I regret to inform you that Theodora refuses to agree to the marriage. I told her to prepare to marry you and she will not obey. She’s even threatened to run off if I force the matter. I’m afraid if insist, she’ll harm herself.I apologize for all of the trouble my daughter has caused you of late. This is now my family’s shame to bear and we shall involve you no further in our problems. Theodora has made her decision. She shall be forced to suffer the consequences.
Ewan clenched his jaw. That fool. Blackstonehadbungled it. Just as Ewan feared he would. You couldn’ttellThea anything. You had toaskher. Learn her thoughts on the matter.Discussit with her. And that’s precisely what Ewan had intended to do. Only now he seriously wondered if Thea would even accept his call if he were to visit.Damn. Damn. Damn. This whole affair had turned into a mess.
Along with the letter from Blackstone, which Ewan had chosen to read first for some reason, was a letter from Thea. He ripped it open and scanned the page, already disappointed at the short length of the missive.
Lord Clayton,
Words cannot express the depth of gratitude I have for your extreme kindness. My deepest apologies for the trouble I have caused. Please give Alabaster an apple for me.
Lady Theodora Ballard
That was it? Those were the only words he was to receive from her? She knew that he and her father had drawn up a marriage contract. She intended to act as if that hadn’t even happened? All three of them knew if the men insisted and signed the thing, she would have no choice but to marry him. But Ewan didn’t want that, and her father apparently didn’t either. Blackstone had even mentioned that she might harm herself. Ewan seriously doubted that. He would, however, believe that she’d run away if it came down to it and that would cause an even larger scandal. He could just picture the gossip rags getting hold of the story that the two had become engaged and Lady Theodora had fled in order to escape the marriage. No. That would never do.
If they didn’t marry, Theodora’s reputation along with that of her father and brother would be dragged through the mud, but eventually, thetonwould move on to the next scandal. And as long as Thea didn’t intend to marry (and by all accounts she obviously didn’t) she’d just fade into the lore of spinsters with hints of scandal in their past. It might not be fair or right, but Ewan could continue with his life and his plans relatively unscathed.
He needed to face the fact that Thea clearly wanted nothing to do with him. So much so that she preferred the life of a spinster, potential scandal, and would even run awayfrom her own home, in order to keep from having to marry him.
Ewan scrubbed his hands through his hair. Damn it. Fine then. He’d attempted to do the gentlemanly thing. He’d tried to be honorable and offer Thea the protection of his name. If she didn’t want it, refused it outright, threatened to flee from it even, he had no further obligation to the young lady. She’d been the one who’d sneaked into his stables. She’d been the one who’d fallen and broken her leg. She’d been the one who’d become an unwanted houseguest. And now she was the one who was refusing his help. So be it. He would go on with his life and forget about Lady Theodora Ballard and the complete chaos she’d caused in his affairs for several weeks this autumn. He would return to his normally ordered, carefully planned life.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Thea wheeled herself around to stare out the window of the drawing room. She’d just finished writing a letter to Phillip to say good-bye. She hadn’t seen her father in the two days since they’d argued. The barbs she’d traded with him seemed to play on a never-ending loop through her mind.So be it, Theodora. You may remain an unwanted spinster the rest of your life.
Her father was right. She was unwanted. But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to tell him thatthatwas the real reason for her refusal to marry Lord Clayton. Her father already believed she was a spoiled, selfish spinster. Why should she go to any trouble to disabuse him of that notion? Besides, even if she had told him that she knew Lord Clayton wanted another woman, her father would just brush off her concerns as unimportant. Father was much more interested in the fact that Claytonwouldmarry her versus caring that the man didn’twantto marry her. She was about to have what she feared would be a very similar argument with her brother.
Anthony entered the drawing room behind Thea. He’d just returned from a trip to London, and she had quite a few things to say to her brother. It was freezing outside and despite the blanket on her lap, she shivered. She should move her wheelchair closer to the fireplace, but she couldn’t seem to muster the energy.
“How are you feeling? How is your leg?” Anthony asked after shutting the door behind him and moving toward the settee in the center of the room.
“It’s healing,” she answered curtly.
“Father tells me that Dr. Blanchard said it should heal properly despite the coach ride.”
“Yes. I’m quite fortunate.” Thea was done with small talk. She wheeled herself around to face her brother head-on. “Why didn’t you come for me? Why didn’t you write back?”
Anthony sighed and scrubbed his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Thea. I truly am. But I spoke to Father about it at length and he insisted that you remain there. And I did write back.”
Thea clutched at the arms of her chair. “Since when do you listen to Father? And you only wrote back once to say you weren’t coming and that took long enough.”
Anthony braced his hands atop the back of the settee, clutching the fabric. “I couldn’t very well sneak you home without Father knowing about it. What would you have me do, hide you in the cellar?”
Thea’s sighed was filled with frustration. She wheeled herself closer to her brother. “I don’t understand why Father was so dead set on my staying there. He knew the risk to my reputation, the risk to our family.”
“I did mention it, more than once,” Anthony replied, lifting one brow. “It seems he was more worried about your leg healing properly than our family name.”
Thea narrowed her eyes. “Why do I doubt that?”
“Be that as it may,” Anthony replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t come for you. I’m sorry I didn’t stand up to Father.”
“No,” Thea replied with another sigh. She lowered her chin to her chest and stared blankly into her lap. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m the one who went to Lord Clayton’s and broke my leg. I’m to blame entirely. I owe you an apology for ruining your prospects.”
Anthony came over and squatted next to her chair. “Don’t worry about me, Thea. You know how thetonworks as well as I do. I am an unmarried future earl. Men are always more protected than women in these situations. I’m worried aboutyourreputation, your future.”
Thea folded her hands atop the blanket. “The time for worrying about my reputation has come and gone. I’ve long since become a spinster. I would hate for this gossip to affect your future prospects.”
Anthony squeezed her cold hand. “By the time I am ready to take a wife, no one will even remember this nonsense.” Her brother stood and stepped toward the fireplace, leaning an arm against the mantel, he faced her. “Now, as for you being a spinster … Father told me you’re refusing Clayton’s offer of marriage.”
“Of course I am,” Thea shot back.
