Page 20 of A Scandalous Vow

“I suppose I should beflattered.”

He dropped his voice even further to keep anyone from overhearing him. “And will flattery get mesomewhere?”

A laugh escaped her, but she sobered quickly. “Behave. Livvie is glaring at us,” Caroline added in awhisper.

Marc shook his head. “Your cousin always glares at me. Should she ever smile, I’ll be scanning the horizon for the four horsemen mentioned inRevelations.”

Chapter8

Heavens!

Caroline bolted uprightinbed.

She’d had that dream again. Though this time, she hadn’t been awoken by Emma’s pointy knees jabbing into her ribs.This time, Marc had kissed her.This time, she’d brushed her fingers across his chest.And this time, he’d scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed, but…well, she’d woken up before he’d done anything else. Dratitall.

Caroline was breathless at the memory, and she fell back against her pillows, closing her eyes, willing the dream to find her again, but it was no use as she was quiteawake.

Even still, her heart pounded and her corepulsed.

And then she cursed herself for feeling such things for Marc, and guilt washed over her. She’d never been disloyal to David, not one day of their lives together, notuntilnow.

She slid from bed, rang for her maid, and started on her morning ablutions. Then she started for the breakfast room and was set upon by Rachel the moment she walked throughthedoor.

“I think you would agree that I was as happy as I was able last night,” Rachel began. “Just like youasked.”

And Caroline had a feeling she knew where the conversation was going. “Yes, I think we all had a pleasant evening last night,” she agreed as she made her way to the sideboard to fill aplate.

“I was hoping my agreeableness might be rewardedtoday.”

Of course she was. Caroline bit back a smile as she served herself a bit of eggs. Heavens, Rachel was just like her. If her brother Robert was in London she’d ask him how he’d dealt with her all those years ago, short of marrying her off to the first fellow who asked, of course. “And just what sort of reward did you have in mind,darling?”

“Well, Violet Ratcliffe and her sisters are headed to the British Museum today. She sent a note asking if I mightjointhem.”

The Ratcliffe ladies weren’t exactly the most serene girls in London, but neither were they the most boisterous. In fact, Lady Rosalie might be the perfect girl for Lord Peasemore, now that Caroline thought about it. The girl was rather pretty. She came from a decent family. And her grandfatherwasa duke. So she doubted Her Grace of Newbury could find a complaint against the girl. “I don’t suppose Kitty Greywood will be there?” she asked, adding a slice of ham to herplate.

Rachel heaved a sigh. “I don’t know, Mama. I wasn’t the one doing the inviting. But Kitty isn’t nearly as bad as you seem to think she is. And if I’ll be excluded from any event because Kittymightbe there, that hardly seems fairtome.”

Caroline turned back toward the table, her gaze falling naturally on her daughter. “What about Lady Ambelcotte? Will she be joining allofyou?”

“I don’t believe so.” Rachel shook her head, making her dark curls sway with the movement. “From Violet’s note, it seems her brother has found himself quite in love and hopes to bump into the object of his affection at the museum. Escorting all of us is his excuse to run into the lady inquestion.”

Caroline couldn’t help but smile at that as she dropped into a seat across from her daughter. “Who would have thought his lordship possessed such aMachiavellianmind?”

“I hardly think he’sthatclever.”

Yes, well, probably not. Though Caroline did applaud the young man’s attempt. Still, if Ambelcotte was focused on his heart’s desire, how keen an eye could he keep on Rachel and his sisters? Caroline gestured to a footman for a bit of coffee and then turned her full attention on her daughter. “You may go to the museum with the Ratcliffe girls, as long as a maid accompanies youaswell.”

Rachel blew out a breath. “I shall make certain a maidaccompaniesus.”

“Perfect.” Caroline smiled as her servant poured a bit of coffee, though her focus was still on Rachel. “And I hope all of you will have a delightful dayofit.”

Her daughter excused herself from the room and then Caroline finished her breakfast in peace. Perhaps she wasn’t being fair to Rachel. Other than that ridiculous jaunt into Covent Garden last year with Kitty Greywood, Rachel had never given Caroline reason for pause. All of this would be so much easier if David was still here. But hewasgone. She had to come to terms with that. And perhaps find another source for levelheadedadvice.

Robert.

She smiled to herself. Had her oldest brother been in London instead of Dorset, she was certain she would have already sought out his council. Even so, he was only a letter away. So she made her way to her private sitting room to send a note to the oh-so-staid Earl ofMasten.

My dearestbrother,

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