Emily paced her chamber restlessly. What time was it? She glanced at a clock and saw that it was close to midday. Surely the rest of the house party would be up by such a late hour? Determined not to hide and cower, she smoothed the fresh dress she wore over her hoops and crossed to the closed door of her room.

Not long after her encounter with Lord Wilton, Cooper had appeared in their room, back from his ride. With a quiet greeting from where she lay on the bed and merely a glance in his direction, she’d drawn his notice. Heavy footsteps had alerted her that he was drawing near, and then he’d taken one look at her pale face and cursed. With a gentle touch, he’d caressed her cheek and asked her what was wrong. Terrified of telling him what had happened, she pleaded female troubles and assured him she would be down later when she was feeling better. He had relented, though she was sure it was with great reluctance.

Two hours later, she still wasn’t truly ready to face him again, but she knew she could not hide in their rooms for the remainder of the house party. So, with her usual determination, she opened the chamber door and stepped out into the hall.

Her hands shook, and bile rose in her throat as she imagined seeing Lord Winton again. Having to encounter such a monster and behave as though he had not pawed her person and attempted to defile her was almost beyond her. She’d traveled only a few doors when the urge to retch took hold and had her turning around to flee back to their rooms.

But then Theo opened the door to her chamber, just next door to her own rooms, stepped into the hallway, and called out to Emily. “Good morning.”

Instantly, Theo could see all was not well, she quickly ushered Emily into her and Stone’s chamber and delivered a chamber pot in the nick of time.

Emily cast up her accounts, what little there was, and collapsed onto the nearest chair, still gripping the porcelain basin, as though it might save her somehow.

Theo knelt and tried to remove the pot from her friend’s hands. “What is wrong, dearest?”

Emily sat there, certain that if she opened her mouth, more of her stomach contents would appear.

A maid bustled about the room and handed something to Theo that her friend then pressed to Emily’s forehead. The cool dampness of the cloth soothed her as little else could have.

Theo turned to her maid. “Bethany, please go downstairs and search out some soda bread, or perhaps some other very dry bread for Lady Brougham.”

“Yes, my lady.” The woman curtsied and hustled out the door, leaving the two alone.

Theo returned to blotting Emily’s forehead with the cool rag. “Perhaps I should send for Cooper?”

Panic sent Emily’s stomach into a tailspin. “No! Please—” And then she expelled the last of the tea and toast she had consumed earlier as she’d tried to settle her nerves.

As she sat up from bending over the chamber pot, Emily saw the concern etched on Theo’s normally happy features. She needed to tell someone what had happened. If not her husband, then perhaps her friend could offer good counsel. Feeling empty and listless, she handed Theo the basin and took hold of the cool rag. She pressed the cloth to her forehead and cheeks as she tried to gather her thoughts.

Finally, she blurted out the crux of things. “This morning, Lord Wilton attacked me.”

“What?” Theo exclaimed. “What happened?”

Emily collected the frayed ends of her thoughts and tried to piece her tale together. She quickly summarized what had occurred with Lord Wilton as her cheeks flamed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

Theo, still on her knees, wrapped her arms around Emily, who was not beyond enjoying the comfort her friend offered. Tears finally escaped as she was able to lean on someone else for a few moments. As she sat there crying, she realized that this was what it was like to have friends. And the realization only made her cry harder for all the time she’d lost striving to be so independent, when she’d believed she didn’t require anyone.

After she finally wept all the tears she’d pent up, she sat back and used the cloth in her hand to dab at her eyes. “My apologies for crying all over you.”

Her friend made a pishing sound. “This is what friends are for. Certainly, it’s nice to have tea and gossip and whatnot. But it is when your load is so heavy that you can no longer bear it alone that friends are truly a blessing.”

Emily matched Theo’s smile and then leaned in for a hug. “Thank you for being a true friend.”

When they parted, Theo sat back and looked carefully at Emily. “Considering how distraught you were, I am assuming you have yet to inform your husband of this morning’s events.”

