“You’re eighteen and don’t know what you want,” Valentine broke in before Catherine held up a hand. “You, you are Lord Castleigh’s daughter.” He inclined his head at Maddie. “You will be expected to make a good match and continue the family tradition. You”—he nodded at Ashley— “Sir Gareth is a friend of mine. You’re expected to marry a baron at the least. And you”—he glared at Josephine—“put the sword away. If your father knew you were going about acting like the black sheep of the family, your grandfather, he would drink himself to oblivion.”
Ashley put her hands on her hips. “Well, you seem to know so much about everything, Lord Valentine, why don’t you think of a way to get Catie out of this? Or perhaps you wanted this all along? It seems you want to get all of us married off.”
He shook his head. “I assure you, Miss Brittany, my interest is all for my bride. Remain a spinster if you wish, but don’t put ideas in Catherine’s head.”
Now it was Catherine’s turn to glare at him. The presence of her cousins made her brave. “Put ideas into my head? What? Am I an imbecile who cannot think for herself?”
He waved her protests away. “Of course you can, but we’ve already decided this.”
Catherine turned her back on him. Oh, she wished he would just go. She pulled her friends close. She needed the security their circle gave her, and she wanted to reassure them. “Valentine has promised me he will try to find an escape from this mess. In the meantime, you three are still the Spinsters’ Club,” she said. They giggled at the childhood name. “There will be one less of you temporarily.”
“And that’s all you have to say?” Josie cried. “But what will you do? You are married to a man you do not even know!”
The devil you know, Catherine thought, but again, she needed to calm her younger cousins. “I know you are worried, but right now this seems the best choice. If I’m selfish and ruin myself, Valentine, and our families, then how does that make me any different from my father?”
“You could never be like your father,” Madeleine whispered. “And you know we don’t care about Society’s rules. We’d rather live in disgrace than sacrifice you to him.”
Maddie was crying now, and Catherine took her hand. “You won’t lose me. And I’m hardly sacrificing. Look at him.”
The girls turned as one and studied Valentine, who was once again slouched against the door. “You said yourselves he was handsome and kind. There are worse fates.”
“But what if he beats you?” Josephine said.
“Then I’ll run away, and I’ll come to one of you.”
“Come to me,” Maddie said. “Promise.”
“I promise.”
Ashley was the first to turn back to Valentine. “And don’t think we’ll let you get away with anything,” she snapped at him, then motioned for Josie to come forward with her sword.
“If I hear that you hurt her, you’ll be sorry.”
Maddie didn’t say anything to Valentine. She only hugged Catherine and promised to send enough clothes for a few days.
“We’ll be back tomorrow.” Ashley said the words to Catherine, but she suspected they were meant for Valentine’s ears. “We won’t abandon you.”
Maddie and Josephine nodded, and then, with a sinking feeling in her belly and a heavy heart, Catherine watched them file out of the room. She and Valentine were left alone.
He crossed his arms over his chest and jammed his shoulder into the door again. “Are your cousins always so wild?”
Catherine went to the window and peered out, hoping to catch a last glimpse of the three of them leaving. “How do you mean?” She craned her neck.
She heard Valentine chuckle. “No matter. You’ve just answered my question. How exactly are you all related? I’m sure I should know, but the information has escaped me at present. Your father and Lady Madeleine’s father are brothers, I believe.”
“Yes, and Josephine’s mother, my aunt Mavis, is their sister.”
“What about the adventuress? Miss Brittany?”
“I suppose that technically Ashley is not really Maddie and Josie’s cousin. Her mother and mine are sisters. But Ashley is the sort of girl everyone wants to know. Truly, we are all more like sisters than cousins.”
“What is this talk about the Spinsters’ Club? I have not heard of it. Where does it meet?”
Catherine looked back at him and tried not to smile. “It’s a private club. No men allowed. I’m afraid I cannot tell you more than that. Against the rules.”
He frowned. “I see. You realize I have my own methods of obtaining information.”
She smiled. “I shall see you at dinner.”
