Emily wanted to believe it. The words broke through the mist of sadness, longing to believe it was true. As all eyes turned on Miss Drew though, looking for her to confirm it, the atmosphere between them all began to shift.
“I cannot lie, Aaron,” Miss Drew said, fidgeting and sniffing, as if she was warding off tears. She turned her body to face Emily completely, addressing her alone. “It seems Aaron’s heart will always belong to me, Lady Emily. He kissed me.”
“I did not!” Aaron was trying to reach Emily again.
The will to believe him was fading. How could she? She had seen them kissing with her own eyes and before Aaron had pushed Miss Drew off, there was a beat where they were there together, kissing one another.
“Emily?” Aaron attempted to push round his brother, but Lord Hugh held him back.
“I…” Emily stumbled back so far that she collided with the wall of the house. Julia followed her, before taking her hand and trying to prize her away from the scene.
“Come away, dearest,” Julia murmured softly.
“How could he?” Emily whispered.
“You are blind, Hugh.” Aaron was arguing with his brother, the two practically locked hand in hand together, with a physical fight inches away. “Can’t you see what your betrothed has done to us? Can’t you see who she really is now?”
“Julia,” Emily murmured. “Take me home.”
Julia did not need telling twice. She took Emily’s arm and steered her back into the house.
“No. Emily!” Aaron was calling after her, but he could not escape his brother and Emily had no wish to come back to hear it all again.
I know the truth. I saw the truth.
As they hastened back into the building, Emily felt the shaking take over her body. It was out of control – her body was responding to the broken heart even before her mind could catch up with what had happened.
As they moved back into the ballroom, the violin music sounded louder than before, each laugh was more of a witch’s cackle, like something out ofMacbeth,each one laughing at her misfortune.
“We need Arthur,” Emily managed to murmur. The memory of seeing Aaron about to fight his own brother had seared itself onto her mind. Even as Julia had hold of her, Emily freed herself as soon as she caught sight of Arthur. He was standing by the punch table, clearly retrieving drinks as she approached him, hurrying forward. “Arthur!”
“Good lord, Emily. I’m right here, you do not have to shout it –”
“Not now, Arthur.” Her voice was sharp, commanding his attention. At once he lost his usual humored smile and lowered his punch glass down to the table, looking between Emily and Julia as she arrived at his side.
“What has happened?” he asked, his voice instantly grave.
“You need to stop him,” Emily spoke quickly.
“Stop who?”
“Aaron. I mean, Lord Tattershall.” She waved a hand toward the door they had just walked through.I cannot call him Aaron now.“He is about to fight his brother. You must stop it.”
“Why are they going to fight?” he asked, his gaze searching.
“Not now, Arthur. Just go and do it. They are on the garden terrace.” Julia urged him forward with a shove in his arm. He went at once, asking no more questions.
“Now, we need to find your father and get you home.” Julia took Emily’s arm again, leading her through the crowded guests. She found she was growing increasingly weak, unable to lift her gaze to meet Julia’s as they walked. Instead, she fixed her focus on walking, her eyes marking the bejeweled slipper shoes she was wearing that kept appearing out of the bottom of her gown.
“Could I really have been so deceived in him?” she whispered, barely realizing she had said the words aloud until Julia answered her.
“I do not know. No one who has seen you together could doubt he has a strong affection for you.”
“Then explain what we just saw, Julia.” Emily’s words shook with her fury. “Explain how he can be caught in such a scandalous position with the very woman he once told me his heart used to belong to.”
“Usedto. You just said the words yourself.”
“Maybe that love is not as old as he claimed it was. Clearly it is not.” Emily lifted her gaze at last, finding they were nearing her family on the other side of the room. “Julia, I…” She could not say the words. How could she confess that she loved him now? How could she put into words that her heart was cracked in two? Like chipped marble that had developed a long crack through the center.
