Chapter 19

The next morning, Marian rose early and splashed some water on her face in an attempt to wash away the tears she had shed during her terrible, sleepless night.

There had been no point trying to reason with her father, who had fallen into a drunken stupor once more, shortly after their conversation. Instead, Marian had retired to her room where she had spent the night weeping over her fate while trying desperately to formulate some plan.

Now, the eyes that looked back at her from the looking glass were red and swollen from crying, but there was nothing she could do about that, so she dressed quickly and ran downstairs, calling out a quick greeting to Mrs. Grant as she passed her door to tell her she would be back soon.

Charlotte. I will go to Charlotte. She will know what to do.

Fortunately for Marian, her friend's home was just a few minutes' walk from her own, and she soon found herself running down the path and knocking on the pretty front door. Charlotte's delight at seeing Marian again so soon, however, turned to dismay when she saw the look on her tear-stained face.

"Marian, whatever's happened?" she gasped, pulling her friend into the drawing room and closing the door firmly behind them. "What's wrong?"

"Charlotte, I must speak to you," Marian said, her voice shaking, "but we cannot be overheard."

Charlotte nodded, taking stock of the situation.

"Let me just get my cloak," she said, patting Marian comfortingly on the arm. "I will tell Mama we're going to take a walk, and then you can tell me everything."

A few minutes later, the two women left the house and strolled together down the frosty lane which connected their homes. To anyone passing by, they would have looked like any two ladies taking the air on a cold winter's morning. But as Marian told Charlotte what had happened when she had returned from their outing to Dainty's the day before, her friend's eyes grew wide with alarm.

"But Marian, this cannot be borne," Charlotte gasped when Marian reached the end of her tale, tears once again trickling down her face which was pale from worry and lack of sleep. "You must go to the Duke at once. You must tell him you are to be married. He will not allow it any more than I will; I am sure of it."

Marian hesitated. Going to Andrew was, of course, the first thought that had entered her mind when her father had broken the news of her betrothal. But Andrew had told her to leave and not look back. He had told her there was no future for them together, so what were the chances of him coming to her rescue now?

Before she had a chance to say all of this to Charlotte, however, the sound of someone calling her name made her look up in surprise. There, walking towards them down the lane, was none other than Robert Sinclair.

"Your housekeeper told me I might find you with Miss Fairchild," Robert said, smiling cheerfully as he made a small bow to both women. "And sure enough, here you are. I trust you've heard the good news of our betrothal, Marian? I hope you are as happy as I am?"

Marian's skin crawled as she looked at him. She had never liked Robert, tolerating him only for the sake of her Papa, who was good friends with Robert's father. Now, though, she positively hated the man, who had turned her life upside down without so much as a thought.

"Indeed, I am not, Sir," she said shortly, unable to hide her emotions even if she had wanted to. "You know perfectly well I have no wish to marry you. Why, I've turned you down often enough to make the message clear, surely?"

"Ah, yes," Robert smiled, totally unperturbed by his frosty reception. "But things have changed, Marian. When last we spoke, we all believed we had the luxury of time — time for you to change your mind and time for me to wait patiently for you. But that time has run out. And I'm afraid that you, my dear, have very little choice in the matter."

He smiled again, and Marian's stomach lurched with sudden nausea.

He makes me feel sick to my stomach. Oh, how I hate him!

"Nonsense," interjected Charlotte crisply. "There is always a choice, Lord Sinclair. Marian's father is not… is not quite in his right mind, I fear. But soon he will realize the mistake he's making in allowing this ridiculous betrothal to go ahead, and then he will put a stop to it."

Her friend spoke with such certainty that, for a moment, Marian was almost convinced. But Robert simply sighed lazily, swatting Charlotte's words away as easily as if they were a fly.

"He will not, I assure you," he replied, sounding bored. "He may be a drunk, but he is not stupid. He knows this is his daughter's only chance of avoiding the workhouse."

The words hit Marian like a blow. She heard Charlotte gasp in shock at the sheer audacity of the man's words, but before either woman could reply, Robert went on.

"In any case," he said, "the marriage license has been applied for, and I expect it within the next few days. And in the meantime, my dear, I come bearing good news."

Again came that odious smile that made Marian's stomach lurch.

"We are to have a ball in our honor," Robert said, in the manner of a man who felt himself to be offering a great treat. "Mama and Papa are seeing to it now. Oh, I know it will be difficult to pull off at such short notice," he went on, grinning, "but such as task is nothing to my mother. She is already having the ballroom cleared in preparation for our guests."

"A… a ball?" Marian could not quite believe what she was hearing.

Does he really expect me to attend a ball and pretend to be happy? Does he really not know me at all?

