“Of course,” Philip replied, trying his hardest to ignore his mother’s death stares. He did not want to know what she had to say about all of this. It was bound to be horrifying. He was sure to have humiliated her again by following his own heart and doing what he wanted to do.
Being free, if only for a minute, had made him crave so much more of that.
As they walked back toward the tea table, Philip felt a deep, lingering ache. A hole where his heart used to be. That shattered moment stole what was left of his heart and he wasn’t sure if he could ever get it back.
The tension between them was still palpable, the near kiss hanging in the air like a tantalizing secret.
Lady Maria, with her usual grace and poise, welcomed them back with a smile that did not reach her eyes. “Ah, there you are! We were beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost among the roses.”
Philip offered a polite nod. “Just admiring the beauty of the gardens, Lady Maria. They are truly magnificent.”
“Yes, indeed,” she replied, her gaze briefly flicking to Verity. “Now, shall we proceed with the next activity? A game of charades, I believe. Everyone is ready and eager to play.”
Philip nodded slowly.He wondered where Lady Verity had gone. She wasn’t still with them, which was worrying.
But then why would she want to be? The fear of yet another scandal was utterly unbearable… almost as terrifying as the idea of the consequences that he was most definitely going to face when he got home from his mother. She was still shooting eye daggers his way and he hated it.
Why would she simply not allow him to live his life as he saw fit?
CHAPTER 19
Henry would not meet Verity’s eyes over the breakfast table. But then he would not meet anyone’s eyes because his face was buried so deep in the latest issue of the scandal sheets. The tense atmosphere surrounding them made it hard for Verity to breathe, much less talk or eat. She had barely sipped her tea at all.
She knew a storm was coming, she could almost feel it crashing down on her, yet it still came as a shock when Henry slammed the paper down on the table. Because he did it with such a violent force. His eyes blazed with anger as he glared at Verity. Instantly, she sunk lower into her seat because she was too scared of what was to come.
“What were you thinking, Verity?” he snapped loudly. “How could you do this to me after everything that I have done for you? After all I have said to you? You have really done it this time. Being seen alone with Lord Philip in the gardens is madness.”
Verity’s eyes popped wide as Henry slammed his hand down on the table once more.
“Look at what you have done now. The scandal sheets are speculating on the impropriety of a jilted spinster daring to aim for the title of marchioness.”
Verity felt sick. She wasn’t daring for anything. She was simply talking to someone who made her happy. But of course, her brother would not want to hear that.
“Must I remind you, Verity, of the potential damage to your reputation and this family’s standing in society? You need to focus your attention on making a more suitable match. These foolish dalliances will only jeopardize all of our futures.”
Verity sighed heavily. She needed to say something, anything to make her brother understand that she wasn’t trying to do anything bad.
“I wasn’t alone with the Marquess of Eilendale,” she reminded Henry. “Louisa was with me as well. She was present the entire time.”
“That does not matter.”
“I am thoroughly exasperated at being constantly judged and scrutinized for my every move, Henry.” Verity threw her hands in the air in frustration. “I am tired of the double standards that allow men to behave freely while women must adhere to strict rules of propriety.”
She knew that she should not get heated, but at the same time she could not keep these feelings inside any longer. She had been struggling with all of this ever since the scandal sheets had started to target her, and she needed to vent. But Henry wasn’t going to go easy on her. That wasn’t in his nature.
“It does not matter what you think is right and wrong. It does not matter at all. You simply need to do what is right or it affects all of us.”
“You are not listening to me, Henry. You are not hearing what I am saying.”
“I don’t need to hear what you are saying.” Henry shook his head hard. “It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
“So, you agree then, that you don’t care about my opinion at all?” Verity shot back. “You agree that my happiness truly does not mean a thing to you?”
“This is not about your happiness, it’s about our future as a family. Stop being so selfish.”
“That is enough,” Elizabeth said, trying her best to intervene, but her efforts were in vain. “Please, let us talk about this sensibly.”
“I am not selfish,” Verity snapped over the top of her mother. “You are trying to push me in to a match that I clearly don’t want without listening to a single word that I have to say.”
