"It was still a surprise, Olivia."

Olivia was silent for a few moments as she absorbed this shock. "Miranda, I have to ask…"

"Don't!" Miranda warned her. "Please don't ask me who."

"Was it Winston?"

"No!" she replied forcefully. And then muttered, "Good heavens."

"Then who?"

"I can't tell you," Miranda said, her voice breaking. "It was…it was someone totally unsuitable. I…I don't know what I was thinking, but please don't ask me again. I don't want to talk about it."

"That's fine," Olivia said, clearly realizing that it would be unwise to push her any further. "I won't ask you again, I promise. But what are we going to do?"

Miranda could not help but feel a little warmed by her use of the word we.

"I say, Miranda, are you certain you're expecting?" Olivia asked suddenly, her eyes brightening with hope. "You could just be late. I'm late all the time."

Miranda threw an obvious glance at the chamber pot. And then she shook her head and said, "I'm never late. Never."

"You'll have to go somewhere," Olivia said. "The scandal will be amazing."

Miranda nodded. She planned to post a letter to Turner, but she could not tell that to Olivia.

"The best thing to do would be to get you out of the country. The continent, perhaps. How is your French?"

"Dismal."

Olivia sighed wearily. "You never were very good with languages."

"Nor were you," Miranda said testily.

Olivia declined to dignify that with a response, instead suggesting, "Why don't you go to Scotland?"

"To my grandparents?"

"Yes. Don't tell me they would turn you out because of your condition. You're always talking about how kind they are."

Scotland. Yes, that was the perfect solution. She would notify Turner, and he could join her there. They would be able to marry without posting banns, and then all would be, if not well, at least settled.

"I shall accompany you," Olivia said decisively. "I will stay as long as I can."

"But what will your mother say?"

"Oh, I'll tell her that someone's gone ill. It worked before, didn't it?" Olivia leveled a shrewd look at Miranda, one that clearly said that she knew that she had made up the story about her father.

"That's an awful lot of ill people."

Olivia shrugged. "It's an epidemic. All the more reason for her to remain in London. But what will you tell your father?"

"Oh, anything," Miranda replied dismissively. "He doesn't pay very much attention to what I do."

"Well, for once that is an advantage. We'll leave today."

"Today?" Miranda echoed weakly.

"We're already packed, after all, and there is no time to wait."

Miranda looked down at her still-flat stomach. "No, I don't suppose there is."

13 August 1819

Olivia and I arrived in Edinburgh today. Grandmama and Grandpapa were rather surprised to see me. They were even more surprised when I told them the reason for my visit. They were very silent and very grave, but not for one moment did they let me think that they were disappointed in or ashamed of me. I shall always love them for that.

Livvy sent off a note to her parents saying that she had accompanied me up to Scotland. Every morning she asks me if my monthly has arrived. As I anticipated, it has not. I find myself looking down at my belly constantly. I don't know what I expect to see. Surely one does not bulge out overnight, and certainly not this early.

I must tell Turner. I know I must, but I cannot seem to escape Olivia, and I cannot write the letter in her presence. Much as I adore her, I will have to shoo her away. I certainly cannot have her here when Turner arrives, which he will surely do once he receives my missive, assuming, of course, I am ever able to send it.

Oh, heavens, there she is now.

Chapter 13

Turner wasn't exactly certain why he had remained so long in Kent. The two-day jaunt quickly extended itself when Lord Harry decided that he did indeed wish to purchase the property, and furthermore, he wanted to have some friends over for a raucous house party immediately. There wasn't any way for Turner to extricate himself politely, and to be honest, he didn't really want to leave, not when that meant returning to London and facing up to his responsibilities.

Not that he was plotting a way to weasel out of marrying Miranda. Quite the opposite, in fact. Once he had resigned himself to the idea of remarrying, it no longer seemed like such a dreadful fate.

But still, he was hesitant to return. If he hadn't rushed out of town on the flimsiest of excuses, he could have cleared up the matter right away. But the longer he waited, the more he wanted to keep on waiting. How on earth would he explain his absence?

