“Of course we did! Don’t you remember? You said he wasn’t going to propose otherwise, so—”
“I never said that you should do this! I said you should accept Gavin Armitage. Although,” Elinor added hastily, “I don’t actually think that you should do that, either, now.”
“Will you please make up your mind?” Penelope crossed her arms, glaring at her through slitted blue eyes. “You’re not making any sense! You know I have to be betrothed by the end of tonight. If you don’t want me marrying Mr. Armitage, then—”
“Why didn’t you warn me?” Benedict asked Elinor. “If you knew she was going to attempt this—”
“I tried!” Elinor gritted her teeth. “We can discuss all of this later.”I hope. “But in the meantime, I have to leave immediately, and—”
“Leave?” Benedict started towards her. “What do you mean? What’s happened?”
“No one is going anywhere until you both agree that I’ve been compromised!” Penelope announced. “Iamgoing to marry Mr. Hawkins, whether or not you think that it’s a good idea.”
“You will not.” Elinor’s gaze fastened on the door half-hidden in the opposite wall; relief soaked through her body. It was the servants’ door, and it was exactly the escape route that she and Benedict needed. “You,” she said to Penelope, “are going to walk out of this room by yourself. Mr. Hawkins will leave from a different direction. And as I’m the only one who’s seen the two of you alone together…”
The door handle turned behind her. The door swung open and hit her hard on her back, knocking her off her feet. She slammed forward onto her hands and knees, hairpins scattering around her. A long hank of hair fell over her eyes, obscuring her vision. Sir Jessamyn fell off her shoulder and tumbled onto the floor with a desperate, low chuckle of fear.
“What the devil is going on here?” said Sir John.
Sir Jessamyn lost control on the glossy wooden floor.
Benedict let out a whispered curse that Elinor had never heard before. Penelope raced to his side and flung her arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides.
“Papa, I am betrothed!—And compromised,” she added hastily. “So we haven’t any choice about it.”
“What?!”
“She isnotcompromised,” said Elinor, “and not betrothed, either!” She pushed herself up, gathering up Sir Jessamyn in a protective embrace. Her hair had come half-undone; she was panting, and she could feel a new bruise forming on the same area of her back that had been injured in her fall a week ago. Still, she raised her head and met Sir John’s gaze squarely as the unmistakable stench of dragon slime filled the room. “Your daughter attempted to trick Mr. Hawkins into a compromising situation. Fortunately, I arrived in time to save them both.”
Sir John’s face was puce with fury. His murderous gaze fastened onto Benedict, who was trying to politely detach himself from Penelope’s embrace. “I was told by at least three different people that Mrs. De Lacey had gone tearing from the ballroom into this room by herself. No one else has entered the room in the meantime, and the door has been closed the entire time. How do you explain that, sirrah, except by the fact that you have compromisedmyinnocent daughter?”
“But they weren’t alone,” said Miss Armitage calmly, behind him.
As everyone else turned to stare at her, she glided into the room, composed as always, and closed the door behind her. “Oh, dear. Has there been a misunderstanding? I was with them the entire time until well after dear Mrs. De Lacey arrived.” She shot Elinor a look of pure venom. “Didn’t she think to mention that?”
“But…” Sir John scowled. “Where did you go in the meantime, may I ask?”
“Oh, I left by the servant’s entrance.” Miss Armitage shrugged delicately. “I had torn a bit of lace on my dress. I didn’t want anyone else to see me until it was pinned. But as they were safely chaperoned by Mrs. De Lacey when I left—”
“She’s lying, Papa!” gasped Penelope. “That isn’t what happened at all. She wasn’t anywhere near us until now!”
“No,” Sir John agreed. “I know she wasn’t. Good friends may do their best to save you from an unwanted marriage, pet, but I saw her in the ballroom not five minutes ago, talking to her brother. No one else will believe her, either.” He turned on Benedict, shoulders squaring like a bull’s. “You, sir, have publicly besmirched my daughter’s honor, and youwillpay the price, whether you care for it or not.”
“He did not!” Elinor protested. “Nothing happened between them. I can swear to it!”
“You know as well as I that that makes no difference in the eyes of society.” Sir John glared at Benedict. “Well, Mr. Hawkins? Are you ready to come with me back to the ballroom, to make the announcement together to our guests?”
Benedict straightened his shoulders. He squared his chin. “No,” he said. “I’m afraid that is not possible. I cannot marry Miss Hathergill, because I am already betrothed.”
“What?” Penelope’s jaw dropped. She fell back, her arms finally dropping away from him. “You can’t be!”
“Already betrothed?” Sir John snapped. “Balderdash. To whom?”
“Benedict…” Elinor whispered.
His eyes met hers, rueful and resigned. One strong shoulder lifted in a shrug.
“To Elinor Tregarth,” he said. “Your niece.”
