Emily

Chapter Five

Emily tossed and turned in bed, kicking at the silk sheets that adorned it.

She could not sleep and had been laying awake in bed for hours. It was certainly well past midnight and she'd heard the grandfather clock at the end of the corridor strike twelve quite a while ago but she still could not find herself able to shut her eyes and fall away.

Heaving a sigh of frustration, she sat up straight and pushed the covers off of her before bringing her knees up and hugging them to her chest. She perched her chin in the dip where her knees met and squeezed her eyes shut, thinking.

The ball had been the night before, and she'd never had more fun at any of the previous ones she'd attended. It had started off horridly, and had only grown more horrid once Lady Havisham had stuck her nose in and tried her best to insult and undermine Emily, but that had ended almost as quickly as it began, thanks to Nate.

Nate.

As much as she tried to deny it, he was the reason she was having such a sleepless night. She couldn't get him out of her mind, and it felt as if each of her thoughts somehow reverted back to him because he'd inadvertently reached in and invaded the depths of her poor mind and wouldn't let go.

He'd defended her at the ball, and she couldn't be more grateful to him for it. Cassie hadn't always been able to do the same for her despite wanting to because of her own status, and she had never had any other friends who would ever do that for her. Having Nate protect her as he did had felt wonderful and, for the first time in England, she'd felt secure in herself.

Not once before had anyone treated her with as much kindness and patience as the Whitlock siblings had. Even Allie, although not very close to Emily, was nothing less than a complete sweetheart to her. Cassie was the only true friend she had. Kit and she were friends too, but together they formed a serious pair. With Cassandra, it was as easy to be silly and frivolous as it was to have sombre conversations.

Nate, on the other hand, was unlike any other individual she'd ever met. He treated her with a respect that she hadn't expected from a man of his calibre. Most men of good breeding didn't appreciate independent women, but it was quite clear that he had no problem at all with it.

Despite the entire mess with their parents and everything that had happened in their childhoods, the three Whitlocks had turned out to be good, good people. Nate had a good head on his shoulders and had passed that on to his sisters for, as Emily had heard Cassandra say numerous times, everything that the girls were and the people that they had become was all thanks to Nate always being there for them and teaching them right from wrong, which their parents had been entirely unable to do.

Nate had matured even more in the two years since she'd last seen him, though. They'd spoken only a few times, but he'd certainly had a lighter soul back then. He was much more serious now than he ever had been before.

The only conversations she'd had with him had been over dinner at a party or two. Although she and Cassandra were closer than sisters, Emily and Nate had never had the opportunity to become that close. But, she could still remember that he had been a man filled with equal admiration for intelligent debate and for mindless repartee, even when it came from a lady.

She could recall admiring that greatly. They'd spent quite some time together at one particular dinner, one at the Whitlocks's townhouse in London her last season. Kit and Lord and Lady Salisbury had been there too, but they'd mostly conversed between themselves. Nate and Emily had been left to themselves to find some amusement and they'd discussed everything under the sun, from politics to religion to the latest gossip. He'd walked her to the door later, too, and it had only been the two of them.