Alex closed his eyes, unused to such scrutiny of his emotions.

“But there is one thing you forgot,” Dunford continued softly. “If you take a chance on Emma, and you are happy, you’ll be happier than you’ve ever dreamed possible. And I have a feeling she’s worth the risk.”

Alex swallowed as he rose out of the chair and went to stand by Dunford at the window. “It isn’t easy listening to a dissection of one’s soul,” he said gravely. “But I thank you.”

A ghost of a smile touched Dunford’s lips.

“I don’t think she’ll see me though,” Alex said grimly. “I’ve really botched things up. The damage may be irreparable.”

Dunford tilted his head to one side. “Nonsense. Nothing is irreparable. Besides, she may not have a choice.”

Alex quirked one eyebrow.

“I think she and Belle have gotten themselves into some sort of a scrape,” Dunford explained. “That’s why I came over.”

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked quickly, a sense of panic rising within him.

“I’m not certain. I dropped by the Blydons’ to see Belle this morning and while I was waiting for her to come down, I overheard her instruct a footman to deliver a letter to Viscount Benton with all possible haste.”

“Woodside!” Alex exclaimed. “Why on earth would she want to contact that bastard?”

“I have no idea. As a matter of fact, I’m quite certain that she thoroughly detests the man. He’s been leering at her for over a year. More than once she’s begged me to help her escape him. Why do you think I end up dancing with her so often?”

Alex caught the tip of his thumb between his teeth as he tried to make sense of Belle’s behavior. “Something is wrong,” he said grimly.

“I know. It gets worse. Just as Belle was about to enter the parlor where I was waiting, Emma came rushing down. I don’t think she saw me at first because she grabbed Belle by the arm and urgently whispered, ‘Did you send it? Did you make sure that Malloy knows to tell him it’s most urgent? It’s not going to work if he doesn’t meet you at Lady Mottram’s. ’”

“What happened next?”

“That’s when Emma noticed my presence. She turned quite pink and started stammering. I don’t think I have ever seen her at such a loss before. The next thing I knew, she had run up the stairs.”

“Did you question Belle about it?”

“I tried to, but she gave me some ridiculous story about a prank the two of them were playing on Ned. I imagine she was hoping that I hadn’t heard her giving the footman the note for Woodside.”

“We’re going to have to do something,” Alex said decisively. “Woodside has no scruples. Whatever they’re doing, they’re in over their heads.”

“We can’t stop them, however, if we don’t even know what’s going on.”

Alex planted his hands on his hips. “We’ll just have to confront them tonight.”

“Right,” Dunford agreed with a sharp nod.

“At Lady Mottram’s.”

Chapter 17

“How do I look?”

Emma jumped in front of Ned, her lithe form clad completely in black. She was wearing a pair of dark breeches that had belonged to him when he was fourteen. Ned only stared.

“Can I pass for a boy?” Emma persisted. “I’ll pin my hair up underneath a cap, of course.”

Ned gulped. “Uh, Emma, the thing is, well, no. You don’t look like a boy at all.”

“No?” Emma sighed. “Darn. And I was so happy to find a pair of breeches that fit, too. They’re a little big in the waist.” She pulled the waistband away from her body to demonstrate. “But anything smaller would have been too snug in the hips. Breeches just aren’t cut to fit a woman’s body.”

“There might be a good reason for that,” Ned murmured, observing the indecent way the breeches hugged her feminine frame. “It’s a good thing I’m your cousin,” he remarked. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to see you like this.”

“Don’t be such a stickler. Frankly, I find these breeches exceedingly comfortable. It’s a wonder that women around the world haven’t revolted yet. If you want to know why so many women swoon all the time, you ought to try lacing yourself into a corset.”

“Also, Emma, you need to, uh, that is…” Ned’s words trailed off, and when Emma looked into his face, he looked almost pained.

“I need to what?”

“You might want to, uh, well, bind your…” He waved his hand in the general direction of her breasts. He and Emma usually spoke quite frankly, but he just couldn’t bring himself to discuss her intimate body parts.

“I see,” Emma said slowly. “Hmmm, maybe you’re right. If you’ll wait just one moment…” She dashed out of the room, returning about five minutes later. Her chest looked much the same. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “It was too uncomfortable. I’ll have to wear a baggy coat.”

Ned thought it best to refrain from any more discussion on the subject and held out one of his old coats. “We need to get going,” he said. “Try this on. I don’t think it’ll drag on the floor.”

It didn’t, but it came perilously close. Emma surveyed her costume. “I look like a waif going to a funeral.”

The pair of conspirators slipped out into the hallway and made their way to the back staircase. “Be careful on the third step,” Emma whispered. “It creaks. You need to hug the wall.”