“Very well.” Mark stood looking at Emily, as she turned toleave.
“Emily, we still need to deal with your representation. Did Silas agree to undo the damage he did with Mr.Butler?”
Emily had to smile. “It seemed to be impossible for him to say it in words, but he nodded in agreement when Alice insisted that he recant his story. But Alice can give you all the details. I was mostly hidden through most of theinterview.”
Now Mark laughed, “Hidden?”
“Again, Alice will give you the wholestory.”
“Then I will contact you shortly after I have been in correspondence with Mr.Butler.”
“Mark. You have plenty of other things to do now with your father’s passing. Let that be your focus. Experience your grief and console yourfamily.”
Mark gave a gentle nod and Emily left thelibrary.”
* * *
The carriage ride home was the first time Emily had been totally alone, except when she was sleeping, for several days. What an extraordinary turmoil it had been recently. She could hardly register the ups and downs her life had gone through in the last few days. As she tried to take stock of her situation, she had truly no idea where she was in all of this. Her career was nearly over before it began with no certainty as to its outcome. And Mark… oh, heavens… Mark. She put her hand to her breast and tried to keep her heart from fluttering. But she realized, of course, that the kiss was nothing more than the violent reaction Mark had to the grief of his father’spassing.
Or was it? There was passion in that kiss—from both sides. She had to take responsibility for her reaction and she could not put all the blame onMark.
But she also had to smile at Alice’s brilliant handling of Silas and relish his squirming as Alice managed to get him to relent to her demands. But the man was so slippery, who knew if he would comply with her requests or find a way to wigglefree?
She sighed, slipped back into the carriage seat and shut her eyes until they arrive at the outskirts ofLondon.
Chapter 30
The notice inThe Timesread:
Regarding the Rumors Surrounding Miss Emily Dunn, lately of the Dunntrio
I, Mr. Silas Skeffington, impresario, do hereby refute all rumors surrounding Miss Emily Dunn and myself. There have been scandalous allegations about Miss Dunn’s behavior toward me and I assert, categorically, that they are all untrue. Miss Dunn is the very model of propriety. And I bid all who have been influenced by these rumors to erase all doubt from your mind as to the purity and innocence of the aforementioned MissDunn.
Even as Emily read through this notice the first time, she could see that Silas had framed the apology in such a way that he appeared to be completely innocent. And there was just the faintest lingering question—even though he was clearing her name—as to why this notice was even necessary, unless there was some truth to theallegation.
Emily put downThe Timesat the breakfast table. She had not been sleeping well ever since that terrible day at Mr. Butler’s office and she had been getting up early to look for Silas’s promised notice in the newspaper. And here it was. But it did not settle her mind. She did not trust Silas and would continue to be on the lookout for any of his nefariousundertakings.
Fortunately, he was no longer a presence in her family’s life since the disbanding of the Dunn trio. But he was still a part of Mark’s family and would always be lurking in the background as long as Mark was working with her to help establish hercareer.
Emily immediately thought about Alice and wondered if she had seen the notice, and if she had, what she might think of it. She wanted to rush over and see her, but it was the day of the old Duke’s funeral and she would be seeing her later, as Emily had been invited to the funeral at Linfield and Alice had promised to pick her up at nine o’clock and take her with the Savoy family. Emily did not know if the Savoys were going to take the twins, but suspected not. They were too young to even understand what it was all about—and they would be a nightmare to handle, even if they brought along thenanny.
Molly had brought Emily her tea, warm toast, and an egg cup. It was quite lovely to eat by oneself, she thought—unburdened by the low simmering tension in the family. And then her mind drifted, as it often did, to Mark—and that kiss. And though it gave her pleasure to recall the event, it also disturbed her—not because of his action, but because of herresponse.
As often happened, that remembrance made her think of Linton. Sweet Linton. The boy Linton—who, while talented, was not yet a man. She had had a note from him just yesterday, saying he missed seeing her at the trio’s rehearsals—as they were now disbanded—and asked her to meet with him so they could discuss the pieces they wanted to play at their encore engagement at thecafé.
Emily knew she must respond, but with all the turmoil in her life these past days, the thought of a lighthearted performance at the café was the last thing she wanted to thinkabout.
Mother and Papa came into the breakfast room at the same time and interrupted her thoughts and solitude. Emily slipped the newspaper to the floor beside her chair. Fortunately, Papa did not ask to readThe Times,but engaged Mother in a conversation she initiated about the plans for Ruth’swedding.
It had been decided that the wedding would be held in London, before the couple returned to Bristol after Spencer’s graduation, as Mother did not like the thought of Ruth following Spencer unless the knot had beentied.
And as the parents were discussing the venue for the wedding, Ruth came in and sat at her place at thetable.
“No, Mother. We cannot have the reception here at the house. There is just not enough room, and it would disrupt the entire household for days on end,” Papainsisted.
“But we could use the garden,” Mothersuggested.
“Still no,” Papa saidfirmly.
