Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The following day …

“Isabelle, if you could just put your book down for a moment.” Richard came into the parlour and shut the door behind him.

A sigh ran through her body, raking her lungs as she shut the cover. It hadn’t been easy to read since her engagement was made known to her, but it was even harder when her brother, aunt, or even Caroline insisted on monitoring her every second of the day.

She felt like a flightless bird trapped in a cage, doomed to sing the same joyless songs day after day.

Taking a seat on the settee opposite her, Richard leaned forward and clasped his hands between his knees. “Is it a very interesting book? I thought I saw you reading the same one last week.” He forced a smile, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Quite unusual for you, I would say.”

“I wouldn’t know; I haven’t been able to enjoy my life, given the trajectory it is being forced into.” Her fingers curled over the edge of the book, pulling the spine closer to her abdomen as she clutched it on her lap.

It was Richard’s turn to sigh as he shot her a pitying look. “I know this isn’t easy for you, Isabelle, but like I have told you before, we all have a part to play in this life. Society demands it.”

“I understand that. What I don’t understand is why I can’t determine the part I play on my own. How would you like it if someone told you that you weren’t allowed to marry Caroline? That you must marry a woman of somebody else’s choosing?” She lifted her head defiantly.

A strange look flashed across his eyes before he stiffened. “I hesitate to remind you, but you were given the opportunity to choose your own husband. It was you who decided that nobody was good enough for you. And I shall thank you not to speak on matters that you know nothing about. You spent the entire season avoiding your obligations rather than finding an agreeable husband.” The sharpness in his voice made her pause as she pondered their meaning.

Had he wanted to marry Caroline Sedgewick? She did think her an odd choice for her brother, but the engagement had happened so quickly that she had never thought to question the matter.

The tired look in his eyes now made her wonder what she had been missing. Did Caroline and her brother actually want to get married, or were they in a situation much like her own?

Raking his hand through his thick hair, Richard shook his head with a tired expression. “There are things in this world I am trying to protect you from, Isabelle. It isn’t always up to me. If Caroline and even Aunt Alice decide to throw you out once I am married, there is little that I can do about the matter. You aren’t as entitled to the family fortunes as you think you are.”

“And why not? Were your mother and father not my parents as well? Aunt Alice may have moved in here, but she is not our mother. We do not have to jump every time she says we must,” she snapped at his words, feeling as if nobody in the world understood how she felt.

“She may not be our mother, but she has offered up several years of her life to ensure we are looked after. Had mother and father not perished from smallpox, they would have been encouraging you to marry just the same.” His voice was stern while his eyes pleaded with her to see things in a different light.

They hardly ever spoke about the time when their parents had died. Isabelle was a baby while Richard was five at the time. The illness had been quick, taking their parents in a matter of weeks.

Aunt Alice had taken care of Isabelle back then, but she wished Richard would open up more and tell her about the parents she never knew.

“I think that Mama and Papa would never have considered a match from a man like Lord James!” She lost her temper and discarded her unread book beside her on the settee.

Jumping to his feet, Richard towered above her as he thrust his thumb into his chest. “I am the one who suffered the illness alongside our parents; you know nothing of the debts that needed to be repaid after their passing. It is my face that bears the scars of the past, yet you insist on going against me no matter what decisions I make for this family!” His face turned slightly red as he raised his voice, making the scars on his cheeks bulge like angry white ropes.

Leaning back in her seat as if she had been slapped, Isabelle suddenly noticed the wrinkles around his eyes. The scars from his illness had always been apparent, yet she had never noticed the thinly etched lines of concern. When had he got those lines?

Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and composed herself. “I am not a child, Richard. I know there are things in this world that you are trying to protect me from, but I can’t help feeling that forcing me to marry someone against my will is wrong. You may have known Mother and Father longer than I did, but I do know that they loved us dearly …” her words trailed off as sadness clutched at her chest.

Why does the world have to be so cruel?

Here she was arguing with her only sibling when all she wanted was her own little piece of happiness in life. Even if her wishes went against everyone else’s expectations, why couldn’t they just leave her alone?

