He must feel an obligation to Eli. Even if it was only for her brother’s sake, it felt good to know that someone was watching out for her.
It wasn’t as though anyone else would.
“Then why are you in here crying alone?” he persisted. Those eyes were really too intense for comfort. A steel-blue that could have pierced her straight through.
“I just—” Hannah couldn’t find an easy lie to save herself. Remembering her falling-out with Della, her lower lip began to tremble.
Oh no.She hated crying in front of other people. She wasnotgoing to cry in front of Mr. Corbyn. Hannah bit her lip to push the feeling back.
“It’s a long story,” she finally managed, once her voice was steady. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear it.”
He hesitated, as if he didn’t rightly know what he wanted to hear, before he said, “You can tell me if you like.”
The words were uttered in a tone she couldn’t read. Was it reluctance, or a gruff sort of kindness? She didn’t know Mr. Corbyn well enough to judge. But even if he did want to hear her story, he wasn’t likely to understand how she felt. Her own family didn’t even understand her.
“Hannah?” It was a woman’s voice calling her name outside. Della’s, she thought. This in itself wouldn’t have been so bad (she had known they must face one another again eventually), except that it was immediately followed by another.
“Hannah, where are you?”
Mama.Was her time already up? She wasn’t ready!
Hannah motioned frantically at Mr. Corbyn. “Close the door! Quick!”
Though he shot her a dubious look, he obeyed. “May I ask who you’re hiding from?”
“My mother,” she replied. “She’ll have my hide if she catches me here.”
“You aren’t meant to be at the club tonight?” It was a little unexpected to see Mr. Corbyn caught off his guard. He looked so commanding, with that stern manner and the scar that snaked over his chin, as if he should be ready for any danger. But this had surprised him. “What were you doing at my table, then?”
“Playing cards.”
“Don’t joke. Is this some sort of adolescent rebellion? Is that why you were trying to throw away your money earlier? I still have your chips, by the way. I can’t cash them out for myself or they’ll think I’m stealing from the pot, so you’d best come back and get them.”
“It’s not an ‘adolescent rebellion’ because I’m not an adolescent,” Hannah shot back. He was making her sound like a silly schoolgirl. “You don’t understand the situation I’m in. My mother wants to marry me off to the first man who’ll have me, and Ihaveto stop her.”
“Hmm.” Mr. Corbyn shook his head, his judgment obvious. “So you’re angry at your mum because she wants to find you some rich bloke to keep you comfortable for the rest of your life, and you’ve decided the best response is to sneak in here and leave sixty pounds on the table? That makes perfect sense.”
I knew he wouldn’t understand.
“Don’t belittle me.” Had she been intimidated by Mr. Corbyn’s good looks before? His shine was quickly wearing off. She wasn’t even sure he resembled Poseidon anymore. It had been ages since she’d looked at that drawing; her memory must have faded. “You have no idea what it’s like to have your parents decide everything for you. To treat you like you aren’t allowed to have an opinion on yourown life.”
“Actually, I do,” he replied coldly. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh.” This gave Hannah pause, but she didn’t have time to consider what he might mean. “Then you should be able to show me a little more understanding,” she continued. “I’m going to have to share a life with this man, share children with him, share a—share abedwith him.” She flushed at this, but no one else was here to hear them. She was too desperate to waste time on niceties. “I can’t abide by it.”
Mr. Corbyn assessed her with a cool glance. “Very well. You’ve made your point. But you can’t hide forever.”
“You could help me,” Hannah said eagerly. The glimmer of sympathy in his eye wasn’t much to bet her future on, but it might be enough. “Save me from her plans.”
It was a reckless idea, and not one that she would have chosen for herself if she had a better option, but needs must.
“How do you expect me to do that? Shall I hoist you out the window? It’s a drop to the ground and I don’t want your brother after me when you break your ankle.”
“Hannah!” The voices were much nearer now. They must be in the main game room just beyond the door. She didn’t have much time before they found her.
And she was already alone in a closed room with a man Della had recently condemned for his reputation-ruining power. They were as good as halfway there, really. What was one more push?
“I want you to kiss me,” she said in a rushed whisper.
