At least this amuses someone.
She supposed if she was going to make a fool of herself, she should do it in fine form.
“Lord Townshend, I must apologize, but you are the last person I would ever consider marrying. You have shown that you have no interest in me or in speaking with me, as though I am anything that may evenresemblea distant cousin of an equal.”
The Duke barked out a short laugh before turning to an approaching officer with the thief still in hand.
“You are making a mistake. When word of this spreads through theton, you will be incapable of securing a husband.” Lord Townshendstood stiffly, snuffing as he straightened his top hat.
Isabelle shrugged. “If it is a Herculean task to find a husband, then so be it.”
The lord stuck his nose in the air and spun on his heel, striding away from them without so much as a proper goodbye.
Isabelle bit back her smile as the Dowager Duchess leaned closer to her.
“Do you know what you have done here?” the Duchess asked, her tone low, preventing those who watched from overhearing the words exchanged. “I have never seen a woman behave in such a way in all my life.”
Tears pricked the corners of Isabelle’s eyes. The dowager was angry with her for doing what she only thought was right. None of the others in their party were paying attention to the man when he lingered at the edges of the path hidden slightly by the trees.
Isabelle herself had only seen the movement from the corner of her eye when the man sprung out and snatched the comb. If she had not, then the dowager would have lost something Isabelle suspected meant a great deal to her.
However, she had assumed wrong.
The dowager did not care about what Isabelle had done beyond how it would affect her chances on the marriage market.
She had been a fool to think that, after retrieving the comb, the dowager would finally take a small liking to her.
Isabelle felt more like a burden than ever.
“I do not care how you think I have behaved,” Isabelle said, holding her head high. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. “I have done what I thought was right. While you may not appreciate that, I will not apologize for it.”
Windham approached them as the thief was escorted away by an officer. “Surely there is no need for an argument, is there? It is such a beautiful day. We should spend it walking through the park before returning to the estate for supper.”
Isabelle shot him a dark look. “I shall return to the estate immediately. I can see that I have been nothing but an unwelcome complication in your lives.”
Before either of them had the chance to say more, Isabelle hiked her skirts and took off running through the park.
It might have been improper, but it was the only action she felt she could take that would ease some of the pain in her heart.
Perhaps if she ran for long enough, she might be able to escape both her past and her present.
Seven
Aknock at the door stopped Isabelle in her tracks as she tore another dress from her closet.
The door opened and Lady Victoria stuck her head inside. “What on earth are you doing, Miss Alden?”
“I am packing.” Isabelle stuffed the dress into her trunk, not caring if it was properly folded. It would only become more wrinkled when she tossed more dresses on top of it.
“Why would you be packing?” Lady Victoria pushed the door open wider and stepped into the room. “I heard there was a commotion in the park.”
“I was the source of the commotion, I suppose,” she said, gritting her teeth as she dropped to her knees to search blindly beneath the bed for one of her slippers.
Lady Victoria laughed. “I suspect if there is a commotion in thetonfrom now until the end of the season, you will no doubt be the source of it, but come now, Miss Alden, it cannot be so bad that you feel the need to pack.”
“Your mother will be home shortly and when she arrives, I suspect I will be sent back to that sad little port and sent on the next ship back to America.”
“And why would she do that? Miss Abernathy said that you apprehended a thief and returned Mama’s gold comb to her.” Lady Victoria sat on a tufted stool before the vanity and picked up a small pot of powder.
