Her stepmother had admitted the true reason why she was doing this—and Emma couldn’t deny that an auction was indeed a quick way of raising money. But it was so very wrong.
She wanted to cry, and yet she was afraid to let a single tear fall for fear that she wouldn’t stop sobbing. Her stepmother claimed that whoever won the auction would receive the marriage license, and they could marry discreetly in a few days.
But what sort of man was so desperate that he had to buy his bride? Someone awful, she decided. Or hideously ugly. Someone who enjoyed watching others suffer.
Emma gripped her hands tighter together, wishing there were a way out of this. For the past hour, she’d wracked her brain, trying to think of another way to earn money. Anything. Would Lady Scarsdale or Lady Ashleigh loan her funds, just enough to help them out?
“Gentlemen,” a baritone voice began. “I understand that preliminary bids were offered earlier this evening. I can tell you that the bidding on this lovely work of art—”
Emma sensed every eye in the room was staring at her, and it only intensified her anxiety. It was far worse because she truly couldn’t see any of the men. She didn’t know who was here, and her fear began to accelerate.
“—will continue at one hundred pounds.”
There was a slight buzz, and her hearing seemed to fade in and out as the bidding increased. At first, it was only one hundred and ten pounds, but soon enough it was up to two hundred.
I’m going to faint,she thought.I can’t bear this.
Because Lord Dunmeath wasn’t here. He hadn’t come to the ball, and now he’d abandoned her at this auction. She should have known better than to put any hope in him. He didn’t keep his promises. Whether it was absentmindedness or illness didn’t matter; he would only let her down.
Men continued to bid, and it took all her willpower to remain sitting with a neutral expression. This wasn’t at all the way she’d wanted to find a marriage. It was horrifying and humiliating. A rebellious thought intruded—why didshehave to pay the penalty for her father’s mistakes? Yes, she wanted to help him, but this was a lifetime sentence that went well beyond paying debts.
But she didn’t see another way out. Her father didn’t have a title or a means of escaping debtor’s prison. And no one else wanted to wed her. What else could she do but endure the nightmare?
“Four hundred,” the auctioneer said. “Do I hear four twenty-five?”
Her palms were sweaty, when suddenly, she heard the door fly open. Another male voice spoke up and said, “Six hundred.”
But the new bidder wasn’t Lord Dunmeath. She didn’t recognize the man’s voice, nor did anyone say his name aloud. Who was he, and why had he bid so much? The worry and anxiety twisted her stomach in knots.
After that, the bidding began to escalate. Three gentlemen were bidding against one another, and Emma held her breath as the amount climbed to one thousand pounds.
They went back and forth, more and more, until at last the final bid came in from the latecomer for twelve hundred pounds. She felt chills rise all over her body. Something was happening with Lucy and the auctioneer—perhaps something involving a bank note payment. But then she heard the man speak again. His voice was nothing like Lord Dunmeath’s.
“She comes with me right now,” he said quietly. “Along with the marriage license and the painting.”
“A moment, please,” Lucy answered. “I need to speak with my stepdaughter.”
Emma’s breathing was shaken, and all she could wonder was to whom she’d been sold. What sort of gentleman was he, and what would happen to her now? He had brown hair, a beard, and was taller than she was, but that was all she could see.
What if he were cruel? Would he force himself upon her or hurt her? The room seemed to tip as dizziness washed over her. She’d been so stupid to imagine that Lord Dunmeath would come in at the last minute and save her. He might not even have known about the change in the auction date or the location.
But it didn’t matter now, did it? Someone else had stepped in and outbid the others. And if she refused to marry the gentleman, he might allow her father to be sent to debtor’s prison.
Her heart ached, for she’d wanted to believe in Lord Dunmeath. She’d wanted to imagine that he would follow through with his promises. But he hadn’t.
Her mind was numb with sadness and dismay. She could hardly conceive of what had just occurred.
“Emma,” she heard Lucy say. “Walk with me, won’t you?”
Lucy placed a warm woolen shawl around her and led her forward. “You’re very brave, my dear. It’s going to be all right, I promise you.”
“No, it won’t.” Her voice sounded like a shard of glass. “You’ve sold me to a stranger.”
“You know we had no choice,” Lucy said. “But I believe you will be happy as a married woman. Hechoseyou and was willing to pay twelve hundred pounds. Don’t you think that sounds promising?”
“I want to go home,” she pleaded. “At least give me time to pack my belongings.” More than that, it would give her time to plan an escape.
“I’m afraid... I can’t do that,” Lucy apologized. “It was a condition of the auction. You’ll be going home with your new... fiancé.”