Relaxing his face, Richard allowed his shoulders to slump in defeat. “I don’t want to see you shipped off to a nunnery or even sent to a convent to work in the kitchen, but you should know that those are your options if you choose not to marry. Your dowry is not so large as to provide you with a comfortable life as a spinster. Lord James will be coming for dinner this evening along with a few other guests. I want you to be on your best behaviour. You may not agree with everything I say, but I do expect you to obey me. And once you are married, you will have to obey Lord James.”

Tears filled her eyes as she turned her head to the side.

Why can’t he see how much this is hurting me?

None of the arrangements made sense to her at all, yet she was expected to simper and obey.

Shaking his head as if he had wanted to say something else, Richard shut his mouth and left the room, leaving Isabelle to her thoughts.

He had come to tell her that the hour of her demise was almost upon her. A dinner with her betrothed marked the start of their engagement becoming public.

It wouldn’t be long until the announcement was made in the papers; everyone would be expecting a wedding in the coming weeks.

There has to be something that I can do …

***

The endless chatter of dinner buzzed over her head as Isabelle ladled soup into her mouth. The hot broth poured down her throat with a tangy sting that did little to improve her mood.

Her heart longed for the freedom of a spinster, while her mind wanted nothing more than to speak her objections. Why did the world look so poorly on women who spoke their minds when men were allowed to say and do as they pleased?

“They do make such a lovely couple. When will the engagement be announced?” Lady Herminia Keen ladled the tomato soup into her mouth and smiled at Caroline as if Isabelle’s opinion didn’t matter at all. Her long blonde hair had been piled atop her head in a bun that distinctly reminded Isabelle of a beehive.

“I was thinking of hosting a ball in a fortnight. It gives them both a chance to get to know one another a little better. Strictly chaperoned, of course.” Caroline shot Isabelle a warning glance over her spoon. The message conveyed by her look was all too clear.

Don’t you dare go against anything that I am saying.

“How lovely.” Lady Keen wrinkled her snub nose and smiled at Isabelle while pursing her thin lips. Her dull brown eyes sparkled as if she were the one getting married to the man of her dreams. “You must be so excited to finally be getting married. How old was it that you said you were, dear?”

Placing her spoon back in her bowl, Isabelle sat back in her chair and forced an uncomfortable smile. “I didn’t, Lady Keen. I am twenty-three. I will be twenty-four in a few months.” She refrained from commenting that talking about age wasn’t a polite topic of conversation.

Lady Keen and Caroline exchanged a knowing look but didn’t add anything more to the topic.

Feeling a slight tap on the side of her foot, Isabelle looked up to see Lord James smiling at her before winking and sipping his wine.

Withdrawing her foot as quickly as she could, she crossed her ankles under her chair and shivered, feeling the pit of her stomach clench with repulsion.

What is it with him and winking?

She pointedly returned her focus to her soup, keeping her head low to avoid meeting Lord James’s gaze.

Richard seemed to be paying close attention to them as his fist clenched around his spoon, making Isabelle frown as she glanced to the side. The dinner had started easily enough but quickly seemed to delve into a realm of awkwardness. Caroline’s friends didn’t seem to think too highly of Isabelle or Richard as they pulled up their noses and spoke directly to Caroline.

Clearing her throat, Lady Keen again decided to start the conversation. However, her husband never seemed to bother adding anything to the conversation. Choosing instead to keep his bald head lowered over his bowl as he inhaled the contents like a squat little toad.

“Lord James, what is it that you said you do to occupy your time again? Surely the second son of a marquess can’t just be busy with the lands he manages all the time.” Lady Keen fluttered her eyes at him as if her lashes could lull him into telling her everything she wanted to know.

Lord James simply waved the idea away as if he were chasing a fly. “A little bit of this and that. I like to keep my business ventures as quiet as possible. You never know who is listening to gain information,” he said pointedly while glancing around the table.

