Elizabeth had spent a rather restless night tossing and turning and trying her best to get some sleep, but her mind had refused to stop thinking of Lord Mallon and all that Lord Parke had said about him.

Since she had been unable to sleep, she had risen in the early hours of the morning, dressed, and made her way to the gardens behind their townhouse, walking in the cool breeze of the early morning.

Her tears had been cold on her cheeks.

The fact that Lord Mallon had not called upon her, had not even written a note to beg for her forgiveness for missing their appointment, had torn a wound so deep in her heart that she was not quite sure she would ever recover. To know now that he was gone from London, although even his cousin knew not where, had only made that pain all the more fierce. It ripped through her, forcing her to take shuddering breaths, as she tried her best to keep herself calm.

Now, however, Elizabeth found herself waiting for Lord Parke to call, pacing up and down the small room in the hope that he would soon come and tell her the truth about his cousin. She was not quite sure whether or not he had been rather coy with her last evening, not sure who she was or why she was so concerned with Lord Mallon. Elizabeth was determined to tell him the truth about her situation. Lord Parke would have to tell her if he knew that she was betrothed to Lord Mallon.

“My goodness, Elizabeth!”

Turning, Elizabeth saw her mother enter the drawing room, resplendent in her silk gown.

“Will you sit down and stop pacing,” her mother directed, frowning. “You are being ridiculous. I do not know what has come over you.”

“Mama,” Elizabeth replied firmly. “I am not going to sit. I need to move about for the time being, and I assure you that once Lord Parke arrives, I will sit as gracefully as I can.”

Her mother’s frown deepened. “Elizabeth! Sit down this moment.”

Ignoring her mother entirely, wrapped up in her pain and sorrow, Elizabeth continued to walk about the room, her heart beginning to pound, as she waited for Lord Parke to arrive. What would he have to say?

“Elizabeth,” her mother said again, this time loudly, “do as I say.”

“No,” Elizabeth muttered, not caring in the least that she was being rude.

Her mother stared at her for a long moment, her mouth slightly ajar. She was not used to Elizabeth being so defiant, having brought her up to be the perfect daughter who would one day be the perfect wife.

“Is something the matter?” the countess asked softly. “Elizabeth, I am struggling to understand what has come over you these last few days, and you simply will not tell me.”

Elizabeth shook her head, afraid that if she said anything, her tears would start falling again.

“I know you were disappointed that Lord Mallon did not call when he said he would,” the countess continued softly, “but that does not mean you should hold it against him.”

Growing irritated with her mother’s prying, Elizabeth planted her hands on her hips and glared at her mother. “Then why did he not write to me to inform me that he would not be attending after all?”

Her mother frowned. “That was a little rude, I grant you but—”

“And he has not been seen since,” Elizabeth continued, talking over her mother. “Lord Parke, being his cousin, has told me that the man has quit London and even he does not know where he has gone!”

Elizabeth watched as the color drained from her mother’s face, feeling a sense of both triumph and abject failure.

“Oh, my dear.”

Much to Elizabeth’s surprise, her mother hurried over to her, and being only a few inches taller than Elizabeth, still managed to enfold her tightly in her arms.

“Why did you not tell me?” she asked. “You should have told me your pain, Elizabeth. I am here to help you.”

Elizabeth, overwhelmed by her mother’s love and concern for her—so often hidden by demands towards propriety—struggled not to burst into tears. The knock at the door was the only thing that forced them to step apart, the countess briefly framing Elizabeth’s face with her hands.

“Then talk to Lord Parke and find out what he knows,” she said gently. “And report to me at once. I shall do all I can to find him.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Elizabeth replied.

“Do not hide such things from me again,” her mother said before turning to call for the butler to enter.

“I am very glad that you were willing to come out walking with me,” Lord Parke said grandly. “I am honored that you have chosen to accompany me.”

Elizabeth’s maid trailed behind them, as they entered the park, and for a moment, Elizabeth was struck with the memory of how she had encountered Lord Mallon within the very same park only a few weeks ago. Her throat ached as she swallowed her unshed tears.

“What a beautiful day it is,” Lord Parke continued, a trifle quieter. “And yet you appear to have something on your mind, Lady Elizabeth.”

Surprised that he had discerned as much, Elizabeth turned to face him. “Indeed, I do. You are most perceptive, Lord Parke.”

“Might I enquire as to its nature?”

Elizabeth bit back a sigh, keeping herself as calm as she could manage. “It may come as a surprise to you, for I am not sure if Lord Mallon has ever mentioned this, but he and I are betrothed.”

Lord Parke stopped dead, his eyes widening.

“I can see that he did not speak to you of it,” Elizabeth murmured, her head dropping.

“No, he did not,” Lord Parke replied, astonished. “When did this occur? How does the ton not know of it?”

“It was arranged when we were children,” Elizabeth explained. “We are due to be wed by this Season’s end.”

Lord Parke shook his head, his expression sorrowful. “And now he has turned his back on you. My goodness, Lady Elizabeth, if I knew where he was, I might now go and strike him, if not call him out for his behavior toward you.”

