Sleeping Engagement

XIII. Elopement

The Walkelin ball did not merely end badly for Tori, but for the Everards as well.

Tori had gone missing from the ballroom after an invite from Jordan Archibald himself. Margaret knew the man was intending to propose when he invited Tori to the garden. But mere minutes later, the twins arrived with their unwilling brother, Nicholas, looking for Tori. And not long after that, Levi showed up fresh from Standbury.

And before anything happened, Tori was dragged out of the ball by her stepmother. They tried to stop it, but her friend seemed to have already given up and went with Lady Ashdown.

What transpired in the garden had been a great confusion to them, really, but Margaret soon found out from Levi that Jordan Archibald had been having an affair with Clarice Ashdown herself!

The morning after, Margaret paced around her bedchamber. Samuel Theobald sent her a note that Lady Clarice had been demanding that the Herald announce Tori's engagement with Lucas Rowe. Samuel said he would have to publish the announcement in two days the most, otherwise he would be in trouble.

What to do in two days?

Archibald turned out to be a bloody bastard after all.

Could Levi not have made a better list?

Margaret had both hands on her hips with her head tilted back as she stared at the ceiling, thinking about Tori's predicament and her pursuit of Cole Devitt, when the door to her bedchamber burst open and Levi stormed inside.

"We have to take Tori out of that house, Margaret," her brother tightly said, walking closer.

Margaret recognized the look on her brother's face. It was merely not worry painted there, but desperation as well. "The twins told me you intended to propose to Tori at the Walkelin Ball. Are they correct?"

"Yes."

Margaret sighed. "Levi, what happened in Standbury?" Something happened there, she was now certain of it. Otherwise, Tori would not have come back looking distraught and Levi being so weary.

"I... Well..." Levi shifted his weight. Then he grimaced. "Let us just say things happened that led me to decide I'm the best man for her."

Margaret blinked in confusion. Tori practically grew up with them. Everyone treated her like a sister. And Levi and Tori always bickered. Yes, they were friends, but they were not a perfect match.

"Well, it's rather late. Her engagement to Lucas Rowe is coming out soon."

Levi blinked and his emerald green eyes wavered before he cleared his throat and said, "I'm planning to elope with her."

"What?"

Levi's eyes flickered with impatience. "Elope, Maggie. Surely you know what the bloody word means."

"But Levi—"

"What?" Levi snapped.

"But why?"

"Why the bloody hell do you think? Her stepmother is marrying her off to a horrible, disgusting form of a human being—which I believe were your own words."

"Tori would not want to marry you because you pity her, Levi."

"Pity her? Bloody hell, Maggie, you should know better than that," her brother bitterly said. He looked furious and desperate. No, he was so many other things at once.

She groaned. "Good heavens, Levi, I should have known."

Levi rolled his eyes. "Will you help me or not?"

But how did it happen? What did she miss? Where and when did it start? The Theobald party? The Archibald Ball? Standbury? Levi and Tori had been together most often than she did with them because of the case. Had the two been treating each other more than friends all this time?