Page 95 of In With a Chance

“And you cannot marry her?”

“I can never marry them,” Lord Ravenshurst confirmed with an incline of his head. “They are already married.”

Gwen felt for him. He was not a bad man; quite to the contrary, if he had truly been willing to break the engagement himself to spare her the shame.

But to be in love with a person who was already married; oh, that the fates should be so cruel!

“I am sorry,” Gwen said quietly.

The marquess’s smile was brief, and it did not remain. “I know.”

“But… Well, I am given to understand that the rules of Society are somewhat fluid for married ladies if their husbands don’t find out. I suppose you could still—”

“Miss Chance, I appreciate your concern, but I speak of the truth when I tell you that there is no possibility that this person and I could be together,” Lord Ravenshurst said quietly, pain in every syllable. “I understand to what you are referring and I am not going to ask how you know about it. Suffice to say that their marriage is unconsummated and is unlikely ever to be, but I cannot ever marry.”

“Yes, yes, I see,” said Gwen hastily, a burning flush rising up her décolletage to her cheeks. “I am sorry. That is…most difficult.”

For a moment, a smile—a true one—flashed across the man’s face. “You have no idea.”

They stood in silence for a moment, before the marquess said briskly, “So. We shall have to face them.”

“All of them.” Gwen sighed with a shiver. “Well, I suppose we had better go out there and get it over with.”

“Miss Chance, if you are ever in Edinburgh, I do hope that you and your family visit,” said the marquess loudly as they stepped out from behind the curtain.

Gwen snorted, but not because of the man’s words. Because there had been a gaggle of about twenty people all standing immoderately close to the curtain who had all been forced to hurry away and pretend they had not been trying to listen.

“Animals,” she muttered.

Lord Ravenshurst chuckled as he took his hand in hers. “Yes, I suppose so. Now that we are friends, perhaps—”

“There you are! I hoped to—oh. Miss Chance.” Sir James Stuart smiled awkwardly as his wife joined them, along with a pretty woman that Gwen did not know. “And is it all, erm—”

“All settled,” said Lord Ravenshurst quietly.

“Good,” said Lady Heather Stuart smartly. “I’m going to find a dark corner. Penelope?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” said the pretty woman cheerfully, and the two women disappeared off together, giggling.

“That is my sister, Penelope,” said Sir James with a fond expression. “I’ll get us some drinks, shall I?”

Gwen murmured her gratitude as the man disappeared off toward a trestle table against the other wall. “Miss Stuart and your aunt appear very close.”

For a moment, Lord Ravenshurst fixed her with a sharp look—but then his face relaxed and he said, “Yes. Yes, very close.”

“It’s a shame you can’t marry her,” Gwen said conversationally, wondering what Lady Heather had meant by ‘a dark corner.’ “Then you and your sister, and her husband, Sir James, and his sister—well, all four of you could live together.”

She had not intended her statement to be one that shocked, but for some reason, the marquess stared with wide eyes, his jaw practically on the floor.

“I… I had never considered that,” he said slowly. “Miss Stuart has been away at finishing school for a time and only recently returned. She and Heather… Well, they’ve been getting on fabulously the past few weeks.”

“Well, I know that Sir James is one of your oldest and dearest friends,” said Gwen cheerfully as Lord Ravenshurst’s gaze moved from her and into the crowd. “And your sister and Miss Stuart clearly adore each other’s company. Surely, living with the two people you care about the most and a new wife who is dear to them, you could be…happy.”

Her words trailed away as she saw the most incredible smile slip across Lord Ravenshurst’s face. It utterly transformed him, his mediocre looks suddenly becoming handsome, a glow emitting from his very person, and his attention fixed upon someone just over her shoulder.

Gwen swallowed. If she turned around now, she knew, she would see the woman with whom the Marquess of Ravenshurst was truly in love.

Dare I look?