Page 83 of Empowered By the Earl (Second Sons of London 3)

Already, she longed for his kiss. His touch. She found she even wished for the picnickers to go ahead without them, in order for her to spend time with her betrothed.

A light knock sounded and Tilly quickly entered, looking a bit flustered.

“Oh, Miss Goulding, I am ever so sorry I did not help you prepare for bed last night. I waited for your summons and then I rested my eyes for a few minutes. I regret that I fell asleep and slept through the bell.”

Louisa sat up. “Not to worry, Tilly. I did not ring for you.”

Confusion filled the maid’s face. “Then how did you undress?”

Hoping she wouldn’t blush, Louisa said, “I stayed up rather late talking with Miss Peterson. She came back with me and helped me to unbutton my gown because I did not want to inconvenience. I laid everything out on the chair there,” indicating where Owen had placed all her various layers of clothing.

“Oh, that’s good to hear, Miss Goulding, but don’t worry about that in the future. It’s my duty to see to your needs.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

She rose from the bed and washed with the water Tilly had brought then dressed in her riding habit. Louisa knew she would be the only female present in the dining room wearing one but she thought it foolish to wear a gown down to breakfast for an hour and then have to change. Since plans had been made for those who wanted to ride to do so after breakfast, she decided she would simply wear the riding habit to the meal.

Tilly dressed Louisa’s hair and then excused herself. Louisa gazed at her image, wondering what Owen saw in her that he didn’t in other women. She did have a glow about her today.

And knew it was the glow of love.

Owen hadn’t said anything about love last night and she didn’t want to be the first to bring it up. He had said he didn’t truly believe in it. His actions last night, though, made her feel loved and cherished. She hoped, in time, that he might come around and actually love her. For now, she would keep those feelings to herself and be happy that she was marrying such a wonderful man.

It was still a bit early but she decided to go down for breakfast anyway, knowing the buffet would just now be placed out by servants. Louisa left her bedchamber and went down the corridor. She turned the corner.

And froze.

Owen was in the hall with Miss Rexford. He held her elbows. She jerked him down for a hard kiss.

Bile rose in Louisa’s throat as she forced her feet to move, retreating to her bedchamber. She flung the door open and closed it quickly, leaning against it for support. Slowly, she slid the length of it, hitting the ground.

No tears came. Instead, a cold filled her, numbing her.

He hadn’t changed.

Owen was the rake she had always known he was.

His betrayal, so soon after leaving her bed, caused her belly to roil. Her heart seemed to twist within her, causing her physical pain.

She had once thought that she would turn the other way if her husband strayed from their marital vows. That thought—with Owen as her husband—had seemed inconceivable. Fidelity was something she would have expected, especially after what had passed between them last night. But tigers could neither change nor ignore their stripes. Owen was what he was—a dissolute rake of the first sort. He hadn’t even the decency to hide what he did with another woman. Why, any servant or houseguest could have seen him kissing Miss Rexford, just as Louisa had.

She could not marry him. Ever. The fleeting happiness she had felt upon awakening evaporated faster than morning dew as the sun rose high in the sky. She had to protect herself. Protect her heart at all costs.

Should she flee Cliffside? She could ask Uncle Uxbridge for the use of his carriage and return to Conley Park in order to lick her wounds. She wouldn’t want her aunt and uncle to have to leave the house party so soon, not after they had been looking forward to spending time with Adalyn. But running wouldn’t solve anything. Owen might even follow her and she couldn’t have that. He would most likely ply her with kisses and convince her to change her mind.

No, she was stronger now. The Louisa from before would have left, defeated. One thing Owen had done for her was help her see her own worth. He had empowered her and she valued herself now more than she ever had. Why should she leave a house party because of his actions? She was here to make friends.

And possibly find a husband.

Lord Boxling came to mind. When she had thought Owen wanted nothing to do with her, the handsome viscount had been a worthy suitor. He still was. Louisa didn’t think she would ever love him. Despite his betrayal, Owen would always own her heart. But Lord Boxling was kind. Affable. He truly seemed interested in her. She would not go into hiding. Instead, she would let the rest of the party play out. Spend more time with Lord Boxling and see if they might have enough in common to make a go of a marriage. She liked his character. His intelligence. The fact that he wanted a family. If this house party ended with a betrothal to the viscount, it would be better than she had hoped for.

Louisa went to the mirror. A ghost stared back at her. She sat at the dressing table and opened the pot of seldom-used rouge. Dipping her finger into it, she rubbed some on her cheeks, hoping the color would prevent others from seeing the hurt in her heart.

Owen had crushed the dream she had of marrying him. Of loving him and raising children with him. But dreams faded and reality took their place. The fact of the matter was that nothing was wrong with her. It was Owen lacking in character and morals. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

She would need to have one final conversation with him, though. She would tell him after careful consideration that she had decided they would not suit after all. If he pressed her, she would reveal what she had seen and explain that she would not tolerate his perfidy. He might plead with her to change her mind but one thing was certain.

She would not be marrying the Earl of Danbury.

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