Isolde gasped at this unexpected threat.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Thaddeus and I have been close for a long time. It only makes sense for us to be more than friends. I would benefit from his title and money, and he would benefit from what an exceptional wife I would make him.”
Isolde could only stare at the woman as she made such bold and blatant statements. Lady Bradshaw took a step closer to her.
“Marrying him is what I want, and I always get what I want.”
Isolde blurted out the first response that came into her mind.
“What about what Lord Hartington wants?”
Lady Bradshaw laughed, and it wasn’t one of her pretty, polite laughs. Isolde could tell the question had genuinely amused her.
“I know you are not suggesting, my dear, that he might want you? How could you possibly imagine he would want such a meek and mild little thing like you, when he could have a proper woman, one who knows how to take care of things?”
Isolde felt herself blushing, mortified, but she also felt a hot rush of anger. Lady Bradshaw may have a lot of advantages, but it seemed genuinely knowing Thaddeus wasn’t one of them. He would never think of her in such a cruel way, she was sure.
She looked Lady Bradshaw in the eyes.
“You mean, the way you take care of yourself? Flirting with any man with money, hoping one of them will pity you enough that you can ensnare them in your traps? Lord Hartington would never want a woman likethat.”
She only had a moment to register the angry look on Lady Bradshaw’s face before she turned on her heel and stormed away, her anger the only thing that was keeping her tears at bay.
Chapter 18
Thaddeus ignored Vivienne’s admonishment to let Isolde go, pushing away her hand to try to stand up.
“Fine, fine,” Vivienne said, exasperated. “I’ll go after her. You must lie still.”
He sank back onto the lounge and watched as Vivienne swept out of the room. Annoyed as he was with her, he was grateful at least that she was going after Isolde. He needed her to come back so he could explain … everything.
After several minutes had crawled by, Vivienne returned, her face downcast.
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I begged her to come back, but she refused. I tried to explain to her that whatever her impressions, they were mistaken, but she didn’t want to listen.”
Thaddeus felt his heart sink. He knew that people were already talking about him and Vivienne in the garden. There was no way to tell what Isolde had heard, but from the looks of things, whatever it was, she believed it.
He didn’t dare to hope she was upset because she cared about him. It was no doubt because his behavior would make others question their engagement, and therefore on her marriageability.
Cold fear struck his heart at the idea that she might be so angry that she would write him off forever, without ever knowing the truth. He struggled to stand once more, determined to go after her.
But his body had other ideas. As soon as he was upright, his head started to spin. He fell back onto the lounge, woozy and frustrated. Vivienne bent toward him, cloth in hand once more, but he shooed her away.
“Leave me be,” he said crossly. She’d done enough damage. She opened her mouth, no doubt to protest, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Lord Hartington?” A man put his head into the room, and after a moment, Thaddeus recognized him as Isolde’s brother, Thomas.
“Yes, Mr. Fairchild. Do come in.” He gestured for Thomas to enter and then gave Vivienne a pointed look. “Thank you, Lady Bradshaw, for your assistance. You can go.”
Vivienne looked a bit put out but apparently could think of no reason to stay, so she dropped the cloth beside him on the lounge and left.
“Did your sister speak to you as she left?” he asked Thomas as soon as Vivienne was gone. Thomas shook his head.
“She came in asking for you, upset, but left again quickly after, seeming even more upset,” Thomas said. His voice was carefully polite, but his eyes looked accusingly at Thaddeus.
“I must speak with her,” Thaddeus said, once again starting to push himself up.
