The Harlow Hoyden: A Regency Romance (Love Takes Root Book 1) by Lynn Messina

Author:Lynn Messina [Messina, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance
Publisher: Potatoworks Press
Published: 2014-02-04T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Although Emma never said anything to the contrary, Lavinia knew instantly that something disastrous had happened between her and Trent. She had seen them walk out onto the balcony together and return separately. When the duke had left she’d caught the defeated look on his face and tried to discover its cause. But try as she might to capture the duke’s attention, he avoided her eyes with single-minded dedication. A few minutes later, he left the ball. He did not pause to say good-bye. Almost a half hour after this strange episode, Emma returned. For all intents and purposes, she looked exactly the same as she had earlier, but Vinnie could swear that something was different now. Emma had changed on some imperceptible level.

Vinnie didn’t expect her to talk about Trent during the carriage ride home because Sir Waldo was with them, but as soon as he said good night, she prepared herself for a barrage of questions. It never came. Instead, Emma complimented the food and the music and the decorations. She had a nice thing to say about everything, except Trent. She had nothing to say about Trent. When Vinnie herself had tried to raise the issue, she was left high and dry. Upon hearing his name, Emma yawned widely and excused herself.

In the morning, Emma looked well rested and healthy. She partook voraciously of breakfast and chatted mindlessly through the entire meal. Vinnie didn’t know what to make of this. She had expected listlessness and a chalky appearance like the last time. That Emma seemed so untroubled troubled her sister greatly, and she wrote to Trent requesting an interview. Vinnie knew better than to try to learn anything from her sister. The duke had been extremely helpful and good-humored on other occasions. She assumed he would be so now, but a note came back from his secretary informing her that his grace was out of town on business. She wrote back asking when his return was anticipated, but the unsatisfying reply was imprecise. He was expected back anytime in the next four weeks.

Now Lavinia felt deep concern. That her sister was acting oddly by not acting oddly was only to be expected but for the duke to behave in unusual ways was a twist that Vinnie had not foreseen, and it made her cross. She relied on him to be the sensible one. What could have sent him off for four weeks in the middle of the season? She considered the very real possibility that some great emergency had called him away but quickly dismissed it. The duke would not have left under those circumstances without a note. No, for him to disappear like this meant that Emma did something very stupid. Vinnie racked her brain for an answer. Again and again she came back to the Northrup ball and the defeated look on the duke’s face. She recalled the determination with which the duke had tried to get an audience with Emma. The Northrup affair was the first chance he’d had to speak privately with her.

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