Page 84 of Impetuous

Philip’s eyes narrowed. “Ah, but it will not get out, now, will it, ma’am? Besides, there will be no damage to Cassandra’s reputation. She is going to be my wife.”

“What!” Cassandra turned as stunned an expression on him as her aunt.

Aunt Ardis began to splutter, seeing the tactical error she had made in the excitement of the moment. “Oh, no…I…Sir Philip, I am sure that is not necessary. The servants have not seen you here, and you can rest assured that Joanna and I will not breathe a word of this. It is, after all, my niece’s reputation.”

“I am sure you would not tell anyone,” Philip agreed. “Nevertheless, Miss Verrere is my fiancée now.”

“But you can’t! I mean, that’s absurd!”

Philip raised an insufferably aristocratic eyebrow, looking at Aunt Ardis as if she were some sort of strange specimen he had just recently uncovered. “I, too, was most surprised that Cassandra accepted my proposal. It is quite obvious that I am not worthy of her. But, there you are, she is always a kind and generous lady.”

“No! Wait!” Joanna cried, springing to her feet. She turned toward her mother desperately. “Mother! Do something! He can’t marry Cassandra!”

“I assure you, Miss Moulton, I can. And I will.”

“But…but…” She turned back to him, opening her eyes wide in a wounded expression. “But what about me?”

“I am sure Miss Verrere will ask you to be an attendant at our wedding. Won’t you, Cassandra, dear?”

Cassandra could not stifle a giggle at her cousin’s horrified expression. “Of course, Joanna,” she told her sweetly. “You must be my bridesmaid. After all, it was you and Aunt Ardis who brought Sir Philip and me together.”

Aunt Ardis made a choking noise. “Cassandra, wait… consider…you cannot. Sir Philip, you cannot have thought! Cassandra is penniless.”

“I have no need of a wealthy wife,” Philip responded blandly. “I am sure you will be happy to know that Cassandra’s love is more than enough treasure for me.”

Cassandra had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep down a hoot of laughter at his syrupy words. Philip shot her a most unloverlike look.

“But there are her brothers and sister, too. Have you thought about the burden of raising them?”

“I am quite fond of children.”

“But you can’t!” Joanna shrieked at Cassandra, stamping her foot. “You can’t marry him! You can’t—you can’t get married before me!”

This last thought was apparently too much for her beleaguered nerves, for Joanna turned and ran from the room. An instant later they heard her door slam shut. Aunt Ardis gaped at them for a moment, her mouth opening and closing like that of a landed fish. Then she turned and hurried after her daughter.

Cassandra gazed after her aunt for a moment, laughter bubbling up from her throat. She was, she thought, filled with a most unworthy sense of triumph. Behind her, Philip lit a lamp to survey the damage.

Cassandra turned around and gasped. She was looking not at the mess on the floor but at Philip. For the first time she saw his face in full lamplight. “Philip! You are injured!”

She went to him quickly, pushing back the hair that had fallen down over his forehead and exposing the large red spot, already beginning to show a bruise, centered by a jagged cut. A line of blood had oozed down the side of his face from the cut.

“Yes,” Philip responded almost casually. “He hit me full force with that little box.” He grimaced. “I feel like a fool, letting him get away like that.”

“It wasn’t your fault. We were unprepared to find a thief in the room, after all. And while your head may be hard, I fear it is not impervious to flying objects.”

He mustered a small smile at her comment, and she continued, “Here. Sit down on the bed and let me tend to that.”

“It’s nothing. What is important is the map. I am sure that is what he was after. Why else enter this particular room?”

Cassandra glanced over at the armoire. “Oh, it’s fine.”

She walked to the large cabinet and opened it, sifting rapidly through her dresses until she found the right one. She dug down into a pocket and pulled out the map, which she waved at Philip, then returned to its hiding place.

“Odd place for safekeeping.”

“It’s easy and always at hand, and not the first place anyone would think to look, as you can see.” She gestured toward the ransacked room. “Had I thought anyone was going to try to steal it, I suppose I might have been more careful and put it for safekeeping in that very box he threw at you.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it is only a copy. I have another one at Haverly House, and the original is at home.”

“Still, I am very glad that our thief didn’t get his hands on it.”