Page 44 of A Captain For Clarissa
She trailed off, leaving the unspoken words hanging in the air between them.
Clarissa nodded, her throat tight. She knew Marianne was right. She couldn’t hide from her past forever, no matter how much she might wish to.
But for now, she would cling to this small shred of hope, this tiny glimmer of light in the darkness.
For now, it was all she had.
Clarissa’s reprieve lasted no later than dinner that evening. The Earl and Countess, somewhat mollified by their gracious reception and finding the inside of the castle much less ruined than it looked from the outside, had accepted Lucia’s invitation to stay a few days. At dinner, however, Mr Dalton joined them, and almost the very first thing he said was;
“You must have been so concerned when you heard Lady Clarissa went missing from Athens. Such a relief she was retrieved safely before too many days had passed.”
Clarissa felt the blood drain from her face, her stomach twisting into knots. No. No, this couldn’t be happening.
But her mother’s horrified gasp told her it was all too real.
“Missing?” the Countess repeated, her voice rising to a near-shriek. “What do you mean,missing?”
She rounded on Alex and Marianne, her eyes flashing with fury.
“How could you let this happen?” she demanded, her voice shaking with anger. “How could you be so irresponsible as to lose track of my daughter? Fordays?”
Marianne flinched, her face paling under the onslaught. “Lavinia, I--”
But the Countess cut her off with a sharp gesture. “I don’t want to hear your excuses,” she snapped. “You were supposed to be looking after her, and you failed. Utterly and completely.”
“Clarissa’s reputation is at stake,” Clarissa’s father declared, his voice loud in the hushed silence which fell over the dinner table. “She must return home immediately.”
Clarissa’s heart seized in her chest. “No,” she blurted out, before she could stop herself. “Papa, please. I don’t want to go back.”
Her father’s gaze snapped to her, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t have a choice in the matter,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “Your reputation has been compromised. The only way to salvage it is for you to return to England and marry at once.”
Clarissa shook her head, desperation clawing at her throat. “But I’m happy here,” she pleaded, her voice cracking. “I’ve found a place where I belong. Please don’t make me leave.”
But her parents refused to listen. “You’re coming home with us, and that’s final,” her mother said, her tone sharp and unyielding. “We’ll find you a suitable husband, someone who can help restore your good name.”
Clarissa felt as though the ground had dropped out from beneath her feet. A suitable husband? The very thought made her stomach churn.
She looked to Marianne, hoping for support, but her aunt could only offer a sympathetic glance. There was nothing she could do, Clarissa realised with a sinking heart. Her parents had made up their minds.
Tears stung her eyes as the reality of the situation sank in. She was going to be taken away from everything she loved, forced into a life she didn’t want. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
The Earl cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “As it happens, I have a friend who has expressed interest in analliance with our family. Lord Weatherby is a respected member of the ton and would make a fine match for Clarissa.”
“Lord Weatherby? You can’t be serious. The man is old enough to be Clarissa’s grandfather!” It was Alex who spoke, his face twisted with disgust.
The Earl rounded on him, his face flushed with anger. “You have no say in this matter, Glenkellie! Clarissa’s future is not your concern.”
Clarissa watched the exchange with growing despair. She knew Alex meant well, but his intervention would only make things worse. Her father was not a man to be crossed, especially when it came to matters of family and reputation.
She felt a surge of panic rising within her. The thought of being married off to a stranger, an old man, of spending the rest of her life in a loveless union, was too much to bear. She had to do something, anything, to change her parents’ minds.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it was hopeless. Her father’s word was law, and there was nothing she could do to sway him. She was trapped, a prisoner of her own circumstances, with no way out.
“Clarissa will return to England with us at once,” the Earl said, his gaze fixed on his daughter. “And she will marry Lord Weatherby, as befits her station. There will be no further discussion on the matter.”
She could not stay in that room a moment longer, with pitying and accusing gazes directed at her. Jumping to her feet, she fled the room, running upstairs and into her room, where she threw open the window and gasped for air, feeling as though she couldn’t breathe. Tears blurred her vision, and she swayed on her feet, feeling as though she might faint. But then a pair of strong, gentle arms wrapped around her, and she found herself being drawn into a warm, comforting embrace.
“Shh, it’s all right,” Marianne murmured, her voice soft and soothing. “I’ve got you, my dear. Just let it out.”
