Looking away from the sketchbook, I faced Phoebe, ready to hear her explanation. She bit her lip though and wrung her hands together. "Phoebe, my dearest," Miles said, catching Phoebe's hands in his. "Why did you not wait for me? Do you think so little of me you did not trust me to turn things around?"

With a pitiful sniff, Phoebe pulled her hands free and threw her arms around him. "I am so sorry, Miles. I never doubted you, and it pains me to know I have hurt you so. I had no choice. It was terrible. My parents were so insistent."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and faced Miss Darkin. "Can you explain what prompted this madness?" There had to be someone with some degree of sense I could speak to as it seemed most everyone else had run mad while I was away.

Sighing, she nodded. "It all began in the afternoon yesterday. I insisted Phoebe needed to tell her parents the decision you both had come to sooner rather than later. After all, why put something off when you can face it head on? She was understandably nervous about this so I agreed to broach the topic over tea."

Her matter of fact tone of voice was a relief in comparison to Phoebe's dramatics. "A simple enough plan. What went wrong?"

"Well, I began to explain to my parents how repulsive the idea was," Phoebe said before Miss Darkin could continue. She untangled herself from my best friend's embrace. "I barely said two words before Papa said how pleased he was my future was provided for because he couldn't see how anyone else would be right for me."

Miles' expression became offended. "It would not have been that difficult to point out the benefits of marrying Miles," I said when Phoebe paused to wipe tears away. I should never have come home and allowed people to think I was a terrible son.

"Don't you understand?" Phoebe said exasperation filling her voice. "In my father's eyes, my Season had been uneventful. I did not catch the eye of any one of any importance, and no offers were made."

I was still confused, and Miles objected. "No one of any importance? Well, that is not what a fellow likes to hear about himself."

Phoebe clutched his arm. "Oh, you know I do not feel that way, Miles. It is what Papa says."

"Why did you not explain your affections were engaged by Miles and you were expecting an offer?" I asked, trying to get the conversation back on track. Why had a Season ever been granted Phoebe if she was all but betrothed to me? Mr. Ramsey could not have expected a gentleman to offer to a girl already engaged since it was apparently well known to everyone but me.

"Because I do not know when that will be!" she said, her adoring look turning accusatory. She glared at my best friend. "It is unkind. You both are so mean to me."

In turn, Miles shifted his gaze away, guilt written on his face. "Out with it, Miles," I said. Why did I feel as though I had to pull every word of this explanation from them both? Only Miss Darkin had been open with what she knew. "Did you not come down with that purpose in mind?"

"Of course, but there is a good reason why I cannot at this moment. One I will explain to you later, Luke. Not in front of the ladies."

For a moment, I thought Phoebe would throw a tantrum to rival ones she used to have as a child. "In any event, I made the suggestion that if Phoebe's happiness were at stake, a different gentleman might be welcomed," Miss Darkin said swiftly. "I'm afraid I only made things worse by saying it. Mrs. Ramsey was alarmed by the notion and demanded to know what Phoebe had done to disgust you."

"I could not convince them it was not my fault and a lady had the right to refuse anyone she liked," Phoebe said. "Which my father took to mean I am rebellious and disobedient. The next thing I knew, I was explaining how you and I had met in the morning and had agreed to pursue a courtship. I said we wished to keep it quiet until your mother's health improved, Luke."

And there it was: the whole truth. Her bit of pride at stating my mother's health as the reason to wait grated on my nerves. I ran my hand over my face and heaved a sigh. "I am sorry you felt pressured, Phoebe. However, you have to go straight to your parents and explain you made a mistake. I am not about to court you, and certainly not going to marry you because you could not tell the truth."

My decree made Miles brighten. I was eager to put an end to this conversation and then get his secret out of him. "But everyone thinks you will be courting me!" Phoebe said, her tone alarmed. "What will they think if I were to say it was all a mistake? They will believe you had taken a disgust of me."

If I had been ten years old, I would have smacked her for that. As it was, I found myself having to make fists of my hands to keep from strangling her. "If you will not tell them, I will, Phoebe. As I just said I have no intention of spending the rest of my life with you to save you from embarrassment."