"Of course. To celebrate our betrothal," Robert said. "You could not have expected our families to let such a momentous occasion go unmarked. Why from the sounds of it, my mother is planning to invite everyone in the Ton! It will be quite the event of the season, I'm assured. And once our betrothal has been made so very public, then it will be impossible for you to back out of it, my dear. Which means this marriage will go ahead whether you like it or not."

"I fear you underestimate me, Sir," Marian replied, anger taking over. "You think me to be some meek, compliant girl, who will do as she's told whatever it costs her. But you could not be more wrong. You have no more power to force me to attend your ball than you have to make me marry you. I will do neither, and that, I'm afraid, is the end of the matter."

Beside her, Charlotte squeezed her arm in silent encouragement. If Marian had expected anger from Robert, however, she was destined to be disappointed, for he simply smiled that lazy smile of his as if totally unconcerned by anything she had said.

"I see," he said calmly. "‘Tis a pity, though. For your father, especially."

"My father will be fine," Marian said resolutely. "I will see to it."

She had no idea just how she would ensure her father was fine, of course; indeed, at that very moment, it felt like an impossible task. But, right now, all Marian could think of was Robert and how important it was to ensure that this betrothal be brought to an end. She would worry about the rest later.

"Is that so?" Robert snapped, his anger finally piqued. "Well, I think not. I don't think your father will be fine at all, Marian. I know he will not, in fact, for I will make sure of it."

Marian felt as if all of the breath had suddenly left her body.

Surely, he's not saying—? No. He can't be. Can he?

"Unless I'm mistaken, that sounds very much like a threat, Sir," she said, her heart thudding with sudden fear. "I am sure you would not stoop so low as to threaten my father's life?"

Marian's voice broke on the last word, and beside her, Charlotte gripped her arm a little tighter.

"I don't make threats, my dear," Robert said simply. "I make promises. And this is my promise to you, Marian, which Miss Fairchild here may bear witness to: stand in the way of this marriage, and your father will pay the price. It really is that simple."

Marian's legs were trembling so much, she was grateful she had Charlotte's arm to lean on, or she might have keeled over right there in the street.

"But this is preposterous," Charlotte cried shrilly, saving Marian from having to speak. "Utterly preposterous. Why, I have never in all my life heard a gentleman speak in such a way which just goes to prove what we've known all along, Marian. Lord Sinclair is no gentleman."

"Say what you will," said Robert, shrugging. "I care not what you say of me."

"You'll care when I go straight to my Papa and tell him everything you've just said," Charlotte replied hotly. "You'll care when he goes to Marian's father — or better still, to the constabulary — and puts an end to this ridiculousness."

"Oh, please, spare me," said Robert, rolling his eyes. "Do you really think anyone would believe you, either of you? It would be your word against mine. And the word of two silly girls against a gentleman of my standing — well, it would count for nothing. Nothing at all."

Charlotte's fists clenched in rage, but Marian reached out a hand to stop her from replying.

"It's no use, Charlotte," she said quietly enough that only her friend could hear. "He's right. We would not be believed. No one will take our word over his. They will simply think I wish to get out of the betrothal and am willing to lie to do it. I must… I must think of another way. There must be some other way."

Tears sprang into her eyes as she spoke. There was no other way as well she knew. If she wanted to protect her father, she must go along with this betrothal. She was trapped as much as if Robert had taken her prisoner.

How strange to think that just a few days ago, I believed Andrew's house to be my prison. Now, I feel that was the only time I was truly free, for being tied to this man for life will be a far worse fate than anything Andrew could have done to me.

She swallowed hard, trying to stop the tears from falling.

How I wish I had gone after him in the clearing that day when he told me not to look back. But it is done, now. The decision has been made, and now, all I can do is find some way to live with it, impossible though it seems.

"You are a monster," Charlotte was saying now to Robert, breaking into Marian's thoughts. "An absolute monster."

If she had hoped to get some kind of reaction out of the monster in question, however, she was to be disappointed, for Robert merely smiled that awful, chilling smile of his and tipped his hat to them both.

"If you don't mind, I shall take my leave, ladies," he said. "As charming as this meeting has been, I have a rather important ball to help plan."

He turned to walk away but stopped to turn round and look Marian directly in the eye.

"Don't forget what I said, Marian," were his final words to her. "For you will not like the consequences if you do."

With that he was gone, and the tears which Marian had been steadfastly trying to hold back burst from her in a torrent.

Charlotte stroked her friend's hair as she watched the man who had done this to her retreat. "Try not to worry, Marian. We will find a way out of this, I promise you. I will not rest until we do."