A Lady's Guide to Courtship

XXXII. Scandal in the Garden

Dearest William,

I dream of becoming a singer but sadly I do not have the talent for music.

You ought to hear my pianoforte skills.

You might never want to use your ears again.

Your friend,

Lady Weis

*****

"Let go of her arms and take a step back," Nicholas carefully gritted through his teeth.

Wakefield did not do as was told but Ysabella pushed him away to escape.

"Step further away, Wakefield," Ralph added.

"Just a bit more," Maxwell droned.

Wakefield was rooted on the ground.

"Now, Ysa," said Nicholas, "come here."

Wakefield opened his mouth to speak but Emma had stepped forward and over the quiet whispers of the crowd behind them, she reached for Ysabella.

Ysabella started forward but Wakefield grabbed her hand. He could not let her go. Not now, please, his mind begged. He feared that if she left he would never see her again.

"Let go of her, Wakefield," Ralph warned.

"It is best if you take her home," was Aurora's concerned voice.

Emma stiffened and whirled to face Aurora with fury. "No one was talking to you, Aurora."

"But—"

"Do not pretend as though you are still our friend," Emma gritted through her teeth, her entire form nearly on the edge of exploding.

"Emma, please, this is not the time," Ysabella begged, tugging free from Wakefield's hold but he held on.

He was confused, utterly so, but he did not want to let her go.

"Whatever do you mean, Emma?" Aurora asked with a shaky laugh. Everyone was now looking at her.

Emma narrowed her eyes at Aurora. "Would you like to tell the truth now, Aurora? Mayhap it is for the better, while everyone is here because the Herald would obviously not be late on the morrow and we would not want them to have the wrong impression of this night, do we?"

Aurora frowned. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Tell Lord Wakefield what you did to the letters."

"What letters?"

Wakefield felt Ysabella stiffen. "Em, please—"

"You got hold of the letters Lord Wakefield sent Lady Weis so you he will never find her again. Is that true, Aurora?" Emma asked, turning to face Aurora.

Aurora went scarlet before she looked around at the crowd in disbelief and horror. "It seems that you have been cooking quite a different story, Emma. Have you not been listening to the whispered gossip inside the ballroom tonight?" Ysabella and Emma frowned, as did Wakefield and the rest of the Everards. "Lord Wakefield, as it may seem, has already found Lady Weis. And she is but a mere servant."

Wakefield stiffened. He did not like this. Not one tiny bit.

Aurora sighed and gave Ysabella a pitiful look. "You are not her, Ysa. Not one of us is her," Aurora said to Ysabella. "You may think you can get away from this little game you play simply because you're an Everard, then do reconsider for we are no fools."

Ysabella finally managed to escape Wakefield's grasp with an unbelievable strength. "I treated you like a sister!" she cried out. Wakefield saw the hurt in Ysabella's eyes as she shook with grief. "You have proven yourself to be naught but the cunning devil herself!"