It was a mistake. He did not know what he was doing—that is what he said.It had crushed her in the Orangery, and it crushed her afresh now. Her first kiss, stolen by someone who had never intimated that he even liked her, not beyond a strange friendship, anyway. She did not want to regret it, but it already felt like it was too late for that.
“Indeed, I am preparing to send a letter to Lady Joan tomorrow,” she added. “He ought to be married by the end of summer.”
Dickie took a breath. “We ought to depart.”
“Pardon?”
“Gossip will already be spreading, but Max ought to be able to quieten any unrest,” Dickie replied. “Percy should be able to assist in that if Max can convince him to. But you should not be here. Come, let us find the carriage and return home, and hope that everything is well in the morning.”
At that moment, an almighty explosion frightened Anna out of her skin. The sky filled with a rainbow of light, sparkling bursts erupting into the darkness, coming from that secret project that the men had been undertaking by the fishpond.
She peered up as an enormous golden star shattered into streams of twinkling bronze, and her heart lurched.
Slowly, she turned toward the terrace outside the ballroom, horrified to find most of the guests standing there. They were a fair distance from where Anna and Dickie were standing, and had previously been steeped in shadow, but how far had the two of their voices carried? She had not been as quiet as she should have been, and neither had Dickie, but surely the guests could not have overheard too much.
“I will say farewell to my friends first,” Anna said, darting away before Dickie could stop her. She needed to know what they knew; she would not be able to rest until she did.
“Anna, stop!” Dickie called after her.
She continued running, hitching up her skirts as she flew toward the terrace. Taking the steps up two at a time, she searched the clustered row of faces, illuminated and shadowed in turn by the detonation of more fireworks. Many were staring right at her, but many more were staring at the light display above—a good sign, surely.
Spotting the Spinsters’ Club halfway down the terrace, she weaved through the crowd to get to them. But as she approached, one face turned up their nose and with a subtle shake of her head, she disappeared through the nearest door and back into the manor.
“Where is Caro going?” Anna gasped, skidding to a halt.
The other four exchanged uncertain glances, but it was Phoebe who spoke, as if she had been chosen to address Anna on the Spinsters’ Club’s behalf.
“Is it true?” Phoebe asked, her tone hushed beneath the thunderous explosions of the fireworks. “Are you really The Matchmaker? Did you really intervene to prevent the Duke of Granville from pursuing Caro?”
Panic ricocheted through Anna’s chest, a feverish sweat prickling on her brow. “Where did you hear such a thing?”
“Caro was out here just before the fireworks began,” Phoebe replied. “She heard you and your brother. I believe there are a few others who may have heard, for they were also out here. The Countess instructed a few to go first, in the hopes it would encourage the rest of us to follow for her ‘midnight surprise,’ as she called it.”
Matilda stepped forward. “Why did you not tell us, dearest Anna?”
Olivia nodded, looking somewhat hurt. “I thought we did not keep secrets from one another, yet…youare The Matchmaker. Perhaps, the most famous and beloved person in society, at present, and… you did not tell us. Do you not trust us anymore?”
“It was… I was… I do not know how to explain it, but…” Anna floundered, wishing she had her fan to cool her face. “How many people heard what was said?”
Leah shook her head. “We do not know, but there have been whisperings.”
“Ifwehad known, we could have intervened,” Matilda said. “This is not like you, Anna. We could have helped to protect your secret.”
Anna swallowed, but it did nothing to moisten her dry throat. “I do wish people would stop saying that this is not ‘like me.’ Am I not permitted to evolve with my circumstances?”
“That is not what I was saying, Anna,” Matilda said gently. “I just mean, it is unlike you to keep secrets from us.”
Anna could feel tears prickling, hot and embarrassing. “I have barely seen any of you, these past years,” she said, not in accusation but in explanation. “My ‘secret’ seemed so unimportant compared with your new lives, and there never seemed like an apt moment to bring it up. Rather, it felt like something I could… nurture for myself. As for why I kept it secret—you are the most intelligent ladies I know; I am certain you can understand my reasoning.”
“You should not have interfered,” Phoebe said, her tone gentle but still disapproving. “You should have allowed Caro to decide if she favored His Grace or not. I believe you may have swayed her opinion becauseyoudo not like him.”
Anna’s breath caught in her throat, thinking of the kiss she had shared with him in the Orangery. The single most thrilling moment of her life, where a page of her most cherished books had come to life, and she had been the heroine. Then, followed by the single most devastating moment of her life, realizing that he had not meant to do it, that he was ashamed of what he had done. Yet, she could not say that to her friends, either.
“I… thought I was doing the right thing,” she said quietly.
Matilda put a protective arm around her shoulders. “I am certain that you did. You have not been wrong before, little Matchmaker.” She smiled, but it did nothing to ease Anna’s racing heart. “Now, I know you may be uncomfortable with the gossip, but at least this has taken everyone’s attention away from the rumor that you were seen alone with the Duke of Granville. I believe you have squashed it entirely, in truth, for it was Lord Luminport who started to spread it, and now that everyone is aware that his intentions were for Caro, no one will believe it. It sounds like nothing more than jealousy toward the Duke.”
Anna felt suddenly sick. “Everyone heardthat, too?”
