Page 19 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
“She insists,” Rebecca said, a gleam in her eyes.
Sarah sighed. “Fine, I’ll be down in a moment. Have this sent to Cunningham Manor, please.”
Rebecca took the letter and left, Sarah following. She moved slowly, wishing to be anywhere but here.
And I thought this day might go so differently.
In the drawing room, her mother was sitting on the couch, hands folded in her lap. At the window behind her stood John, his back to the room as he looked outside.
Sarah stood in front of her mother, her hands clasped behind her back.
“You have dishonored your family,” Lady Marlow said, her voice ice cold. “I am much disturbed by your actions. And today, you speak out in front of that man, just announcing to the world that you have had no suitors calling?” She closed her eyes. “I am deeply ashamed.”
“Mother, I—”
John turned then, interrupting her sharply, “Do not dare speak. You have said enough. Now, you will listen.”
“But why should I do that? So you can decide my whole life for me?” Sarah could not keep quiet at her brother’s disrespect.
In response, John suddenly became very quiet. His dark eyes fastened on hers as he stalked closer to her, not stopping until their noses almost touched. “Actually, yes, I can decide your whole life for you,” he said, his voice deadly soft and thick with warning. “That’s my job, and your life is for me to decide. But if you would like to challenge me, please, do so.”
Sarah dropped her eyes to the floor, not willing to push her brother too far.
“As I was saying,” Lady Marlow continued. “You have done your reputation a blow, but it can still be recovered. Do not think that just because you have not been told about our plans for you, that they do not exist.”
“You have an important role in this family, but it is a simple one. The only thing you can do to benefit us is to marry well, creating a beneficial relationship for all of us. A marriage to Felix Andrews, of all people, will not do anything for us. You heard him make that clear himself. This is not about your happiness alone, but about the good of the family. But you should trust us to match you with a good gentleman, one who is beneficial to all of us,” John said.
He seemed to pull himself back from his frustration with her. “Listen, Sarah. Your happiness is important, but we can all work together to create a better future. I won’t see you wasting away in a little cottage outside of London. You are better than that, youdeservebetter than that.”
“Things are going to change around here,” their mother said. “You are right—it is time for you to be married. The longer you live like this, the more chances you will have to shame us, as you have done this week. And with that being said, let me make this clear. There will be no writing to Sir Felix. I’ve told Rebecca to be sure of it.”
Sarah was desperate to argue but knew that at this point, it would do no good. Her mother and brother stood united, and when the two of them came together, there was no denying them what they wanted.
“May I be excused?” she asked, her voice small.
“Once you give your word,” her mother said.
“I give my word I will not write to Sir Felix,” she said, and then, unable to hold back the tears of mingled fury and pain, she whirled and fled the room.
“So dramatic,” she heard John chuckle as she left.
“Don’t mind her little performance today,” Lady Marlow responded. “We know what is best.”
Safe in her room, alone and away from her family, Sarah sat at the edge of her bed, thinking about her letter to Juliet and wondering what her friend might say back.
If only I could write to Felix so easily. But what would I even say?
Seized by the idea, she moved again to her desk, glancing at the door to make sure it was fully closed. She began to write.
Chapter Nine
Felix rode up to the entrance of Cunningham Manor atop Acorn two days after his disastrous meeting with Lady Marlow and her blasted son. He had spent the time since rolling the meeting over in his mind, wondering how he could have made it go differently.
Perhaps if I had…
This had been the refrain pulsing in his head ever since he had walked away. What if he had made his financial basis sound a bit sweeter? What if he had considered calling in Lord Cunningham? What if—?
The answers to these were clear, however. He was not that sort of man. He was not a man to lie in order to court a lady, especially a lady he revered as highly as Sarah. Nor was he the sort of man who called for favors from his higher placed relatives. There was nothing to be done, nothing could have been done differently.
