Always a Maiden (The Belles of Beak Street #5)(48)

Her father was silent for a spell and that was almost worse than his words. Perhaps he was trying to decide whether to believe her or not. Or what her punishment would be.

“I was learning to ride again,” she said when she couldn’t stand it any longer.

“And whom exactly were you with?”

“A gentleman.” She could barely hear herself. “Nothing untoward occurred.”

Her father scowled at her.

She wondered if she shouldn’t have said that. If her father thought Evan had ruined her, he might insist they marry. Her heart skittered at an impossible rate.

“No gentleman takes an unmarried girl out unescorted in the middle of the night to a park or anywhere else.”

Evan had been far more of a gentleman than she’d expected or wanted. “He offered to marry me.”

Her father’s expression darkened. The room was lightening by degrees and she could see he wore evening clothes. Had he been waiting up all night?

“Sit down,” he said.

The words were like a shot, and she couldn’t hide her cringe. Her legs felt like stilts as she moved to her dressing table stool. She wanted to hide the tin of candied almonds, but she was afraid to do anything overt. She gingerly set it on her dressing table then turned to face her father as she took her seat.

“What did you say to this gentleman when he asked to marry you?”

She dipped her head and looked at her hands in her lap. “That he was not of a sufficient rank to be acceptable to you.” She raised her head. “But I do believe he would try to make me happy.”

At least for a little while. But then she remembered his insistence that he would be a steward for the rest of his life. Could she be happy as the wife of a servant? The idea of it was so beyond anything she’d ever imagined, it wouldn’t settle into place in her mind.

Her father gave her a sharp look. “He is a commoner then?”

She nodded. He made it sound like being a commoner was the equivalent of being a peasant. Strictly speaking, she was a commoner, too, her title being only a courtesy title. “His maternal grandfather was a baron, and his father’s family has land…but he is not the eldest son.”

Her father pinched the bridge of his nose. “This will stop.”

“Yes. It’s over,” she said. “I know it was wrong.”

“Five seasons and you are encouraging some commoner to ruin you.” He shook his head. “I’m done with the expense of a full season for you and your mother every year. You should have been married long before now.”

Susanah swallowed hard and nodded. For a second it seemed possible that her father would allow her to marry Evan—although she was fairly certain a minute ago she’d known why that was a terrible idea.

“You know what is expected of you. This man could do nothing to advance the interests of our family. He is likely salivating over the idea of getting his hands on your dowry and inheritance.”

She nodded her head. She had thought as much.

“You will accept Lord Farringate’s forthcoming offer and the banns will be read this Sunday.” There was a ring of finality in his tone. “The marriage will take place as soon as can be arranged.”

She went to say yes but ended up coughing. Although she’d known this would happen, that she would likely end up accepting the earl’s offer, it hit her like the entire house had toppled over on her.

He stood. “Be thankful I won’t tell your mother about this evening.”

“Yes, thank you, Papa.”

He crossed to the door, and she wanted to beg for the remaining weeks in the Season to be allowed to find a better suitor, but she knew it wouldn’t matter.

As he reached for the doorknob, she said, “Papa, could you tell me how Lord Farringate’s prior wives have passed?”

He stiffened and she ducked her head feeling she had stepped over the line. But didn’t a woman have a right to know what had happened to those who had gone before her?

“I will not stoop to address slanderous gossip.”

And that was that. She’d probably never know because she couldn’t see herself asking Lord Farringate to explain.

What was worse was she wished she could go back to that moment when Evan asked her to marry him and change everything. But her course was set. She was to become a countess. So if she had a son she could make up for the sin of being born a girl. After her father passed, her son could petition the crown to restore the abeyant marquessate on him. Then their family could carry on with the respect and political capital that went with the title.

This was it. Her future was decided. She couldn’t hope some other woman would show up with a prior claim on Lord Farringate—not that she had appreciated losing her fiancé in that way at the time.





Chapter 13





Evan wished he hadn’t slipped the note into the candied almond tin. Before he’d known how soundly Susanah would reject his suit, he’d penciled it on a sheet from the small notebook he carried to jot down information he’d need to know, an address, an appointment, Susanah’s list of where she found pleasure—for all the good that had done him.

He’d never stood a chance with her, more the fool was he. He’d known that from the beginning. She was determined to marry a man with a title, and he didn’t have one.