Chapter 38

Bernadette stood scarcely a few feet away. Victoria felt that old urge to apologize rise within her. All the years that she had sought to earn her stepmother's love rose within her, loud and insistent. She took a deep breath and thought about Thomas and the ring on her hand, a promise of his eternal love and commitment to her. Victoria had him, and she had the troupe at the theatre. All those people loved her and supported her. She did not need to be afraid of Lady Norwood any longer.

"You look well," Bernadette said.

"As do you," Victoria said. "My disappearance did not upset you."

"Not in the least. Did you expect it to?"

Once, Victoria would have been upset by the realization that her stepmother thought so little of her, but now, she understood the woman more than she ever had before. Her stepmother would never love her, and there was no point in trying to earn her love.

That was an impossible task. Ever since her father's death, Victoria had been trying to find love, but trying to find it from her stepmother had been the wrong approach. She should have been more appreciative of the love of her friends in the theatre.

"No," Victoria said. "I am not surprised. I know that you do not love me, and you never will."

Bernadette's smile was sharp. "I am so pleased that you finally realize that."

"Because it will be easier for you," Victoria said. "I imagine."

Bernadette said nothing, but her expression sharpened. She looked like a cat watching a mouse and preparing to pounce.

"You should be the first to know that Lord Bedford and I are engaged."

Bernadette laughed. "You are not. You are my ward, and I will decide who you are engaged to."

"So you will," Victoria replied. "However, my lord intends to announce our engagement tonight at this very ball. Do you intend to contradict him and imply before everyone that my lord—a well-respected businessman with a sizable fortune and a title—does not deserve to wed me? I imagine that would be rather harmful for your reputation, would it not?"

"What would you know about reputations or what it is to be among the ton?" Bernadette asked. "You have attended only a small number of events, and I highly doubt you have become a proper lady in such a small amount of time."

"Perhaps I have not," Victoria said. "However, my fiancé understands how the ton behaves. He has also assured me that he is willing to have his solicitor argue as much is needed for the two of us to be happily wed. Already, he has spoken to Mr Morgan about my father's will. Given that you did not inform me about the will, it is possible that you may encounter some legal difficulties."

Bernadette clenched her jaw. "I see," she said, the words sounding forced.

"So you are welcome to contradict my lord and explain to him that we cannot be wed," Victoria said. "However, I am not certain that your efforts would have any impact on whether or not I wed Lord Bedford."

"So you will force my hand," Bernadette said.

"If I must." Victoria took a steadying breath. There was a time when she might have felt guilty about defying her stepmother, but now, she felt only a rush of excitement. Of independence. "I must think of my own happiness, Stepmother, and that can be found only with my lord. I cannot let anyone keep me from loving him, even you."

"Love? How na?ve."

Victoria's face softened. She did not understand her stepmother, but she felt a tiny spark of sympathy, nonetheless. Her stepmother was unhappy. Even if the woman had never treated her kindly, Victoria could not imagine how miserable it must be to live someone's life so morosely.

"Will you contradict Lord Bedford when he announces our engagement?" Victoria asked.

"I will think about it."

Victoria hummed. Her heartbeat quickened. Thomas had offered to speak to Bernadette with her, and Victoria had bid him to let her confront her stepmother alone. She recognized the difficulties in approaching Bernadette alone, but Victoria felt as though she needed this.

"If you give us your blessing, we will cause you no further trouble," Victoria said softly. "You may have my father's townhouse and continue to live as you have for these past several years. I believe that is what my father would want for you."

"And if I do not?"

Victoria's chest ached. The room felt too hot and as if there were not enough air in it. She wanted to seek out Thomas for his support, but she knew that she must resist. This was her stepmother, whom she had wanted to love her for such a long time. She needed to accept that her stepmother would not love her, and at the same time, she needed to prove that she could be resolute.

"That will be my lord's decision," Victoria replied. "He desperately wants to marry me, and he will not let anything or anyone come between the two of us."

"I see."

"But if you will let us marry, you will never hear from me again," Victoria continued. "I do not desire anything from you—just not to contradict my lord when he announces our engagement. I am willing to forgive you for your treatment of me, Stepmother, but it is time that I move forward and chase my own happiness."

Bernadette seemed to grow very still somehow. For a long time, she said nothing. Victoria felt the urge to fidget with her skirts but forced herself to remain outwardly calm while her stepmother considered the options before her.

The rational choice would be to say nothing about the engagement or else for Bernadette to give her blessing and spare her reputation. If love had taught Victoria anything, though, it was that emotions were not always rational. She hoped that her stepmother would not deny the engagement out of spite.

"You seem to have planned this all out very carefully," Bernadette said. "Perhaps you are more like me than I had realized."

