Lila lifted her arms as Fran assisted her into the dress and studied herself in the looking glass. She smiled tightly. Oh, yes. This ensemble was most appropriate. She had no idea why a duke would deign to marry her. There must be a great deal of money involved. She’d do nothing to sweeten his bargain.
A knock sounded on the door, and her mother entered without waiting for permission.
“Oh, Lila.” She met Lila’s eyes in the reflection of the mirror. “He’s not going to be happy with you at all.”
He.
Her father.
Lila grimaced. She resembled her mother a great deal. Slim and with the same blue eyes, both stood barely over five feet tall, and, until the last few years, had shared the same color of hair. Glossy mahogany, as her mother liked to call it.
“He’ll have no reason to care one way or the other, presumably, after this morning.”If the duke does not cry off upon seeing me.And what if he went ahead with the marriage? A shiver of apprehension slid down Lila’s spine. What if he was old? What if he was very young? She’d imagined all sorts of horrifying scenarios while trying to sleep the night before.
His estate was located even farther north, yet remained in England. But instead of facing the Irish Sea, it was located on the opposite coast.
She wondered if the North Sea would bring her the same solace she found along the shores of Bryony Manor. Perhaps they all looked the same… water and sky.
If the duke did not call off, Lila would have to leave her mother and sister. But she would do everything within her power to convince her new husband to send for them. If not her mother, at least Arianna.
“Will Arianna be allowed to be present… for the ceremony?” Lila would feel only slightly better if her sister could be there.
But her mother was already shaking her head. “She’s not to miss her lessons.”
Lila had guessed as much.
“Fran. I’d like a moment alone with my daughter.”
Lila hadn’t expected her mother to attempt any sort of mother-daughter pre-wedding heart to heart. She met her maid’s gaze in the mirror and shrugged.
Fran finished fastening her gown from the back and then dropped the ghastly shawl around her shoulders. Her mother frowned in further disappointment but did not object as the maid took her leave.
“You don’t need to—” Lila would save her mother such embarrassment, but her mother raised one hand and then gestured for her to sit down in the high-backed velvet chair at the end of the bed.
Lila lowered herself in place, and her mother stood facing her, hands hidden in her deep skirt pockets.
“I know little of this Pemberth, whom your father has called here to marry you. But I’ve seen him.” Clamping her lips together tightly, she stared out the window for a moment, as though she’d forgotten she was even speaking.
“Mother?” Lila reached up and touched her mother’s hand.
Her mother blinked and then nodded slowly. “I want you to take this. Hide it with your jewels, and if you ever have need of subduing your husband, simply sprinkle this into his food.”
She withdrew one hand from her pocket and held out a velvet drawstring bag for Lila to take.
“What is it?” Lila took it, wondering if this was how her own mother had managed to survive her father all these years.
Her mother’s eyes seemed unfocused and then she blinked again. “A sleeping potion. Only use it if you fear him. Do you understand?”
She’d never seen her own father actually act out in violence toward another soul, her mother included, but she’d heard rumors that he’d committed atrocities. She did her best to imagine the rumor held little, if any, truth.
Her imagination never grew powerful enough to believe it.
Yes, she could understand her mother’s concern. Nodding, she took the little cloth bag from her mother and then stuffed it into the back of her valise.
She prayed she’d never need it.
Strangely, her mother took Lila by the shoulders and leaned forward, dropping a kiss on each cheek. “I love you, Lila. I want you to know that I’ve done my best for you and Arianna. Please, always remember that.”
Lila nodded. “Of course. It cannot have been easy for you.” And then she added, “I love you too, Mama.” But this wasn’t going to be goodbye forever. She’d make certain of it, no matter what she had to do to procure her husband’s cooperation.
