His Not So Sensible Miss (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 3) (24 page)

The halls were completely empty when
she left her chamber. Without knowing which room Dillon had been
assigned, Emily was left no choice but to search out a servant and
discretely find out the information. There were few servants moving
about this early and Emily suspected that most of the maids and
footmen were in the kitchen preparing for the day. Just as she was
about to head for the kitchens and cold voice stopped
her.

“
So, you have recovered. I
am sure Lady Claresta will be pleased. The poor child has been so
worried about you.”

Emily slowly turned to face the last
person she expected to see this weekend. “Good morning, Mrs.
Chambers.”

“
It is a good morning, isn’t
it?” The woman was actually smiling and talking directly to her
which made Emily extremely suspicious. “Have you talked to Lady
Claresta this morning, or yesterday perhaps?”

“
I haven’t spoken with her
for two days.”

The woman’s smile spread further on her
face. “Then you don’t know the good news.”

A sick feeling developed in the pit of
her stomach that had nothing to do with her earlier headache.
“News?”

“
Yes,” the woman answered
gleefully. “Lady Claresta and my son, Chadwick, are betrothed. It
happened suddenly yesterday. Of course, it came as no surprise to
me. He knows his duty.”

Emily fought the waves of dizziness
that threatened. Dillon had become betrothed to Claresta? How? Why?
Oh, she never expected that he would marry her, but Dillon had
assured her that Claresta was not his choice in a wife? Had she and
Claresta both been fooled by him?

The smile Lady Chambers bestowed on
Emily was no longer happy, but more triumphant and cool. “You
didn’t think he would actually offer for you, did you?”

Emily shook her head. She wouldn’t give
this woman the satisfaction of knowing how badly this turn of
events pained her. “No.”

“
Good. I know that you two
have spent innumerable hours alone together and my son may care for
you for some odd reason but there is only one relationship he would
ever consider entering into with you.” She looked Emily up and
down. “I suppose that has already occurred, has it not?”

Rage burned insider her. How dare this
woman insinuate that she and Dillon were lovers? Of course, they
had been more intimate then an unmarried couple should be, but that
was no one’s business. “I can assure you that your son and I are
friends, only.” Emily believed she knew Dillon at least well enough
that he wouldn’t have confessed the details of their relationship
to his mother.

“
I’m sure his intention is
for a much closer relationship.” The woman chuckled. “It is why he
purchased the cottage I have been told. He knew he would marry
without love so he intends to put his love in the cottage to visit
at his pleasure.”

Memories flooded Emily’s mind. Dillon
had told her that Chadwick, before she knew the two were the same,
planned on bringing a lady to the cottage. He hadn’t disputed her
suggestion that it would be a trysting place. Poor Claresta. What
kind of life she would have with her husband constantly visiting
his mistress, leaving her alone in London? “Excuse me, I need to
locate my maid.” Emily had to get away from that woman before she
revealed how shaken she truly was.

There had to be some mistake, Emily
tried to convince herself as she paced back and forth in her room.
Had he been leading her on all this time? The room began to close
in on her and Emily found it difficult to breath. She needed to
talk to either Dillon or Claresta to find out the truth. What if it
was the truth? No, she had to find out whether the betrothal was
fact or fiction before talking to either one of them. With a brave
face, she exited her room once again and found her way to the
breakfast room. She didn’t need to enter to find out the truth.
Though she couldn’t hear the exact conversations going on, the word
betrothal and both of the parties names were mentioned frequently.
She was such a fool to have trusted him.

Emily backed away and turned toward the
sitting room, hoping it was unoccupied. Unfortunately, voices could
be heard from that room as well. She would have turned and gone in
another direction if she hadn’t recognized the voices of both
Dillon and Claresta. Knowing it would probably kill her to hear
them discuss their betrothal and wedding plans, but unable to turn
away, Emily stayed rooted in the spot listening and peaked through
the crack in the door.

Dillon paced back and forth, running
his fingers through his hair. “One of us must explain to Emily
before she hears it from someone else.”

“
I wanted to this morning
but she was already gone from her room when I checked on her. It
seems that is all the entire household is talking
about.”

“
Did you check the breakfast
room?”

“
Yes, but she wasn’t there
either. Perhaps she’s gone for a walk. She often does after having
one of her episodes. The air helps to clear her mind,” Claresta
offered hopefully. “She has just got to understand. It was never my
intention to hurt her.”

“
Nor mine.”

Emily had heard all she needed. They
were betrothed, though she still didn’t understand the how and it
really didn’t matter. Unable to listen to them further, she walked
quietly, but quickly down the hall and exited the front door. She
needed to get as far away from everyone as possible. If she could,
she would take the carriage back to London this instant. What a
coward she had become.

* * *

Dillon walked the grounds, looking for
Emily. The fact that she seemed to have disappeared convinced him
that she must have heard at least one version of his betrothal to
Lady Claresta. He couldn’t blame her for being hurt. He would be
livid. If only he could make her understand. Didn’t she realize he
couldn’t live without her? He came to that realization over the
past weeks, but when he was faced with the possibility of losing
her entirely yesterday, he realized he could not. He would do
everything in his power to keep her by his side. At least the Duke
of Ellings had offered to help him with one obstacle and Dillon was
prepared to ask his help over the second one.

He found her walking along the furthest
side of the lake. Her forlorn look answered his question. Did she
really think he had intended to compromise Claresta?

She slowly turned and looked at him.
Her face was pale, eyes dull and mouth drawn tight.

“
You’ve heard already,” he
confirmed.

