Prologue

Anne looked out of the window as her sister's carriage rolled away from their father's manor house and felt the tears begin to burn behind her eyes. As delighted as she was for Netty's marriage, she felt herself even more a spinster than she already was. Her father had given up on her completely and now with Netty wed and she the only one remaining in the house with him, her chances of finding happiness were almost entirely gone. There was the very slim hope that she might meet a gentleman in the vicinity of her father's estate but given that she was acquainted with all the neighbours already, the chances of that were very poor indeed.

Pulling out her handkerchief, Anne dabbed at her eyes, relieved that she was alone so that no-one would see her tears.

"I can hardly believe that Netty is wed!"

Anne crumpled up her handkerchief in her hand as she turned to greet her aunt who had come through the door of the drawing room, a broad smile on her face. "Yes, Aunt. It is quite wonderful, is it not?"

"And when are you to marry?" her aunt asked, tilting her head as Anne quickly looked away, aware of how quickly her face heated. "Your father is to take you back to London next Season, is he?"

Shaking her head, Anne looked out of the window again in the hope that her aunt would not see the tears in her eyes. "I think father has quite given up on me, Aunt. After all, I am one and twenty and therefore nothing more than a spinster."

"Oh, nonsense!" Lady Mayhew waved her hand wildly, an action which Anne caught out of the corner of her eye. "I was two and twenty before I met Viscount Mayhew and three and twenty before we wed! You are not a spinster yet."

"Yes, she is."

Anne closed her eyes tightly as the voice of her father rolled through the room, the heavy weight of his chagrin seating itself on her shoulders.

"You know as well as I, Lady Mayhew, that Anne is much too old now to be considered by any gentleman."

"That is ridiculous," came the firm reply, as Anne opened her eyes, one hand pressed against her stomach to steady herself though she did not dare bring her gaze around to where her father stood. "As I was just saying to Anne, I myself was not wed until I was three and twenty!"

Lord Ellon let out a snort of what sounded like ridicule and Anne's stomach tightened all over again. "Which was much too old, Lady Mayhew. Quite why Lord Mayhew took to you at that age, I shall never understand."

It was just like her father to be rude and inconsiderate though Anne's face burned with embarrassment all the same.

"Because he fell in love with me," Lady Mayhew replied, a laughing softness in her voice which brushed up against Lord Ellon's dark tones. "And we have been very happy and contented together for many years. Therefore, I will not agree with you that Anne here is unable to find herself a good match at her age. She must be given opportunity, that is all!"

"She has been given opportunity!" came the loud exclamation, which was then followed by a guffaw. "Good gracious, do you not know that Anne has had three Seasons without a single gentleman seeking to court her?"

Anne wanted to sink down into a pile of skirts on the floor, such was her shame. She had watched as her two younger sisters had both found suitable matches of their own – with Netty being the latter – while she herself stood back and wondered how she could exude the same elegance and ease of manner which they displayed. Her father had always criticized her, had always told her that she was lacking in one way or another – particularly in relation to her younger sisters – and thus, she had found herself tongue-tied in any conversation with a gentleman, sure that she was going to say the wrong thing or speak out of turn given the heavy criticism of her father. She shrank back, certain that her appearance was not as perfect as it ought to be, that the gown she wore or the color of it did nothing to enhance her appearance – again, all because of the criticism of her father. Her two younger sisters had not suffered in the same way for Lord Ellon, for whatever reason, seemed to think her the very worst out of the three and had pushed all of his frustrations upon her rather than upon them.

If only mother was here. Anne's eyes burned with fresh tears as her aunt and her father continued to discuss her situation. How much she missed her dear, sweet mother who, some years ago, had taken herself to visit her sister up in Scotland and, thereafter, had never returned. Anne herself was forbidden to speak of the situation to anyone for her father had made it quite clear that she was to remain silent, though that did not prevent her from writing many letters to her mother whenever she could. They were always responded to with her mother always apologizing for her prolonged absence but never giving reason for it. She assured Anne, Charlotte and Netty of her love and begged them not to think poorly of her but that was all that had ever been said by way of explanation.

" I shall take Anne to London for the Season."

Anne turned quickly, all thought of her mother going from her mind as she stared at her aunt, seeing how she had her hands at her hips and her head lifted in a triumphant gesture.

"Why should you waste your time on Anne?" Lord Ellon retorted as though Anne herself was not standing between them. "Nothing will come of it, I promise you! Besides which, it is good for me to have her around the house. Since her mother has not yet returned from her prolonged visit to Lady Arnette, I require Anne to keep this house running as it ought."

Closing her eyes again briefly, Anne's shoulders dropped, her heart growing heavy all over again. There was not to be any Season for her, not again. Her father was quite right, she had failed to find a suitable match these last few Seasons, so why should she be given any further responsibility?

Though, would it not be different alongside your aunt? said a quiet voice in her head. Would it not be quite wonderful?

"Do stop complaining about this, Ellon." Lady Mayhew sniffed, turning her head to Anne. "Anne herself wishes to join me and you will be able to deal very well with living alone, I am sure. After all, it is not a situation which is likely to change at any moment, is it?"

Anne felt rather than saw the anger which quickly flooded the room, feeling the atmosphere grow thicker, the darkness surrounding them all. Lady Mayhew and Anne's own mother were sisters and clearly, her mother had written to Lady Mayhew to explain what was happening with her own circumstances at present – and Lord Ellon was all too aware of it.

"You shall not take my daughter to – "

"Yes, I shall." Lady Mayhew lifted her eyebrow, her head cocked to one side, hands still tight at her waist. "And you shall agree, Lord Ellon. What is more, you shall give me enough funds to make certain that Anne has new gowns, gloves and shawls, as well as pin money."

