She spun to face him and placed her hands on her hips. “You can’t do this to me.”
Papa’s smile was gone, and in its place was the forbidding man she rarely saw, though she’d heard others say he could be intimidating. She’d never been on the receiving end of one of his angry glares. His icy blue gaze cut straight through her and a shiver raced down her spine.
“We’ll talk about this at dinner when you’ve had time to think about your outburst. I don’t appreciate your histrionics, and I doubt your future husband will either.”
There was no arguing with Papa when he was like this. She turned and stormed from the room. She left the door open on her way out, resisting the urge to slam it behind her.
She raced up the stairs to her bedroom and flopped onto the bed, her heart racing. But she didn’t cry. She couldn’t.
This wasn’t happening. Her father had promised she’d be allowed to choose her husband. That he wouldn’t just marry her off to the first man who offered for her. His revelation that he’d done just that stunned her.
What could have changed? Was it their finances? She’d never paid attention to such things, but she knew money had been tight last year. That was why they’d had to remain in the country instead of traveling to London for her season.
She stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts and emotions a chaotic whirl as she tried to make sense of this shocking turn of events.
But her thoughts were too muddled to think clearly. If anyone could help her untangle this mess, it would be Sarah. Her friend had always been levelheaded and logical. When Millie explained what had happened that morning, Sarah would come up with a plan to convince her father to change his mind.
She took a few deep breaths, determination sinking into her bones, and rose from the bed. She settled before her dressingtable and opened the bottom drawer where she kept her letter-writing supplies. She took out one sheet of paper and settled it in the center of the small table.
She pulled out her quill and a pot of ink and started to write. Sarah’s estate neighbored theirs and Millie visited her friend often, but today she wouldn’t ask for permission before setting out. She couldn’t risk being told she must stay home.
Mama, Papa,
I am going to spend the afternoon with Sarah.
I’ll be home in time for dinner.
—Millie
There,that should be sufficient. If anyone came looking for her, they’d find the note where she’d left it on her dressing table.
If luck was on her side, she might be able to sneak out of the house and return before anyone realized she’d left.
She cast a worried glance out her window and hesitated. Perhaps she should reconsider her current course of action. The sky was a dark gray, and the clouds were heavy. At breakfast, she’d overheard one of the footmen saying he expected it to snow.
No. She turned away from the window and crossed over to her wardrobe. She’d dress warmly and wear a long cloak. The walk normally took her three-quarters of an hour, so she’d be fine. And if by chance it did snow, Sarah would arrange for her brother’s carriage to return her safely home.
She crept down the servants’ staircase, her senses on high alert. On any other day, no one would care that Millie was planning to visit her friend. But she didn’t want to risk the possibility that her father had left instructions she was to remain at home.
She let out the breath she’d been holding when she slipped out a side door and inhaled deeply, enjoying the way the brisk air filled her lungs.
Ten minutes into her walk, she realized it had been wise to bundle up before setting out. The brisk air that seemed so refreshing when she first stepped outside was now frightfully cold. She ignored the small voice that told her she should turn back now and tugged her hat down to cover her ears. She didn’t care that anyone spotting her would think her a servant for surely no one else would venture out on foot in this cold.
Only a desperate person would do that, and Millie was certainly that. Every fiber of her being was urging her to continue with her quest since it was clear she’d find no help from her parents.
CHAPTER 2
Millie realized she’d made a grave mistake half an hour into her walk.
When the first few snowflakes fell, she twirled with happiness. Shrubs and trees lined the road that led to the Carlisle estate, and when snow began to dust their branches, she was awestruck by the silent beauty of the scene. She’d always enjoyed winter, but today was the first time she’d been out for a walk while snow slowly drifted down, covering the world in a blanket of white.
Before she realized what was happening, that light dusting of snow grew deeper and she was beginning to find it difficult to walk. The snow had even managed to find its way into her practical walking boots.
The only thing that kept her doggedly moving forward was the knowledge she’d passed the halfway point to the neighboring estate five minutes ago. She was now closer to her friend’s home than her own.
She concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other, doing her best to ignore the cold that was beginning to seep into her bones. Each step she took meant she was one step closer to finally being warm again.
When she made that final turn and the Carlisle estate came into view, she sent up a small prayer of thanks that she hadn’t decided to turn around. As it was, she depleted the last of her meager energy reserves making it to the front door. Raising the ornate iron knocker was almost impossible, and when it fell against the metal plate, she sagged against the doorframe.
