"What about us having dinner tomorrow?"
"I... I'd love to..."
"Very well. I'll see you at half past nine?"
"That would be perfect."
Afraid that he might see her nervousness, she was relieved when Matthew glanced down to check his pocket watch.
"Maggie, I need to stop by the tavern. I'll see you later at home."He knocked on the roof and the carriage pulled up at the roadside. Marguerite managed to maintain a composed facade but once the carriage door shut in his wake, she slumped back against her seat. Closing her eyes, she took a long, calming breath. She couldn't help smiling to herself as she pressed a hand over her pounding heart.
Matthew finally invited her for dinner! Whatever he wanted to talk about, it must be important. She didn't know if she was imagining it but it sounded like he was going to confess his feelings for her, or something like that.
Suddenly a sparkly thing beneath a velvet cushion caught her eye. She pushed the pillow aside and found a silver, gem-studded pocket mirror. As she scrutinized the intricately engraved surface of the front lid, she wondered how the thing got into this carriage.
Then realization hit her like a bucket of ice cold water.
This was women's stuff, which meant a woman was in this carriage last night, with Matthew. She must have unwittingly dropped it here.
This morning she'd heard from some servant that Matthew returned late last night. She'd been curious because Matthew had never left the club at nighttime before. And now she'd just found out that he went out to see a woman.
Amidst the clamoring thoughts, she managed to remind herself not to jump into conclusion. She tried to find a more sensible explanation.
Perhaps Matthew bought this mirror for her, and he accidentally left it behind.
The thought did little to put her mind at ease, and once the vehicle pulled up in front of the rear entrance and the driver opened the door for her, she practically threw herself off her seat, blurting out the question that tormented her throughout the ride.
"Ewan, where'd Master Matthew go last night?"Slightly taken aback by her unusually abrupt manner, it took a while for the driver to answer,
"To the opera, Miss."Strange. Matthew never showed any interest in opera.
"Did someone come with him afterwards?"
"Uh, yes Miss. He brought Miss Anja Pavlova with him."
Her heart dropped like a stone at the answer, then she recognized the name.
"Anja Pavlova... The famous dancer?""The one and the same, Miss."
The obvious admiration in the driver's expression didn't improve her mood, and the knowledge that Matthew had associated with another woman brought her mind into a chaos."Excuse me, Miss. Is there anything else?"
Ewan's timid voice sliced through her racing thoughts."Uh, yes Ewan. Where'd they go?"
"Mr. Walsh gave her a lift home. She was a bit indisposed along the way so he stopped in at her house for about half an hour."
Insecurity and fear swirled inside Marguerite as she trotted back to her suite. She should have known these things would happen since Matthew became the owner of the club. Until then he was nobody, but now things had changed. She used to think that Matthew would always stay the same and never change. All this time, she was the only woman he'd cared about and no one else, and she thought things would always be this way between them. It appeared she was wrong. She should have seen the signs that his attention had turned to someone else.
YOU ARE READING
Scoundrel With A Noble Heart (sequel of Disgraceful)
Historical FictionThe story follows the journey of Matthew, the little pickpocket once appears in Disgraceful, who has grown up to be an adolescent thug. His life takes a dramatic turn after he saves Arabella, a spirited young lady from robbery. Soon Matthew and Arab...