CHAPTER 23

Verity could not stand still however hard she tried. She could not stop pacing as worry surged through her veins. Never had she experienced such anxiety in her whole life. Not knowing how poor Philip was after the accident with the carriage was killing her.

It did not help that she had not slept. But every single time she went to close her eyes, all she could see was Philip's body, unconscious in the middle of the street.

Of course, the scandal sheets were not helping at all. Every single paper had mention of Philip's accident, and the speculation and rumors only served to fuel her fears. This was a nightmare, and she truly felt like she could not wake up however hard she tried.

"Lady Sinclair?"

Verity almost groaned out loud when the butler entered the drawing room. Could he not see that she wanted to be left alone?

"You have a visitor. Lord Aldford."

Ambrose was here?

Now?

Verity's stomach twisted up with dread as she envisioned talking to him, but what else could she do? She could not send him away, even if she really wanted to. It would be considered terribly rude and would only make things so much worse.

"Of course." She forced a smile on her face. "Send him in."

The butler said nothing of the state that Ambrose was in, but he must have been unimpressed as the gentleman stumbled into the drawing room. It was obvious that he was intoxicated because of his unsteady gait and the glaze over his eyes. The stench of alcohol was absolutely unbearable as it permeated the air. The sickness that was already swirling around her stomach before now intensified.

"There she is," Ambrose slurred. "The very beautiful Verity Sinclair… Lady Sinclair should I say." He let out a chuckle that seemed to come from the pit of his stomach. "Did you know that you are always very beautiful, no matter what you are wearing."

Ambrose slumped down on the chair in front of Verity and smiled. Or at least that was what Verity assumed. She did not think he meant to sneer at her.

"You are a lovely… lovely… young…"

As his words trailed off, Verity found herself grateful. The praise and attempts at flattery were thoroughly unwanted, just like this whole visit. She had no idea what Ambrose was doing here, and she did not know if it was even worth asking.

"I have always admired you, Verity. I have always thought that you were, you know…?"

She could only smile back, gritting her teeth angrily. Her patience was already wearing thin, and she had not even said a word yet.

"It's… lovely for you to visit me, Lord Alford," she shot back thinly.

"It's always lovely to see you," he repeated, while twisting his hands around in his lap. "Always lovely. Yes, you are a very pleasant woman, Verity. Everyone thinks so."

Verity had to bite down on her bottom lip to stop herself from bursting out with accusations about his daughters most certainly not thinking that about her. Amelia and Cordelia had truly been nothing but cruel to her.

He wasn't even waiting for her to respond anymore, he just kept drunkenly rambling on. It was as if he had forgotten that she was even in the room. It was becoming increasingly challenging for Verity to maintain her polite fa?ade. All Verity wanted to do was ask the man to leave, but she knew that would only upset Henry more. Since she had done nothing but upset him recently, she did not want to do so again. Verity wasn't sure that she had the energy to keep on fighting with her brother.

But Ambrose clearly could not see that she was getting irritated with him. He sidled closer to her and even dared to rest his hand on her thigh. Verity tried her hardest to gently edge her leg away from him without being too obvious, but she could not seem to get away no matter how hard she tried.

Anger began to brim up inside of Verity.She could hardly control the words that were about to erupt free from her mouth. They were on the tip of her tongue, about to come flying out violently.

Luckily, the parlor door swung open, and Verity was very much relieved to see that she was no longer alone with this man. It had been far too long.

Elizabeth entered the room first with a pensive expression on her face with Henry not far behind her. He had a strange smile playing on his lips which unnerved Verity.

Henry stood tall and cleared his throat. "Verity, you will be pleased to know that Lord Aldford has formally offered his hand in marriage, and I have given my blessing."

No.

No, no, no.

The room started to spin around Verity. She did not know how to process this shocking news at all. How could Henry do this to her? Why would he do it when he knew that she was so against this? Especially with the man in this state. Ambrose was disgusting right now… even more so than usual!

Horrified, Verity glanced towards Ambrose who sat with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

The thought of being tied to him forever in marriage filled her with a sense of suffocating dread.

"No," Verity whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of panic in her mind. She forced herself to stand, her legs trembling. "Henry, you cannot be serious."

Henry's eyes hardened. "This is for the best, Verity. You need stability, and Lord Aldford can provide that."

"Stability?" she echoed, incredulous. "You mean I need to be sold off to the highest bidder?"

Elizabeth shot her a warning glance, but Verity was beyond caring. She turned to Ambrose, who was leering at her with a smug joy. The sight of him made her stomach churn.

"You don't have to worry, Verity," Ambrose slurred, standing up and swaying slightly. "I will take very good care of you."

"I would rather die than marry you," she spat, her voice filled with venom.

Henry stepped forward; his face flushed with anger. "You will do as you are told, Verity. This family needs this alliance."

Verity's chest heaved with indignation.

She looked from her brother to her mother, seeking some form of support, but Elizabeth merely averted her gaze. Verity felt a wave of betrayal crash over her. She had no allies in this room, no one to save her from this fate.

Taking a deep breath, Verity made a decision.

"I will not marry him," she declared, her voice steady and defiant. "I would rather live in disgrace than be bound to such a man."

Henry's expression darkened. "You have no choice in this matter. The arrangements are already made."

Before anyone could react, Verity turned on her heel and fled the room. She could hear Henry's angry shouts behind her, but she did not stop. She needed to get away, to clear her mind and figure out what to do next. Whatever she decided on, it would not be marrying him.

Henry could call her selfish, he could hate her forever. She could not do it, she would not.

It wasn't fair.

Verity ran through the corridors of her home, her heart pounding in her chest. The walls seemed to close in on her, and she felt like she could hardly breathe.

She reached the front door, flinging it open and stepping in to the cool evening air. It was only then that she allowed herself to slow down, her mind racing as she tried to figure out her next move.

She had no intention of being forced into a marriage with Ambrose, a man she detested. The very thought made her skin crawl.

But where could she go?

Who could she turn to?

How could she escape what her brother wanted for her?

Verity stood at the threshold, the cool evening air doing little to calm the storm raging within her. The world outside seemed vast and indifferent, and she realized she had nowhere to go. Running away felt like an option, but it was a temporary one. Eventually, she would be found and dragged back, bound by the chains of duty and family expectations.

Cedric had been ripped away from her, he had been allowed to follow his heart to wherever he wanted to go, but she could not. If she did not have to rely on Henry, then she would have much preferred to spend her life as a spinster, with no husband. Anything was better than being trapped in a horrible life, living with a man who disgusted her and his daughters, who despised her.

With nowhere to run, all she could do was turn around and quietly retreat to the solitude of her chamber. She closed the door behind her, the familiar surroundings offering a small measure of comfort. Yet, the looming threat of her impending marriage to Ambrose hung over her like a dark cloud, and she knew she could not stay hidden in her room forever.

Verity's musings were interrupted by a soft knock on her door. She tensed, half expecting it to be her brother coming to berate her further. But when the door creaked open, it was Louisa who entered, her expression full of concern.

"Lady Sinclair," Louisa said gently, closing the door behind her. "I have a letter for you. It just arrived."

"A letter?" Verity asked, her curiosity piqued. "From whom?"

"I am not sure, my lady," Louisa replied, holding out the envelope. "But it seems urgent."

Verity took the letter, noting the unfamiliar handwriting. She broke the seal and unfolded the paper, her eyes scanning the contents quickly.