Claudia had nodded her head. “Of course, my lady. I’ll just heat some water for a bath.”
Later, washed and dressed in a light green muslin, Isabella had to resist the urge to skip down the hallway, her eagerness to see Ridge again as much of a need as her next breath. While she should be reminding herself that this was a temporary liaison, her heart didn’t want to accept the truth just yet. She wanted to cling to the fantasy that there could be a happily ever after for her a bit longer.
As she turned the corner, she spied Lord Liverpool. He glanced up and smiled in a kind fashion. “Ah, there you are. I was just coming to your chambers. I was hoping I might have a word with you before yougoto the dining room.”
She tamped down her regret that her reunion with Ridge would have to wait, and said, “Of course, my lord.”
He offered her his arm and escorted her upstairs to his private suite. He led her to the salon where she took a seat on the settee. In turn, he sat in a chair opposite. He leaned back and studied her carefully for a few moments, and she resisted the urge to fidget.It was as if she was a child again, a recalcitrant girl facing her father.
However, when he spoke, his voice was kind. “I regret that I wasn’t able to visit with you yesterday. I believed that you needed your rest after such a traumatic experience.”
Isabella’s thigh throbbed in response. “It is certainly something I’d rather not repeat.”
“Indeed. I should think not.” He smiled gently. “As I was speaking with Logan, Pierce, and Ridge, he toldmethat your union with Lord Wistenberry was not overseen by a true officiate.” He paused. “Do you believe this to be true?”
Isabella clasped her hands in her lap. “I do. In fact, Simon took great delight in letting me know that our union was not genuine, and that he’d procured a false documentfor the sole purpose ofgainingmy dowry.”
“I see.” He frowned, tapping a finger on the arm of his chair. “You understand this causes quite a predicamentfor me. If I send you back to London to rejoin your familynow, your reputation will be ruined beyond repair.”
Isabella swallowed. “I know.”
“However,” he added. “As Lord Ashfield is a respected friend, as well as being your godfather, I can’t, in all goodconscience, allow you, or your family, to leave things as they are without doing my best to rectify your current situation.”
A stone began to settle in the pit of Isabella’s stomach, for she was afraid what might be coming.
“In such, I think it’s imperative that I do my part in securing a husband for you in all due haste—”
“My lord,” Isabella interrupted quickly. “I appreciate that you are trying to salvage what is left of my reputation, but I am the one who ran off with Simon. Iwas well aware ofwhat might happen when I climbed into that carriage, and yet, I made the choice to do so anyway. I am fully prepared to accept the consequencesof my actions.”
He regarded her evenly. “You would subject your family to further scorn,then?”
Isabella glanced away. Hehadsaid the one thingcertainto pierce herconscience. In turn, she couldn’t bring herself to lie. “I regret that my impulsiveness has injured them—”
“Then we agree that a swift marriage is the best option,” heinterjectedsmoothly. He rose to his feet. “I have made arrangements for you to return to your father’s estate this afternoon, until such time as preparations can be made for a proper match within theton.”
Isabella was quite sure all the blood leached from her face as she jumped to her feet. “Please, my lord. I beg of you to allow me the freedom to choose my own husband.”
His brow furrowed. “I believe you already did that once before and failed, my dear.”
She grasped his sleeve. “I agree that was rash and impulsive,and I regret putting my faith in Simon. I see now that I was foolish and naïve, but there is another man—”
Instantly, his frown deepened. “I hope that you aren’t referring to Mr. Claymoore.”
Isabellahesitated. “I have become very…fond of him, it’s true.Perhaps if I speak with him—”
“I’m afraid that’s out of the question.”
“Why?” She could feel desperation rising within her chest. “Because he’s a commoner?”
Liverpool’s jaw tightened. “Among other things. He’s just not an appropriate match for you.” He sighed, his expression softeninga bit. “I understand the matters of the heart and the importance of love. I have a particular affection for my dear wife, Louisa, but my father didn’t want us to marry. In truth, he was strongly opposed to the match since I wasbutfour and twenty, but with the assistance of a friend, coercion from the king, and her rather sizeable dowry, I was able to wed who I wanted.”
He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “Unfortunately, not all of us have that luxury. It’s just the way of things in our society. We make sacrifices and do what we must for the good of our country. Ridge is an agent for the Crown. He is highly respected among the nobility, but I know that he’s not the type to settle down into a committed relationship.I fear he would not make a good husband.”
In her heart, Isabella had known this,butshe just hadn’t wanted to face the truth.Abruptly, all the joy she’d been clinging to earlier that morning evaporated like the spray upon the beach. Without anything further to say, she lowered her head. “I will instruct Claudia to pack my things and be ready to go when you send for me.”
Again, the earl sighed. “Don’t fret, Miss Resenfeld. There are worse things in life than a marriage of convenience. Affection will surely follow in time.”
With that, he took his leave.