"We are not alike," Victoria said softly. "I do not seek to threaten you. I only want to be happy."

"You never will be," Bernadette replied. "Marriage is as good as death to a young woman."

"No," Victoria said. "That was your fate. It will not be mine, and even if that were to be my fate, I should still have the chance to try and chase my own happiness. My lord makes me happy, and I want to spend my life with him. He is worth the risk—worth any risk."

Bernadette nodded sharply. "You will have my blessing."

Victoria sighed in relief. "Thank you, Stepmother. I will ensure that you can live comfortably for the rest of your life. I promise that you will want for nothing."

"Thank you, Victoria," Bernadette said, her smile brittle. "I apologize for my treatment towards you over the years."

The woman sounded as though the words were being literally torn from her throat, but Victoria had expected nothing less. All that mattered was that Bernadette was going to give her blessing to the engagement. Victoria could marry Thomas! A fissure of delight burned inside her. "Thank you, Stepmother," she said.

Bernadette only scoffed and reached for more wine. That was fine.

"Farewell, Stepmother," Victoria said.

Bernadette made no reply, so Victoria turned and simply left. Thomas was conversing with their host, doubtlessly working to spread the news of their engagement to as many people as possible. Victoria's face grew warm, and she fingered the edge of the ring on her finger. She was engaged to Thomas! Not only that, but her stepmother had resolved not to interfere with the engagement!

Loralie, clad in a more subdued pink gown, left Lord Worthington's side and joined her. "Well?"

"My stepmother will not interfere."

Loralie's face brightened, a petal-pink flush spreading across her cheeks. She pulled Victoria into a tight embrace. "I am so happy for you!"

A few steps behind Loralie, Lord Worthington halted, looking vaguely taken aback. Victoria had to wonder if his bringing an actress to this ball was a scandal or not. She still knew so little about this world. It was fortunate that she would have Thomas to guide her in the future once she was wed to him.

"Thank you," Victoria said. "I can scarcely wait to tell everyone else."

"The troupe will be delighted for you," Loralie said, stepping back and holding Victoria's shoulders at arm's length.

"I know. So many people will be," Victoria said, "and I must thank you and them for persuading me to listen to my lord. If you had not allowed him to interrupt my play, I am unsure if I would have."

"You would have," Loralie replied. "We just made things happen a little more quickly than they otherwise might have."

Lord Worthington joined them and smiled. "Lady Victoria," he said.

"You must call me Victoria," she said. "You are my lord's dearest and oldest friend. Surely, you do not need to refer to me so formally."

"Ah." Lord Worthington's expression was amused. "Well, I would never wish to displease the lady, so I will call you what you wish. However, you must call me Samuel, just as Thomas does."

"Samuel," she said, testing the name.

He nodded. "And let me be the first to express my congratulations for your engagement. I could not help but overhear."

"Now, you must tell your groom," Loralie said.

Victoria grinned. It seemed almost impossible that she would be approaching Thomas and telling him that they would be married without any obstacle coming between them.

Loralie linked their arms, her face bright. "Let us find him, then."

"You will not need to look far," Samuel said. "He is coming this way now."

Victoria turned her head. Her breath caught in her throat as Thomas wove through the crowd towards them. This man was to be her husband. She thought of every encounter they had ever had, all the intimate moments stolen during balls and behind bushes. They would not need to hide anymore. They would not need to fear the wandering eyes of either the ton or Lady Bernadette. Victoria smiled, and Thomas answered with a grin.

When he reached them, he offered a teasing and flamboyant bow to her. "My dear lady," he said.

"My Lord," she replied. "My fiancé."

Thomas' eyes lit up. "Your stepmother agreed not to argue?"

"She agreed to give us her blessing," Victoria said.

Thomas squeezed Victoria's hands. "Wonderful. In two weeks, we will be husband and wife, then. I hope that the wait will not be too long."

"Not as long as I can still see you."

Although Victoria would not have been upset to simply live in Thomas' townhouse, it would be rather improper, so Victoria would live in the theatre during the two weeks of their engagement.

"I will visit you every day," Thomas vowed, "accompanied by the appropriate escort."

"Well …" Loralie trailed off, her expression mischievous. "Not quite appropriate. You do realize that there is a theatre troupe attached to your bride, do you not?"

"I would not want it any other way," Thomas replied, his face soft as he gazed at Victoria. "I will take ten theatre troupes under my patronage if I must."

"Just one is enough," Samuel replied. "And I think some members of the troupe are spoken for."

"So I have heard," Thomas replied, extending his hand to Victoria. "My dear lady, may I have this dance?"

Victoria smiled and placed her hand into his. As he led her to the dance floor, her pulse quickened. This was just like the end of a play, the happy ending she had always wanted.