Miss Fielding perked up at this. She looked happy for the first time all morning.
Best of all, this revelation finally provoked the desired reaction from Sir Richard.
His face grew red as he drew back, sputtering, “Why—I had no idea! I understood you to be an eligible young woman, Miss Williams. Your mother assured me that the recent rumors about you were nothing but idle talk.”
“They are,” Mama said quickly. “My daughter isconfused, Sir Richard. You mustn’t pay her any mind. She’s an impressionable girl who fell prey to some sweet words, but I assure you that her virtue is perfectly untarnished. She only needs someone older and wiser to guide her.”
“I’m in love,” Hannah repeated, unable to keep the desperation from her voice. “I won’t have anyone else.”
If only Mr. Corbyn were here! They would never have ignoredhim, with his commanding presence and icy stare. Without his help, her mother was making Hannah sound delusional.
Silly as the hope might have been, deep down she’d thought he would come.
“You will cease this nonsense at once,” Mama hissed in her ear. Her tone was clearly meant to escape notice, but their guests had likely heard it in the stillness of the room.
“It isn’t nonsense. It’s true,” Hannah retorted. Unlike her mother, she didn’t bother to keep her voice down.
Although Sir Richard looked as though his tea had curdled, he still hadn’t put an end to the call. After a long-suffering sigh, he said,“If young Anna is to stay undermyroof, there will be no more flights of fancy. But I expect a baby or two might be just the thing to keep her occupied. It would be so nice to finally have a son…”
Is he talking about me?
“My name isHannah,” she corrected. “With an H.”
“Oh dear, what did I say?” Sir Richard seemed to come back to himself with a start. “Pardon me. My late wife was an Anna. It’s only force of habit.”
This can’t be happening!Hannah shot an urgent glance to her mother, but her attention was fixed solely on their guests.
“We’re grateful for your understanding and patience, Sir Richard.”
Grateful!For the understanding of a man who couldn’t even keep his wives straight?
Hannah would set her hair on fire before she accepted this. In fact, that might still be an option. There was a matchbook in the cabinet beside the candlesticks, wasn’t there?
“Shall we come to the point of it?” Sir Richard asked, interrupting her frantic schemes. “It seems we’re in agreement that your daughter needs a firm hand. It probably comes from letting her be exposed to the fast crowds of London without her father here to keep order.”
Mama stiffened at this, but Sir Richard carried on as if he hadn’t noticed.
“The best thing for her is to be married without delay and removed from any corrupting influences. If we have the first banns read this Sunday, I can have her safely to my country house before the month is out.”
Hannah opened her mouth to shout her objections, but found a vanilla wafer stuffed rather violently between her lips before she knew what was happening. While she tried to keep from choking to death, Mama spoke over her. “Have a biscuit, darling. You were soexcited that you scarcely ate a thing at breakfast.”
I was not excited, Hannah wanted to protest. I was planning my insurrection.
But she couldn’t talk until she chewed and swallowed, which was taking an inordinate amount of time. Why on earth had Cook made these things so dry? It was like having a mouthful of vanilla-flavored sand in her mouth.
“Why don’t you and I settle the details later, Sir Richard?” Mama continued. “This was a marvelous introduction. I know Hannah was simply delighted to meet you, but these girls don’t have the patience for a discussion of the marriage settlement. I can call on you tomorrow to work everything out between us.”
“Won’t her father handle that?” Sir Richard looked surprised.
“Er—he’ll come to town to formalize matters with the solicitors presently, but rest assured that I speak with his full authority until then.”
“Mmph!” Hannah pleaded. Would she manage to swallow before her wedding day? She held up a finger and scrambled for a mouthful of tea to wet her throat. “I didn’t agree to—”
“We’ll talk about this later, poppet.”
“But I—”
“Have another biscuit.”
