How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back Read Online Free Page A

Carroway put her hand reassuringly on Emily’s arm. “You shall make him very happy indeed, Emily, and as for us . . . well . . . we shall soon have a daughter.”
    Emotion flooded Emily’s body so rapidly at this final remark that she knew not whether to laugh or cry. As it turned out, she did both. How fortunate she was to be shown such love and acceptance from Adrian’s mother. On impulse she gave her future mother-in-law a hug, which was returned to her wholeheartedly.
    “Emily!”
    The familiar voice made her heart leap with joy as she pulled away from Lady Carroway’s embrace. Both women turned to find Adrian striding toward them with a radiant Kate on his arm. They made a handsome couple indeed, Emily thought. It made her feel all the more lucky that she had his love and friendship.
    “Adrian,” she gasped with a smile, still taken aback by his strikingly handsome features, even after all these years. “It’s been a while since I last saw you.”
    “Too long,” he agreed as he tilted his head to kiss her on the cheek. It was a familiar gesture that he had adopted when they were children, and although it was done in a brotherly fashion, it had always filled Emily with warmth.
    “I see that you have wasted no time in attaching a beautiful lady to your arm,” Lady Carroway teased her son.
    Kate blushed ever so slightly at the remark. She knew that Mother Nature had endowed her with looks that were easy on the eyes, yet she was always embarrassed whenever it was brought into conversation. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Carroway,” she said in a muted voice.
    All Emily could think was how desperately she longed to drag her friend away to a private corner and insist she tell her everything about her trip to London and the gentleman who’d won her heart. But it would have to wait.
    “I suppose you wish to steel Emily away from me, Adrian. The two of you probably have much to discuss,” Lady Carroway commented as she gave her son a knowing look.
    “We do indeed, though I am afraid that it must wait, for I have just promised Kate that I would dance the next set with her.”
    “I’m terribly sorry,” Kate managed, looking slightly flushed and embarrassed. “The truth of it is that Adrian has been quite the gentleman. He saw me standing alone after Papa and Mama had gone off to talk to their friends, and well . . .”
    “I insisted that she accompany me until you arrived.”
    “I hope you do not mind too much, Emily. In fact, I’ve been eagerly waiting for you myself. We really must finish the conversation that we were having earlier.”
    “It’s quite all right,” Emily told her friend with a broad smile. “Why don’t the two of you go and enjoy yourselves. I can dance with Adrian afterward, and then you and I can have a little chat.”
    “That’s what I love about you, Emily—you’re always so agreeable,” Adrian grinned. “Ah, I hear the music starting as we speak. Come on, Kate, let’s show them how it’s done.”
    As Adrian hurried away, pulling a stumbling Kate after him, Emily watched them go. Something about it didn’t sit well with her, though she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. She shook away her misgivings.
    It’s just a dance.
    When she turned, she spotted a momentary look of regret upon Lady Carroway’s face, and then it was gone.
    “Come, my dear.” Lady Carroway pulled her along but said nothing more. It was clear that her thoughts were on something else entirely.
    When they joined her sisters again, Claire could barely contain her curiosity. “Why is Adrian dancing with Kate instead of with you?” she whispered.
    “I wasn’t here when he asked her,” Emily explained. “Adrian had already offered to dance with Kate before I arrived, and it really would have been badly done if he didn’t honor his prior engagement.” It was a simple explanation, yet something about the whole exchange still bothered her.
    “He should have waited.” Lady