“Be quiet, gel! You are ruined! Whether he seduced you or not is immaterial.”
“How can the truth be immaterial?” Lily began.
The old lady snorted. “And there you show your youth and ignorance, gel. It’s what societybelievesthat counts.”
“That stinks,” George said.
Aunt Agatha gave her a pained look. “Must you use such a vulgar expression, Georgiana? And refrain from commenting on what you don’t understand. A gel raised in a barnyard can have no idea of how polite society operates.”
George bristled, and Emm intervened before an argument could start, saying, “Why do you say the second rumor is more serious, Aunt Agatha? I would have thought both stories were equally damaging to Lily’s reputation.”
“It is thesourceof the rumor that matters, Emmaline. The elopement story is being circulated by an inferior class of people—people on the fringe of the ton—aspirants, mushrooms, hangers-on.” She made a distasteful gesture, as if dusting cobwebs off her fingers. “The Galbraith seduction-and-abandonment story is, however, on the lips ofla crème de la crème—my own circle, in other words—the highest in the land.” She eyed them accusingly. “And that isfarmore damaging.”
“Who is spreading it?” Rose demanded.
“I have not yet tracked the rumor to its source. Nobody is willing to repeat it to my face.”
“But it’s not fair!” Lily was almost in tears. “Mr. Galbraithrescuedme. He was a true gentleman in every way.”
Aunt Agatha raised her lorgnette. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, his reputation will be ruined too. And it’s not fair.”
“Pfft! Don’t be so naïve!” Aunt Agatha said. “His reputation may be a little tarnished, but it will do him no harm in the long run. A rakish reputation isexpectedof a youngman, and one who is handsome and also rich—well, society will forgive a few peccadilloes soon enough.”
“Peccadilloes?” George began. “That’s outrageous. If he did seduce Lily and dump—”
“Buthe didn’t!” Lily almost shouted.
Aunt Agatha sighed. “You really are simple, aren’t you, gel? Have you understood nothing I’ve said so far?”
“I understand,” Lily began. “But why can’t we track down the source of the rumor and tell them to stop telling lies?”
Aunt Agatha rolled her eyes. “As well try to hold back the Thames with your hands. No, you foolish child, there is only one way out of this; we must announce your betrothal.”
Lily’s jaw dropped. “Betrothal? Who to?”
“Towhom, child—have you no grammar? To Galbraith, of course, who else?”
There was a short, shocked silence, then a cacophony of objections. “That’s ridiculous. Lily barely knows the man,” Emm said.
“Lily is innocent! Why should she be punished by being forced into a loveless marriage—” Rose began.
“Nor should her rescuer,” George added.
“—simply because an evil man abducted her?” Rose finished.
“A man forced into an unwanted marriage is bound to resent his wife, whether she does the forcing or not,” George said. Her parents had been forced into marriage. It had been disastrous for all concerned.
Aunt Agatha gave what in a less dignified person might have been called a shrug. “Life isn’t fair. But it’s nonsense to suggest anyone is being punished. Galbraith is a good match. He’ll inherit his grandfather’s title in a few years, and the estate is extensive.”
“She doesn’t need to marry for money or a title,” George argued. “She already has a title, and when she turns one-and-twenty, she’ll inherit a fortune—we all will.”
“Which makes her an excellent match for Galbraith,” the old lady said.
“But Lily has always—always!—wanted to marry for love!” Rose declared.
Aunt Agatha snorted. “Love? Pah! Love and marriage have nothing to do with each other.”
