Hopefully this time they would be able to come to some sort of agreement or understanding.
“Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere?” William suggested as Emma placed her hands on his chest.
“Are you simply too afraid to define our relationship?” Emma murmured and raised an intrigued brow at William.
“That is ludicrous,” he whispered, tilting his chin downward. “I promise you that we will discuss this soon, when things are safer for both of us.”
Their noses touched briefly as he gently caressed Emma’s cheek. Their lips edged closer to one another and suddenly the door of the room opened.
They jolted apart in shock. The young woman, whom William instantly recognized as Lady Clara, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Waltham, was well known as a gossiping young woman.
“My lady,” William said, injecting confidence into his tone as he approached Lady Clara.
“Apologies for the intrusion, my lord,” Lady Clara answered with a smile as she gazed at William. That smile faded as her gaze came to rest on Emma. “My lady. I was under the impression all the guests were in the ballroom.”
“Emma and I were simply...” His voice trailed off as he was suddenly lost, unable to find the words to explain.
“Lord William and I were discussing how beautiful the moon is this evening. The ballroom is far too warm and crowded for my liking, and he was courteous enough to escort me before I could lose myself in these maze-like hallways,” Emma interjected calmly and motioned to the moon that shone through the window.
“It would seem it was warm in here, also,” Lady Clara answered, with a raised brow.
“If you would excuse us both, my lady. Lady Emma and I must be heading back to the ballroom,” William politely requested and ushered Emma out the door under the icy gaze of Lady Clara.
They quietly made their way back to the ballroom, parting ways as they reached the entrance, so as not to raise any suspicions.
Time passed, and William kept an eye on Emma.
Then Lady Clara walked back in and began to circulate the room.
Things changed. For the worse.
William stood next to Carson and noticed quite a few women staring at him, as well as pointing and whispering in Emma’s direction.
Dread slithered up his spine.
If only there was something he could do. Instead of confronting those women, he chose to leave it be. He did not wish to create a scene in the presence of all these guests and humiliate Emma. He would simply keep an eye on her for the remainder of the evening, ensuring that no one bothered her.
MUCH LATER IN THAT night, he saw a few ladies approach Emma, and for a moment he held his breath. He wondered what their words were, and as he decided to step in and take responsibility for what he had done, he noticed Emma speak casually and comfortably, as though she were unfazed by their words.
William watched her converse briefly with the women, and by the looks on their outraged faces, they were shocked and disgusted by what she had said.
After they turned away from Emma, he expected them to glare at him, as she could have easily stated that he had attacked her.
The women however, took no notice of him at all, and walked past him without giving him a second glance.
He heard them speak quietly amongst themselves.
“What an utter disgrace. I never in my life thought the daughter of an earl would behave so beyond the pale,” one lady said.
“At least William is handsome and charming,” another lady pointed out, and winked as she passed.
His jaw clenched and he lowered his gaze. Certainly, this was not good. Her reputation was ruined, and any chance of her finding a husband would now be destroyed. Guilt rose inside him, and he glanced sympathetically at Emma.
He had not meant for things to come undone in such a manner, but he did not regret any of his actions. Perhaps he and Emma should have been more careful in choosing a place to be intimate. Or perhaps waited until they were at Woodlock Manor. But what was done, was done, and they had to face the repercussions of their actions.
Emma would have to face them the most.
Not a soul glanced disapprovingly at him. In fact, they paid him no notice, but the glares and stares that were directed at Emma were troubling and unsettling. He fought the urge to approach those people and take responsibility, although it was rather difficult to do so.
William also tried to catch Emma’s attention from the other side of the ballroom, but it was as if she had purposely tried to avoid him.
And rightfully so.
During the journey back to Woodlock Manor, William glanced out the window, absentmindedly listening to Lizzie beam and chatter about the proceedings of her evening, not once mentioning Carson.
He would most certainly not inform Elizabeth of Mr. Wallace’s feelings for her. It was not his place to do so. In actual fact, William had too much on his mind to even consider speaking to his sister regarding his friend.
“Brother, are you even listening to me?” Elizabeth asked suddenly and he glanced over at her.
“Not in the least, sister. I do apologize,” William admitted.
“While I do appreciate your candor—”
“I have many important matters with which to concern myself other than your evening dancing with dukes and lords, sister.”
“You are mean,” Elizabeth muttered and crossed her arms. “I had a lovely evening. How was yours?”
“It was fine. You are aware I do enjoy these balls as much as the next person,” William lied.
“If I may ask, where did you disappear to? One moment you were conversing with Mr. Wallace and the next moment, you were missing,” she inquired, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
“The glimmer in your eye suggests you are already aware of my whereabouts, and you are merely asking to hear if my tale corroborates with the one you heard,” William muttered and glanced out of the window
