If that was her assessment, then it was obvious there was destiny at work. With that being the case, how could she proceed with the wedding to Gregory?
The house was quiet, no guests up even though it was almost noon, so she’d been curious when she noted a couple out on the verandah. She looked closer and realized it was Gregory and Mrs. Starling.
They were always together, and Caroline had observed them as they’d socialized. She’d been left with the impression that they had a connection that wasn’t exactly illicit, but that wasn’t exactly acceptable either. Mrs. Starling was polite to Caroline, but there was always an undercurrent of tension, as if Mrs. Starling was secretly enjoying a joke at Caroline’s expense.
She and Gregory were having an animated conversation, when suddenly, Mrs. Starling kissed Gregory right on the mouth. It was such an unexpected sight that Caroline was amazed she didn’t fall to the floor in a stunned heap.
As Mrs. Starling pulled away, she saw Caroline spying on them. The horrid shrew smiled an arrogant, condescending smile, appearing gleeful that Caroline had witnessed the intimate exchange.
She laid a hand on Gregory’s chest, and she rubbed in a slow circle that sent a stern message to Caroline: Gregory belonged to Mrs. Starling, and even if Caroline wound up with a ring on her finger, Mrs. Starling wasn’t about to let Caroline have him.
Caroline had never been more astonished. She stumbled away and ran, simply yearning to find a secluded spot and hide while she pondered the disaster.
She was desperate to discuss the situation with someone, but who? Gregory would deny any indiscretion. Her uncle would scoff at her concerns. Janet would say, My brother is a dog. Why are you surprised by this?
Mr. Ralston would probably have all sorts of gossip to share about the disgusting pair, but Caroline couldn’t bear to hear it.
As usual, as it had been since she was returned to England at age five, she was on her own with no one to guide her, no one to care.
Caleb had been searching everywhere for Caroline, being eager to sit down with her and reminisce about his father.
It was mid-afternoon, and guests had begun to stagger down for a very late breakfast, but Caroline had been conspicuously absent.
He’d been up until dawn, helping Gregory grow even more indebted. Everyone was hungover, but he was fit as a fiddle, his mental faculties alert and functioning. When he was gambling, he didn’t imbibe, and with him being regularly plagued by insomnia, he was accustomed to staying up all night. He wasn’t tired.
He was walking down a deserted hall, wondering if Caroline might be ill, if he shouldn’t sneak to her bedchamber and check on her, when a parlor door opened, and she emerged from the empty room.
“Caro! There you are! I was starting to worry about you.”
“Hello.”
Her greeting was morose and subdued, and he studied her, thinking she was sad and despondent, as if she’d received a terrible blow.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’re an awful liar, and you’re devastated. What’s happened?”
She didn’t reply, but gazed up at him with those poignant blue eyes of hers. They killed him, those eyes. He peeked both ways down the hall, then urged her back into the room. He shut the door behind them.
He would have pulled her into his arms, but she scooted around a small sofa, using it as a barrier to keep him away.
He wanted to complain and call her a nervous ninny, but he understood her qualms about their burgeoning relationship. She was engaged, and she hadn’t reneged on her commitment to her cousin, so her flirtation with Caleb—if that’s what it was—was foolish and reckless.
“I just saw. . . something I shouldn’t have,” she said, “and it upset me. I’m glad I saw it though. It showed me an important problem I failed to notice on my own.”
“From how forlorn you are, it must have been crushing.”
“I haven’t decided if it is or not. I’ve been trying to figure out what it indicates.”
“I hate to have you so distraught,” he said. “Describe what you witnessed. Let me give you my opinion about it.”
“How much do you know about Gregory’s life in town?”
He could have guessed Gregory would be the topic, and he sighed. “I know a lot.”
“Then tell me about Mrs. Starling. What do you know about her?”
He paused, choosing his words carefully. “She’s an interesting character.”
“How is she interesting? Why would you pick that term? In my view, she’s smug, unlikable, and a tad patronizing.”
“She definitely comes across that way.”
“Is she a doxy?”
“She has that reputation in various circles.”
“She’s a guest in my home. She was invited to my wedding.”
“What are you really asking me, Caro? Just spit it out.”
“Are she and Gregory romantically involved?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“How long have they been together?”
“It’s been four or five years.”
“Years!” She looked as if she might faint.
“Men lead decadent lives in town. It’s common for them to have affairs and mistresses.”
“But he’s about to be married!”
“I realize that.”
“How closely attached are they? Have you any idea?”
“They share lodging, which seems very close to me.”
“They cohabitate?”
“Yes. She’s his hostess, and she manages his household as if she’s his wife.”
She was so stunned that she lurched over to a chair and plopped down. “If I’d married him, what was I supposed to be? Where would I have fit in that seedy scenario?”
“I can’t clarify his thinking. He’s as much a mystery to me as he is to you.”
“Might it have occurred to you that I’d like to be apprised about this? If I hadn’t stumbled on it myself, would you ever have mentioned it to me?”
He debated lying, but didn’t. “Probably not. I have plenty of issues of my own with regard to your
