A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander

Author:Tasha Alexander [Alexander, Tasha]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Suspense, cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9780061749711
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2007-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Following Lady Elinor’s advice, we spent three quarters of an hour meandering through the park. Not a single acquaintance offered me more than the most basic courtesy, but at least no one save Lady Elliott cut me. Still, I was thoroughly disheartened when my friends and I returned to the library at Berkeley Square.

“I don’t care what Lady Elinor says,” Margaret said. “I blame myself entirely for this.”

“Don’t, Margaret,” I said, letting my head fall against the back of my chair, eyes focused on the ceiling.

“How could anyone think such things about you?” Ivy asked. We had waited until we reached my house to tell her the story; she was horrified. “What will you do? What will Colin say?”

“Colin is the last person we need to worry about,” Margaret said.

“I don’t agree,” Ivy said. “Colin matters more than anything.”

“Please! I can’t have the two of you arguing.” I wished I could loosen my corset. “Colin will know it’s all nonsense. As for the rest of society, there’s nothing to be done. I shall have to sit out until the scandal blows over.”

“You can’t be serious,” Margaret said. “You need to fight back.”

“It won’t do any good to make a spectacle of yourself, Emily,” Ivy said.

“Fine. Then come to Oxford with me. Or go to Bryn Mawr. University life would suit you.”

“Thank you, Margaret, but I don’t think so. I’d rather stay and face this than run from it.”

“You must think carefully about what will be the best way to approach this,” Ivy said. “You don’t want to lose your position.”

“Her position?” Margaret slammed her hand on the table that stood next to her chair. “I hardly think that her position—”

“I don’t think you fully understand the situation, Margaret. Emily is in danger of losing everything if she does not carefully consider how to best reconcile herself in society. Perhaps you could host a dinner party, Emily. Your parents would, of course, come, and you can count on Robert and me. A royal guest would work wonders for your reputation. Colin’s with Bertie so often these days because of Mr. Berry, and your mother’s friends with Princess Alix—”

“You can’t be suggesting that hosting the Prince of Wales, a notorious profligate, is going to improve Emily’s situation.”

“I am well aware of the prince’s flaws, Margaret, but you know that people are more than willing to overlook them,” Ivy said.

“Can you bear this hypocrisy, Emily? You are falsely accused of having an affair. To save yourself, you should invite to dinner a man with more mistresses than sense.”

“There’s no need to insult the prince,” Ivy said.

“You can’t agree with this nonsense!” Margaret exclaimed, turning to me.

“That’s quite enough, both of you.” I rubbed my temples. “I shall have to figure this out on my own.”

“You could marry Colin,” Ivy said. “All these problems would disappear.”

“Marriage does not make problems disappear,” Margaret said.

“I’m not about to marry Colin simply to save my reputation.”

“That wouldn’t be the only reason for doing it, but perhaps it’s the push you need to finally make a decision.

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