The fact that Noble was asking a question now implied that Ford had a choice, but he didn't feel that was true. Or, rather, he didn't feel he had a choice now. He'd chosen to leave the ball in the first place, chosen to burgle someone's house, chosen to let Mrs. Dempsey leave the room thinking he'd slept with Miss Farley rather than letting anyone know the truth. Now, though, there wasn't any choice. What was the alternative? To refuse the arrangement and wait around for one of her brothers to come challenge him to a duel? That certainly wouldn't do any of them any favors; Ford would end up dead, his family would end up bankrupt, and at the end of the day this girl would still be ruined.
And he had ruined her, was the thing. He might not have done anything with her, and she may even have slept with someone else mere moments before he'd come in through the floo, but they had not outed her to the Minister's wife. Miss Farley had been ready to bluff her way through the interaction clinging to the thin hope that everyone would see her as innocent, and maybe that wouldn't have worked out for her anyway, but they would never have the chance to know now because Ford had sunk that plan.
He swallowed, looked glumly at Noble, nodded. "It'll be in the paper tomorrow," he said, and then heard the words from his own mouth and felt violently ill. "Oh my god," he said. His eyes had moved from Noble to focus on something that didn't exist in the air between them and his face had lost a shade. "Oh my god, in the paper. I can't — I have to go, he can't find out from the paper."
And he had ruined her, was the thing. He might not have done anything with her, and she may even have slept with someone else mere moments before he'd come in through the floo, but they had not outed her to the Minister's wife. Miss Farley had been ready to bluff her way through the interaction clinging to the thin hope that everyone would see her as innocent, and maybe that wouldn't have worked out for her anyway, but they would never have the chance to know now because Ford had sunk that plan.
He swallowed, looked glumly at Noble, nodded. "It'll be in the paper tomorrow," he said, and then heard the words from his own mouth and felt violently ill. "Oh my god," he said. His eyes had moved from Noble to focus on something that didn't exist in the air between them and his face had lost a shade. "Oh my god, in the paper. I can't — I have to go, he can't find out from the paper."
Set by Lady!