“You’re only a few months along. No one will know,” Grace added, patting her carefully coiffed curls.
Emily shrugged. “He’ll be there because Darlington wants him to be.”
“Exactly,” Ada answered, crossing the room to carefully sit next to her cousin. “You two should talk.”
Emily shook her head. “I don’t want to talk and I don’t want to see him. He’s lied to me too many times about his past. He’ll only convince me to come back and then we’ll do this entire thing again where I discover another falsehood.”
Ada tapped her chin, her heart aching in sympathy. “Then don’t do it again. Make him tell you any other secrets. Be honest. One more lie will break the two of you forever.” She reached for Emily’s hand. “But he loves you. I know he does and you’re carrying his child. Do you honestly see yourself raising this baby without him?”
“No,” Emily answered letting out a heavy sigh. “But I also need to teach him a lesson. I can’t forgive him too quickly, like I did the last time.”
A little giggle escaped from Ada’s lips, and she clapped her hand to her mouth. Emily’s plan was quite smart. “I see. This is medicine.”
Emily looked at her, a smile tugging at her lips. “What I didn’t quite realize is that I’d be miserable too.” Then she sighed again. “I was awful to Lord Viceroy today, wasn’t I?”
Ada patted her cousin’s hand. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Do you like him?” Emily asked and Grace stopped fussing with her hair to cross the room and listen to her answer.
“Me? Like a rake? I’m a scared little mouse remember?” Ada stood, shaking out her skirts.
Emily started to rise too. “You are more cautious. But men like that often times. My advice, allow him to protect you. It will make him feel manly.”
Ada shook her head. Her mother’s advice hadn’t been dissimilar. But how did that explain Walter’s rejection or the scores of men who’d passed her by? “I’m not the sort of woman that men like him are interested—”
“He’s interested,” Grace dismissed her claim. “And you are doing a marvelous job of pushing him away and then drawing him back in. I sincerely thought you were doing it on purpose.”
Ada blinked as Emily crossed the room. “I am going to go. It won’t take me long. Wait for me.”
Grace returned to the mirror. “She’s going to take forever and we’ll be late.”
Ada had no choice but to pace to the window. “But Lord Viceroy is supposed to meet me at the doors. He’ll be outside.”
“Good,” Grace answered. “Push him away and then draw him back in. Your problem is that you’re too kind, you know that, right?”
“I thought I was shy and afraid?” Hope was fluttering in her stomach. She tried to tamp it down. It would only lead to another heart break.
Grace shook her head. “I think those are your advantages. Em is right. He’ll want to save you. Just keep him guessing whether you like him in return.”
Ada shook her head. Everyone had advice, but she wasn’t sure any of it was going to help. Still, it might be fun to give it all a try. She knew one thing for certain, she was ready to make some changes and no man was as exciting as Blake.
“So I should make eye contact, then withdraw, lead him slowly to becoming a better man all the while teasing him with my affection and setting him to protect me?”
Grace cocked her head to one side. “Exactly.”
Ada let out a huff. Was that all? No wonder she’d been failing with men. She turned to the window, looking at the leaf buds just beginning to emerge on the trees. She knew Vice wouldn’t want to be her husband but perhaps she could test a few of these theories with him? Her belly niggled with guilt but she pushed it away. His interest was surely fleeting. He’d likely forget her before he ever realized she was using him as a learning tool.
* * *
Vice shifted his weight, wondering when they were going to bloody arrive. The wind had picked up again and he was getting cold. He’d been on edge since the previous evening’s events and he had a need to see Ada and make sure she was all right.
Finally, at the very end of the line of carriages, he spotted Daring’s carriage and the Winthrops’ just behind him. He straightened off the wall, weaving through the crowd to greet them as they arrived.
The moment he spied Ada, his chest tightened in the strangest way. He’d seen hundreds of debutantes all dressed in white, but none had looked as beautiful as her. Her eyes met and held his for a moment before she yanked her gaze from his.
Grace leaned over to whisper in her ear. Ada nodded several times before she peered at him again with a shy smile. And then she looked away. He wanted to hold her gaze, learn what she was thinking. Why was she keeping him in suspense like this? Vice stepped up next to her. “You finally made it. I was getting worried.”
Ada looked over her shoulder, directing her gaze at the woman just exiting the carriage. “Apologies. Emily decided to come after all.”