing there.

“I am sorry. I must take my leave,” he told her quietly. “I have certain business that I must attend to.”

Unease rippled through her. She feared that this “business” must be something to do with his declaration that they were engaged.

“Dominic, no…” she said in a low voice, charged with emotion, and reached out toward him.

“Francesca will stay with you,” he said, glancing over at his sister, who had come up beside them.

“Of course,” Francesca promised.

“Good.” He took Constance’s hand, bowing over it. “We will talk later.”

Then he was gone, striding away toward the house.

Constance looked after him in consternation, then turned toward Francesca in agitation. “I did not mean this! I did not wish for anything like this to happen! Oh, this is such a terrible mess. What are we to do?”

Francesca calmly linked her arm through Constance’s and smiled, saying quietly, “Why, nothing, my dear. Just keep your back straight, and your face pleasant and composed. You must not let anyone guess that Dominic said anything less than the truth.”

Constance wanted to protest, but she knew that the other woman was right. They could not stand about discussing the matter in public. She had to put a good face on it until she and Francesca could get away from everyone else.

So she smiled back and went with Francesca. As they walked toward the house, the other riders turned toward them. Some offered her their best wishes on her engagement. A few tried to ask questions. But Francesca neatly evaded any prolonged conversation, laughingly telling them that she must get her future sister-in-law out of her wet clothes before she caught cold. And Calandra, she noticed gratefully, took the Norton sisters, who were obviously abrim with excitement and curiosity, off with her, chattering away about the storm, her own tiredness after such an adventure and anything else that came into her head.

Francesca whisked Constance into the house and up the stairs. Constance was glad to see no sign of Muriel anywhere. They went into Constance’s bedchamber, closing the door behind them. Francesca released Constance finally, going over to the bellpull and tugging.

“Francesca, please believe me,” Constance told her earnestly. “I never imagined that such a thing would happen.”

“Indeed,” Francesca replied. “Who could have imagined that Muriel would behave so foolishly? I am sure that her mother will ring a peal over her head for letting her spite lead her to damage her own cause so severely. It is no more than she deserves, certainly, but I cannot help but feel a little sorry for her. Lady Rutherford is a demon when her ire is raised.” She paused, then added consideringly, “Of course, Lady Rutherford frightens me even when she isn’t angry.”

“But it isn’t right! It isn’t fair that Dominic should have to pretend that we are engaged. It is not his fault. We talked at the promontory, and we let the time get away from us. We did not notice that the storm had built up. Then when we were caught in the rain, we took shelter in that cottage. Nothing happened.” At such a bald-faced lie, Constance could not meet Francesca’s gaze. She turned away, saying, “Dominic in no way wronged me. He should not have to marry me. Please, you must believe me, I had no intention of forcing Dominic to marry me.”

“I am quite aware of that fact,” Francesca replied calmly. “Do you think I do not know by now what sort of person you are?”

A maid entered at that moment in answer to Francesca’s summons, and Francesca sent her to draw a hot bath for Constance and bring her a pot of tea.

When the maid had bobbed a curtsy and left, Francesca turned back to Constance. “Now, I think we had better get you out of those clothes.”

Constance nodded, her fingers going to the buttons of her bodice. “Perhaps I should have something brought up to my room instead of going down to supper.”

“Oh, no,” Francesca replied decisively. “That is precisely what you must not do. I know it is difficult to face everyone, but it is important that you make it clear that you have nothing to feel ashamed of. That you did nothing wrong. You have to give Dominic and Calandra and me a chance to show that we do not care what the gossips may say.”

Constance knew that Francesca was right. If a duke’s sister and an earl’s daughter supported her, showing that they did not believe the gossip, then it would do much to quell the rumors that were no doubt flying around right now. But she hated the thought of having to smile and chat with everyone and pretend that nothing was wrong.