on each side. To Caroline’s surprise, her cousin had provided the jeweler with a hand-drawn sketch of the ring she wanted.
Now, that very ring dangled on a delicate gold chain around her neck. One couldn’t help but wonder why!
Caroline frowned, noting the way her mother’s gaze widened at the sight. However, she refrained from commenting on Rebecca’s unusual attire. In all likelihood, she thought it would serve to secure Lord Coleridge’s interest.
That, however, was not Rebecca’s intention.
Caroline was certain of it.
“What are you up to?” she whispered in her cousin’s ear as their carriage rumbled down the darkened streets toward Lord Cowell’s townhouse.
Touching a slender finger to the ring sitting atop her chest, Rebecca smiled, her brows rising ever so slightly as she glanced at Caroline. “I do not have the faintest idea what you speak of, dear cousin.”
Caroline sighed, then dropped the subject. After all, who was she to complain about the secrets Rebecca insisted to keep?
As expected, once they stepped into the large hall, all eyes were drawn to Rebecca—more specifically the low neckline of her gown! Still, Caroline suspected that there was one set of eyes in particular her cousin sought to draw that night.
Ever since she’d returned from visiting her old friend at Ravengrove, Rebecca had seemed strangely driven to seek out Lord Pembroke. No doubt, something had happened that had encouraged her to believe that the young American earl still cared for her. However, Caroline could not fathom what it could have been, and her cousin was ever tight-lipped.
Retreating into the background, Caroline kept glancing at Rebecca as Lord Coleridge led her onto the dance floor. The look on her cousin’s face held a mix of disappointment and annoyance that the dull lord had once more swooped in and snatched her away. She cast him a polite smile, but then allowed her gaze to sweep the room, no doubt looking for a very specific set of blue eyes.
Caroline found the man in possession of those eyes soon enough as he all but stalked the edges of the dance floor, his gaze fixed on Rebecca. His jaw seemed tense, and whenever his gaze moved to Lord Coleridge, Caroline thought she saw a rather murderous gleam there.
A soft smile tugged on the corners of her lips. Perhaps Rebecca had been right to go to such lengths to draw him out for he was clearly bothered by the way Lord Coleridge stared at her. Perhaps bothered enough to interfere?
As though on cue, Lord Pembroke strode across the dance floor the moment the dance came to an end and claimed Rebecca’s hand for the next—much to Lord Coleridge’s displeasure!
Rebecca, however, glowed as though he’d just offered her the stars.
Sighing, Caroline procured herself a glass of lemonade and then strolled around the room before retreating to a quieter corner as she found herself quite unoccupied at present.
Rather unexpectedly, Mr. Wolsey seemed to have turned over a new leaf after the night he’d spent locked in his office. He mostly appeared sober, his gaze holding a hint of mortification whenever it met hers. Caroline doubted that whatever had spooked him would be of a permanent nature. But for now, she was grateful.
On top of that, Mr. Carpenter had done a marvelous job with the roof, and they had moved the children back into their former rooms, giving them more space. If they stuck to the tight budget Caroline had set forth, the children’s home’s funds would last them until summer.
So far, so good.
Now that her needlepoint circle would resume its meetings, Caroline could set her sights on a new lady, slowly encouraging her to make a donation that would secure the children’s well-being for many more years to come.
“You seem distracted.”
Caroline flinched at the sound of Lord Markham’s voice, and her lemonade splashed precariously up the sides of her glass. What on earth was that man doing here?
Still, anger would not serve her.
Nor would indignation.
Instead, Caroline slid back into her role as the demure wallflower and slowly turned to face him, her chin not quite level with the ground, her eyes downcast. The last time, he’d caught her off guard, and she had to admit her reaction to his teasing had been quite unwise. No doubt, it had all but encouraged him to seek her out again!
Tonight, she would bore him to tears and send him running for the hills!
“Good evening, my lord,” she mumbled, her gaze no more than flitting to his before returning it to the glass in her