My insides flipped. My head was still muddied with confusion, particularly over one statement. “I don’t understand. Why has she not set her mind on Edmund? He is the one who will inherit everything.”
Mrs. Everard blinked at me, silent for a long moment. “I should not be telling you this, but I believe you should know if you are going to go along with my plan.”
I scowled. “But I’m not?—”
Mrs. Everard raised a hand to stop my words.
I folded my arms, trying to hold my anger inside.
“Owen’s uncle, master of Willowbourne, had only one son,” she said. “When Theodore died, my son-in-law went to great lengths to ensure Owen was named his new heir. One day, Owen will inherit Willowbourne and all the income that comes with it.”
I stood back, too stunned to speak. Why hadn’t Owen told me? I had convinced him to revisit the place and he hadn’t even told me the truth.
Mrs. Everard’s eyes flashed with determination. “Lady Pembury did originally have her mind set on Edmund for Charlotte, until she learned that Owen was a greater prize. They discovered the truth about Owen’s inheritance when Alice let the news slip while she was dining with the family.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Much like you just let the news slip to me?”
“Ah, but this is different. You are not trying to ensnare him. In fact, you seem to be doing the opposite, which is quite vexing.” She gave me a pointed look. “You must help me enact this plan. We must drive Miss Lyons and her wicked intentions away for good. You mustn’t accuse me of lying about the engagement while Miss Lyons is here. My reputation depends on it. Owen’s well-being depends on it.” She gripped my arm. “You mustn’t tell anyone.”
I was trapped. Completely and utterly trapped. I swallowed against the dryness in my throat. “But if Owen arrives and sees that the news of his inheritence is out, and that I have been pretending to be engaged to him, he will think thatI’mtrying to ensnare him.”
“Nonsense. I will explain everything to him.”
It was a horrible plan, but nothing seemed to get through to her. “Owen might not be away as long as you think,” I said. “He could be back as soon as tonight. That is not enough time for Miss Lyons to leave.” The fear in my stomach punched at me. I swallowed and wiped my palms down my skirts.
Mrs. Everard shook her head. “Losing her prize to a woman who she perceives to be beneath her station will damage her pride too severely. She will be out the door before we know it.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening. I had never participated in such a disasterous ruse. “Can we at least include Mrs. Kellaway in the scheme? I hate the thought of deceiving her.”
She gave a swift shake of her head. “She is far too honest.”
I scowled.
“I promise, this will all be worth it,” Mrs. Everard said. “I was already thoroughly entertained by the look of disappointment on that fortune hunter’s face.” Her gleeful smile made my stomach ache even more.
I took a deep breath. “Is this not all…speculation? You have no proof that Owen and Miss Lyons don’t share genuine feelings.”
Mrs. Everard leaned close to me, and I smelled a hint of brandy on her breath. “You, my dear, are all the proof I require. His feelings are foryou. His heart belongs to you.”
A thrill burst across my skin, but I pushed it away. If only Mrs. Everard’s judgment could be trusted. Her antics today had made me doubt her severely. “That is also speculation,” I said in a stern voice.
She shrugged, pursing her lips. “Only time will tell.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm the storm of thoughts racing through my head. Meeting Miss Lyons in all her glory, learning the truth about Owen’s inheritance…it only added to my certainty that I was no match for him.
Willowbourne was the finest house in Hampshire, and Owen would have theentireestate. The earnings of the land would surely amount to tens of thousands per year. He had seen the world, and he had seen the pool of accomplished, well-connected, rich ladies in London. He must have known full wellthat he could have his pick of any one of them. Miss Lyons might have been his pick, and she might not have been, but that didn’t mean he would look twice at me with any serious intentions. I had been reading the clues wrong, surely I had.
How presumptuous I was to have thought, even for a second, that I stood a chance.
With this fake engagement, everyone in the house would be thinking the same thing, having the same doubts. When the truth was revealed, they would all laugh in relief to know that Owen was not as great a fool as they suspected.
A sense of dread overwhelmed me. If I couldn’t contradict Mrs. Everard in front of the others, then perhaps I had no choice but to leave Kellaway Manor. The idea made my heart ache, but it still sounded better than being caught in this ruse. My brothers had learned to improve their behavior here, but would it last when we returned home?
I turned on my heel, no longer caring about my manners. I was angry. Mrs. Everard was going to ruin Kellaway Manor for me. She may have thought she was being a matchmaker, but she was really setting me up to be mortified in front of the people I had been trying so hard to impress. How dare she put me in this situation? How dare she expect me to play along without any remorse? I shook my head and cursed Mrs. Everard under my breath.
I stormed out the front door, around the back of the house, and toward the stables. The inside smelled of hay and animals and every scent that comes with them. Eve stood in her stall, her black coat gleaming like a lake in moonlight.
As I approached, her playful eyes and almost-smile turned my way. Scraps of discarded hay littered the ground around my feet as I stepped forward and rubbed two of my fingers between her eyes. Scanning my surroundings for grooms or other people,thankfully, I found none. I needed to talk to someone, freely, without reservation.
