Page 26 of Air Affair

Her stomach plummeted. She’d been bracing herself for this, but hearing her father say it aloud destroyed her last, slender hope that he would see reason. Nonetheless, she wasn’t giving up. “I am a practical girl, and I do understand. But there are limits. And even if he has had a change of heart, I still don’t want to marry him. He doesn’t care about me. All he wants is your money. At best, he’s putting up with me. He made that clear.”

Her father began pacing. “That’s not what he told me. He swears he’s in love with you.”

“Of course, he would tell you that. It’s in his interest to tell you whatever you want to hear. Papa, I don’t love him, and I’m not going to marry him.”

Her father stopped his pacing and pinned her with a look that made her shiver. “Is there someone else? Edward said he thought there was, but I didn’t believe it.”

Was there someone else? She thought of yesterday morning with Hank. Though the kisses were delicious, he refused her in the end.

“No, there’s no one else. Edward saw me with an acquaintance and misunderstood the situation. I think his guilty conscience led him to jump to conclusions.”

“Good,” he said, clenching his fist by his side. “Because if I ever find out you’ve been sneaking around behind his back, then I will disown you.”

She looked at her shoes, unable to withstand the intensity of his glare. “I understand.”

Her stepmother’s gaze was all concern. Rory had to resist the urge to yank on her hair. “We’re only trying to do what’s best for you, dear.”

“I honestly can’t see how this is what’s best for me. And frankly, it’s insulting to be told by the two of you I don’t know my own mind and heart.” Her father’s decision to marry a stage actress had been widely considered unwise when they wed. Some of his former friends refused to do business with him anymore. The Vanderbilts tried to freeze him out of society entirely, though they came around eventually. They might never have done so if it hadn’t been for Aunt Alva.

Rory, for her part, had been appalled to learn at age twelve that she was going to have a “new mother.” She didn’t begrudge her father the right to remarry after over a decade as a widower, but the disruption Eleanor had caused in Rory’s young life was immense. After years of being teased by her school mates for having a “floozy” for a stepmother, Rory didn’t care to be lectured on the virtues of a proper society marriage by either of them.

“Aurora June Belmont,” her father said. “I will have none of your lip. We’re done with this conversation until you’re ready to discuss this like an adult instead of an obstinate child. Go.” He pointed to the door.

She left with all the dignity she could summon, but as soon as she was out of the room, she ran.

Up in her room, she collapsed on her Louis XV canopy bed, whose curtains and coverlet matched the blue rococo wallpaper. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and went over to her ornately gilded and inlaid desk, taking out a silver fountain pen and thick, ivory paper. She was a practical girl, and she had a practical problem. What could she say to Edward that would convince him to give up? There had to be some way to end this once and for all.

“Dear Edward,

I have been infected with rabies.

I have recently learned I am barren.

My father’s money is a myth.

The President ordered

I do not wish to marry you.”

It was no use. There was no magic formula that would make him beg off. She threw away the paper.

Her mind wandered momentarily to Hank, to the way he’d kissed her right after they landed in that field. Oh Lord, she wanted him so badly. Why didn’t he give in? He was clearly attracted to her. She would swear he wanted her as ferociously as she wanted him. But then why would he stop short?

Hank Hawley was not her current problem, however. Edward Windham needed to be out of the picture before she could entertain any thoughts of Hank. Her father was quite serious about disowning her, she was certain. While she was willing to face those consequences if all else failed, she didn’t want to invite them.

She pulled out a clean sheet of paper. Time to end this once and for all.

“Dear Edward,

I know that you have been in touch with Papa about our engagement. He has taken your side and tried to convince me to relent. I want you to know I am certain that I will not change my mind, no matter what either of you threatens. Please consider our engagement terminated.

Sincerely,

Rory”

Thank heavens she never let that marriage contract go out, not that she would have gone through with it even with a signed contract. Papa would have been furious about paying the penalties for a broken engagement, though, not to mention the scandal. As it was, the only damage was to her reputation, and she hardly cared about that.

There was a knock on her door. “Just a moment,” she called out.