Artemis (previously The Lady Lockhart)

Chapter Thirteen

Happy Saturday (or Friday, for some)! Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think! x Leanne

WHEN EMMELINE ARRIVED IN HER FATHER'S ESTATE AFTER THE DANCE, she was utterly exhausted. She had danced four times in total with the captain and once with the prince, who, once again, had been quite impolite. Neither, it seemed, wished to dance with the other. She had done her very best to be civil with him regardless of his own manners, and had not said anything particularly out of line, but she could feel her patience with the royal brat wearing thin.

Yet, her encounters with the captain, twice before and twice after she had shared an unpleasant waltz with the prince, erased much of her dissatisfaction and left her in relatively high spirits when she left the ball. When she came through the front door of Wellington House, the entire property was still under the shadow of night, but one of the butlers had been awake awaiting her and came forth to greet her and her maid-in-waiting.

"Good evening, my lady," he said, bowing. "His Grace hopes that you enjoyed the soirée, and wishes to inform you of some exciting news. Lady Adelaide Farthingale, a potential match for Lord Portsmouth, and her father Lord Arthur Coppershire will be visiting Wellington House for supper this week. His Grace has sent for Lord Portsmouth to arrive in London within the next two days, and hopes that this shall please you."

Emmeline tensed for a split second, but composed herself quickly. Skilfully affixing a pleasant smile upon her face, she thanked him courteously and proceeded to walk towards her chambers with added haste. If the young maid noticed her mistress's anxiety upon receiving this piece of information, she said nothing of it, only walking brisk and quiet alongside her. Penelope knew that Emmeline was busy with her own thoughts, and that it would be prudent to speak to her only after she had finished processing the chaos swirling within her own mind.

Meanwhile, the young lady was, once again, ruminating over her own wisdom and foresight. Perhaps London had not been the best place to come away to. She had found little respite here, and only two days after her arrival, her brother, the very person she sought to avoid, would be on his way to live once again under the same roof as her. She wondered if he would still hate her, and if being near him would still make her feel terrible. Perhaps she should simply leave Wellington House and return again to Portsmouth the day he was due to arrive...then she might not have to even see his face at all. Yet she was aware that her father and aunt would likely expect her to attend the meal with the Marquis of Coppershire and his daughter, and she saw no escape in sight.

As Penelope helped her undress and ready for bed, a barely-audible sigh escaped her lips. Perhaps it was simply impossible to flee him. Perhaps this was an arrangement by God's hand. Perhaps she was, whatever her will, meant to face her brother sooner or later.

Sleep that night came with much difficulty, but sometime during the wee hours she finally fell into a fitful slumber, dreaming of Emmett and his two eyes, once holding only love and warmth, burning nightmarishly with an emerald flame of rage and disapproval.

***

NO ONE ELSE MUST HAVE KNOWN OF THE TWINS' CONFLICT, FOR WHEN Emmett Lockhart arrived at Wellington House, Bethany came bustling into his sister's chambers to deliver the "good news". Emmeline, who had been hiding from her brother under her sheets, pretended to be asleep when the older woman came into the room. Penelope, who had received detailed instructions beforehand, informed the older woman that her mistress had been feeling slightly nauseous since rising that morning, and had said that she wished to rest as much as possible so that she was in top form for dinner with Emmett's potential match.

"I see," were the only curt words offered to the maid; then Bethany walked to stand beside her niece and ran a gentle hand over her locks. With a regretful sigh, she left the room, proceeding to fawn over her charming nephew, who was sitting alone in the drawing room. The duke had claimed to have business on the town, and left the estate shortly before his son was due to arrive.