Page 84 of The Unfortunate Debutante
“Don’t get jealous,” Eliza chastised. “Shouldn’t we rejoice that there are more people to love her?”
“I suppose so,” he mumbled.
Simeon rose from his chair and walked over to the window. “All this time, Lockhart has been plotting to make Emma his in order to claim her inheritance. Do you think he might kill her once she’s served her purpose?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll save her before that happens,” Adrien assured him.
“How? We don’t even know where she is,” Simeon said dejectedly. “We’ve failed to keep her safe.”
Adrien headed towards the drink cart and poured two drinks. He walked back and extended a snifter towards him. “Don’t give up hope. We’ll get Emma back.”
“I have experienced your plans firsthand,” Simeon said, accepting the snifter, “and they’re dreadful.”
Adrien brought the snifter up to his lips. “They’ve always worked though, haven’t they?”
“True,” Simeon reluctantly agreed as he took a sip of his drink.
“You care for the girl,” Adrien stated in a low tone.
He nodded. “I do.”
“I suspected as much.” Adrien took a sip of his drink. “But if you hurt Emma, I will personally kill you in the most excruciating way possible.”
Simeon swirled the brandy in his hand. “It matters not. I said I cared for Emma, but I never said she returned my affections.”
“You didn’t have to,” Adrien remarked. “Don’t think for one moment that we weren’t following you to ensure Emma was being properly protected.”
“You were following me?”
Adrien shrugged. “If it helps, we never had to intervene.”
Glancing over at Luke, Simeon lowered his voice. “Did Emma give any indication she may favor me?”
Adrien chuckled. “Perhaps.”
“I hate waiting,” Downshire growled from next to the drink cart.
“Finally, something you and I agree upon,” Simeon said, bringing the snifter up to his lips.
15
The coach jerkedto a stop as Emma glanced out the carriage’s window to see a dilapidated cottage in the middle of the woods. The two-level cottage had a thatched roof, and the windows on the first level were boarded up.
“Welcome home, my dear,” Peter said in a teasing tone.
“This is home?”
Lockhart chuckled. “It’s a temporary home, just until the law stops looking for us.”
“You killed the Marquess of Downshire,” Emma declared, tears filling her eyes. “I cannot wait to see you hang.”
An annoyed look flickered across Peter’s face. “I killed Lord Downshire forus.”
“For us?” she repeated with a look of exasperation.
“Lord Downshire had designs on you, and he would never have let you go,” he explained.
Emma pressed her lips together, attempting to hold back her disdain. “Lord Downshire welcomed me into his family. He loved me and cared for me as my guardian. He had no secret agenda for me.”
