“I am afraid it is not so,” Emma said with hesitation.
He waited, his posture attentive but wary, and Emma felt the familiar tightness in her chest. Forcing herself to press on, she began, “Ophelia is being forced into an arrangement with the Duke of Stearns.”
Evan’s expression darkened instantly, his jaw tightening. “The Duke of Stearns? He’s a widower and many years her senior, isn’t he?”
Emma nodded, her throat tightening. “Indeed. She’s desperate, Evan. She’s even asked me to help her run away.”
Evan exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Running away might be the only thing she can do in the moment, but what would she live on? Her family would find her eventually. She’d be worse off than before.”
“I know,” Emma said, her voice tinged with frustration. “But it’s not fair. She can’t be with the man she loves just because he’s a commoner. It isn’t right. She wishes to return to Italy and marry Massimo. If she did, her family could not marry her to someone else without scandal.”
“No, they would not. It would be a scandal they could never recover from. Indeed, if she managed to return to Italy, she could marry him but her relationship with her family would be ruined forever. That is not right either. She adores her family – when they are not pressuring her to do things she disagrees with,” Evan agreed, his voice grim.
The air between them grew heavier as silence stretched. Finally, Emma spoke again, her voice quieter now.
“Do you think we may be able to help her?”
Evan wetted his lips. “I think we can. I am uncertain if assisting her running away is the best thing but if it is all that can save her from a marriage she doesn’t want, it may be all we can do. Allow me some time to consider, please?”
“Of course,” she said and sighed heavily.
“That is not all that is on your mind, I gather?”
“No. I spoke to Brigitte and she and the Earl of Weston… Jonathan …well….”
Evan tilted his head slightly. “What about them?” His tone told her that he already had some idea as to what she was about to say.
“Brigitte says they care for one another. Beyond a mere flirtation. Jonathan visits when he knows you’re not here. He arrives early and lingers after visits. Did you know that?”
Evan sighed, the sound laden with exhaustion. “No, but it doesn’t surprise me. Jonathan’s been distant lately. It’s as if something else entirely occupies him.”
Emma leaned forward, her heart pounding. “He’s your best friend, Evan. If this is consuming him, why hasn’t he spoken to you?”
“I wish I knew,” Evan said, his voice heavy. “I’m so tired of all these secrets, Emma. I wish he’d trust me enough to talk. The last time I brought up the subject, he dismissed it, and he has not mentioned it since. I suspected something was amiss but this? You think them truly in love?”
Emma’s gaze didn’t waver. “From Brigitte’s explanation it appears so. None of this is good, Evan. Keeping secrets isn’t good for anyone—not for Ophelia, not for Jonathan and Brigitte, and not for us.”
Something shifted in Evan’s expression, and Emma held her breath. He looked at her for a long moment, his dark eyes searching hers. “You’re right,” he said softly. “Secrets are terrible. We should be honest with one another.”
Her heart raced as his words hung in the air. Did he know about the letters? Was this his way of confessing? She searched his face for answers, but the moment was shattered by a low rumble of thunder in the distance.
Evan glanced at the horizon, then back at her. “We should go inside,” he said, his tone quiet.
Emma rose reluctantly, her mind a storm to match the one brewing in the skies. “Let’s sit in the drawing room and finish this conversation.”
But Evan shook his head. “I’d rather speak to Jonathan. I’ll ride to his estate. I need to know his intentions toward Brigitte.” He kissed her forehead lightly, his touch both tender and distant. “I’ll return soon,” he promised before turning and striding into the night.
Emma stood alone on the terrace, the warmth of her coat doing little to ease the chill that crept into her heart.
CHAPTER 37
Evan
The rain lashed against his skin as Evan arrived at Jonathan’s estate, the storm intensifying with every passing mile.
Evan hadn’t wanted to leave Emma yet, but the moment Evan learned of Jonathan’s clandestine attentions to Brigitte, Emma’s maid, there had been little choice but to act. She had confided her concerns to him before and he’d foolishly dismissed it as one of Jonathan’s flirtatious misadventures. He’d assured her he’d put an end to it should it become troublesome. And he hadn’t.
He'd let Jonathan take this much farther than he thought his friend ever might. And now, he had to confront him. Jonathan’s behavior, combined with Emma’s subtle worry for Brigitte, left Evan no room for complacency.
