Chapter Six

"Come in." Clearing his throat, Abigail's father lifted his chin as she walked into the room, seeing her mother sitting in a chair by the fireplace in her father's study. "Now, what I should like from you is for you to listen to me without question or discussion. There is much that must be said and I want to make myself very clear."

Abigail looked back at him without saying a word of either agreement or disagreement. If this was to be a meeting where her future was decided, then she would speak as freely as she wished so she might ascertain exactly what was going to happen – and make it plain how she felt about it all.

Sitting down and ignoring a sharp look from her father, Abigail folded her hands in her lap and tried to breathe slowly and carefully so that her heart might slow its rapid pace. Her father did not sit, however, as she had expected but instead began to walk up and down in front of her, his hands behind his back.

"Abigail," he began, not even looking in her direction as he spoke. "There has come about an opportunity which I should like you to give yourself to completely."

"You wish to engage me to the Earl of Crestwood," Abigail replied, interrupting her father before he could finish. "Yes, you made that very plain when I was at the ball and presented to him without the full awareness of what that connection was supposed to be."

At this, her father stopped pacing and turned to face her, his jaw tight. Taking in a deep breath, he let it out again slowly and then shrugged. "Yes, I will agree with you that I should have spoken to you about Lord Crestwood and my intention for you before you met. However, that is not of any great importance, I think. Not when the matter is close to fulfillment."

Abigail swallowed thickly, her tongue suddenly feeling a little too big for her mouth. "You – you mean to say – "

"Nothing has been decided as yet." Lady Townsend spoke up for what was the first time and when Abigail looked to her, she saw how white her mother's face had gone and how tightly she had clasped her hands. Could it be that Lady Townsend was not as pleased with this arrangement as Abigail's father?

"No?" Abigail looked from her mother back to her father. "What is wrong? Does Lord Crestwood have no desire to wed?"

Clearing his throat gruffly, Lord Townsend began to pace again. "There is more to this situation than you might understand, Abigail. "

"I understand that you are afraid I might become a spinster and that, if I do, I will continue to be a burden to you." Speaking more sharply than she had meant to, Abigail drew in a long, shuddering breath and closed her eyes. "You have not managed to secure me a husband as yet. That is a difficulty."

"Yes, it is." The cold, calm manner with which her father spoke made Abigail's heart ache and another glance towards her mother told her that she had dropped her head. "Your mother made the suggestion that I might approach Lord Crestwood to consider the possibility of a match between the two of you."

Abigail's stomach twisted. "Mother?" A memory of how her mother had hurried out of the room when the Beast of Crestwood Hall had been brought into discussion ran straight through her like a knife piercing her heart. "You thought that I should marry the Beast of Crestwood Hall?" Her voice was thin and rasping, tears burning in her eyes. "I thought it was father's idea."

Lord Townsend clicked his tongue, drawing Abigail's attention back towards himself. "Your mother and I discussed it all , Abigail. As I have said, there is more to this situation than you can understand. I… we have accumulated a great many debts."

A coldness grasped at Abigail's heart.

"I made some investments which have sunk… literally." Lord Townsend ran one hand over his thinning hair, shaking his head as he did so. "Thus, those I owed money to I had to repay from my own coffers and… needless to say, I have been in severe difficulty for some months."

"This is a way for you to salvage our family's reputation and save your sister's good standing in society." Lady Townsend turned to look at Abigail, her eyes piercing. "Should the gentleman agree, then your marriage to Lord Crestwood will mean that your father's debts will be taken care of."

Tears lodged behind Abigail's eyes. "Mother, can you truly think that marriage to a gentleman known as the Beast of Crestwood Hall would make me at all contented?"

Her mother spread out her hands. "It is not your contentment alone I must think of," she said, quietly though her gaze remained steady. "I must also consider your sister and the difficulties that we are in at present. If Lord Crestwood agrees to this, then he will pay off your father's debts and in exchange for that kindness, you will marry him and be his wife. You will bear him the heir he requires to continue the title and do your duty as the Countess of Crestwood. That cannot be too terrifying a prospect, I am sure, given that your only other alternative is to be nothing more than a spinster! "

Abigail's thoughts were so many and so frequent, she could not find a single word to say in response. Having initially been uncertain over her mother's part in all of this, she was now broken hearted to learn that Lady Townsend had been the one to think of the idea in the first place. Her father had taken the suggestion on board and had approached Lord Crestwood without so much as thinking of speaking with her first. The decision was, she realized, already made and all that was required now was Lord Crestwood's consent. Her own consideration on the matter was not required in the least.

"You are in a great deal of debt," she repeated, her breath hitching as her father nodded. "You state that they are all solely because of your own investments failing. Is that true?"

Lord Townsend looked away. "I may have made some poor decisions," he answered, shrugging, "but I have learned from such things. I will not do such a thing again once these debts are clear."