Emily started worrying the cloth between her fingers and couldn’t bring herself to look Theo in the eye. “He tried to convince me to tell him what was wrong, but I was afraid of what he might do if I told him.”

Theo gasped. “Emily! You cannot mean you thought Cooper would take retribution on you?”

Looking up, shocked by her friend’s suggestion, Emily shook her head. “No! I merely meant that I worried he might do bodily harm to Lord Wilton and end up in no little amount of trouble. One simply can’t go about hitting other peers of the realm, and there is little doubt in my mind that Cooper would do just that.”

Theo sighed. “Yes, I do see your point. It is a very Cooper-like thing to do. Honestly, any one of those Lustful Lords would behave the same under those circumstances.” She hesitated. “However, I do believe you need to tell your husband what has occurred.”

Emily chewed her lower lip, still unsure. “I-I don’t know.”

Theo took hold of her hands and squeezed them gently. “He needs to know. If he found out from some other source, or worse, some other version of the story, he would be furious. Furious, and very hurt that you did not trust him enough to tell him.”

Emily’s doubt faded as she thought about their growing trust. It was like a delicate bud, waiting, hoping to burst free and flower into something beautiful. If she went to him, trusted him to act in their—not merely her—best interests, that bud could find its full potential.

She wanted to experience that beauty. She’d tasted moments of it when she let Cooper have his way with her body. When she trusted her pleasure to his care—be it tender or rough. The warmth that suffused her body and seeped into her soul was fast becoming a craving—no, a basic need—for her well-being.

And with that, she was decided. “You’re right. I need to tell him. When I do, could you and Stonemere be nearby? I still fear that he may give in to his temper and do something regrettable. I know he trusts and respects your husband, and would listen to him in the heat of the moment.”

Theo gave her hands another squeeze. “Of course. Let us go find our husbands and deal with this directly. You will feel better once this is done.”

Emily stood and nodded. Theo was right. Even making the decision to tell him had settled the turmoil in her stomach.

* * *

Cooper stood talking with Stone and Linc by the fire. Wolf and Flint had gone out shooting, claiming they felt cooped up in the house.

Linc suddenly excused himself, and Cooper and Stone turned to see him head into the hall. A moment later, a soft, feminine giggle sounded from the same direction Linc had gone.

Stone shook his head and turned back to Cooper. “And how are things with your wife? Have you made progress?”

Doubt swelled where only hours before had been a small flame of hope. The carriage ride to the house party had made him sure he and Emily would sort things out. That she was coming to trust him. But then he’d seen her scurrying from the library, followed by that overdecorated lothario, and the man had had the nerve to make that comment about his wife…a comment that reeked of sexual overtones. Not to mention her refusal to speak with him when he saw her in their chamber. She had seemed unwell, and the mystery combined with her obvious distress had him on edge.

“I thought things were going well. She was responding so well when we were alone. I had even begun to think I was truly earning her trust, but then this morning after our ride, I saw her leave the library followed by Wilton, who had the gall to straighten his clothing and insinuate something untoward had occurred. My wife has far too much integrity for me to believe what that man attempted to imply, but for a moment there, I wavered. I wanted to storm after her and demand an explanation. Now I merely feel as though I am standing on a precipice, waiting for something to push me over the edge. And the hell of it is I am not sure of what waits for me on the other side. Is it the happiness of a warm marital bed? Or the dark misery of loneliness?”

Stone grunted. “Welcome to the fold, my friend. Being in love can be a scary thing until you are assured of its return.”

“There you two are.” Theo walked in with Emily trailing just behind her.

His wife still looked as though she might be ill, and Theo seemed to have an overly bright smile on her face, as though she were trying to distract them from Emily’s wan countenance. The worry he’d been fighting to keep in check surged free of his restraints. He crossed to her and took hold of her shoulders. “Emily, are you still feeling unwell?”

“I am, but I hope I shall improve soon.” She offered him a small smile.

Stone and Theo moved closer to them. “Excuse us. My wife wishes to take a walk in the gardens.”

