Page 61 of The Heiress Gets a Duke
August laughed. “No one will care that I went out without a chaperone, and they’ll forget all about the scarlet dress and the walk with that nobleman.”
“Perhaps, but they will not forget that a duke lost interest in you.”
“What do you mean? He has hardly lost interest. If anything, I believe he still wants to marry me.”
“That doesn’t matter at all. You were very close to marriage. Everyone has whispered about it. Everyone knows that we have been guests at his home. Everyone has the expectation that an engagement will be announced upon our return to London. If one is not announced, I am afraid that your reputation will not withstand the gossip. They’ll all wonder why he cried off.”
“He didn’t cry off. I am the one not accepting him.”
“That doesn’t matter, August, and you know it. The gentlemen in these situations hold all the power. One word from him, and no one will so much as look at you again.”
“You are putting a dramatic twist on this that is not true. Evan—” Her mother’s eyes widened. August really neededto stop thinking of him by his given name. “Rothschild will not say cruel things about me. He is a true gentleman.”
Now Mother’s eyes narrowed with speculation. “If he is the gentleman you claim, what is your objection to him? Anyone with eyes can see that the two of you get on well.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, August held her ground. “That’s true. We are friends now, and I have found things to admire in him. But I do not want to be married now.” She wanted to continue working at Crenshaw Iron, and she didn’t want this forced on her. Perhaps if she was given time to settle into the idea, but not like this.
“But you would find him acceptable if you did want to be married now?”
August sighed. This was bordering on her conversation with Violet. “Perhaps, but there are so many things to consider. I hardly know him. I believe that for a marriage to be happy, it is important for a couple—”
Mother waved a hand in the air. “I have heard enough. Your father and I have decided that you will marry him, and that’s final.”
“Final? I don’t understand.”
Mother took in a breath and gripped her hands together in front of her. “If a betrothal isn’t announced by the time we leave, your position at Crenshaw Iron will be eliminated.”
Had her mother struck her across the face, the shock could not have been greater. “Papa would never agree to that.”
“He already has.”
Her blood ran cold and she bolted to her feet. “I don’t believe you.”
“August...” Mother crossed the distance between them but stopped short of reaching out to touch her. “We have grown impatient with your obstinance. We know what is best for you. If you were to walk away from this opportunity, it would be the biggest regret of your life. We cannot allow that to happen.”
“You mean this is what is best for you, not me.” August had to put a hand out to the mantel to keep her balance.
“This marriage will be best for the family and the business—there is no mistaking that—but also for you. You will have opportunities you cannot even imagine.”
“Opportunities? I have all the opportunities I need. Now. With Crenshaw Iron.”
Mother shook her head. “Not if you refuse this.”
Mother stared at her with the cold indifference of a stranger. No. Not a stranger. It was as if she, August, were the single obstacle in the way of her getting what she wanted, and Mother would rather plow through the hurdle than find another solution.
The door to Papa’s bedroom swung open, and he hedged into the room. His gaze went to Mother first before reluctantly settling on August. She knew then that he had deliberately waited, not wanting to deliver the message himself.
August had to speak through a throat gone tight with sadness and anger. “Papa, you cannot mean this.”
“Do not look so put-upon, darling.” His voice held a gentle, chiding tone. “You are hardly being fed to the wolves. We have investigated this man and found him thoroughly acceptable. Your time at Crenshaw Iron would have come to an end eventually. This is the life you are meant to lead, and it is more glorious than anything your mother or I could have imagined for you. Let Maxwell run the business as he was meant to do, hmm?”
Mother reached out to touch August’s shoulder, but August recoiled instinctively. She could not pretend that everything was fine, when they were trying to tear her world apart.
“You’ve always been strong-willed.” Mother sighed. “In time you will come to understand that this is the best thing.”
“You both say these things, but what of Camille? Will Camille come to understand that as well?”
Mother smiled and gave a sad shake of her head. “Camille is not nearly as logical as you.”
