Stand With Me, Earl (A Very Fine Muddle Book 3) by Kate Archer

Author:Kate Archer [Archer, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-10-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Viola’s sisters read the letter from Lady Rumsgartner. She had no need to reread it herself—its message was burned into her thoughts.

Lady Viola Bennington—

An alarming report has reached my ears—it is an unfortunately reliable report that I have heard from several reliable people. It is said that you ran off with some sort of traveling tinker, did not go through with a wedding, and returned to your father’s house. You may be free to bring such shame to your father’s house, but I am offended that you would have imagined you might bring it into MY house. You are stricken from my guest lists this season and forevermore.

Also, that chaperone of yours, Miss Mayton, must be included in the shame as I will suppose she did not keep a very close eye on you if you were at liberty to set off for Scotland.

Lady Penelope Rumsgartner, Marchioness of Medham

Viola felt a cold chill seep into her body. What had she done? That was not the story that was meant to go round. How could the lady believe she’d actually gone to Gretna Green? It was a preposterous idea.

But how stupid that she had not considered that the story might be embellished.

No. One could not even call it embellishment. It was an outright fabrication.

Had Lady Clara done it? Or had it been someone else who’d heard it and decided it was not scandalous enough?

Whoever had done it, Viola recognized that she had nobody but herself to blame. She should have seen that playing with gossip was too risky. She had been so desperate to give Lord Baderston his moment to prove himself that she had been rash and foolhardy.

Her sisters and Miss Mayton had pored over the letter with several gasps. Chester, seeming to sense the upset all around him, groomed himself and muttered, “Murder, murder, murder.”

Before anybody but Chester could say a word, Darden burst into the room.

“Viola! I have just heard the most terrible report!”

*

Roland had been looking very much forward to Lady Margaret’s card party. The lady was long known, she provided an excellent sideboard, and she always had an interesting selection of guests. He had every year been invited, not because he was himself so very interesting, but because Lady Margaret was a cousin to his father and had always been a great friend to him.

He had been delighted to hear that Lady Viola had been invited too, and of course it made perfect sense. Lady Margaret was very friendly with Conbatten and was said to be charmed by his new duchess. Those genial feelings had very naturally extended to include the duchess’ younger sister, Lady Viola.

Though Lady Margaret was a relation, Roland was in no danger of encountering his mother there. For one thing, those two ladies had never cared for one another. Roland did not know the whole story, but there had been some sort of rift created. He had the feeling that Lady Margaret had not rejoiced when his father had announced his engagement.

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