that would not be the case.
If it were, he intended to face it with her.
“Do I look well?” she asked, glancing first to him, then to Mabel, then back again.
“Beautiful,” Mabel said.
He swallowed hard, for that was a loaded question if there ever was one. “I assure you, not a person could find fault with your appearance.”
She let her breath come out softly. “That’s the best I can hope for. I’m ready.”
She held out a trembling hand and he caught it, squeezing it gently before he helped her from the rig, then did the same for Mabel. Celeste smoothed her skirts as she looked up at the house. She pressed her lips tight with displeasure.
“It’s very pretty,” she said softly. “Especially in comparison to my hovel.”
Owen tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. He tried not to think of the previous night when her body had leaned into his. At how her eyes had shone like diamonds when she stared into his face in the moonlight. How soft her lips were, even briefly.
“The man was an arse,” he choked out. “Don’t forget it.”
A flutter of a smile was his reward. “I won’t. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”
The door opened as they crested the stairs and a stern-looking butler appeared from the house. “Mr. Gregory,” he said. “They are waiting for you.”
“Very good,” Owen said. “Thank you, Paisley.”
The butler inclined his head, even as he shot a glance at Celeste. She shifted against Owen’s side and when he looked at her, her cheeks were bright pink. How he wished he could spare her this humiliation. But Montgomery had set this in motion for a long time. It had to play out if any of these women were to come to the other side of it.
Mabel was directed away to have a cup of tea in the servants’ hall. Celeste sent her maid one forlorn look, but she didn’t argue as they followed Paisley down the hall and he stopped at a parlor door, which he opened and stepped into, blocking the view of the interior of the room. “Mrs. Montgomery, Mr. Gregory is here with…with…”
“Mrs. Montgomery,” came a soft, gentle voice from within. “We mustn’t mince words, dear Paisley. Mr. Gregory is here with the third Mrs. Montgomery. Please show them in.”
The butler stepped aside, and Owen allowed Celeste through the door first. She caught her breath and so did he. Abigail Montgomery stood before the sideboard, sleek dark hair pulled back from her face and equally dark eyes sweeping over Celeste as she made her entrance. She was not alone in the room. The second Mrs. Montgomery, Phillipa, stood at the fireplace, blonde curls straining to break free from her own chignon and green eyes flitting over Celeste.
Before the settee were two gentlemen, Owen’s employers. Erasmus Montgomery’s older brother, the Earl of Leighton, and the man who had set this entire nightmare off, the Duke of Gilmore.
Owen leaned in to Celeste, feeling her warmth, and God help him, he wished he could sweep her up and carry her away from all this. He didn’t.
“You’ll be fine,” he breathed, and felt her press into him a little closer before she broke free. He hoped that would be true. He hoped it could be true because Celeste didn’t deserve more heartache than she had already encountered.
But there was no way for him to protect her now.
“G-good afternoon,” Celeste murmured, her gaze flitting from one face to the next because she wasn’t certain where to look in this room full of strangers, whether they be potential enemies or friends.
But the dark-haired lady at the sideboard didn’t hesitate. She rushed across the room, hands outstretched in greeting. “Mrs. Montgomery.” Then she glanced at the other woman, who was already coming across the room. “This is going to get very confusing, isn’t it? I am Abigail Montgomery. Missus the first.”
“Phillipa,” said the blonde as she reached Celeste’s side and gave her a sad but kind smile. “The second. But call me Pippa, everyone does.”
“Celeste, the third,” Celeste sighed. Suddenly her exhaustion felt overwhelming, perhaps because she saw it mirrored on the expressions of the other two women. Only they would know how all this felt. Only they could have an inkling the fear, the humiliation and the regret of it all.
“What a club to be a part of,” Abigail said with a gentle smile.
In that moment, Celeste stopped holding the breath it felt like she’d been keeping in for days. She’d