So the two-day trip slipped into a week-long house party that in turn slid into a three-week-long free-for-all with hunting, races, and plenty of loose women who'd been given free rein of the house. Turner was careful not to partake of the last. He might be shirking his responsibility to Miranda, but the least he could do was remain faithful.

Then Winston found his way down to Kent and proceeded to join the party with abandon so reckless that Turner felt compelled to stay and offer some fraternal guidance. This required another two weeks of his time, which he gave gladly, for it assuaged some of the guilt he'd been feeling. He couldn't abandon his brother, could he? If he didn't watch out for Winston, the poor boy would probably end up with a raging case of the French pox.

But finally he realized that he could not put off the inevitable any longer, and he returned to London, feeling rather like an ass. Miranda was probably fuming. He'd be lucky if she'd have him. And so, with not a little trepidation, he marched up the steps to his parents' home and let himself into the front hall.

The butler materialized immediately. "Huntley," Turner said in greeting. "Is Miss Cheever in? Or my sister?"

"No, my lord."

"Hmmm. When are they expected back?"

"I do not know, my lord."

"This afternoon? Suppertime?"

"Not for several weeks, I imagine."

"Several weeks!" Turner had not anticipated this. "Where the devil are they?"

Huntley stiffened at Turner's use of the invective. "Scotland, my lord."

"Scotland?" Bloody hell. What the devil were they doing up there? Miranda had relations in Edinburgh, but if there had been plans to visit them, he had not been made aware.

Wait a moment, Miranda wasn't promised to some Scottish gentleman who was connected to her grandparents, was she? Someone would surely have told him if that were the case. Miranda, for one. And the Lord knew Olivia couldn't keep a secret.

Turner strode to the bottom of the stairs and began to yell. "Mother! Mother!" He turned back to Huntley. "I assume my mother has not also hightailed it off to Scotland?"

"No, she is in residence here, my lord."

"Mother!"

Lady Rudland came hurrying down. "Turner, what on earth is the matter? And where have you been? Taking yourself off to Kent without even telling us."

"Why are Olivia and Miranda in Scotland?"

Lady Rudland raised her eyebrows at his interest. "Illness in the family. Miranda's family, that is."

Turner declined to point out that that much was obvious, as the Bevelstokes didn't have any family in Scotland. "And Olivia went with her?"

"Well, they are very close, you know."

"When are they expected back?"

"I can't say about Miranda, but I have already written to Olivia, insisting that she return. She is expected in just a few days."

"Good," Turner muttered.

"I'm sure she'll be pleased by your brotherly devotion."

Turner's eyes narrowed. Was that a note of sarcasm in his mother's voice? He couldn't be certain. "I'll see you soon, Mother."

"I'm sure you will. Oh, and Turner?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you see about spending a bit more time with your valet? You're looking quite ragged."

Turner was growling when he let himself out.


* * *

Two days later, Turner was informed that his sister had returned to London. Turner rushed out to find her immediately. If there was one thing he hated, it was waiting. And if there was one thing he hated even more, it was feeling guilty.

And he felt bloody guilty for having made Miranda wait for what was now more than six weeks.

Olivia was in her bedroom when he arrived. Rather than wait for her in the sitting room, Turner headed up the stairs and knocked on her door.

"Turner!" Olivia exclaimed. "My goodness! What are you doing up here?"

"Really, Olivia, I used to live here. Remember?"

"Yes, yes, of course." She smiled and sat back down. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Turner opened his mouth and then shut it, not at all certain what he wanted to ask her. He couldn't very well just come out and say, "I seduced your best friend and now I need to make things right, so would it be appropriate for me to seek her out at her grandparents' home while one of them is ill?"

He opened his mouth again.

"Yes, Turner?"

He shut it, feeling the fool.

"Did you want to ask me something?"

"How was Scotland?" he blurted out.

"Lovely. Have you ever been?"

"No. And Miranda?"

Olivia hesitated before replying, "She is well. She sends her regards."

Somehow, Turner doubted that. He took a breath. He had to proceed cautiously. "She is in good spirits?"

"Ehrm, yes. Yes, she is."

"She wasn't upset about missing out on the rest of the season?"

"No, of course not. She never enjoyed it very much to begin with. You know that."