CHAPTER 1

Present day,

London, Spring

The brush dangled in Verity's hand as she examined her half-finished landscape as the upcoming Season flooded her mind.

She could not ignore the intense sense of trepidation that washed over her as she thought of what was to come. The balls, the musicales, the high society teas… Verity wasn't looking forward to any of it. She had not done so over the last four years. Ever since her engagement had been called off she had hated to be under the scrutinizing eyes of the ton. Especially now, because she was considered a spinster and not worth even looking at.

It seemed like an utterly unnecessary waste of her time, with a terrible impact on her self-esteem, but still it was something she must do. She did not have any choice in the matter.

Knock, knock.

Verity spun around quickly to find the butler standing in the doorway in his typical stoic fashion.

"You have a visitor, Lady Sinclair."

Those words always filled Verity with dread.

"Who is it?" she asked breathlessly.

"Lady Faye Barrington."

Warmth spread through Verity as a smile crept up on her lips. A visit from her cousin was welcome news.

"Please, show her into the drawing room."

As soon as she caught sight of her cousin, who was glowing with happiness and smiling widely, Verity beamed from ear to ear.

"Oh, Faye, how are you? You look wonderful."

Faye grinned back. "I'm just fine thank you very much. You are looking lovely yourself, Verity." She always complimented Verity's appearance, though it was no question that Faye was the more attractive cousin. Verity appreciated the condescension, anyway, glowing under the praise of her beloved friend.

"How is your husband?" Verity asked happily. She had always enjoyed the company of Lord James Barrington and thought he was a wonderful man for her cousin. "It has been a while since I have last seen him."

"Oh, he is quite busy with his work," Faye chuckled, smoothing her skirts as she relaxed into an armchair. "I have hardly had time to see him, if I am honest with you. But I have to admit, the fever of the Season is catching up with me, and the memories of being a carefree debutante are hard to ignore."

Verity's smile faltered. "I am not sure that I feel the same way at all."

Faye furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

"While I must attend, I am afraid that I find little joy in the prospect of endless social gatherings."

Verity hung her head low, her eyes brimming with tears that she refused to let fall. She could not continue to weep over what happened four years ago, but at the same time, it had affected her life terribly ever since.

"Oh, Verity, I am so sorry to hear that."

"I just cannot envision how I am supposed to enjoy myself after everything that has happened…"

Faye's expression was full of sympathy. "Oh, Verity, I know it's terribly hard for you. But you can't allow the past to hold you back forever. It may still be a painful memory, but all of that happened four years ago. It may well be time for you to consider opening up your heart once more."

Verity sighed heavily and allowed her eyes to drift to the window, almost as if she was seeking an escape of some kind. "It's not that simple, Faye. It will not be easy for me, especially after the scandal that Cedric caused me. Not only am I unsure if I am willing to risk my heart once more, knowing what kind of pain I might face, but I also have to accept that I am a spinster now. My age puts me on the shelf, which will make it impossible to compete with all the beautiful young debutantes."

Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her debut season, when she was flush with the advantages of youth and blooming under newfound attention from men.

If only she had given other gentlemen a chance and not fixated on Cedric so much.

If she had known what he was going to do to her, then everything would have been very different.

Faye reached out and took Verity's hands in hers, bringing her attention back towards her.

"I understand, Verity, I really do. I know that you find yourself in a very challenging situation, but I still don't think you should close yourself off to the idea of love I am sure that you can find happiness."

Verity bit down on her bottom lip, trying to fight the tears. "I would love to find the sort of love that you have with your husband, but I suppose it will never happen for me. Remember, you met James in your second Season. I stand far less of a chance."

The things that were said about Verity after her broken engagement still sent painful chills down her spine. The ton could be so cruel with their gossiping. It wasn't something she ever wished to face again. She was going to have to find a way to face all of this, whether she was ready for it not. She would have to face all those judging eyes, even if she would have much rather hidden away at home forever.

"I appreciate your words more than you know," Verity said softly, squeezing Faye's hands. "But the thought of facing all those people again, of enduring their whispers and judgments, it terrifies me. Every year I get older and the comments become more cruel. How can I ever move past that?"

Faye gave her a gentle, encouraging smile. "You are stronger than you think, Verity. Remember, the ton's opinions are fickle and ever changing. You are not defined by their judgments. You define yourself. You can use this Season to define yourself however you see fit."

Verity nodded, trying to absorb the strength in Faye's words. "I will try, Faye. Truly, I will. But it feels like such a daunting task."

Before Faye could respond, the maid entered with the tea, setting it down on the table between them. The familiar, soothing ritual of tea helped to ground Verity, if only for a moment.

***

There was a strange atmosphere around the dining table.

Verity glanced at her mother, but Elizabeth did not look like she had any idea that anything was going on. But when her eyes traveled towards her older brother, Henry, she felt it… a strange prickle tearing down her spine.

Once upon a time, Verity had been very close to Henry. They got along well, so much so that they even seemed to know what the other was thinking. But that all changed four years ago, when Cedric shredded her heart, and she felt Henry distancing himself from her. It seemed to her that the disappointment was too much for him to bear and he did not want to get all caught up in her bad luck.

Sure, the broken proposal had affected her whole family, but it was hard for Verity to feel that blame when she did not think that she had done anything wrong.

All she had done was trust the wrong people.

Henry seemed to sense her eyes upon him, and he glanced her way sharply. Verity sucked in a deep breath as he started to speak.

"Today I made a new acquaintance," he declared with pride tinging his tone. "Lord Ambrose Aldford, a wealthy widower with several young daughters."

"Oh, I have heard of him," Elizabeth chimed in. "I have heard that his lordship is on the marriage mart, seeking a wife to care for his children and provide him with an heir."

"Exactly," Henry agreed. "Which is why I have found him such an interesting gentleman."

Elizabeth screwed up her face in horror. "Oh, I don't know about ‘interesting'. I have always heard that he is quite conceited."

Henry shook his head, ignoring his mother. Then it was time for his attention to turn back to Verity.

He cleared his throat. "We have actually been invited to dine with Lord Ambrose and his family in three evenings."

"We have?" Verity rasped back. Her stomach churned with fear because she had no idea where this was headed, but she was certain that she did not like it one bit.

"I suppose he could be a potential suitor for you."

Verity's heart sunk.

These were the words that she had been absolutely dreading, and hoping would not come out of Henry's mouth.

"You cannot be serious," Elizabeth jumped in before Verity could say anything. "That is not the sort of man that you want your sister to be married to. He only wants a wife to become a mother to his children…"

But Henry silenced her by holding up his hands. "The matter is not up for debate, Mother. Verity cannot remain a spinster forever. I will stop all this gossip around our family name. We must consider her future. Sometimes I think that I am the only one who cares about our reputation. I am the only one thinking about the future for all of us, with no support from you at all."

Verity could not say a word.

How could her brother want to do this to her? Did he not recall the pain that she had been through? It truly felt very cruel to put her in such a position where she was trapped in a corner, unable to escape.

Her father would never have been so cruel…

Verity had missed him every single day since he passed away, but now that pain was acute. He would have cared for her, he would have ensured that she found love, he would have never allowed her heart to break like it did.But with her father gone, and her brother the man of the house, was Verity in a position to argue?

Henry paid for all of her living costs, so of course he wanted her to get married. He wanted her out of the house so he would no longer responsible for her.

There was a heat coursing through her body, but somehow, she felt all icy and cold at the same time, like her body wasn't quite sure how to react. She wasn't sure that she could keep looking at Henry anymore. Not when it seemed like he was about to betray her as well.