“No,” she said with finality. “I will not marry you.”
“But –”
“I said no.” She glared at the duke with finality, and he frowned back, as confused as he was amused by her stubbornness.
“As you say,” he sighed, shaking his head, chuckling to himself. “But do not say I did not warn you.”
They spoke no further, and soon Elizabeth was there to usher Margot from the library and then the estate. She assured Margot that the lords had come to a decision, choosing to keep this scandal under wraps so it would not spread about the ton, but she knew that would not last, just as she knew she’d made a terrible mistake.
Should I have accepted the duke’s offer? Pride be damned.She knew that she should have, but desperation was a strange thing, and Margot was not quite that desperate yet. Unfortunately, she feared that when that day came, the offer would be looked upon as one that she should have leapt at and thanked God for offering her such a thing.
Then again, Margot had never been known for making smart decisions.
It was the first time that Margot had been home in three years, and she could not help but wonder if she had returned home too soon.It has been easy to forget what it was that I’d left behind, such that I had been able to convince myself it wasn’t nearly as awful as I remembered.
Sadly, it was even worse.
Her home was a townhouse on the outskirts of London, not a resplendent manor sprawled across a large estate, as her family had never been one of extreme wealth. And this diminished wealth, ever a filtering thing and often exaggerated by her parents when she was growing up, had since dwindled to such depths of obscurity that she wondered how she had ever dared to dream that her life might be worth more than what it was.
Margot’s father was the reason for this. Having lost his wife when Margot was just a girl, the throes of sadness and misery had taken him, forcing him to turn to the bottle and spend his nights at gaming houses, where he slowly but surely spent and lost the remainder of his wealth so that now he had nothing.This home is all that is left.
When Margot had left three years ago, it had been to avoid the scandal that dogged her. At least that was the reason she told everyone – the main reason, as it was.
The other reason was her father. Although he was not a cruel man, he was emotionally unavailable and dispassionate, such that she felt she hardly knew him at all. And as the years stretched on, as his health worsened, as his addictions grew, he thought it best that she go somewhere that she might not have to watch him waste away into nothing.
He was the first reason that she’d decided to return to London after all this time. Word of his failing health had reached her, and she’d decided it was time to stop hiding and come back to face what she’d run from.
It is nowhere near as glorious an act as I have envisioned. Thinking I would return like a savior, only to find there was nothing worth saving. And now I wonder if I should have just stayed away and saved everyone the trouble.
It was the night of the ball, the hour was late, and Margot found herself sitting by the head of her father’s bed. He was sound asleep… or passed out… or unable to stir, such was the state of his sickness. Whatever the case, he was unconscious and unaware that his daughter had come home to him.
Skin an off-yellow. Sweat beading on his head. Cheeks hollow and limbs spindly, he was not the same man she had left behind. What was worse, the state of his affairs had become a thing of nightmares.
Her family was not just broke, but destitute. They owed huge amounts of money in debt, and even selling the home would not come close to paying it off. Her father needed medical aid, whichshe could not afford. The few members of staff left had nowhere to go. It was a house of ruin that Margot had returned to, and there was nothing she could do.
I was a fool to think I might be able to fix this. Was that not the point? Why I came back after all this time? What I hoped to achieve?Oh sure, she had come up with many reasons, each one sounding good to her ears, but ultimately it was to save her family…and myself for that matter.
She looked upon her father’s withered body. She glanced about the dilapidated bedroom, not worthy of a baron of the peerage. She thought of what she might do and how she could help, and through it all, there was but one path left to her.
Margot might have laughed at the notion if it were not so depressing. Alas, she knew in her heart that she had no choice. An olive branch had been offered to her, one that would save her family’s name as sure as anything else might. She had been selfish to turn it down, stubborn and idealistic, but now she knew the time had come to accept reality. Despite how bitter the taste.
It is time I face facts and do as I know I must. I do not relish the idea. I feel sick to even consider it. But desperate times…
It was then that Margot decided what she must do – the only thing. Her name was scandalized. Her family was in debt. Her life was over, save for one possible outcome. And so it was that Margot decided with a somber heart that she would accept the Duke of Eastmoor’s offer. She and he would wed.
Four
“Good morning,” Margot addressed the butler who answered the front door. “I am here to speak with His Grace.”
The butler frowned from behind the half-open door, keeping it nearly closed as if worried that this was some type of trick. “And who might I say is calling on His Grace?”
“The Honorable Margot Harcourt,” she said. “I expect he will be surprised to hear of my arrival, but wishes to speak with me nonetheless.”
The butler considered her a moment before nodding his understanding. “I ask that you wait here. I will inform him of your visit.” The butler then closed the front door and left Margot waiting there on the front step.
The time of day was early, far too early to be calling on someone unannounced. And considering that the previous evening hadbeen a late one, with the ball and the events that happened afterwards, Margot wondered if perhaps the duke was still in bed.Should I have given it a few more hours? Should I have sent word of my coming? And what if the duke denies me outright? Then all of this will be for naught, and I will have ruined everything…
She gave her head a shake and dismissed such notions, needing to believe that the duke would still make good on his offer. He had to.
