The Most Eligible Viscount in London (The Lords of London #2) - Ella Quinn Page 0,1

out.”

Georgie forced herself to stroll calmly out of the front parlor and up the main staircase. Once she reached the second floor, she increased her pace until she was running, straight to her room. Tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked hard to keep them from falling. But as she stepped into the corridor leading to her bedchamber they defied her attempts to halt the blasted things.

Drat, drat, drat!

After months and months of waiting, Turley had finally proposed and the one thing—the only thing—she had needed to hear from him had not been uttered. She should not even have had to ask if he loved her. His lack . . . That he hadn’t mentioned it at all despite the fact he had stated every other reason she would be happy married to him should have given her a hint.

But noo. She’d had to ask if he loved her, and he couldn’t even answer. The look on his face seemed to be burned into her mind. He had acted as if it was the last thing he expected to hear. At the end he could not even meet her gaze. She reached her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. At least he had been honest. Even if he couldn’t bring himself to answer he had not lied. A lie would have been worse. That he did not love her was bound to have come out at the worst possible time and probably not until after they had wed when it would be too late for her to do anything about it.

Trying to stem her tears, she gulped huge breaths of air but it didn’t help. At first tears just rolled down her cheeks, but then her nose began to run. Turning to her side, she pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose. Then her chest began to ache. Why did this hurt so much? Georgie had heard about hearts breaking, but she never thought it was physically possible for it to happen. Apparently, she was wrong. Despite all the attention he had paid to her, deep inside of her she must have known he did not love her, otherwise she would not have asked. Therefore, his lack should not affect her this much. Unfortunately, this eminently commonsensical thought did nothing to help.

The combination of tears and a running nose caused her to hiccup, and then she began to sob.

Great huge sobs so hard she could barely breathe.

Perhaps she just should have accepted his offer. Then she would have years to make him love her, and she wouldn’t be so miserable. Yet now that she knew for certain he did not love her, she could not agree to wed him. She tried to draw a deep breath and could not. She felt as if part of her had been ripped asunder.

Georgie didn’t know how long she remained in bed before she stirred. The curtains were still open, but her room was darker than when she had entered. If only she could pretend nothing had happened. That Lord Turley had not come to propose marriage. That it was a day like any other.

She rolled onto her side as the door opened.

“My darling Georgie.” Grandmamma Featherton hurried to the bed and perched on the side next to Georgie, then took her hands, rubbing them between her fine, strong hands. “What has happened to cause you to cry so? We wanted to give you time, but, my dear, it has been over an hour. We need to know what we can do to help you.”

We. Meaning her mother, grandmother, and her grandmother’s closest friend, the Duchess of Bridgewater. Naturally, they would all be there to congratulate her.

“Darling, how could a proposal go so very wrong?” Her grandmamma’s normally good-humored face took on the look of a warrior’s. “He did not insult you, did he? I will see him destroyed if he did.”

“No.” Georgie struggled to hold back another bout of tears. “He does not love me.”

Grandmamma lifted one pale brow. “Are you certain?”

“Yes.” A sob burst forth, and Grandmamma gathered Georgie into arms that had always been much stronger than they looked. “I asked, and he could not answer.”

Grandmamma soothingly stroked Georgie’s back as if she was a child again. “That is very bad. But not, perhaps, irredeemable. Men can be complete fools about love. In fact, they seem to make a habit of it,” she seemed to muse that last part. “You must understand that it complicates their lives, and they want