Christine blew her nose.“You are far too naïve, my dear.We can’t risk any of this scandal leaking to anyone.”
“I am not ruined.”
“You are.Your only hope of salvaging what’s left of your honor is to marry Lord Belgrave and to do so quickly.”
“I will not marry that horrid man.He’s the reason all of this happened!”Hannah arranged her skirts, tucking her feet beneath them.“He kidnapped me from my own home, Mother!Why won’t you believe me?”
Her mother only shook her head sadly.“I believe you, Hannah.But the greater problem is that you spent hours alone in a carriage with a soldier.Lord Belgrave is right—nothing will cover up that scandal, if it gets out.”
But no one knew about it, except...
“He’s threatening you,” Hannah predicted, suddenly realizing the truth.“Belgrave plans to tell everyone about the scandal unless I wed him.Is that it?”
Her mother’s face turned scarlet.“We won’t let that happen.”
Hannah couldn’t believe what she was hearing.Her parents were allowing themselves to be manipulated for her sake.
Christine avoided looking at her.“You have nothing to fear from the baron, Hannah.I believe him when he says he has nothing but remorse for his actions.He wants to start again, and I think you should give him a second chance.”
“I’d rather kiss a toad.”
“He is coming to pay a call on you tomorrow.And you will see him and listen to what he has to say.”
Without meeting Hannah’s incredulous gaze, Christine retrieved a sheet of paper from a writing desk and chose a pen.Hannah clenched her fingers together, for she knew her mother was composing another list.
“Mother, no,” she pleaded.“There has to be another way.Perhaps I could go to Falkirk with Stephen and Emily.”Her brother would offer her the sanctuary of his home without question.
“They have already left, early this morning,” her mother said.“And your brother has enough to worry about with Emily about to give birth in a few weeks.He doesn’t know what happened last night, and we are not going to tell him until it’s all sorted out.”
Her mother handed her the list, and walked her to the door.“Now.Go to your room and rest until eleven o’clock.When you rise, wear your rose silk gown with the high neck and pagoda sleeves.We will discuss your future over luncheon.The baron will come to call upon you tomorrow to discuss the arrangements.”
“I don’t want to see that man again, much less marry him,” Hannah insisted.
“You no longer have a choice.You’d best get used to the idea, for your father is making the arrangements now.You’ll be married within a week.”
After her mother’s door closed, Hannah stormed down the stairs, her shawl falling loose from her shoulders.There was no hope of finding sleep, not now.
With a brief glance at the list, she saw her mother’s orders.
1.Rest until eleven o’clock.
2.Wear the rose silk gown.
3.Drink a cup of tea with cream, no sugar, to calm your nerves.
Hannah read the list three times, her hands shaking.Her entire life, she’d done everything her parents had asked.She had studied her lessons, listened to her governesses and done everything she could to please her family.
It made her stomach twist to see them turn against her this way.Her parents no longer cared about her future happiness—only their reputations.
Though she was supposed to return to her room, she kept moving toward the gardens.Tears of rage burned down her cheeks.All her years of being good meant nothing if she had to wed a man like Belgrave.
The list no longer held the familiarity of a mother’s love, helping her to remember the tasks at hand.Instead, it was a chain, tightening around her neck.
Hannah crumpled up the paper and threw it into the shrubbery.Rules, rules, and more rules.Once, she’d thought that by obeying the rules, her reward would come.
Did her mother truly expect her to wed the man who had caused her such misery?She’d sooner drown herself in the Thames than marry Belgrave.
She stumbled through the garden, the remnants of her headache rising up again.Why?Why did this have to happen to her?Only yesterday, she’d had so many choices before her.Now, she had nothing at all.