"You are the worst person I know! You are so unfeeling!"

Her trembling voice made Miles scowl. "Luke, this is not the behavior of a gentleman!"

I wanted to point out that Phoebe's behavior was not that of a lady and Miles shouldn't be the one chastising me about my decision. Did he want me to marry to save Phoebe's feelings? I spun away to get control of myself before I lost it completely. This was swiftly going from bad to worse, and I had no idea what to do.

"If I might make a suggestion," Miss Darkin said. "If Mr. Russell can arrange his circumstances to be able to propose at the conclusion of the house party, I don't see why Mr. Bywood and Phoebe cannot pretend to be courting for that time. I'm sure you will be able to figure out how to gracefully part ways then."

That had to be the most sensible thing said all morning. Phoebe stared at her friend in bewilderment. "I think I can manage to carry on a pretend courtship as long as it is understood under no circumstances will I marry her," I said, nodding at Miss Darkin. "But how will it be possible to break it off 'gracefully.'"

Though at this point, I had no care whether there was an amicable end or not.

"It would be simple," Miss Darkin said as calm as ever. "You have already made an excellent start over dinner last night, Mr. Bywood. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey were concerned when you spoke about continuing to travel with your future wife. All you will have to do, once the end of the house party draws near, is begin contemplating the advantages of living abroad."

"Miss Darkin, you are an absolute genius!" I caught her free hand and brought it up to my lips. "What would we have done without you?"

She gave a light laugh. "I'm sure you would have come to the same conclusion eventually."

"Oh, Olivia, you have saved us all!" Phoebe rushed to hug her friend. "I just knew having you along was a wonderful idea."

"I must leave now," I said, relieved to have the situation settled. "My mother will be waiting for me. She'll need an explanation for all this as well."

"Oh, you cannot tell her the truth!" Phoebe said instantly, spinning around to face me. "We cannot tell anyone else about this. How could we manage to deceive everyone if we are telling this person and that person?"

The word 'deceive' made my stomach turn but it was the most accurate to describe what we were going to do to our neighbors and family. On this point, though, I was not going to budge. "I will not lie to my mother, Phoebe. She deserves to know the truth."

Phoebe scowled and heaved a sigh. "I suppose as she does not have any visitors, no harm will come from it since she couldn't tell anyone." I clenched my jaw at the unfeeling assessment. " You may tell her, Luke, but no one else!"

"Thank you for granting your permission." I realized then I hadn't let go of Miss Darkin's hand and did so immediately. "Thank you, Miss Darkin, for your help with this situation. It cannot be how you expected to spend your time in the country."

"Very true," she said in a distracted way. I followed her gaze to where Phoebe and Miles were exchanging their goodbyes. I cleared my throat as I focused back on Miss Darkin as she continued, "At least this will keep things interesting."

An awkward silence fell between us. "I hope you find picturesque scenes to sketch while you are here," I said, nodding at her sketchbook. "A few places are pretty enough, but they are not easy to find."

I was babbling. Why was I talking about scenery? She blushed prettily and held the sketchbook behind her back. "I'm sure I will," she said. Her smile became coy, and she arched an eyebrow. "Is that a hint you would be the one to show me where these places can be found, Mr. Bywood?"

Clearing my throat again, I tugged at my coat sleeve. "Yes?"

She laughed and stepped away. "I think you will have to remember that you are courting my friend, Mr. Bywood." She raised her voice to call out, "Phoebe, I think we both need our breakfasts now. And your mama will be wondering where we are if we do not return soon."

With reluctance, Phoebe moved away from Miles, her hand slipping from his with each step she took. She sent a dark glare at me as she went passed me. When had I become the bad person? I bowed with mock formality in her direction, but her back was already to me, and she didn't see it. She would have been even angrier if she had.

Spinning on my heel, I found Miles staring after the two ladies, an expression of longing on his face. I smacked his arm to get his attention. I hadn't forgotten his actions had played a part in this mess. "Come on, you have some explaining to do, Miles, and it better be good."

****

We were halfway to the Hall before Miles finally slowed his mount to a walk. I remained beside him, waiting until he said, "I don't have the ring."

