Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

" W hat are you doing?" A furious Lady Emerton asked. She was leading the mob. Her eyes were filled with spite as she snarled the words, and her chin wobbled as she trembled with outrage.

So many people stood in the open doorway that John was taken by surprise. He had assumed that eventually someone would come upon them, but he had figured they would be caught by another pair of lovers, and so their secret would remain safe. For what pair of lovers could speak of this tryst without revealing their own intentions?

But as Olivia hurried to get away from him and hastily tugged at the collar of her dress pulling it back into place, John just sat on the desk and stared at those gathered near the doorway. It appeared that all the ladies, gentlemen, lords, and even the servants had neglected the dancing in the ballroom, so they might hurry to the library and catch John and Olivia in the act. It was rather peculiar to see so many people congregated near the suddenly open doorway.

A snide retort rose to John's lips, but he willed himself to swallow it down and forego telling the lady it was obvious what they had been doing. Instead, he answered in a gentlemanly manner, "We were having a conversation, my lady."

"You…you…"

John could not quite account for the reason why Lady Emerton was positively trembling with fury. He knew what he had just been caught doing, and yes, that deserved some scornful glares and perhaps a few disparaging words, but who was Lady Emerton to glare at him in such a manner? How had his behavior offended her so greatly?

He stood slowly, adjusted his cravat, then strode forward, creating a small barrier between himself, the onlookers, and Lady Olivia.

Let Lady Emerton rail all she likes. I will take the brunt of her cruelty.

As if she had read his thoughts, the countess lifted her hand and pointed a bony finger at him. "You…Lord Frontershire…you are a wicked, wretched man. You have disgraced my daughter, and I will see you…"

"Your daughter?" John cast a quick look over his shoulder at Lady Olivia, but she was still standing near the desk, fussing with her hair and straightening the collar of her gown. "That lady is not your daughter, my lady."

"But she is," Lady Emerton refuted. "One of the servants saw you lead Lady Abigail from the ballroom and…"

"That is not Lady Abigail," Auntie Aggie said loudly, allowing her announcement to carry. "He has not been pursuing your daughter this week, Lady Emerton, as we both well know, and…"

"What is this?" Lady Abigail marched to the front of the crowd. She had both hands on her hips and looked supremely put out by the matter. "Why does everyone keep saying my name?"

When her eyes fell on Lady Olivia, it was evident that she was surprised because suddenly her mouth dropped wide. She recovered quickly enough and leveled a serious stare at him. "I demand to know the meaning of this, Lord Frontershire. What are you doing in this room, and why are people saying we…"

Lady Olivia came out of the shadows then. In many ways, she was a shy and innocent young lady, but when her honor and virtues were challenged, she rose to defend herself.

She strode forward and stood nearly toe-to-toe with Lady Abigail, proving that she had nothing to hide. "I came into the library because a footman told me that my mama needed me. Lord Frontershire followed me here because…"

There was some shuffling while Lady Olivia spoke, and when her mother reached the front of the crowd, she broke off speaking entirely. She swallowed then whispered, "Mama? But you are here…with the others. And you are well?"

Admittedly, John had spent little time with the Dowager Countess of Tottingham, but he could see the clear look of disappointment marring her gentile features. Her brows were drawn low, and her lips were puckered as if she tasted something rotten but was too gently bred to simply spit it out of her mouth.

"I am fine. As you see." Her words were delivered in hushed, clipped tones.

"But how can this be?" Lady Olivia dared ask as she stood on her tiptoes and searched the crowd. "I will swear that a footman sent me here, and he said…"

Auntie Aggie lifted her hand, calling for silence. "Describe the man," she said in a crisp, clear tone, making her authority on the matter evident. "We shall ask him why he brought you here under false pretenses."

Her eyes drifted toward John's, and for the first time in a very long time, he felt the sin of his deeds. He had not set out to ruin Lady Olivia's reputation. He had genuinely meant to support her and offer aid while she tended to her mother. But once they had found themselves locked in the library together, he simply could not stop himself from teasing and provoking her. Just this one look from his auntie sent a shiver tingling down his spine.

Regardless of what the footman says, no one will forget how they found us locked in an embrace. Even when Lady Olivia's story is corroborated, we will still have to explain how we came together, and the members of the ton will never allow Lady Olivia to escape from this predicament unscathed.

