She began to ready herself for the day, not bothering with a maid as she dressed in a simple gown, pulling her hair back in an uncomplicated coif with the tresses gathered at her nape and then twisted around in a neat bun.
By the time she’d made her way to breakfast, she’d convinced herself that her feelings hardly mattered.Whatever reservations she had about Wyatt and her own response to him, he was the far superior choice to Eugene and she’d just have to do her best to keep her feelings from clouding her judgment.
She made her way into the breakfast room, smiling at her mother as she moved to the buffet, mostly ignoring Eugene at the other end of the table, eating his breakfast.
She frowned as she placed toast and a scone on her own plate.She only needed to be in a room with him a few more times before Wyatt took her away forever.
“I’ve exciting news,” Eugene announced, finally setting down his utensils with a loud clatter.
Exciting?She turned toward the table, eager to pour tea.She needed some sort of fortification for whatever Eugene about to say.
When neither she nor her mother responded, Eugene’s features turned black.“Isn’t anyone going to ask?”
Priscilla carefully took her seat, reaching for the steaming pot of tea.While her cheek bore no mark, the skin was still tender and she had little tolerance for Eugene’s games.
“What news?”her mother asked, gently setting her own fork aside.
He huffed.“Why is it so difficult for either of you to support me?”
Priscilla blinked twice.“Tell us your news, Eugene.”
He frowned, looking between them before he sat back in his chair with a scowl.“We’re leaving London.Tomorrow.”
She nearly dropped the teacup she’d been about to bring to her lips.Slowly, despite her hammering heart, she set the delicate china back on its saucer.“Leaving?”
“London hasn’t been good for us,” he grunted.“We need fresh air and a chance to start anew.”
Start anew?Most certainly.
Together?Definitely not.
Two footmen she’d never seen before stepped into the room, their hands clasped in front of them as they stood like sentinels on either side of the door.
Were these men here to make certain she didn’t leave?Her heart began to pound in her chest.How would they manage to extricate themselves from under Eugene’s watchful eye?
There was absolutely no chance she’d leave London with this man.
“You can’t possibly expect us to pack for travel tomorrow,” her mother started, giving her a meaningful glance.
“I can and I do,” he said sitting straighter.“I’ve had enough of the games you two play and I’ll not give you the opportunity to play them again.We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“Games?”Her mother fired back.“Convincing you to allow us to leave our house on simple outings is what you consider to be a game?”
Eugene pushed partially up from his chair.“Encouraging Priscilla to see another man when she is promised to me?—”
“There is no promise.”Her mother stood, her voice rising.“You have demanded.That is not the same.”
Eugene stood too and, automatically, Priscilla rose as well, sick dread pooling in her stomach.Eugene’s face was rigid with anger and she took a step closer to her mother, worry making her throat tight.“We don’t need to fight.Eugene, my mother simply asks for a few more days to prepare for the journey.”
In a way, he was correct.She had every intention of making plans to leave his care before he could sweep them away from London.
He might only care about himself, but he was intelligent enough to know how to subvert their attempts.
Once in the country, there’d be no escaping a marriage with him.With few places to go besides their country estate, she’d have little options other than a match with him.He’d see to that.
“I’m not talking to you,” Eugene snarled, coming around the table and stalking toward her mother.His finger came out pointing at the countess.“I am your benefactor and the man of this house.You’ll do your duty and bend to my will.”His voice rose with every word.“You’ll pack what you can today and we’ll leave in the morning, and I won’t listen to another word of dissent from either of you.Whatever is left behind my servants will pack up and send along later.”
“We’re not cattle.”Her mother crossed her arms as she stepped toward Eugene, her chin tilted up into the air.“We’re people.Intelligent ones and we know when a man is not worth following.”