"What?"

He shifted his gaze to me, a serious expression on his face. "It's a tradition in my family, Luke. I made a point to acquire my grandmother's ring from my father to propose, but now I don't have it, and I have to get it back before I can speak to Phoebe. I would be disowned if I were to break with tradition."

Just when I thought things couldn't be more ridiculous, this happens. "Are you serious? How did you lose it?"

"I didn't exactly lose it." His expression held guilt. He cleared his throat a couple of times before he said, "I used it as security on a gambling debt."

Reaching over, I grabbed his arm. "You did what? Of all the irresponsible... Why haven't you paid the debt and taken back the ring?"

"Don't you think I've tried? He refuses to see me!"

"So you're telling me before you can propose to Phoebe, you have to get back a family heirloom you used as collateral for a game of cards," I said slowly. He nodded, and I heaved a sigh. "Who were you playing with?"

"John Lamotte, your sister in law's brother."

The man who was keeping George and Rosamund in the Hall instead of having their own home. "Then, there should be no problem. A gentleman would never refuse payment for a gambling debt. We will speak to him together. Who were you playing with at the time? If need be, we can bring them here to resolve the matter."

Miles shook his head. "It was just the two of us by the time I lost to him. Everyone else had quit for the night."

Stableboys ran to take Phaeton and Miles' horse. I dismounted and started for the house. Miles hurried to keep up with me. "Luke, where are you going? Why won't you say anything?"

"I have said something. Give me a little time to consider what we should do."

"Then you'll help me?"

The relief in his voice was unmistakable. "Since I don't want to marry Phoebe and you insist you cannot propose without this ring in your hand, I don't see why I wouldn't help." Maybe, on another day, I would have felt more sympathy for him, but right then, all I wanted was for the whole thing to be done.

And I had to find some way to explain this to Mama.

He seemed to sense I was in an unsympathetic mood. "Would it help if I were there to explain all of this to your mother?"

"No!" That was the last thing I needed. Mama was going to be upset about the whole situation, I knew for sure, and having him there would only make things worse. "It will be better if I do this alone and as soon as possible. Thank you, though, Miles. I appreciate the offer."

With a nod, Miles took off for his room to clean up before breakfast. I, on the other hand, made straight for Mama's room. A maid was just leaving, having delivered a tray for her. "Good morning, Mama," I said as I entered the room. Sure enough, Mother was seated in bed with a tray on her lap. "How are you feeling this morning?"

The frown she directed at me spoke volumes. She sipped her chocolate and then set the cup down. Her movements were precise and calculating. Standing at the foot of her bed, I felt as though I were five years old, being held accountable for some transgression.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Lucas?"

She only called me 'Lucas' when I was in trouble. "Yes, ma'am."

"Perhaps an explanation for why you lied to me yesterday?"

If anything, her annoyance with me had brought some strength back to her. "Mama, I swear to you I did not lie to you. I meant every word. I do not want to marry Phoebe Ramsey."

"Then why did your father come in last night to tell me the 'good news' as he put it? He said that you would court Phoebe."

"Because there's been a bit of a miscommunication," I said, choosing my words with care. As simply as possible, I explained everything Phoebe and Miles had told me, leaving out how Miles had lost the ring he intended to propose with. I couldn't read her expression as I spoke. "However, Miss Darkin has suggested how we can overcome this."

"Miss Darkin?" Mama frowned. She had nibbled on her breakfast while I made an account of it all. "You've mentioned her a few times now. She is a guest at Braglow?"

"Yes. A distant cousin of the Ramseys, or so I was told. She and her aunt came for the house party."

Thoughtfully, Mama nodded. "And is she a pretty sort of girl?"

Startled, I coughed. "Mama, you cannot expect me to answer that kind of question."

For the first time since I had entered, Mama allowed a smile. "So she is pretty; otherwise you would have answered she was not," she said with satisfaction. She sipped her chocolate. "I would like to meet this Miss Darkin to learn her character myself."

"I think she would be delighted to meet you, Mama. Would you like me to arrange a time for her to come?"

Mama waved her hand. "I shall see how I feel in a few days, Luke. So how did Miss Darkin solve this crisis?"

