Free Accidentally in Love by Claudia Dain

who stood with her mouth agape.
    “Lady Eleanor,” Sophia said, walking towards them. Her walk was grace itself, the fabric of her sprigged muslin barely moving, “how delightful to see you. You look hardly marked by the excitement at Melverley House last evening. How I do wish I could have seen it myself. The entire Town can speak of nothing else. What coup for you.”
    “It was very exciting,” Eleanor said.
    “And is this the charming girl I’ve heard so much about?” she said, scanning Emeline with her eyes. It was almost alarming. Mama made noises. Madame kept Mama at her side, how, Emeline could not imagine. “Please introduce us, Lord Raithby.”
    The introductions were made, Emeline curtseying at the appropriate moment, Sophia Dalby smiling her approval. “You are just as lovely a girl as every rumor of you. Small wonder you are caught, Lord Raithby. Miss Harlow looks precisely the type of girl to ensnare any man she chooses.”
    Mama made a noise of delight. Madame plunked a hat upon Mama’s head and began arranging things upon it.
    “Am I ensnared?” Lord Raithby said, looking at Emeline with an amused expression. “I do not feel ensnared.”
    “But of course you don’t,” Sophia said, smiling conspiratorially at Emeline, and Emeline had no idea why. “The very best snares are never felt until the last possible moment, Lord Raithby. Now, that is my very last bit of counsel for you. From now on, you must proceed on your own wits. ‘Tis only fair, after all. The entire Town is well aware that Miss Harlow is doing very well on hers.”
    Mama made a noise of outrage. It was muffled by a wide swath of silk being wrapped around the brim of her hat by Madame.
    “But what happened to the footman, Lady Eleanor?” Sophia said.
    “Ben Skrewd,” Eleanor said. “He’s been sacked.”
    “Ben Skrewd?” Sophia said. “What an unfortunate name. If he requires a reference, I shall supply him one. Footman who are bold enough to do what he did can often be very useful.”
    Emeline had never heard anything so revolutionary in her life.
    “What of the gentleman? The one who knocked down the painting, shattered the frame, and ripped the wall covering to shreds?” Sophia said.
    “Mr. Christopher Culley,” Raithby said. “We are acquainted.”
    Not well acquainted. Not friends. How quickly things changed in only hours.
    “Pardon me, Lady Dalby,” Emeline said, “but the painting did not fall and the wall was not ruined.”
    “Only a small section of wallcovering was ripped,” Eleanor added, looking entirely too happy about it.
    “Ah,” Sophia said, “well, it is to be expected that the rumor is so much more delicious than the facts. It’s why I love rumor so very well. Don’t you, Miss Harlow?”
    “I have never given the matter much thought, Lady Dalby,” Emeline said.
    “Haven’t you?” Sophia said, looking Emeline up and down with more obviousness that was in good taste, at least in Wiltshire. “You are young yet, though. I suppose it must be forgiven.”
    Emeline had no idea for what she was being forgiven. She was completely at sea. In fact, she had never wanted to be back in Wiltshire so much before. Having a London Season was not at all what she had expected.
    And if Kit were returning to Wiltshire, why shouldn’t she? London was useless without him.
    The door banged open and there stood Kit. He looked at her, at Raithby, at her again, his gaze sliding over Sophia Dalby and Eleanor Kirkland with hardly a ripple of awareness, and then he strode over to them.
    He was not dressed at all well. His cravat was loose, his linen was not fresh, his shoes wanted polish, and his hair was windblown. He was so much more handsome to her than Lord Raithby that she could hardly draw breath.
    “Raithby,” he said with a crisp bow. “I had not thought to find you here.”
    “I hardly thought to be here myself,” Raithby said. “May I introduce you to Lady Dalby?”
    Raithby spoke the words. Kit