“
Yes.” Her tone was cold,
hard. “I simply would like to know why.” Following the question,
she turned her back on him and walked closer to the
lake.

“
The answer responds more to
how.” Dillon wished she would look at him, but knew it was her
manner to avoid eye contact until she had control of her emotions.
“I know it was foolish to be alone with Claresta, but we needed to
talk privately.”

“
Go on.”

“
I had been so worried about
your headaches, but she assured me that you usually recovered
within a day or two. It was killing me not to be able to go to you
and see for myself, so I was relying on reports from
her.”

“
And?”

“
I was also frustrated,” he
admitted. “I had hoped to spend a great deal of time with you
during this house party. There is so much we need to talk about and
much I need to explain before our relationship could proceed
further.”

“
It is probably better that
we didn’t.”

“
Don’t say that,” he
admonished. “Claresta was going to find ways you and I could be
together, without my mother learning.” He had been pacing behind
her while he spoke and stopped, to address her. “I didn’t know my
mother would be here. She wasn’t supposed to be here, which has
really complicated matters.”

“
Yet, here she is.” Emily
sighed.

“
You need to understand that
it was never our intention to be discovered as we were, but my
mother having learned we were alone together, couldn’t resist
interrupting us.” Emily turned and looked up at him. “Claresta was
standing by the chaise and I was pacing before her, much as I am
doing now.” He ran his fingers though hair in frustration. “My foot
caught the leg of the table because I was too frustrated to pay
attention to what I was doing. The next thing I knew I was on top
of Claresta and my mother waltzed into the room. Of course she was
entirely shocked at my behavior, which lasted only a moment before
she started telling everyone of our betrothal.”

“
I see.” Emily turned and
strolled along the lake.

Dillon relaxed. Apparently she hadn’t
heard the worst of the rumors and he was actually able to tell her
the truth of the matter. “I was afraid you would be more
angry.”

Emily shrugged, not looking at him. “We
cannot always choose our own fate. Often circumstances are out of
our control.”

“
Yes, but we can alter it at
times,” Dillon insisted.

“
Why?”

“
Why what?” Dillon didn’t
understand what else she needed to know about the embarrassing
situation.

“
Why all this time secretly
courting me when you knew your mother would never approve? It is
something I thought about while I lay upstairs these past few days.
I never understood the hold she had on you. I would like to
know.”

“
It begins with my mother’s
expectations, which you are aware of.”

Emily nodded her head, indicating she
understood.

“
I know I must appear to be
a very weak man to you. How many men of my age would carry on a
relationship with a lady, secretly because he feared the
repercussions of his mother?”

“
There is nothing wrong with
wanting to please your parents and maintain peace within the
family.” Emily picked a purple wild flower and twirled it between
her fingers.

Dillon barked out laughter and Emily
turned to him, shocked by his outburst. “Believe me, if my reasons
were only due to my mother’s happiness or my own, I would have
openly pursued you and not let anything stand in my way. In fact, I
would have never let you leave the cottage. We could have married
in the village and never set foot in London.”

“
Then why the
secrets?”

Dillon sighed and turned serious.
“There are two very good reasons, though you may not agree. The
first being money. My parents hold the purse strings. In fact, they
own my townhouse and pay my servants. The only thing that is truly
mine is the cottage,” he began to explain. “Ever since I reached my
majority, I’ve tried to save as much as my quarterly allowance as
possible. Last year I purchased the cottage, which depleted my
savings significantly.”

Emily nodded. It was the only
indication she was still listening to him. She may act like she
understood, but no doubt she was still a bit hurt and angry. He
couldn’t blame her, but at least now she would understand his
behavior and the necessary decisions.

“
Earlier this year, before I
met you, I sank most of the remainder into investments.
Unfortunately, I won’t realize the profits for some time. My next
quarterly is not due for two weeks and at this moment I haven’t a
shilling to my name. If I don’t marry someone they approve, all
funds are cut off.”

She turned suddenly.

“
That problem has recently
been solved with an agreement between Ellings and
myself.”

“
I had no idea.”

“
Finances were not my main
hurdle. I planned on taking a position with someone, which doesn’t
bother me.”

Dillon stood silently, thinking about
how to present to other reason. This would be the test of how Emily
felt and if she would be willing to remain with him. “But the most
important reason was for my daughter.”

Emily’s head snapped around suddenly.
“You fathered a child out of wedlock?” The disapproving shock on
her face hastened Dillon to continue.

“
No. I am a
widower.”

“
I’m sorry. You never even
hinted at such an obligation. Why?”

He should have known she would demand
the entire story. “When I was seventeen, I visited my great uncle
one summer. He lived north near the border to Scotland. I met a
young lady, and thought I’d fallen in love. Perhaps I had.” He
wondered quietly, letting his mind drift for a moment. “We met
often. Her father was the local magistrate and I knew my parents
would never approve, but at the time I didn’t care. All I knew was
that I needed to be with Rose every moment possible.” It really
wasn’t much different than how he felt about Emily, but maturity
had given him control. “Matters of the heart are more impatient
when one is young I suppose.”

“
You married?” Emily
prompted.

“
Sooner than anyone would
have anticipated. In fact, I hadn’t even been thinking about
marriage.”

“
Compromised again?” Emily
asked with bitter humor.

“
It wasn’t like that. Rose
and I, well, we found ourselves anticipating vows I had not even
thought of. I knew instantly that when I was older, I would indeed
marry her. A gentleman does not thoroughly ruin a lady without
marrying her. It just wasn’t done. We made a pact that when I was
old enough, we would wed.”