"She suggested Phoebe, and I carry out the pretense of courting until the end of the house party, giving Miles enough time to recover his ring. I will continue speaking of the delights of travel until finally revealing I plan on making my home abroad, in Greece or Italy. Phoebe will object and ."

Frowning, Mama shook her head. "I don't like it, Luke. It sounds cruel to raise expectations in a family that has been our friends for years. And do you actually plan on setting up your home abroad? What will they think if you do not?"

The moral aspects had been weighing on me, but hearing them spoken aloud so bluntly made me cringe. "By the time they realize I will not live abroad, merely spend more time traveling, Phoebe and Miles will be wed, I hope." I watched the disapproval cross her face. "What else could I do, Mama? Actually marry Phoebe?"

Sighing, Mama reached her hand out, and I hurried to take it. "No, of course not. That would only make a bad situation worse. It does seem as though it's the best option, but I do not like it, Lucas."

Again, using my formal name. "I don't like it either," I said, squeezing her hand. I sank into the chair by her side. "I should have spoken to Mr. Ramsey myself. Then all of this would have been avoided."

"There is no sense berating yourself over what you might or should have done." Mama shook her head. "I suppose this is what you must do to resolve this, so no one is hurt. I am just amazed Phoebe Ramsey would be so insensitive."

"She is sillier than I remember."

Chuckling, Mama picked up the tray and handed it to me. "Perhaps she is. But cleverness isn't generally a wished for trait in young ladies."

I stood up and carried it to the dressing table to be out of the way. My mind went to Miss Darkin and the intelligence that sparkled in her blue eyes. "That's true, but I would not happy with a silly wife. I am sorry to have worried you over this."

"I was disappointed with you and angry for I thought you had lied to me." Another smile brightened her face. "But I suspect you knew that when you came in here."

She brought her hand up to cover her yawn. "I will leave you to rest," I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Oh, Miles is writing to his father for the details on Midnight Summer. I believe you will soon have her to spoil."

Genuine delight filled her face. "Oh, Luke, you do cosset me so. Now find something to eat. I can hear your stomach grumbling."

Laughing, I walked out of her room. It was wonderful to see her looking more herself than she had before. Before I had time to reflect on it more, I found myself running into Rosamund, quite literally. "What are you doing here?" she asked, recoiling a few steps.

"My apologies, dear sister," I said, knowing how much it annoyed her. It was, perhaps, unkind to persist in irritating her but I honestly could not help myself. Not after everything she said the night before. A maid slipped passed us both and entered Mama's bedroom, no doubt to retrieve the breakfast tray. "I was visiting Mama, hoping to cheer her up."

Rosamund's eyes narrowed. "How sweet of you." Insincerity rang clear in her voice. "It must ease her mind to know she will see you settled before—well, we won't speak of that."

Everyone continued to persist in implying Mama would not get well and I had had enough of it. "I, for one, am eager to see her recovered. I'm sure she will be out of her bed soon."

A patronizing smile appeared on her face, and she reached out to pat my cheek. "You are so naive. Hold onto your hope if it makes you feel better, Lucas. The rest of us will remain firmly grounded in reality."

I jerked away from her. "I suppose we shall see which of us is right soon enough, dear sister."

"I came this way to visit your mother. I feel as though I have been neglecting her these past few days, what with your arrival and then Mr. Russell. It does cause chaos when people arrive without any warning."

"She's resting now." Knowing how Mama disliked Rosamund made me want to shield her from my sister-in-law as much as I could. Her negative attitude would get anyone down, let alone someone in the middle of recovering their health. "Perhaps your visit should wait for another time when it would be more welcome."

Gasping, Rosamund widened her eyes in offense. "Why Mama Bywood is always pleased to see me. Of course, you would not know that, having been away for so long."

At that moment, the maid came out. She paused a moment, looking nervous. "Mrs. Bywood requests you move along. She wishes to rest and the sound of you bickering is not conducive to peace."

Scowling, Rosamund stalked past the maid and I. "Thank you," I said to the young woman. She bobbed a quick curtsy and hurried off. Shaking my head, I walked away.