He stepped away from the group and returned to his perch on the desk. Not many things rattled Lord John Frontershire. He had suffered losses aplenty and mourned the deaths of those he cherished most dearly, but all those hardships had occurred to him, not because of his actions. Never in all his years had he done something that was so regrettable he could not wriggle out of facing the repercussions.

But I have doomed Lady Olivia. As sure as the sun will shine tomorrow morning, her reputation will be ruined after this scandal.

He watched then as a footman scuttled to the front of the throng. He hung his head, and when Auntie Aggie asked, "What have you done, Thomas?" he blushed scarlet.

"I…I…"

"Speak," Auntie Aggie demanded. John slid from his position on the desk and slowly walked forward, wishing to hear the tale as it unfolded.

The young man gulped noisily. "Earlier this evening I was approached by that lady."

"Which lady?" Auntie Aggie asked sharply.

The footman nodded at Lady Emerton. "The Countess of Emerton," he murmured.

"Yes," Aggie prompted. "And what did she ask of you?"

"L-Lady Emerton," the young man continued nervously, "bade me entreat Lord Frontershire to come to the library." There was a shocked gasp as the others in attendance reacted to this bit of information, but then the man proceeded. "But I could not find the marquess, so…"

"So?" Auntie Aggie urged.

"Lady Emerton also asked that I send her daughter, Lady Abigail, to the library. I managed to locate her as she was heading from the ballroom, and I sent her here directly."

This time, there was a stunned silence.

When someone finally did speak, it was Auntie Aggie. "But that lady over there is not Lady Abigail," she said in a far less brusque manner. "That is Lady Olivia."

The footman lifted his head and momentarily, his confusion was on display. He swiveled his head back and forth looking from Lady Olivia to Lady Abigail, and even after taking a few seconds to stare at them both unreservedly, all he did was shake his head, lower his chin, and murmur softly, "I cannot determine which lady is which. This evening, they look too much the same."

"I suppose they do," Auntie Aggie mumbled.

Her eyes met John's once more, and he could see something different in this expression. She had not let go of her wrath or perturbation, but a sense of pity was now apparent in her eyes.

She pivoted and sent her sharp look toward Lady Emerton. "So, it would appear that your scheme has failed. You wanted your daughter to be caught in here with Lord Frontershire, but that is not what happened at all."

"How dare…how could you…" Lady Emerton spluttered, but John marked how she did not even try to present her own version of a rebuttal. For the next few seconds, she faltered to come up with any coherent speech which was a mistake because Auntie Aggie was ready to pounce on her.

"Leave," Aggie ordered. "At once. You are not welcome at Langford Manor henceforth, and if I should see your conniving face ever again, I shall do worse than turn you out of my house."

"But…but…" Lady Emerton protested.

"And do take your daughter with you," Auntie Aggie continued. "She may be innocent in this matter, but that remains to be seen. For all we know, she could have been in on this plot from the beginning, and I simply do not wish to entertain guests who are so unworthy of my time."

Indignantly, Lady Abigail stomped her foot. "You cannot talk to me that way," she huffed prissily. "My father will hear about this and…"

"Do tell your papa," Auntie Aggie encouraged snidely. "And if he has any questions on the subject, tell him to correspond with me directly. I should only be too happy to share with the earl how his beloved daughter and wife behave when they leave his side for the week."

Lady Abigail let out an aggrieved groan, but she was done protesting. She marched forward, grabbed hold of her mother's dress sleeve, and roughly towed her from the room.

With the Emerton ladies out of the picture, all eyes in the room turned toward Lady Olivia and John. He was tempted to walk to her side and stand tall next to her, but before he could do so, her mother reached out and clutched her hand.

Because the Dowager Countess of Tottingham was facing him, John could read her lips as she whispered to her daughter, "Now that is all settled, tell the people what really happened in here between you and Lord Frontershire. They know you are innocent in being locked in this room and have fallen victim to Lady Emerton and her daughter's nefarious plot. But take this chance to preserve your dignity. I have raised you to place your honor above all else, and I know that you will not have undone yourself by cavorting with that man."

John knew what was coming next. Because Lady Olivia valued honesty, she would speak the truth. She could very easily lie, and he would even back her story so that the two of them could exit the room without facing any consequences whatsoever, but she would never be able to live with herself if she behaved in such a manner. He could practically hear the words as they dripped from her lips, annihilating her wholesome reputation and making her a societal pariah.

"No," John said, marching forward, and stepping between Lady Olivia and her mother, "do not say another word."