Page 50 of The Rake’s Convenient Bride

This would not end well.

13

The reason Elizabeth was outside on this rare sunny day that felt far too bright for her mood had nothing to do with trying to elevate her spirits, and everything to do with spending time with her friends.

She had tried to invite the wallflowers to Langston Place where they could have privacy, but they had declined—a collective effort to enjoy one of the few days of sunshine in an otherwise bitterly cold spring.

In truth, Elizabeth had not wanted to go. Even knowing she would have a lovely time, the act of preparing to go out was a most arduous, miserable task. She did not want to don a pretty frock, or have her hair styled just so, or have to put on airs while out among the ton as she confessed to her friends that the fake engagement was soon coming to an end.

The location finally convinced her in the end, which was out of the way of London’s society—rather, they were on the outskirts, in a secluded section of Richmond Park. Really, the remote park was the ideal location to share such poor news, where there would be few ears to listen.

Elizabeth was the last to arrive, likely due to her lack of a desire to leave the house.

Lucy, Jillian, Amy, and even Hannah were there already. Likely this was why they had suggested the distant park, so that Hannah might join them despite her being in a delicate way. They waved in unison when they saw Elizabeth from where they all sat amid a large blanket spread upon the tender new grass, ignoring the chill in the breeze as they poured from a pot tea that would likely be cold before it could be sipped.

“What’s wrong?” Amy asked as Elizabeth approached.

“Nothing,” she lied quickly.

Jillian’s eyes narrowed. “It is clearly not at all ‘nothing.’”

“How do you always know?” Elizabeth asked, exasperated. She hadn’t prepared to launch into her tale of woe so soon after joining her friends.

She had wanted some fun, some laughter, a completed distraction from the misery of her current life.

And yet they all stared at her in expectation.

She sighed. “Jasper and I have started to distance from one another so our broken engagement will look convincing. See? It is nothing.” She could hear the forced brightness in her own voice that fooled absolutely no one.

“Oh, how horrible.” Amy’s gasp that followed seemed hollow somehow. Like a charade.

“It isn’t really,” Elizabeth said with false enthusiasm. “I don’t have to pretend anymore. It’s been dreadful if I’m entirely honest.”

Not all of it. In fact, very little of it had truly been dreadful.

“But were you pretending?” Jillian asked. “You’d seemed so…”

“Happy,” Lucy finished.

Elizabeth stared at her friends, at a total loss of words. They knew this would always be the outcome. With a little laugh, she tried to shrug off the weight of their words. “It was all an act, as you were well aware.”

“Then you are a very good actress,” Hannah said, a hand languidly stroking her large belly.

“That’s my line,” Amy mouthed.

“From what I’ve heard, I mean,” Hannah added quickly.

Elizabeth frowned. “What is this about?”

“Well, you’re clearly a better actor than we are,” Lucy said with a flash of her brilliantly white smile. “Because you had us fooled.”

“Fooled?” Elizabeth lifted a brow.

Amy took Elizabeth’s hand, her palm warm despite the cold day. “That you wanted to actually marry him.”

“I…” Elizabeth shook her head, the denial congealing in her throat refusing to emerge. “It isn’t meant to be.”

“Isn’t it?” Hannah asked, a slow smile spreading on her face.