Abigail closed her eyes and tried to take in a full breath but the sobs lodging in her chest would not permit her to do so. The burden her mother and father had placed upon her shoulders was so broad and so heavy, she could not escape it, not even if she tried. Her sister's face grew like a vision in her mind and she let out a broken sob, knowing that if she were to refuse, if she were to disagree entirely and not go forward with this marriage, Charlotte would be the one to suffer. Her mother was quite right in that regard and though she hated to admit it, Abigail knew she would do anything to help protect and aid her sister. These circumstances were because of her father's actions and though she would not know the full extent of it, the heaviness of the consequences had settled solely upon her. She was the one to solve her father's difficulties, she would be the one to have his debts removed from him – and all by giving her future to a gentleman known as the Beast of Crestwood Hall.

Fear lodged in her throat and she squeezed her eyes closed all the harder, afraid that a scream might escape from it should she even open her mouth.

"It is a little surprising, I grant you, but I think it a more than suitable match." Her father's matter-of-fact manner made Abigail's heart ache all the more and she dropped her head forward, unable to find a single word of response. "It has not been agreed as yet, of course, but we are to join Lord Crestwood and his family for dinner this evening."

Abigail looked up quickly. "This evening?" she repeated, her voice croaky. "This very evening?"

"Yes." Her father steadied his gaze. "There is no reason for this not to be moved on as quickly as possible. If Lord Crestwood chooses you as his bride – which I hope he shall – then that is a truly excellent thing. We shall all be very pleased. "

Before she could think as to what she was doing, Abigail found herself on her feet, her hands shaking as she pointed one finger out towards her father. "No, Father, you shall be very pleased, as shall Mama, because this benefits you enormously. You will be free from debt, your name will be kept in good standing and none shall know of your difficulties. I, however, will be pushed into a marriage where my thoughts and my feelings have never once been considered! You will all be sitting very happily and very contentedly in your house and Charlotte, no doubt, will have been given time and opportunity to make her own choice as regards her suitor whereas I will be wed to a gentleman so dark in spirits and so disinclined towards society that the ton call him nothing more than a beast!" Her hands dropped to her side and turning to her mother, Abigail shook her head, her vision so blurred by tears she could barely take in her mother's shocked expression. "I never thought that you would be so unfeeling, Mother. I did not think that you were the one who would have suggested such a thing as this. I thought that you would be considerate of my feelings in that regard." She shook her head, tears falling to her cheeks. "I did not imagine that you would be as callous as to push me into this match without even thinking to speak with me first. Can you imagine how I feel at this moment, knowing that I am to be used as payment for father's debts?"

"Abigail, please," her father began but Abigail shook her head, tears dripping off her chin. Without another word, she made her way to the door and, pulling it open, hurried out into the hallway, suddenly desperate for the solace that came with being alone.

***

"Ah, Lord Townsend."

Abigail's head twisted around as the sound of quick footsteps in the hallway greeted them. Her whole body trembled as she took in Lord Crestwood, his tall, imposing figure bringing a shadow to her heart as he approached.

"Lady Townsend, Miss Townsend and Miss Townsend, good evening." Lord Crestwood bowed and Abigail curtsied, though she did not bring her eyes to his. "Lord Townsend, mayhap we ought to make our way to the study directly. There is much I need to discuss."

Her heart threw itself against her chest and Abigail caught her breath, looking up sharply just in time to see her father nodding. Without a word to any of them, Lord Townsend made his way back with Lord Crestwood and the two gentlemen departed, leaving the three ladies to stand alone .

"What are they discussing?" Charlotte asked, her eyes a little wide as she looked to Abigail. "Is it… something serious?"

"Mother and father have decided that I should marry Lord Crestwood." Speaking a little dully, Abigail looked into her sister's face and chose to keep back the truth about their father's debts. Charlotte did not need to know such things. She was already confused enough, having tried earlier in the day to comfort Abigail but without knowing what the trouble truly was. "That is why we are here. The arrangements must be made before the engagement can be made known."

Charlotte's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes huge. There was nothing but shock there and not even the smallest hint of happiness.

"It is for the best."

Abigail looked back at her mother, only for Lady Townsend to drop her gaze, her face a good deal paler than Abigail had seen it before.

"At least, I believe it is for the best," she continued, in a small voice. "There is nothing to be done now, Abigail. Come. The butler is waiting to show us to the others."

Before Abigail could move, however, her sister grasped her arm, her eyes still huge. "You are going to marry the Beast of Crestwood Hall?"

There came a kick to her stomach as Abigail nodded, her throat constricting as her sister's eyes filled with tears.

"You do not have to marry someone such as he," Charlotte whispered, coming closer to Abigail. "There must be other gentlemen who – "

"It has all been arranged," Abigail told her, as Lady Townsend began to walk away. "There is nothing I can do. From the way Lord Crestwood came to fetch our father, I feel quite certain that my engagement to Lord Crestwood will be formalized by the week's end."

Charlotte caught her breath but Abigail turned and followed after her mother, her shoulders and her heart heavy. There was no escaping it now. All she could do was accept her future such as it was and pray that she would find even the smallest hint of happiness in it all.