Cooper nodded to them as they moved into the hall. Then Theo stopped and slid the double panel doors closed. He turned to look at his wife, one eyebrow creeping high. Clearly, his wife wished to speak to him in private, and Theo was aiding her in that endeavor. Had she spoken to Theo about what was upsetting her? The idea both soothed and irritated him. He wanted to be her confidant, and yet he trusted Theo to give his wife good counsel when it came to marriage and womanly things. Stone’s wife was headstrong, but loyal and honest to a fault.

“Cooper, I need to tell you something…upsetting.” She hesitated as though gauging his reaction. “Perhaps we should sit?”

He considered her suggestion, but somehow, he felt certain that whatever she was going to tell him would negate sitting almost immediately. “Why don’t you simply tell me what it is you need to share. I doubt sitting will make the news better or worse.”

She placed her palms against his chest and met his gaze with her own. “This morning, there was an incident.”

He couldn’t control the reflexive tensing of his muscles. His whole body went rigid as he waited for what she was going to say. “An incident?”

“Yes. I was in the library when Lord Wilton slipped in behind me and locked the door. He accosted me…attempted to take liberties.” Her voice trailed off as her hands slid from his chest and she spun around, giving him her back.

Fury pounded through his frame, making his flesh and bones vibrate with the need to kill the man who had the nerve to lay hands on his wife. “He dared touch you?”

Emily hunched over herself, and a light tremor seemed to shimmy through her. His own hands still shaking, he turned her back around and hauled her into his arms. “Did he…”

He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Past the fear of what she may have suffered. And he had simply stood there and watched the bastard stroll away. “Did he…hurt you?”

She slipped her arms around him and burrowed closer to him, as though seeking comfort. “No. I managed to injure him enough to affect my release, and then I left the study as quickly as I could manage. Other than that night at the Landstones’ ball, I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared.” She pressed her face against his chest.

“Why did you not say something sooner?” He palmed the back of her head with one hand as he stroked along her spine with the other.

She sniffled softly. “I was worried you would do something drastic. Something that might cause more trouble for you than it would right what happened.”

He leaned back and tipped her face up to meet his. “Thank you for telling me. For trusting me with this.”

“But I didn’t—” She bit her lip and tried to look away.

He refused to let her avoid him.

“But I didn’t trust you. Didn’t tell you when you came into our room.” A tear slipped down her cheek, leaving a wet trail.

“And I could see you were upset, yet I did nothing. I didn’t press you. I simply walked away.” He felt ashamed that he’d left her alone to grapple with something so awful. “But you came to me and have told me now. That is what is important.”

Confusion creased her brow. “It is?”

“Of course.” He smiled softly at her, his heart bursting with love. “Trust is not blind, and it can take time to develop. You may have hesitated, but in the end, you did trust me.” He ached to kiss her. To show her how much this meant to him. But first, he needed to address the matter of his wife’s honor with the cad who had thought he had some claim upon her person. “Now, I need to go speak with Lord Wilton about this matter.”

“But Cooper, you cannot assault him. What if he presses charges?” She clutched at his coat, fear making her hazel eyes huge.

“I merely said I would speak with the man. I shall not lay hands upon him…without provocation.” He tried to reassure her with a smile, but it felt more like a grimace.

“Please, Cooper. No more spectacles. I only wish to leave, and if we never attend another house party or ball, it will be too soon.” She sniffled again, but her eyes were bright with determination.

“Go upstairs and see to the packing. We shall return home at once.” He rubbed her back but then stepped away.

He opened the drawing room doors and found Stone and Theo sitting on a bench nearby. He hesitated and then looked at Theo. “Garden too chilly?”

Stone stood. “Don’t do anything rash.”

Cooper sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I merely intend to have a word with him.”

“Very good.” Stone slapped him on the back. “Then you won’t mind a witness.”

Cooper bared his teeth briefly. “If it’s you, certainly not.”

The two men went in search of Lord Wilton.