Page 64 of Unmasking the Earl

What an unselfish character that young woman had! Despite still being madly in love with Wycherley, she’d had the courage and selflessness to refuse his suit, putting concern for him before her own feelings.

It made Cassie’s love for Julian look terribly selfish. All these years, she’d only thought about her feelings for him and what she wanted, not about his feelings and what might be best for him. If Julian only wanted to be her friend, it was very wrong of her to plot to seduce him, potentially trapping him into marriage.

Good heavens. Ned had been right when he’d said she was on a fool’s errand with those lessons.

Portia was still smiling when she reentered the room. “He is quite a handsome man, though.”

Cassie wanted to groan. The woman was relentless. And quite right. “I suppose he is.”

“Extremely eligible, too,” Portia went on, unabashed by Cassie’s warning look. “I’ve been reading about him in an old copy of the Courier. Did you know he has—”

“Stop, I beg you. I don’t wish to speak of him.”

Portia pouted. “You would deprive me of any entertainment in my loneliness.”

“If you’re lonely, you must go and befriend Lady Georgiana, for she, too, has been very lonely. I’m sure you would take to her.”

“If she’s anything like her brother, then I assuredly will.” When Cassie gave her another pleading look, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Clearly, something has happened between you two. You must tell me at once.”

“No, there’s nothing more to tell than I’ve told you already,” Cassie insisted, but found it impossible to look her friend in the eye.

Portia tipped her head and then looked toward the window. “Hmm. Perhaps I should confront the man himself. He might be more forthcoming.”

Following the direction of her friend’s gaze, Cassie was aghast to see Ned giving them a cheery wave as he strode toward the cottage.

No! She couldn’t see him now. During their visit to Lady Georgiana, Cassie had managed to block her thoughts and feelings about what she had done with him, what she had lost to him, what she had felt for him. And still felt. But on the walk home, all those thoughts and feelings had resurfaced in force and taken her over completely.

She needed to sort them out.

Decide her best course of action, if the worst happened.

Decide what, in fact, would be the worst thing that could happen…

“Tell him to go away. That I have the headache,” she instructed and went upstairs as fast as her legs would carry her.

There was a confident rap on the door. It opened and was followed by the sound of voices. Portia surely wasn’t going to invite him in?

She pressed her ear against the bedchamber door.

The conversation continued for a moment or two, then the front door closed.

Anxiously, Cassie approached the window and peered out.

And looked straight down into Ned’s eyes. Her stomach flipped over and she clutched the window sill for support. How could one man have the power to affect her so, even at such a distance?

Ned smiled broadly at her and waved. Then he was striding away across the village green. She saw him pause in front of the Blind House, shake his head, and move on until he had vanished from sight.

Where was he going? What was he going to do?

When she went downstairs again, Portia was hopping from one foot to the other with excitement, holding a folded piece of paper.

“What is it?” Cassie asked.

“The earl left a message for you. He wishes to meet with you, to talk.”

Cassie’s heart sped up. She unfolded and read the note, hoping Portia would fail to notice how it quivered in her hands.

She looked up. “Lord Stranraer wishes to meet me in the churchyard at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.”