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Ed feet appeared to want to take flight after her She wondered what had caused the sudden change in his demeanour, but before she could ask, a jovial, pot-bellied man appeared at Edmund’s side and interrupted

“Colonel Seyain and this htful wife,” boomed the bald man

It took so man to leave them be and then before Alice could ask her questions, Edmund spoke rapidly in her ear “Stay at my side from now on We will speak further on this matter e are in private”

The longer she remained on his arm, as Edmund circulated, the more she suspected she was in so around she could not see his black-haired companion She appeared to have left

Alice tapped his ar one lull in conversation “Please ain?” She desperately wanted to hear ossip, perhaps ask about Edmund’s companion

“No Re Alice no chance to plead again Soood She felt tense and uncertain about the evening’s events

The late hour called for nues Alice, still attached to Edood-bye to many news faces and naet With low of the setting sun A nalled to the coache, to depart with a thump on the roof

The wheels jerked and ru to the carriage drapes

“I a,” said Edmund abruptly

His words confir, I believe,” she said with conviction

“You engaged in gossip—malicious rumours—about a friend of mine,” he said

“Whom?” asked Alice

“Miss Fanshawe,” said Edmund “Not only did you repeat the falsehoods, you did so in her presence and caused her much embarrassment and hurt”

Alice sed hard It hadn’t crossed her mind that the black-haired lady was the very Miss Fanshawe accused of liaisons with a Frenchman

“I didn’t know Most unfortunate,” she said half-heartedly, her fingers tightening their grip on the drape “I didn’t initiate or create these accusations I merely repeated them as they were told to me”