She put her hand on Annora’s, and Annora laid her other hand on top of it, grasping Isolde’s hand between her palms.
“Not that. Of course we would step in to help you, there was no question of it! I meant …” She hesitated, looking away. “I was in the garden, with Lord Henry,” she finally said, looking incredibly guilty. “I promised you I would stay away from him, and yet I seem to keep ending up near him. We had each stepped out for some air, and ran into one another … it just sort of happened, and I did not have the heart to tell him to leave me alone …”
“Annora,” Isolde said, feeling almost like she should shake her cousin, “what nonsense! Stop apologizing at once. I’ve already told you, I think you should follow your heart. It’s rare to have found what you and Lord Henry have, and you must stop denying yourself on my account. And any rate,” she continued, smiling wryly, “at least one of us will have found luck in love.”
“Oh, Isolde!” Annora said, throwing her arms around Isolde and hugging her tightly. Isolde hugged her back just as tightly.
When Annora pulled away, she gave Isolde a piercing look.
“But tell me, darling, do you really not think that you will find love with Lord Hartington? I know you insist he does not care for you, but I am sure he does. Do you really not care for him enough to try to keep him?”
Isolde sighed.
“I must confide in you, Annora, I have been so conflicted. I … I do have feelings for Lord Hartington; I must admit it.” Annora squealed and then clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Sorry, I’ll be quiet,” Annora said. “Keep going.”
“I just don’t know if he feels the same way. Yes, I know,” she said in response to Annora opening her mouth. “I know you will insist he does, and Thomas said the same. But I cannot count on other people’s impressions, and Lord Hartington himself has said nothing to me. He has never spoken to me of our relationship outside of carrying on the illusion of it while we proceed with this ridiculous plan that he made. And meanwhile …” She sighed. “Lord Crowley is threatening to marry Cornelia, and no matter what, I must stop that from happening. If marrying him myself is the only way …”
“Isolde, no!” Annora scolded. “You cannot marry that man, and neither can Cornelia. And perhaps you are not sure of Lord Hartington’s intentions, but surely speaking to him about the matter is preferable to marrying Lord Crowley.”
Isolde felt tears welling in her eyes and tried to blink them away, but one escaped and rolled down her cheek.
“It just feels like I have tried to speak to him so many times,” she whispered. “Something always gets in the way, whether it be Lord Crowley or Lady Bradshaw or our own fumbling communication. I want to speak with him, I need to know how he feels, but I am growing so tired of trying and failing. I thought coming to Hartington would be a chance to perhaps turn my luck around, to escape my father and maybe help Thomas and Cornelia as well. But instead, my feelings are all muddled, and I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.”
Annora hugged her again, much softer this time. She clung to Isolde for a long moment, and then she let go, giving her a warm smile.
“Poor Isolde. Even your own feelings won’t give you peace. But don’t worry, darling. I shall enlist Henry, and together we’ll help you speak to Thaddeus. You won’t have to carry all this on your own.”
“Thank you,” Isolde said. “You always make me feel less alone.”
“You arenotalone,” Annora insisted. “And if it’s the marquess you want, then it’s the marquess you shall have, if I have anything to do with it!”
Annora looked so fiercely determined that Isolde had to laugh.
“Let’s just start with finally being able to speak honestly with him,” she said, not wanting to hope for more than that at the moment. But she realized with relief that, with Annora vowing to help, she already felt lighter.
Chapter 24
Thaddeus was beginning to despair of finding Isolde. He had been wandering the garden for a good fifteen minutes, with no sign of her. A few moments ago, he’d thought he heard a shout and had run in that direction, but now things had gone quiet, and he couldn’t be sure which way to go.
Suddenly, he heard raised voices up ahead again. He hurried toward them and came upon his brother Henry escorting Lord Crowley none too gently out of the hedges. He was relieved to see that Isolde was not with them. He hoped Crowley had not been able to catch up with her.
“Lord Hartington, thank goodness. I’ve suffered the most abominable treatment at the hand of your brother just now, and he is threatening to throw me out very rudely. What do you intend to do about it?”
Throw Crowley out?Thaddeus’s eye flickered to Henry and clocked the anger there. Whatever had happened, Henry apparently felt comfortable rescinding Crowley’s invitation. Thaddeus found himself smiling.
“What shall I do about it?” he said, relaxing a little for the first time since he’d watched Isolde run outside. “Nothing, Isuppose. I’m sure whatever treatment my brother has given you is deserved.”
Crowley’s face turned red, and he started spluttering, but Henry gave him a shake.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Henry said darkly. Thaddeus tensed again.
“Why? What happened?” he asked. “Is Miss Fairchild –”
“She’s all right, thank goodness. Miss White took her inside to calm down. This cad had cornered her in the garden and was basically trying to extort her into marrying him, by threatening to marry her younger sister if he didn’t. She said he grabbed her wrist so tightly it was likely to bruise.” Henry gave Crowley a push toward the front of the house, a little rougher than needed.
Thaddeus felt anger swirling inside him. He stepped toward Crowley.
