“You were never his problem,” Catie said, shaking Josie’s shoulders.
“And what happened to Lord Westman isn’t your fault,” Maddie chimed in.
Ashley came to sit next to her. As usual, the four of them had sneaked over to Maddie’s house and were lounging on her huge bed. There was a Fullbright–Hale family meeting going on downstairs, so it was the safest spot for the four of them. Their parents would never expect the girls to stay near a family meeting. Not to mention, Josie was supposed to be locked in her room at the Hale house all the way across Mayfair.
But her cousins had come for her, and she’d sneaked out at their urging—well, their mild suggestion, anyway—all the while her parents were meeting with Maddie’s father to consult with the Earl of Castleigh as to what should be done about Josie.
Or, as her mother was now calling her, the Black Spot on the Hale Family Name.
“It is my fault. If I weren’t so concerned about the treasure—”
“You concerned?” Ashley said, her light green eyes wide. “In the end, he was the one blaming you for saving his life over taking the treasure. He’s the selfish one.”
Josie shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’s not selfish at all. He saved me from death. Twice. More than twice, probably half a dozen times over the last few days. And everything he put up with from me. The man is practically a saint.”
Ashley snorted, and Josie gave in.
“Well, he’s not that patient, but I did give him trouble. And he took it all in stride. He’s the most giving, bravest, most loving, most—”
“Oh, stop or I shall wretch,” Ashley moaned. “He’s a man, not a god.”
Josie crossed her arms, rounding on Ashley with an angry retort ready, but Catie, lovely Catie with her soft voice and her hazel eyes, put a hand on her arm.
“She’s in love with him, Ashley. She’s entitled to wax a bit poetic.”
Josie’s mouth dropped open. “What? I am not in love with that—that caveman. I told you already. I hate him. He’s arrogant, ungrateful, overprotective—”
Catie was smiling at her, which made Josie all the angrier.
“Stop smiling! I’m not in love with him. In fact, when he asked me to marry him, I said no.”
“You said what?” Maddie cried.
“He said what?” Ashley exclaimed.
Josie took a deep breath. Drat that Catie! If she hadn’t goaded so much . . .
Josie sighed. Who was she fooling? She would have told them anyway.
“He asked me to marry him.”
Maddie clasped her hands together, pressing them over her heart. With her glossy brown hair, her blue eyes, and her stylish clothes, Maddie looked the picture of propriety—and usually was.
“It wasn’t like that, Maddie,” Josie said, shaking her head. Why did Maddie have to make everything so romantic? “He only did it out of obligation. It was the morning after I”—she swallowed—“um, seduced him.”
“You did what?” Maddie’s love-struck look was gone, and her eyes were wide with shock.
“I seduced him.” Josie looked down at her hands. “My mother is right. I am the Black Spot of the Hale Family, or whatever she’s calling me these days. I’m a wanton. A loose woman. I took advantage of him, and I’m not even sorry.”
“Was it good?” Ashley wanted to know.
“It was only once, right?” Maddie pleaded.
“Girls!” Catie cut in. “That’s not important right now.” She winked at them. “We can get the details later. But right now we need to set something straight, Josie. No man is seduced who doesn’t want to be. If you and Westman made love, it was because he wanted it as much as you.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that he only asked me to marry him out of obligation.”
“And that doesn’t mean you two shouldn’t marry or that it couldn’t end up being a love match.”
