Page 28 of A Mismatch Made in London

“Where did you go? What did you do?” her brother asked. “Your cousins were very worried. You owe them an explanation.”

There was an awkward silence. Then Marianne said, “We’re just grateful she’s well and unharmed.”

Jeremy didn’t take his eyes off Juliet.

Juliet met his gaze, finally. She said, “I realize I shouldn’t have gone with him. It was foolish of me. He said we’d be back before the concert was over, but he took me outside of town and asked me to marry him. I told him no, and he brought me home.”

“I’ll call him out. A gentleman does not treat a lady thusly.” Jeremy’s voice was low and calm.

“No,” Juliet said, rolling her eyes. “That’s not necessary, and you will only draw more attention to us. As it is, no one saw us, I dare say.”

There was another pause, then Robert said, “That’s not entirely true. A lady approached us. She saw Juliet leave with Mr. Fairweather and asked if we knew. Miss Moore made it seem as if nothing was amiss, but I’m not sure the woman will keep silent about it.”

“She is a friend of Mrs. Kendall,” I said quickly. “My aunt can convince her to keep quiet.”

“Let us hope so, for all our sakes.” Jeremy turned and climbed the stairs, and we followed after him.

When we were in our room and readying ourselves for dinner, Juliet was strangely quiet.

“Juliet, are you all right? Did Mr. Fairweather frighten you?”

Juliet sank down on a cushioned armchair and looked up at me. After a few moments’ pause, she said, “Yes.”

I thought I saw tears in her eyes. “What happened?” I said softly.

She wrapped her arms around herself, as if she was cold. “He threatened to keep me out all night if I didn’t agree to marry him. The only way I could convince him to take me home was to say that my brother would challenge him to a duel and would surely kill him. But he argued with me. I have never been so frightened.”

“Perhaps you should tell your brother.”

“I don’t want to risk him getting killed because of my foolishness.” Not only were there tears in her eyes, but her chin was trembling.

I squeezed her arm. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. It does sound frightening.”

“Forgive me for ruining your visit.”

“You haven’t ruined my visit.” I got on my knees beside her so I could look her in the eye. “All will be well. No one will ever hear of it, and we will never allow that awful little Mr. Fairweather near us again.”

Juliet smiled, ever so slightly. “He is rather short, isn’t he?”

“Yes, and he has black, shallow eyes, and he’ll never make a good match because he doesn’t know how to ask a lady to marry him without threatening her.”

A tear ran down Juliet’s cheek, but she was smiling now, and she wiped it away with a quick swipe of her finger.

“Thank you for being a better friend to me than I deserve.” Her voice was strained.

“I will always be your friend, Juliet. You’re the best friend I could ever ask for.”

“I don’t know about that.” She sighed. “But I’m very grateful for you.”

He shouldn’t have been so hard on Juliet.

Jeremy was in his bedroom untying his cravat, which suddenly seemed to be choking him. He threw it on the chair and leanedhis head against the mantelpiece. What would he have done if something truly horrific had happened to Juliet?

He should have spoken to her privately, should have talked with her until she told him everything that happened. What if that scoundrel had frightened her, tried to kiss her, or worse?

She probably would hide it from him. She might be afraid he would blame her, and she wouldn’t want him to endanger himself in a duel. But what else could he do to that despicable Fairweather other than call him out and beat him in a fair fight if that villain had done something to harm his sister?

It was bad enough he’d taken her out riding, alone, after dark.