Page 87 of A Mismatch Made in London

“He spent the night here two days ago. He departed so early the next morning that I didn’t see him. He left a note saying he was going to Shropshire to search for that evil man. That’s what I’ve started calling him.”

“It is appropriate. But how did Jeremy look? Do you think he is taking care of himself?” I was remembering how he had driven himself to exhaustion when he’d gone to force his friend Skeffington to provide for the servant he’d got with child.

“Not especially.” Juliet frowned. “He looked very tired. And I know I am to blame.” Juliet’s bottom lip trembled, and she caught it between her teeth.

“You are not to blame.”

“Yes, yes, I am. I was impulsive and rebellious, going riding with him when I knew I shouldn’t. I thought he would do what he said and bring me back before it was dark, but I am to blame for going. You told me not to. Marianne and Robert would never have given me permission to go. I am to blame for being defiant.”

I couldn’t truly argue with her, so I gave her a compassionate look and squeezed her arm.

“I’m so sorry for causing these problems for Jeremy and for you. And for Timothy. He is so good not to throw me over. I wouldn’t blame him if he still decided to call off our engagement.”

“He wouldn’t do that. He loves you.”

“And Jeremy doesn’t deserve all this trouble. He is a good man and a good brother. He probably loved you for a long time and just didn’t do anything to pursue you because he felt he had to make sure I was happy first. And then when he thought he was finally free of me—” her voice choked off for a moment—“he realized it was not over yet.”

“There is no need to be so hard on yourself. This is the fault of that man for choosing to deliberately harm you. You are not to blame for what he did. Besides, it will all be forgotten soon.”

“I know that he is the evil one. I know that is true, but I never should have gone with him. Everyone told me not to, but I just wanted to go my own way. I always want my own way.” A tear dripped from her eye.

I tried to speak gently. “This kind of thinking is not helpful.”

“I know, I know.” Juliet wiped her eyes again. “Thank you for returning to London for me. Were your parents terribly upset at you for leaving?”

“No, not at all. They didn’t seem to mind.”

“I am sure they were thrilled to see you again after such a long time. And your brothers and sisters. I am sure they were very happy to have you home.”

“I thought they would be, but they were less thrilled and happy than I’d imagined.”

Juliet gazed into my eyes. “I am sorry. I am sure they were glad to see you, more than you think.”

“Perhaps, but I am happy to be here with you now. So, if Jeremy was here two nights ago, then he knows I was arriving today?”

“I told him, and he read your last letter to him.”

We started talking about what had prompted Juliet to make the decision to postpone her wedding to Mr. Shelley.

“Tell me exactly what Miss Snowden said to you.” I remembered how cold she had been to me, but how friendly she’d been with Juliet.

“Well, she said she was sorry to tell me, but she had heard morethan one person talking about how I’d been alone with that man in his carriage late at night. One of them said I was with him all night and came home the next morning after dawn.”

“That is not true.”

“I told her it wasn’t true.”

“Do you think she may have made it up?”

“Why would Miss Snowden do that?”

“I don’t know of any motive for her doing that,” I said. “I believe she may have been hoping to marry Mr. Beaumont, but—”

“You may call him Jeremy,” Juliet said with a grin. “You are engaged, you know.”

“Very well. Jeremy. But I can’t think what she hoped to gain from pretending that people were gossiping about you when they weren’t.”

We were both silent as I thought about how I could discover the truth. “I know what we should do,” I said. “We should call on Mrs. Kendall and ask her. She hears more gossip than either you or I. That is, if you think we can trust her not to talk to anyone about it.”