Noel remained frozen for a heartbeat longer, his breath caught somewhere between his chest and throat.
'Of all nights...'
His mother's voice came softly from behind him. "Noel," she said, careful, as though approaching a startled horse. "Is that... Evelina?"
He nodded once, slow and restrained. "Yes, Mother."
His sisters leaned forward in the carriage, peering past him with thinly veiled curiosity. Clara's brows knit together; Lillian's lips parted, already eager for gossip.
Noel turned slightly and spoke in a low voice. "Please head home. I shall deal with this."
His mother hesitated, then leaned closer, her gloved hand resting lightly against his arm. Her eyes flicked... not to Evelina... but to where Bennett and Arthur stood a short distance away.
"The Ashford brothers are close to you," she murmured. "That is... a good thing. You should continue to speak kindly of your sisters when you are with them."
Noel wanted to say no.