“Good man, that.” Lord Keen raised his head and nodded, interjecting for the first time. His double chins wobbled in agreement along with his head. The wart on his chin drew Isabelle’s attention as she wondered what would happen if it accidentally got nicked while shaving.

Lord James raised his glass slightly in the air and winked, smiling to himself as the conversation once again ended abruptly.

What is it with the winking?!

Isabelle shivered slightly in disgust before her brows knitted together in a frown. What was it that Lord James did for a living? Everyone who had spoken to her in that regard had always mentioned his ambitious nature, yet nobody had ever specified exactly what those ambitions were.

A tense feeling of unease gripped the pit of her stomach as she stole a glance in his direction. The whole purpose of marrying her off was to have a man who would look after her for the rest of her life. Lord James spoke a good game of ambitions and fortunes, but what would come of her if he were all talk and nothing else? Surely her brother could see how suspicious the man’s behaviour was.

“Has everyone finished their soup?” Caroline interrupted her thoughts, looking less than pleased with how the dinner was going.

“I think we can call for the main course.” Richard dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin before placing it beside his plate.

Caroline gestured in the air and watched as the butler bowed and gave instructions to the footmen. She wasn’t even married yet, and already she ran the house as if she were Lady Sutton.

“I hear you like reading, Miss Sutton, have you heard of this new scandalous novel that has the ton buzzing with displeasure? Some are saying that the heroine calls off her engagement and runs away to make her own way in the world. Have you ever heard of anything so scandalous? I don’t think that publishers should allow such things in novels.” Lady Keen pursed her lips in displeasure as the roast chicken was served.

Perking up, Isabelle lifted her head and looked directly at Lady Keen, ignoring Caroline as her body instantly stiffened. “I do like reading, Lady Keen. I have not had the pleasure of reading the novel in question, but I must say that I disagree with your stance. Authors should be allowed to publish whatever they choose. Stifling a writer’s creativity will only prove to strangle good literature. Freedom of speech must be practiced in writing, if nowhere else.” She turned her head back to Caroline and gave her a pointed look.

Richard almost choked on his wine as he quickly placed his glass back on the table and dabbed the corners of his mouth.

“But the ideas that such literature could place in impressionable young ladies’ minds …” Lady Keen seemed flabbergasted as she raised her hand to her pearls.

“But if it is a work of fiction, then surely there is no harm to be done. Besides, I don’t think that a young lady making her own way in the world is as bad as everyone seems to think,” Isabelle spoke her mind, ignoring the warning looks coming from her brother and Caroline.

Lord James placed his glass back on the table with a loud clink that drew the conversation to an end. “Am I to understand that you agree with this novel? Is it proper, in your opinion, for a young lady to call off an engagement?” His eyes were dark with displeasure as he glared at her, tapping his fingers against the side of the glass.

“Yes, for the sake of honesty, I can’t say that I disagree. Calling off an engagement should rest entirely on the circumstances. And young ladies should have far more say than society grants them at present.

If a man were to be less than honourable, then a young lady should be granted the choice of calling it off,” she stated with conviction despite the furious pounding of her heart.

An awkward silence fell over the table, engulfing the group in a blanket of stillness. Even Lord Keen seemed to lose interest in his food as he looked from Isabelle to James with his spoon suspended in mid-air above his bowl.

The rest of the dinner continued in stunned silence as Isabelle contemplated her decisions. It wasn’t until Caroline cleared her throat that she finally looked up from her plate.

Placing her napkin beside her plate, Caroline intervened. “Well then, I think we had all better gather in the drawing room. I hope you don’t mind, but I have arranged for cakes and tea to be served instead of dessert this evening. I thought it might liven things up a little and give us an opportunity for conversation.” She stood, barely concealing her rage towards Isabelle as her cheeks filled with colour.

“Not that talking has got us anywhere,” Richard grumbled under his breath before following suit with a shake of his head.

The group awkwardly stood and exited the dining room, but not before Isabelle caught a snippet of something Lord James said to her brother.

“I will be having a word with you before I leave this evening.” His voice carried a distinct tone of displeasure.

