“Good enough is never good enough when left alone,” Lucy retorted, her nose in the air.
“Perhaps we should hold our judgment until we see how Hart feels,” Cassandra offered quietly.
“Yes. Let’s,” Lucy agreed. “If I don’t mistake my guess, a wedding shall result from this. A wedding between two people who love each other. Even if one of them won’t yet admit it. That is never a mistake.”
“It’s a mistake if my husband hates me for it every day of his life,” Meg groaned.
“He’s not going to hate you…” But the duchess trailed off when she caught the look on Sarah’s face. Lucy winced. “Just how bad is it?”
“It’s bad.Quitebad.” Sarah said. “Hart is going to speak with Mother and Father. Their reaction is certain to be anything but pleasant.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Meg’s parents were waiting up for her two hours later when Lucy and Derek brought her home. Lucy had draped a cloak around Meg’s shoulders to conceal her disheveled clothing. Lucy had employed one of her maids to put Meg’s hair back into the semblance of a topknot, but Meg knew she must have looked supremely guilty when she trudged up the stairs to the front door and made her way inside. To their credit, Lucy and Derek remained by her side. She hadn’t asked the duchess to come with her. Lucy had volunteered and insisted she help explain the matter to the baron and his wife.
The moment Meg stepped through the door her mother advanced on her.
“Margaret, what have you done?” Mother’s voice was filled with disapproval. Obviously, Hart had already been here.
Her father stared at Meg in disgust, as if she were a bug.
“Let’s all go into the drawing room and discuss this civilly,” Lucy said.
They all marched into the drawing room and waited while the duchess lit a few candles.
Meg sat in a chair near the fireplace, her parents glaring at her from the settee. Lucy finished with the candles and came to stand behind Meg’s chair, placing a hand on her shoulder. Derek stood on Meg’s other side as if protection might be in order. Meg did feel comforted having them there.
“This may not have happened under the best circumstances,” Lucy began. “But the fact is that your daughter is betrothed to a future earl. I should think you’d be pleased by that.”
“Pleased?” Meg’s mother’s eyes nearly popped from her skull. “She’s shamed us by behaving like a hoyden and is about to shackle us to a family we abhor. What in heaven’s name is there to be pleased about?”
Meg searched her father’s face. It was as stonelike as Hart’s had been. “I cannot condone this marriage, Margaret.”
“You have no choice,” Derek Hunt interjected. “The damage has been done.”
“That doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Meg’s mother shot back, her voice dripping with anger. She turned her attention to Meg. “I should have known you were traipsing after Highgate. You brought him up more than once lately. I’m ashamed of you, Margaret.”
Meg hung her head. She’d always hoped her parents would accept her wedding to Hart one day,ifit happened,ifhe loved her,ifhe’d chosen her and had actuallyaskedfor her hand. But the entire affair had turned into a shameful debacle and she couldn’t fault her parents for being angry with her for the additional shame she was bringing on the family.
“Highgate says the wedding will happen as soon as he can secure the license,” the baron said.
“I can help with that,” Derek replied.
“Father,” Meg said, tears filling her eyes. “Will you be there? At the wedding?”
“We have no choice. To make this matter as respectable as possible, we must attend. We’ll put off our move until after the wedding, but we still intend to go to the Continent.”
Tears dripped down Meg’s cheeks. “I may never see you again?”
“It’s true,” her father intoned.
“What about… your grandchildren? Will you ever visit them?” A sound that sounded suspiciously like a sob escaped her throat.
“That is up to you,” Father replied. “I doubt we’ll have the funds to visit.”
Meg buried her face in the handkerchief Lucy had given her in the coach. Oh, what had she done?
“I suppose you’ll offer to pay for the wedding gown,” her mother sneered to the duchess.
