Liam straightened as if he’d just realized where they were and what they’d been doing, that he shouldn’t have gotten so friendly with her.
“I’m fine,” Becca said. “Just fine. So sorry. I didn’t mean to. I mean, carry on.” She stood and went around the table to Molly, grabbing her by the sleeve. “Just a moment, then feel free to carry on. Be right back.”
“Becca,” Molly protested as she was manhandled out of earshot from Liam.
“Whatever you’re doing,” she said, nodding. “Keep doing it.”
“Doing? What am I doing? And you dragged me away for that?”
“Well, I don’t know what that was, back there.” She looked ready to point, but Liam was watching and she lowered her hand.
Molly had the stomach sickening feeling that he knew exactly what they were talking about. She groaned.
“That was very unlike him,” Becca said. “Totally and completely unlike him. I swear he is almost flirting with you. Awfully hard to tell with him. Keep this up, and we’ll have you married by the end of the year.” She paused, her eyes glazing over with joy. “Do you think you could arrange to be accosted by Mr. Hilton one more time?”
“No!”
She bit her lower lip. “I don’t suppose that would be very pleasant.”
“Most unpleasant. Disgusting man. I don’t know what my mother sees in him.”
“Oh, no,” Becca mouthed.
Molly looked up to see Miss Howard making a straight line for them, a sickly little smile on her face. She lifted her chin as she neared. It gave her the appearance of looking down her nose at them. The brim of her bonnet was so wide that Molly almost told her she had better not go out in the wind with it on lest she be blown out to sea.
“I just have one thing to say to you.” Miss Howard looked right at Molly.
Molly gathered herself. She really did prefer to stay out of trouble, but sometimes trouble found her. Molly took a step closer, lifting her chin, even if was just because Miss Howard was so tall. “And why would I wish to hear it?”
Her blonde brows converged. “Stay away from Hilton.”
“Easily enough done. Mr. Hilton disgusts me.” A little voice in the back of her head told her to keep quiet, but as she glanced around Miss Howard to see Liam lift his brows as if impressed by her, she continued. “I would not dance with him again for every pearl in the ocean.”
Miss Howard snorted. “I shall tell you what is disgusting. The way you fawn, in public no less, all over your lover.”
“My what?”
“Miss Howard,” Becca said. “I assure you nothing of the sort—”
“Oh, do shut up,” she told Becca. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“If it involves Molly and my brother then it most certainly does.”
“Mr. Liam Daltrey is not one of us to begin with,” Miss Howard said. “So we cannot possibly hold him to our standards, but you really, should have guarded your reputation more closely, Molly dear. I should do something about this situation with the two of you. These things cannot be tolerated, after all. I may have to speak to my mother about it. She will, undoubtedly, wish to speak to yours.”
“Miss Howard, you have it all wrong.”
She turned and walked away, her nose still in the air. Without another word she collected Miss Greyson, and they left the shop together.
Molly gaped after them, her stomach churning. “What just happened?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Becca said, looping her arm around Molly as if she thought it necessary to hold her upright. “But let’s just say that we might get our wish after all, and you will be able to marry Liam. Just not quite the way we’d planned it.”
“Because he was forced,” Molly whispered back.
Becca glanced over her shoulder at Liam. “He’s going to kill me.”
“If she tells everyone that Liam and I…”
“Maybe they won’t believe her.”
“You know rumors. Once they start, there’s no going back.”
“He’s definitely not getting me those books I wanted for my birthday.”
“Will you be serious for a moment?”
“I am.” She brushed a wisp of dark hair out of her face. “Here he comes.”
Darcy Branwyn 
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