Caught

They stayed locked together until they heard a small gasp behind them.

Evelina stood in the hallway with a vicious smile fixed on her lips. "What a scandalous sight to behold."

Max pushed Aurelia behind him. "You do love a good rumor, don't you, Mrs. Browning."

"You wear the title of rake so much better than Earl," Mrs. Browning hissed.

Aurelia stepped from behind Max and glared at Evelina, "You are the only one calling Maximilian a rake, unfounded in proof."

"Look at how informal you are with him, you are a scandal waiting to happen," Evelina stepped closer to them. "You are always trying to be at the center of attention, Aurelia."

"Evelina, you are the one ruining people's lives by threatening rumor-mongering and lying," Aurelia barked at her, as she took several threatening steps toward her. "How would you like it if I told everyone that you tricked Jacob into marrying you?"

Fire raged in Aurelia's heart, she let Evelina run around unchecked for far too long, she was done with her scheming ways. Why would Jacob ever have a reason to distrust Aurelia's best friend in matters of the heart? Every time she interacted with Evelina since she married Jacob, made Aurelia rethink their entire friendship. She was never happy and spent so much time wanting what she didn't have, that it left her bitter.

"Who would believe such a thing?" Evelina sneered.

"Anyone who has ever seen Jacob in a room and I together since we were children," Aurelia thundered, Max tried to put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down but she shook it off.

Evelina stared at Aurelia in disgust, "That's why I had to tell him you moved on, he was still in love with you and I wanted him for myself."

"Alright enough," Max interjected. "We need to resolve this matter quickly and be on our way."

"I agree," Evelina nodded. "You two will not marry and I won't tell anyone what I saw."

Anger bubbled up in Aurelia, "I already told Jacob the truth about my feelings, no matter what happens to Max and me, Jacob will never look at you the same again."

"What truth is that, Aurelia?" Max asked tightly. His green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.

She turned to look at him in surprise, "That I still had feelings for him when he married Evelina, then I met you, Max."

His eyes softened and nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

"No, just no, you don't get to be happy if I am not happy," Evelina huffed. "I will tell everyone what I saw."

Heavy footfalls came charging their way revealing Jacob. His expression was dark, his eyes held storms in them. "Wife," Jacob said sternly. "Are you up to more trouble-making?"

Evelina's face dropped, "Jacob, I-"

"That's 'my lord,' don't be so informal." Iciness came off Jacob in waves. "Aurie is one of my best friends and you took away the chance for me to be with her through your selfishness."

"You are the one who married me so quickly after you had your heart supposedly broken," Evelina scowled.

"I thought you were more like Aurelia considering how close you were," Jacob sighed. "I was gravely mistaken."

Max and Aurelia simply looked at one another, you could cut through the tension with a knife.

"I would just like to say one thing before leaving," Aurelia declared. "Jacob, I'm sorry you are stuck with Evelina, but you should try to forgive her. Evelina, you need to look inward and find some peace with what you have done."

Jacob nodded, Evelina still looked like she was going to blow her lid. "We shall be leaving first," Max said, grabbing her hand. "As not to raise any more suspicion, of course, Browning, I can trust that you'll rein in your wife's rumor-making habits?"

"As long as you treat Aurelia as I would have," Jacob quietly said, regret shined in his eyes.

Evelina remained quiet and Aurelia gave her one last glance before Max ushered her out the hallway. Yelling ensued once we departed, Max and I looked at each other in bewilderment.

"So you don't still have feelings for Jacob?" Max asked cautiously.

Aurelia sighed and gave him a pointed look, "You are the only man I love, Max."

"You were talking about your feelings for another man in front of me," Max said resentfully. "Forgive me for asking."

"Oh, Max, you have nothing to worry about," Aurelia said as she grabbed his face between her hands, "You saw me ending two relationships with two people who were very important to me. I had to say what I did to get it off my conscience."

His eyes softened, "I don't want to wait any longer to be married."

Aurelia kissed his lips softly, "Neither do I."

A fit of giggles erupted from around the corner in the hallway. Max and Aurelia parted quickly but it was too late. Cecilia Monroe had already seen them locked in embrace and kissing. Her stomach turned sour and she bit her lip.

"You two aren't married yet, are you?" Miss Monroe asked. Their looks must have answered her question to which she smiled.