“I realize that I do not know him particularly well,” Elizabeth said, as they resumed walking together. “What you said to me yesterday about him surprised me greatly.”

Lord Parke nodded. “Of course, I quite understand.”

“Do you truly not know where he has gone?” Elizabeth asked, aware that she sounded rather desperate. “I am at such a loss as to what to do.”

“My dear Lady Elizabeth, if you would like my advice, then I will give it freely.” Dark eyes met hers, and after only a moment’s hesitation, Elizabeth nodded.

“Then I will tell you now that you need to break off your engagement to Lord Mallon,” Lord Parke declared firmly. “He is not a man worthy of your affection and dedication, not when he will not return it in kind. He is a man who likes to keep his true nature very well hidden, but I have discovered it nonetheless.” He looked over at her and held out his arm and Elizabeth found herself taking it without hesitation, as if aware she might need the support.

“Lord Mallon has a penchant for beautiful ladies, you understand,” Lord Parke continued gently. “He is a rake, but hides it well.”

“A rake?” Elizabeth whispered, feeling as though a heavy weight had settled in her stomach.

“Yes, unfortunately,” Lord Parke continued. “Before he left, he paid some of his debts but left many more. He is a poor cheat and his creditors are already seeking him so that they might take what little he has left.”

Elizabeth felt tears sting at her eyes. “But his father…”

“His father knows nothing of this,” Lord Parke said softly. “Mallon has done a remarkable job in keeping it all from him, whilst I have been forced to lend him money simply to keep his creditors at bay until next quarter, when more of his income comes to him.”

“I do not understand,” Elizabeth whispered, one hand over her heart as though she might soothe it somehow. “This is not the man I thought he was.”

Lord Parke patted her hand sympathetically. “And yet you told me that you did not know him very well at all.”

That was the truth, and Elizabeth could not hide from it. “I thought I knew him a little,” she admitted, her head dropping. “We were to court, just as any other lady and gentleman might, so that we could know one another better.” She did not know why she was telling Lord Parke all this, as though he had somehow become her confidante and friend after such a short acquaintance. The words came tumbling from her mouth, the pain in her heart pushing them out into the open. Lord Parke patted her hand again and walked in silence for some time, allowing her to catch her breath.

“I am residing at his home for a time,” Lord Parke said softly, after they had turned back to return Elizabeth to her parents’ house. “Should you like to join me for a dinner next week?”

Elizabeth looked up at him, seeing the sympathy and compassion in his eyes, and felt her heart lift a little from the despair it was resting in. “You are very kind, Lord Parke. I am sure if you write to my mother she would be more than glad to accept.”

“And might I call on you again before then?” he asked, stopping in his walk so that he might look at her. “I can see your pain and confusion, and I wish to do all I can to aid you in that.”

Elizabeth hesitated, wondering if there was any more behind his question. She was still betrothed to Lord Mallon, despite his terrible behavior, and she did not think that being courted by his cousin was a particularly wise idea.

“Mayhap Lord Mallon is not the right husband for you,” Lord Parke said, his gaze filling with intensity. “I will not pretend that I do not have a great deal of sympathy for you, Lady Elizabeth, nor will I pretend that your beauty does not take my breath away. It is for both of these reasons that I wish to call on you again.”

His honesty was a breath of fresh air, and despite her sorrow, Elizabeth managed to smile. “You may call upon me, Lord Parke. However, I must be clear that I intend to keep my engagement to Lord Mallon, despite his behavior. There will be only a friendship between us, one I am sure I will relish when I marry into the family. My loyalty still remains with Lord Mallon.”

“But of course,” he murmured, with a slight bow.

“That does not mean that I do not appreciate your consideration of me, Lord Parke. I am sure we shall become good friends. I look forward to your next visit.”

The smile on his face grew so quickly that Elizabeth worried he had not quite taken in what she had said. “Wonderful!” he exclaimed at once, his eyes bright.

“And perhaps Lord Mallon will return to London so that he might join us.”

The smile on his face did not disappear, only faded a little. “I am afraid to say that I doubt that will occur. However, perhaps in time, you might find yourself no longer engaged,” he replied with a slight lift of his eyebrow. “Mayhap in time you will find yourself free, with your own ability to choose a suitor for yourself. What a wonderful day that would be.”

Aware of what he was saying and not quite sure how to respond, Elizabeth simply smiled and turned back to walk along the path, quickly joined by Lord Parke. The rest of the way home, they talked of things other than Lord Mallon, with Lord Parke declaring that he would take her to whichever bookshop she wished when he discovered her love of prose.

The afternoon had been a difficult one in terms of what she had learned about Lord Parke, but yet, there had been a small spark of enjoyment. Lord Parke had good conversation, was kind and compassionate, and brought some joy to what was a very trying situation. Elizabeth had to acknowledge that she appreciated that.

When Lord Parke took his leave, Elizabeth’s smile was a genuine one. When he asked to take her to the bookshop the following afternoon, she hesitated for only a moment before agreeing. There could be no harm in such a thing. Also, she decided she might be able to discover more about the Lord Mallon’s character, the man she was still engaged to marry.