Hannah rose to open the door, stepping back to let her mother inside. She looked better than she had this morning. She’d changed into her going-out clothes and there was a little more color in her cheeks, so she must have distracted herself with morning calls or perhaps a bit of the floral arrangement she’d taken up since they arrived in town. Not a hobby that Hannah would have chosen for herself, but it seemed to give Mama something to do besides obsess over matchmaking, so at least there was that.
“Come and sit with me.” Mama motioned to the armchairs near the window and waited until Hannah got herself settled. “I know this season has put a great deal of pressure on you, what with it being your fifth time,” she began, her brows pinched together in worry. “But I hope you know that I’ve only ever had your future at heart. I wanted to make sure you had agoodmatch with someone you cared for, not be forced into accepting an offer you didn’t want because there were no other options for you.”
Is that what happened with you and Papa?Hannah kept the question tucked safely inside, though her eyes prickled.
“Now all my worst fears have come true,” Mama continued gravely. As if they were talking about Hannah’s physical death rather than her social one. “You won’t have many choices after something like this. Soon everyone in town will hear about it.”
“I know.” Hannah tried to school her features into contrition and make her voice a little sad. She couldn’t wear her relief too openly when Mama was taking it all so seriously. “I understand no gentleman will want me now. I won’t have any choice but to go back home and retire to a life of spinsterhood.”
She even added a little sigh here, to show how hard this would be. Was that going too far? Mama must know how eager she was to escape matchmaking—Hannah hadn’t exactly been quiet about it—but she seemed willing enough to believe that last night’s scandal had been an accident. After all, Hannah had never taken such liberties with a man before.
I might have done, if I’d had any idea what it would feel like.
“It’s not as bad as that, poppet.” Mama reached out to pat her hand. “I’ve found you a gentleman who’s willing to overlook your indiscretion, though I expect we might have to find some way to bolster your dowry.”
“Pardon?” She couldn’t have heard right. This simply wasn’t possible.
They weredonewith suitors. That was the whole point of Mr. Corbyn.
“Sir Richard Fielding,” Mama continued blithely. “Abaronet. He’s a little older, to be sure, but he only has daughters from his first marriage so your son will be the one to inherit everything. He’s perfect. He even has a country house in eastern Cornwall, so you’ll be settled close to home. I knew you would like that part. It took me most of the morning to sort everything out. I hope you’ll finally be happy with this one, because we don’t have any other options left.”
“Daughters?” Hannah echoed, trying to wrap her head around the words that kept flowing from her mother’s mouth. She expected Hannah to become a stepmother? None of this made any sense. She’dkisseda man in front of a crowded room. And not just any man—one who’d been sacked from the navy in disgrace and didn’t have manners enough to keep himself from swearing in mixed company. She was supposed to be ruined!
What’s the point of judging ladies over every step we take if I can’t even ruin myself properly when I want to?It shouldn’t be this hard toget the job done! Was she going to have tosleepwith Mr. Corbyn next?
The thought brought a nervous flutter to Hannah’s heart, as a memory flashed unbidden in her mind’s eye. The sight of his easy, bored manner as the couple upstairs had cried out with pleasure. It was nothing mysterious to him. Would she have to experience that before anyone would accept that she was a fallen woman?
No. There were limits to how far she would go.
Her mother was still talking. “I know it might be a bit intimidating to come into a family that was formed before you, but I met his children at tea just now and they’relovelygirls. The eldest is already out, so you might not even have her at home much longer—”
“Already out?” Hannah interrupted, shocked from her indecent musings. “Just how old is this man?”
“Don’t worry about that until you meet him. Age is far less important than kindness. And he’s sure to treat you gently, with the way he dotes on his girls. That’s what matters.”
“No!” Hannah cried, abandoning any pretense of submission. “You can’t mean it, Mama. I’m not marrying a stranger twice my age.”
“That stranger is likely the only man who’ll still have you, after what you’ve done.” Her mother’s voice rose an octave as they fell back to quarreling again. Why did it always turn out this way? If Mama would onlylisten, they might find some peace.
“Good! I don’t want any man to have me. I want to be a spinster.”
“And who will take care of you once your father and I are gone? Eli and Jane don’t have the funds to support another mouth to feed, and it will take everything we have saved to buy a living for Jacob. You need a place of your own while you still have a chance to secure one.”
“I could support myself just as Jane does if you would let me,” Hannah said stubbornly. “I won’t marry Sir Has-a-daughter-who’s-already-out.”
“You most certainly will.” Mama’s eyes were burning two holes directly through Hannah’s forehead with the strength of their fury. “He is calling on us tomorrow at eleven, and you will receive him andsmilewhen he speaks to you. This is your last chance, Hannah. I will not allow you to ruin things again.”
“I’m in love with Mr. Corbyn,” Hannah blurted out.
Where did that come from?
She hadn’t planned the words, but she saw immediately that they were her only hope. Mama already refused to accept that Hannah might prefer to spend her life alone, but the story that she was in love—so deeply and thoroughly in love that she couldn’t even look at another man—might prove more persuasive. After all, hadn’t that been exactly what they’d all been pushing her toward for more than four years? Didn’t they want her to lose her head?
Be careful what you wish for, Mama.
“That ruffian?” Mama drew back, affronted. “He took advantage of you! He’s the reason your good name is ruined. I don’t know what pretty words he said to trick you into it, but you mustn’t believe him. A man like that is nothing but trouble.”
“You’re wrong about him. He might look a bit rough from a distance, but he’s actually kindhearted and good. He was worried about me. He tried to help me when I needed it.”
