Cassandra was so distraught by her father’s accusation that she went to her room to dress, and it was only as her maid applied her rouge that she realized what was going to happen. She broke away from her and ran to the stairs, eyes wide in fear.
“I cannot marry him!”
“You can and you must,” Lord Hurton called back.
She descended the stairs at a speed she had never done before, and found him waiting for her.
“Please, you must understand. I will be so terribly unhappy if I am forced to marry him.”
“Then you should have considered that before doing what you did. I did not force you to ruin yourself Cassandra, and now after years of warning you, you will have to suffer real consequences.”
“But I do not love him. I do not even know him.”
“And I do not care. This was a decision that you made, and you only have yourself to blame for it. Now go and finish readying yourself. I wish to travel while there are not so many people out.”
Even though her father had chosen the right time to leave, for there were not as many people in the square, it felt as though each person was glaring at her, casting judgment. She kept her head down, but she could feel it. It was the worst that she had ever felt in her life, and she only had herself to blame for it.
“So that you do not embarrass us even further,” her father sighed, “the man you were alone with was the Duke of Sherton. His name is George Vanden, and his sister’s name is Philippa. They also house their grandmother, the Dowager Duchess.”
Cassandra listened, but she did not feel that there was any use in remembering any of it. The Duke would only do what any sensible man would and turn her away, saving himself and ruining her. It was what happened to most ladies in her position, and she had already resigned to such a fate. If anything, it was precisely what she wanted to happen.
She would be ruined, and she would never marry, but she did not care about that. She could be sent away to the country, out of sight, and live alone just as she had always expected. It was better than marrying a stranger, and certainly better than what Lord Lashton had offered her too.
Sherton House was, however, beautiful. It was large, but not imposing, with ivy crawling up the wall in tendrils. It was one of the most spectacular residences in London, and if she werein love with His Grace then she might have delighted in the beauty of it, but she was not, and so she did not. It was a pretty household and nothing more.
The welcome that they received was anything but beautiful.
“His Grace is not here,” the butler explained, “but if you–”
“Leave at once,” a voice echoed through to the hallway.
Cassandra looked up to see an elderly woman with gray hair and accusatory blue eyes.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Lord Hurton called.
“There is nothing good about this morning,” the dowager grumbled, approaching them.
Her clothing was as expensive as her grandson’s, and sapphire blue. She was graceful too, and would likely have been beautiful if her face was not contorted in anger.
“Your Grace,” Lady Hurton tried, I understand that the circumstances are not good, but we do not mean any harm.”
“You may not, butshedoes.”
Cassandra wondered, as the Dowager turned to her with a pointed finger, just how proper the old lady truly was, but she knew it was not the time to say such a thing.
“My grandson does not owe you anything,” she said bluntly. “You went and ruined yourself, and you will deal with the consequences.”
“She is only a girl,” her father tried, but that only angered her more.
“My granddaughter is eighteen, and she would never lower herself so much as to do what your daughter has done. We do not owe you our charity, and your daughter’s attempts have been in vain. You will not trap my dear grandson in a marriage that he does not want.”
“But the marriage must take place!”
Cassandra, meanwhile, stood to one side and silently hoped that the Dowager would win the argument. If she did, it would mean that she would remain alone, and not tethered to a man that she truly did not understand. He had assisted her both times that they had met, as if instinctively, only to admonish her for it after the fact. It was not something she could deduce a motive for, and she hoped that she would never have to.
Suddenly, the door swung open again.
“What is all of this?” the Duke demanded. “I should not be able to hear you all from outside the door. People talk, you know.”