Anne looked to her father, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. Her father was a tall and imposing figure, his shoulders broad and a deep shadow spreading out from him as though it wanted to engulf them all. There was a tension and a tightness in his jaw that had not been there before. Anne's heart thudded wildly, seeing her aunt and her father go up against each other while she herself felt nothing but anxious. Looking down at her hands, she gripped them both together and squeezed, unable to lift her head to look back at her father.

"And if I do not?" The challenge in Lord Ellon's voice had Anne's gaze jumping to her aunt, seeing her frown.

"If you do not give me Anne to take with me to London for the Season, then I am afraid that there are some circumstances which I think will entertain the ton a great deal."

"Circumstances?"

"Yes," Lady Mayhew replied, her eyebrow arched. "I might have to tell the ton that Lady Ellon has taken a prolonged leave of absence from her husband's estate. And I might also have to tell them my considerations as to why that might be."

Lord Ellon's face went scarlet, his eyes blazing with anger as he stood as tall as he could and Anne felt herself shrinking inwardly, though Lady Mayhew seemed entirely calm given the way she simply looked back at Lord Ellon without a single flicker of concern in her gaze.

"How dare you think to even threaten such thing?" Lord Ellon spat, coming a little closer to Lady Mayhew. "Besides which, you are a fool to even suggest that you will do that for in doing so, you will injure your niece! Anne will have a stain upon her reputation and – "

"Which will matter very little given that you have decided that she ought to be a spinster," replied Lady Mayhew, calmly. "And your other two daughters are wed and settled so it will not injure them."

Anne looked again to her father, her worry growing so severely, she felt her breath tighten in her chest. She knew all too well the temper that her father possessed and the last thing she desired was for it to be thrown upon her aunt, given that Lady Mayhew was only trying to do her some good. She had no expectation that her father would relent for he was always determined, always unwilling to brook even a single argument, a single word against his desires. With a small sigh, Anne turned her attention back to the window and waited for her aunt's defeat.

"I will have no part of this."

Her eyes flared as Lord Ellon continued to speak, a fierce, burning, furious hope building in her heart, offering her something she had never even imagined might be for her.

"This will be her last Season. If you do this, if you take her and have no success, then you will never complain to me about this again. You will never ask for any further time with her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Quite. Though I expect that money from you also, Ellon. I have seen how you have treated your eldest daughter and how differently you have treated the other two. You ought to be ashamed of yourself in that."

"I do not know – "

"Do not pretend that you have no understanding of what I am talking about," Lady Mayhew interrupted Lord Ellon sharply, leaving Anne to catch her breath in astonishment. "You have berated her, criticized her and shamed her simply because she looks the most like her own, dear mama. Is that not your reason for your harsh treatment?" Her voice rose, echoing around the room as tears began to pour into Anne's eyes all over again. "But I will give her the opportunities that you have stolen from her by your hard-heartedness towards her, I will give Anne the confidence she has so often lacked. And I will have her married, settled and happy by the end of the Season. I can promise you that."

Anne's heart swelled with such a love for her aunt, with such an overwhelming happiness that she wanted to throw herself into Lady Mayhew's embrace but, instead, she wrapped her arms about her waist and waited for the conversation to come to an end.

"I highly doubt that!" The sneer in Lord Ellon's voice took away some of Anne's joy though she fought hard to keep it. "I have very little hope of your success."

"Then I place a bet upon your disbelief."

Anne turned quickly, her eyes wide, wanting to warn her aunt away from doing such a thing, wanting to tell her not to push Lord Ellon any more, but Lady Mayhew merely glanced at her and then smiled with a confidence that Anne could not understand.

"If I am successful, then you will offer Anne three times the dowry you have for her at present."

Anne sucked in a breath, shock rifling through her.

"And if I fail, then I shall repay you all the funds that have been spent on Anne for the Season," Lady Mayhew finished. "What say you to that, Ellon?"

Forcing herself to look into her father's face, Anne saw the cruel curl of his lip, the laughing mockery in his eyes and felt herself begin to panic. She had already tried and failed at the Season before. What was it that her aunt thought she could to in order to force success upon her? She tried to speak, tried to tell Lady Mayhew not to do such a thing but before she could do so, Lord Ellon waved one hand and made his declaration.

" Two times her dowry at present, not three."

"No," Lady Mayhew returned, quickly. "Three and not a penny less. I have no doubt that you have offered her a very poor dowry already so such a thing will not strain you."

Lord Ellon considered and then shrugged, his shoulders lifting and falling back again. "Very well. As I have said, it will not be of any difficulty to me for I am certain you shall fail."

Lady Mayhew chuckled and Anne was surprised to see the flash of a frown crossing her father's expression. Could it be that he had a little doubt in his heart? That he was uncertain about what he had just done?

"Very good, Ellon. I shall have the papers drawn up and we shall sign them together – oh yes, you need not look so surprised! You are not a gentleman known to keep his word and therefore, I shall have it all formalized and the like, so you cannot escape it when I bring Anne and her betrothed to you." She smiled and then looked to Anne. "Come now, Anne, there is much for us to discuss. The Season shall soon be upon us and I want to be as prepared as we can be."

Anne moved towards her aunt on legs that trembled, trying her best not to look into the foreboding face of her father. Lady Mayhew continued to speak as she led Anne out into the hallway, away from Lord Ellon, away from the dark atmosphere and, as they walked, Anne slowly felt the tension within her begin to fade.

"Am I really to go to London with you, Aunt?"

She stopped walking, turning her head to look up at Lady Mayhew who quickly slipped an arm around her shoulders, comforting her.

"Yes, of course you are, my dear. And more than that, you shall find yourself courted, engaged, wed and happy." Her eyes softened. "I promise you that."