"Miss Monroe," Max took a step toward her. "We are as good as married, will you keep this to yourself?"

Cecilia looked like a cat who caught a mouse, "I don't know if I can do that in good conscience, I know you have a bit of a reputation, Mr. St. Clair."

With a pleading look, Aurelia said, " We are to be married soon but it is so hard to wait, please don't tell anyone."

"How can I be sure that he is not taking advantage of you, Miss Brooks?"

"I can assure you he is not." Raged boiled through her. "Cece, we were friends when we were kids, what would this do but bring unhappiness?"

Why was everyone so bloodthirsty for scandal? The gentry class women were insatiable for someone else's ruin, Aurelia was done being at the center for so much intrigue. Cecilia's eyes softened at the sound of her childhood nickname, she began to shift her feet to and fro.

"I won't tell, I heard about Evelina and Jacob getting married and I was shocked to hear because everyone thought you and Jacob would be together," Cece said sympathetically.

"She and I are going to be betrothed by the morning," Max interjected. "Thank you for your discretion, Miss Monroe."

Aurelia stared at Max for a moment. "Cece, would you like to come over for tea soon?"

She looked surprised at the invitation. "Yes I would, thank you."

With that they parted ways, Max held her as close to him as possible before they had to separate once again. "Why did you invite Miss Monroe to tea? She almost ruined both of us," Max inquired.

"It seems I am down a friend and Cece promised not to say anything, I trust her."

"I trust you then," he said letting go of her.

They reached the ballroom and her siblings were looking for her in the crowds of guests leaving for the night. Relief washed over Willa's face as she spotted Max and Aurelia. She grabbed Ben's arm and met them near the stairs.

"I just saw the Brownings leaving in a hurry, Jacob looked rather dour," Willa gushed. "Did you have something to do with that?"

Max started to speak but Aurelia interrupted him, "Yes, but it has all been resolved, and that's that."

My sister nodded and she turned to Max. "I shall be expecting an invitation to dinner next week, Mr. St. Clair."

Max nodded and bowed to Aurelia and she curtsied in return, she was growing sick of all the formalities. Aurelia couldn't wait to be Max's wife.

On the carriage ride home, Ben and Willa grilled her about disappearing with Max for too long. Aurelia received quite the earful from them and she was not allowed to be around Max unattended again until they were married. She felt like a child again, it wasn't often that her siblings used their authoritative sides with her. It almost left like their parents were still alive.

~

"Aurelia Florentina Augusta Brooks," Ben's angry voice roared, it echoed throughout the house. Aurelia flinched, messing up the embroidery she was working on in the parlor. "Why is it that someone left me a letter this morning detailing your sordid exploits with Mr. St. Clair from the night before? Why would you even risk something like this? I truly don't know what to do with this."

"Let me read it," Aurelia demanded. Ben shoved the letter into her hands and then raked his hands through his hair. He sank down next to her as Aurelia read the horrid letter, none of it held any truth. "I will only admit to kissing Max, none of this letter is true beyond that. This appears to be in Evelina's handwriting as well."

"Why would she write this to me then?" Ben asked incredulously.

"To make sure I remain as unhappy as she is," Aurelia seethed. "She knows no bounds when it comes to getting revenge."

"I hope for your sake that Maximilian's mother doesn't receive any word of this from that scheming woman."

Her heart sank at Ben's warning, Aurelia hoped she would not go that far to bring her unhappiness. The footman brought in another letter and presented it on a platter to Aurelia, her name was written in Max's handwriting emblazoned on the front of it. She smiled and thanked the footman, Aurelia cracked open the wax seal and read his message.

Aurelia's eyes burned with tears, her cheeks grew wet as Max's words settled in her mind. Ben looked on with concern and pulled her in close to him with one arm. "Evelina got to Max's mother just as you aptly predicted," Aurelia blubbered into Ben's arm.

"I shall try to reason with her on your behalf, but I cannot guarantee anything, dear Aurie," Her brother said apologetically. "Otherwise your options would be to sit out the rest of this season or to find another man who would marry you, I'm sorry."

Ben held her as she bawled my eyes out, Evelina was the devil and she should have known that she would have to deal with her again. Evelina seemed to stop at nothing until she wreaked havoc in Aurelia's life. Evelina got what she wanted- Aurelia as unhappy as she was.