Page 87 of In With a Chance

He genuinely believed himself to be engaged to Gwen.

But this didn’t make sense. None of this makes sense, Ernest thought wildly. How could he not understand? Surely, the language Gwen had used had been most clear; she had never held back her true meaning to him.

And yet here the marquess stood, his face a picture of confusion, clearly distressed by the way that Ernest was trying to explain to him that the engagement was at an end.

The letter—Gwen had specifically said, had she not, that she had sent the marquess a letter. Perhaps—

“Why do you believe my engagement with Miss Gwendoline Chance has come to an end?” asked Lord Ravenshurst, stepping toward Ernest with a curious expression. “What has she said to you?”

“Um,” said Ernest weakly.

Well, it was hardly his place to tell the man!

And if the marquess had only bothered to read his own post, he would know himself!

The horrendous thought occurred to Ernest in that moment that if indeed Lord Ravenshurst had no idea that Gwen had broken off their engagement through the form of a letter, then in the man’s eyes, Ernest had… Well.

Seduced his woman.

It was not a pleasant thought. Ernest had suffered enough as the gentleman who had been betrayed in similar circumstances. He had never dreamed of betraying another man, nor allowing a woman to betray her promises to another.

And yet here they stood, two men both completely certain they were engaged to the same woman.

Managing to prevent himself from cursing aloud took up much of Ernest’s brainpower, which perhaps explained the following exchange.

“Who the devil do you think you are, man?!”

“I am her true betrothed!” Ernest said before he could stop himself.

Lord Ravenshurst’s face fell. Then the door opened.

“Mrs. Kinley said there was a visitor waiting in the… In the…”

Ernest turned at the same time as the marquess, and they both looked into the horrified expression of Miss Gwendoline Chance.

There was no time to say anything. Barely any time to feel anything. Ernest’s head darted from Gwen to Lord Ravenshurst to Gwen again, and their faces appeared to express the myriad of emotions that were warring within himself.

Panic. Confusion. Regret. Guilt.

“Ah, Lord Ravenshurst!” Gwen’s mother appeared behind her, stepping past her daughter into the drawing room and beaming at the man. “How pleasant to see you!”

Ernest’s brow furrowed as he stared, utterly baffled, at Gwen.

But—well, she had not specifically said she was going to inform her parents of her decision to break her engagement with the Marquess of Ravenshurst on their walk this afternoon, but he had presumed…

Gwen’s face was turning red. “What are you doing here?”

Her hiss was directed at the marquess, which gave Ernest momentary hope.

Well, at least he wasn’t the only one to be confused by that. After all, what sort of a man went to visit the woman who had broken their engagement only days before?

“Why would I not be here?” Lord Ravenshurst said in clear confusion. “I know I do not have an appointment, but we are engaged—”

“We are not engaged!” Gwen declared hotly.

The room fell immediately into silence.

Ernest swallowed as he watched Lady Pernrith’s expression shift from delight to shock, her smile vanishing in an instant. Behind her stood her husband, whose brow was furrowed and his attention focused on his daughter, who was standing with pink cheeks and a defiant expression.