Making her way from the table, Isabelle decided that whatever happened would have to happen. It was too late now to take back her words, even if she had wanted to, which she did not.

If Lord James could not handle her speaking her mind, she doubted he’d enjoy spending the rest of his life with her. It was better for Lord James to see her now for who she was rather than have him change his mind right before the wedding. Scandal, in her opinion, was best avoided sooner rather than later.

The rest of the evening passed in long pauses and awkward silence until Lord and Lady Keen decided to end the evening. Caroline and Isabelle were just coming back from seeing their guests off when raised voices carried down the stairs.

“I hesitate to remind you, Richard, but my promise to help your family’s finances only stands if your sister agrees to marry me. I will not be embarrassed like this again! If you cannot control your sister, then our little arrangement will come to an end! And don’t think that I will remain quiet if the engagement gets called off. I shall personally make sure that this family is ruined!”

Isabelle paused in the foyer, exchanging a glance with Caroline as the blood in her veins turned to ice.

What is he talking about?

For once, Caroline didn’t seem to be judging her but instead gave her a look of concern.

A door in the distance slammed, forcing Isabelle and Caroline to hurry into the drawing room, where they watched from behind a half-closed door.

Lord James came hurrying down the stairs like a bear with a sore foot while Richard gave chase.

“I implore you to see reason, Lord James. My sister was simply tired this evening. It’s all the excitement of the engagement.” Richard seemed almost out of breath by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Well, she certainly has a funny way of showing it!” Lord James was red in the face as he once again raised his voice.

Caroline turned to Isabelle with a pleading look as a moment of understanding passed between the two women. “Isabelle, you must go now.” She searched Isabelle’s face before opening the door and stepping aside.

Realizing that there was far more at stake than just her freedom, Isabelle drew up the courage to step into the foyer. “Lord James, I hope you weren’t leaving without saying goodbye?” She forced an air of sweetness into her voice that almost made her gag.

Surprise filled his eyes as Lord James eyed her with suspicion.

“I hope you weren’t too taken aback by my little joke this evening; I was simply teasing Lady Keen. I realize now that it may have been done in poor taste.” Her mind reeled with confusion as she came with the lie, making her heart beat faster.

Why am I doing this?

She knew instantly why she was going ahead with the lie as she glanced at the worry in her brother’s eyes.

I am doing this for his sake.

She swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath before clutching her fists at her sides in an attempt to hide the tremor.

Lord James lifted his head with pride, his eyes searching her face.

Coming to her brother’s side, Caroline gripped Richard’s arm and pulled him towards the door. “Why don’t we give them a moment alone to say goodnight? Surely it isn’t too improper now that they are engaged.” She smiled sweetly at him.

Glancing over his shoulder, Richard looked at Isabelle before disappearing down the front steps.

A moment of silence passed between them before Lord James reached for her hand and kissed the top.

Isabelle’s stomach once again jumped with disgust, yet she scolded herself for wanting to pull back.

I need to play my part.

She suddenly realized there was so much more at stake than her freedom. Her family would be faced with ruin if she did not go ahead with the plan.

Pulling her closer as he came up, Lord James looked into her eyes before she could protest. “I will forgive you this once, Miss Sutton, but I warn you that I won’t be so lenient in the future. Soon, you will be a marchioness, and hopefully, all of your wilful behaviour will be a thing of the past.”

His words struck her as odd, and she tilted her head to the side in confusion. “A marchioness? How will that be possible when your brother is the future marquess?”

A strange look flashed in his eyes as he placed his hands on her hips and held her in place. “Never mind that I misspoke.” He dipped his head and kissed her lips, making her body shiver with disgust when his moustache tickled her nose.

Drawing back, he winked at her again before reaching for his coat and top hat and leaving the foyer.

Not wasting any more time, Isabelle turned on her heels and ran, heading straight for the kitchen, where she proceeded to rinse her mouth with water and salt.

This will be the rest of my life.

She felt the bile building up in her throat as she placed a clenched fist against her stomach.