Page 39 of Trapped with the Earl of Sin

She acted without thinking, trying to save Luke’s life, but now with everyone staring at her, she did not know how to justify it. She caught Martin’s eyes as a heat burned in her face.

“Have you had a few too many to drink?” Martin chuckled, instantly trying to make this situation much more humorous. Thankfully, others joined in his laughter, defusing the tension. “My goodness, Susanna, I think it might be time to retire for the night.”

It was not the best excuse, but Susanna did not have anything else. She did not have any other reason for her actions, so she smiled thinly and nodded. “Yes, I think you might be right about that. It may well be best for me to get some sleep. I do apologize, Luke, I did not mean to cause you any issues.”

But Luke did not respond. He looked far too shocked to say anything to her, which was understandable. Susanna had truly acted out of character, and she was still doing so. She was not one to have too much to drink, and she was sure that Luke already knew that. But he could not argue with her.

“I will come with you,” Mary declared without a second thought as she linked their arms. “To make sure you are alright.”

“Oh no, you do not need to do that…” Susanna tried to insist, but Mary would not hear it.

Susanna glanced over her shoulder, shooting Martin one last look to ensure that he was extra careful now that she was being taken out of the equation. She did not really want to go to bed just yet, but she also could not stay. Not after that silly debacle.

“Are you alright, Susanna?” Mary asked once they were out in the hallway. “Have you really had too much to drink?”

For a moment, Susanna considered telling Mary everything so she could be warned as well. But she had promised Martin that they would wait until they had irrefutable evidence that Edwin was up to something. Much as she was sure that was a poisoned drink. It was probably not enough.

“I do not think I had too much to drink,” she confessed to her sister, because Mary knew her well enough to see that she was not intoxicated. “I think I am just clumsy. Perhaps because I am a little tired. It has been a busy time, with a lot of social events. I definitely think it is a good idea for me to return to bed. But, Mary, you do not have to come with me. I do not wish to cut your evening short. You have been having such a wonderful time with Luke. I am sure you are dying to go back in there.”

“I have had a lovely time,” Mary confessed. “But I am also a little tired. You are right, we have done nothing but dance and socialize. I am trying to make sure that I get plenty of sleep before the wedding. I want to look my best.”

“Oh, you do not need to worry about that. You are always beautiful, Mary. That will be no different on your wedding day.”

But Susanna could already tell that she was not about to change her sister’s mind. Mary was not about to leave Susanna to return to Luke’s estate alone. So the women left the ball and climbed into the carriage together to go back to Luke’s home.

“Did you have fun tonight?” Mary asked her as the carriage rumbled along the cobblestone road. “It looked like you were having a lot of fun.”

“It did?” Susanna asked in surprise. “Really?”

“Oh yes. Especially when you were dancing with Martin. You always look like you are having fun with Martin.”

Susanna swallowed hard, recalling their conversation earlier. It truly did seem like Mary had seen right through her. “Have you not heard me complaining about Martin and his teasing?”

“I have heard everything that you have said about him,” Mary declared with a cheeky smile. “And I see you around him too.”

Susanna sighed. It truly was getting increasingly difficult to hide the effect that Martin had on her. If Mary had spotted it, then it would not be long until everyone else saw it too. Then how would she explain their closeness and secretive conversations? They would have to keep their distance then, and it would be even harder for them to take Edwin down.

“Mary, has Edwin caused you any problems?” Susanna asked impulsively as the carriage drew closer to the estate, changing the subject to something that she really wanted to talk about. “Has he said anything worrisome to you?”

Much to Susanna’s relief and surprise, Mary shook her head. “If I am being honest with you, Susanna, he had not been problematic at all. I am sure that he has seen how happy Luke and I are together, and he has finally taken the hint. He does not even seem to want to be around me at all—he is too busy spending time with his family, which is nice. It is a relief to know that Luke and I will be able to get married with his blessing. I much prefer Edwin when he is not obsessing over me.”

Susanna wished that she could smile along with Mary, but she did not think that Edwin would give up that easily. Susanna was even more convinced that Edwin had nefarious plans involvingLuke. It was agony to not be in the ball, keeping control of everything going on around her. But she hoped that she could trust Martin to keep Luke safe.

“Soon, I will be a wife,” Mary commented as the carriage finally came to a halt. “And then I will not need to worry about a thing. I will be able to look forward to my days as a wife and eventually a mother. I will have none of these silly, petty troubles any longer. Life will be perfect. This is something that I have been waiting for, for far too long.”

“I know,” Susanna agreed. “And I believe you have finally found it.”

“Do you really think so?”

Susanna forced a smile, trying to share in her sister’s excitement. “Yes, Mary, you deserve all the happiness in the world. I am sure your life with Luke will be everything that you have dreamed of.”

“I think so too,” Mary sighed contentedly. “And I cannot wait for all of that to get started on our wedding day.”

Susanna knew the responsibility weighed on her to ensure that happened. That nothing got in the way. Hopefully, once Luke and Mary had said their vows, Edwin would have to get over his feelings for Mary. He would have to move on.

A weariness overcame Susanna as they stepped out of the carriage and walked into the house together. Perhaps it wasbetter that she had left the ball when she did, or she might have ended up asleep on her feet. It was not like she could share another dance with Martin anyway, and she had been struggling to decline dance requests from others. Now she was very much looking forward to crashing into her bed, and sleeping off the day.

Then she would be able to face whatever dramas the morning had for them head-on.

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