“I cannot stomach it.”
“You must. We cannot have you sick. We need you to be strong for us, as we are being strong for you.”
“You should leave me here. I have caused enough problems.”
He took her by the shoulders and shook her. “Do not talk like that, do you hear me?”
“Should I pretend all is well?”
A tear fell down her cheek, and he cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “We are doing this for you because we love you.”
Her eyes grew wide. His own declaration was on his lips but instead he said, “I need you to be brave, for us. For me.”
“But what are we to do? Hide out in this house until we are old and gray? That is not fair to your mother and sister.”
“Edward is right now working with Stafford to clarify the situation. There may be no need to panic. This is just a precaution. Eventually, this will all be forgotten and we can all go about our lives as before.”
“The ton would be having a field day with this. The mysterious debutante disappears, again.”
“I do not care about the ton,” he said. “I care about you.” As his hands were still cupping her face, it was easy to lean forward and kiss her. She was easy to kiss. He remembered they were standing in the hallway and led her to a small room that had two walls lined with books. Closing the door behind her, he pulled her into his arms again. Her arms came up to land on his shoulders, urging him closer, her mouth open to his. Lips, mouths, and tongues all clashed together. He was sure she would be able to taste the desperation in his kiss as much as he could taste hers, and it took all his control to stop before someone noticed they were gone.
“Tony?”
God, she looked beautiful. “Yes?”
“I’m not going to marry Dunstan.”
He smiled then and kissed her again. “I know.”
“Oh, you…” She pushed him in the chest, but her smile told him how true her words were. The look of relief on her face was priceless.
“Do not tell me this has stopped you from eating?”
“Amongst other things. I am worried I have let your mother and sister down. They have put so much effort into my coming out. You all have and now it will all be for naught.”
“I think you may well find they are of the same opinion after the incident with your parents’ pictures. I think it quite changed their mind on the matter.”
“I should tell them now.”
“Yes, you should, if only to get it off your chest so you can eat again.”
“It was not Dunstan alone, but I so hate disappointing people.”
“Come. They are sitting in the parlor playing cards for lack of anything else to do.”
When she told them about her decision not to continue her courtship with Dunstan, both women looked at each other and then smiled.
“Well, I cannot say I am surprised,” Marianne said, hugging her. “He was not the man for you, as nice and as talented as he was.”
“You are not upset with me for wasting your time?”
The dowager clutched her hands. “Oh, my dear, the experience you have gained this year will be invaluable to you for when you do want to find a suitable beau.”
“Is this what has had your stomach in knots?” Marianne asked.
“Not just Dunstan. I have been going over everything in my mind, searching back through my memories to see if I missed something. Had my father said something to me and I in my youth not thought it worth remembering? On top of that, I am terribly sorry I have put you all through this. Hiding out like criminals.”
“We are not worried, my dear. We are safe here for now, and making yourself sick over it will not help our cause. Your father did what he did and paid the ultimate price. You are innocent in all this and so we will protect you like one of our own because you have become one of us.”
