Page 43 of Bound By her Earl

To the shock of every reasonable member of theton, the marriage between the Earl of M— and Miss E— R— is scheduled to take place later this week. Let me assure you: nobody is more shocked than I, dear readers! To think that someone like Miss R— (who was not known even to my well-informed self prior to hershockingintrusion into the scene last week when she was found in a most compromising positions) has managed to snare the illustrious Earl. For indeed, a snare it must be. How else could a wallflower giantess trap herself one of the most eligible bachelors of the Season? But remember this: a hasty marriage is only sweeping things under the rug, my dear Miss R—, and some stains can never come out.

Perhaps we cannot blame Miss R— entirely. After all, she and her pair of younger sisters have had no mother to teach them how to behave themselves properly. (Though I was once uninformed about the so-called lady in question, my dear readers know I neverstayuninformed on matters of gossip. I have found out all that is worthy of being told.) Of course, I can think of scores of lovely, decorous ladies who have lost their beloved mamas and did not turn out to be—well, I am far too polite to commit to print a word such asthat.

And while we could praise the gentleman for his sense of honor, I am not so entirely convinced that weshould. For there is gentlemanly behavior, and then there isthis…

Emily wished she had just believed Amanda when she’d said it was a nasty drawing. For this was so, so much worse.

It was one of the crueler bits of gossip she’d ever seen printed. Forget the personal insults though those were bad enough. The author had all but called her a harlot outright, and though the piece technically did not reveal her identity, there was no doubt as to the “wallflower giantess” might reference.

No, that was all quite enough, but the part that chilled her was the reference to her sisters. This had been her greatest fear, that somehow her behavior would damagetheirprospects. If that happened, she’d never forgive herself…

And then there was the implication that, if the Earl threw her over, Society would not blame him. If that happened, Emily would be doomed—a scandalous spinster for all her days.

The frisson of worry that coursed through her at that thought gave her pause. Since when did the idea of being a spinster bother her?

She shook her head at herself. Clearly it was just the ‘scandalous’ part that bothered her. She was worried for her sisters’ prospects, naturally.

Those same sisters were peering at her with anxious expressions on their faces.

“I don’t think it’s the least bit accurate,” Rose said loyally.

“Me neither,” Amanda agreed promptly. She instantly ruined it by adding, “You arenotsneaky, Emmy. You could never scheme to trap a gentleman.”

“Um, thank you,” Emily said, her voice shaky, both from what she’d just read and from that astonishingly backhanded compliment.

“Besides,” Amanda went on, her tone suggesting that she really thought she was being helpful, “who needs a mother when we’ve got you to natter all the time about proper behavior and all that.”

If one squinted, Emily supposed this was almost kind.

Rose took in Emily’s pinched expression and kicked her twin in the ankle.

“Ow!” Amanda exclaimed, giving Rose a reproachful look. “Why?—”

“Stop talking,” Rose commanded out of the side of her mouth.

Amanda glanced at Emily, and whatever she saw in her elder sister’s face caused her to clasp her hands behind her in what, Emily could only assume, was meant to be a gesture of innocence.

“Don’t pay it any mind,” Amanda said, and this actuallywashelpful. “Rosie, the Earl, and I all know the truth—and that’s all that matters.”

As they continued their preparations, Emily hoped fervently that this proved to be the case.

There was a crowd outside the church.

Benedict did not understand.

His wedding was not, by his understanding, an elaborate, flashy affair. True, he’d left most of the preparations to his bride—planning weddings was the kind of frivolity that women loved to concern themselves with—but surely, he’d have noticed if Emily had planned an affair so large that the crowd spilled out onto the street.

Furthermore, he’d gotten the distinct impression that Emily had a small, close-knit circle of friends, and he knew that his own social sphere was really more of a social dot, given that he had no close associates aside from Evan Miller.

Perhaps Emily had a great number of cousins she’d failed to mention?

He disembarked from his carriage, feeling decidedly baffled.

That was, he felt baffled until one of the gathered dandies glanced in his direction and let loose a dramatic gasp. “It’s him! He actually came!”

Benedict did not like the sound of that at all.

This was cemented when another man, his accent far too broad and uncultured to suggest he was likely to be found outside a Society wedding, asked, “Yer really plannin’ on goin’ through with it, are ye, M’Lord? Any chance of changin’ yer mind? I’ve a guinea against it.”

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