A Lady's Guide to Courtship

XXXII. Scandal in the Garden

Aurora gasped, horrified. Her expression was mirrored by the crowd behind her. Wakefield felt the fury start to build in the pit of his stomach when he realized the subject of their scandalized looks was Ysabella.

Aurora took a step forward. "Ysa, I am merely concerned that you have gone too far—"

"Miss Randolph, enough!" Wakefield shouted with rage. He started to move forward but Ysabella had already moved.

Aurora frowned at him, confused as to why he was protecting Ysabella, surprised by his outburst. "But, my lord—" she started to say but he growled, "Dare not speak more, Miss Randolph." The look he gave her was filled with meaning and her eyes registered alarm.

"Yes, stop talking, Miss Randolph," Nicholas ordered, stepping toward Ysabella. With a gentle voice, he said, "Ysa, let us go home."

Wakefield panicked.

He came forward, saying, "Ysabella—" over Emma's loud words of, "I believe the ballroom is inside!" directed at the crowd.

Aurora was standing stunned, Margaret beside her, whispering something in her ear.

His mind was muddled, but he knew only one thing—he needed more time with Ysabella. But she was now walking toward her brothers.

"Ysa," he started, going after her, but Nicholas warned, "Step away, Wakefield." Ralph grabbed Ysabella's hand to pull her away.

Wakefield continued, eyes on Ysabella but he had breached quite more than fair warnings and Nicholas punched him and he stumbled back.

"Bloody hell!" Wakefield shouted in frustration, whirling back to face the Everards. "I just want—"

"Bloody persistent bastard," he heard Maxwell utter with a groan before Nicholas pushed him away.

"Move one inch and we shall settle this in the middle of a field," Ralph said.

Ysabella pulled free from Ralph and whirled to face Wakefield, her eyes filled with hurt. "I no longer want this, my lord—none of it." She turned to Aurora and said, "Do not worry, Aurora. I have laid down all my cards now and claim defeat."

Nothing would have stopped him, but Ysabella's words had left him stunned, horrified. It seemed as though the ground above them had come crashing down on him.

No, no, not now, his mind cried out.

Wakefield stormed past Aurora who said, "My lord!"

Whirling back to stand close to her so she could hear his furious words, Wakefield uttered, "Do not make me regret helping you, Aurora. Go home. We shall need to talk. By then, prepare to explain yourself."

She paled, her lips quivering.

Without another glance, he ran after the Everards.

******

Ysabella heard Wakefield shouting for her name as her brothers escorted her inside the carriage.

"Not tonight, dear sister," Maxwell told her, taking her hand to help her settle inside. "He shall grovel, but not tonight."

Ralph and Nicholas followed. From the open window she saw Cole blocking Wakefield's path, Margaret and Emma standing close by.

The view disappeared as Ralph roughly pulled the curtain closed.

Ysabella searched for Maxwell's eyes in the dimness of the carriage. "Thank you. You did not say anything."

"He is a stupid bastard to not have realized who you truly are, Ysa. I would not dream of making it easy for him."