Page 26 of Juliet's Touch

The tears Juliet had held at bay burned her eyes. The slow trickle turned into a sticky waterfall. Blubbering like a silly child, she collapsed onto her pillow. Emily lay beside her, holding her close and whispering comforting words.

Eventually, Juliet’s tears stopped, not because she felt better, but because she had cried herself bone-dry.

“By now, I suspect Mother and Father are frantically looking for you,” Emily said. “It will only be a matter of time before they realize you are here.”

Juliet sniffled. “I know.”

“Then the four of us will sit and discuss this logically. I shall help you plead your case.”

Juliet nodded. If her sister was going to defend her, she needed to know the entire sordid story. “There is something else,” she whispered.

“Tell me,” Emily said, her eyes soft and filled with compassion.

Juliet inhaled deeply as she gathered her courage. Finally, she exhaled, declaring, “A masked man is running about London. Some say he is an avenger, doling out justice. Others think he is a criminal who has started to target the aristocracy. I believe he is quite heroic. And he is a marvelous kisser.”

Emily grabbed Juliet’s shoulder. “How do you know this?”

“Because…” Juliet closed her eyes. “Because he saved me from the men with the knives and then kissed me in front of Charles and his grandmother.” She opened her eyes to regard Emily’s gaping mouth. “And the truth is, I quite enjoyed the kiss.” Juliet lowered her gaze to her lap to stare at her hands. “But when Mother and Father hear of my scandalous encounter, I will bedead to them, and no one will ever marry me. However, I am not sure that I care. As long as I have you and Maria, I shall survive the scandal.”

Emily wrapped an arm around Juliet’s shoulder. “Of course, you have me. Now, tell me more about this kiss.”