and fell. Fortune and power were embodied in this woman whom a good puff of wind might blow away. Marguerite had spent time at her sister’s house party with Lady Smythe-Burke and ever since the lady had taken a great interest in her life, too great an interest. Marguerite shrank into her chair.
“I’ll ask again, Wimberley, you do know what this means, what you must do?” Lady Smythe-Burke caught Tristan with an iron glare.
“Why yes, my lady, I do know. I believe I’ve hopelessly compromised Miss Wilkes and will have no recourse but to marry her. What do you think, my dear?” Tristan turned to Marguerite and she slumped further.
How had she placed herself in this position? Now if she didn’t marry him, both of them would be disgraced. What had she done? Acid bit at the back of her throat.
“That’s settled then.” Lady Smyth-Burke picked up her pacing. “Will it be banns or special license? I suppose under the circumstances it will be the license. Too many of these hurried affairs these days. In my day everything was done properly at St. George’s. Don’t understand the young. Maybe we should just let you walk up to the magistrate, sign yourselves away, and be done with it. Why ask God’s blessing when it’s clear you’re already making a hash of everything? Splendid idea, that. Just sign and be done with it. No need to make a spectacle of the whole debacle. You’re not with child are you, my dear? No, of course not, I’ve heard your mother is not the most sensible of women, but I am sure she’s trained you better than that. Besides I myself know that Wimberley would never be so careless.”
Lady Smythe-Burke turned away from Marguerite, who prayed silently that her lack of color would not betray her. She lifted the teacup and swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the hot liquid, hoping the steam would bring a flush to her cheeks. She didn’t even dare glance at Tristan, who had moved across the room.
“You’ll have to come home with me, of course.” Lady Smythe-Burke was still talking. “Yes, that is the only answer. I take it your mother is not in town. I will not even begin to inquire as to how this circumstance came about. I would have credited you both with more sense than this. If it ever comes out that you have been here this evening, we will simply say that I was here with you from the first. Yes, that’s what we will do. Violet Carrington will provide an alibi. Who else saw Miss Wilkes’ arrival? In a normal household I’d worry about servants’ gossip, but somehow I imagine that is not of major concern here.”
Tristan nodded curtly as he turned and faced them. Marguerite still refused to look in his direction, but she could feel the air stir at his movement.
“Sir Thomas Langdon and Lord Darcy,” he said. “Neither would have recognized her and, once this affair is completed, neither will risk my ire. They both believe they have much to gain from my friendship.”
“And that of Lady Carrington, I imagine,” Lady Smythe-Burke snorted.
“As usual, you see too much.”
“I played this game long, long before you’d put on your first pair of breeches.”
Marguerite remained silent. She stared at the now empty cup in her hands. She longed for Tristan to catch her tight to him and tell her again that all could be made well. But, that was a child’s dream. If nothing else, the past year, the past months, had taught her that dreams did not come true. Besides, at the heart of all this, Tristan himself held much of the blame for what had come to pass. If she had never met him, the world would have been a very different place. He was the one who had taught her to dream, had made her seek a different world. She could still close her eyes and be back in the magic of that summer garden, remember how her life had changed at his touch, how she’d seen how wonderful the world could be.
“When should I plan the wedding breakfast?” Lady Smythe-Burke’s words called her back to the present. “Next Tuesday would be most convenient. Let me know if you have any trouble with the license. My nephew, Westlake, arrives in town shortly, as undoubtedly you are already aware, and I will prevail upon him to take care of the matter if there are difficulties. Not that I expect there