Page 70 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“They are so very sweet together,” Teresa added, head tilted as she spoke.
“You’ve seen them, together?” Isabella asked.
“Briefly, yes. Alison took me to meet him. Properly, I mean.”
“Seems like so long ago now,” Alison said, forlorn. “So much has changed in that time. Do you remember, Teresa, how hopeful we were? No, not even hopeful. We were positively certain all would turn out well.”
“Oh, dear,” Isabella said, sagging as much as her posture would allow. “Has something truly awful happened?”
“Yes,” Alison said, at the same time as Teresa said, “No.”
Teresa tutted and shook her head at Alison, her blonde curls bouncing around.
“No,” she repeated. “It’s admittedly not the ideal situation currently, but it’s nottruly awful. We still have time.”
“Time is rapidly running out,” Alison said.
She could feel her frustration bubbling up inside her. Everything she had held so close for so long was coming to the surface and she struggled to push it back down again. Now was neither the time nor the place to release it.
“Time is short, yes, but it is not gone yet. Where has your fighting spirit gone, Darling Sister? It is not like you to be so defeatist.”
“I really don’t know how things can improve,” Alison said. She closed her eyes briefly and took a few deep breaths, calming herself and refusing to let her emotions get the better of her.
Isabella’s head bounced from one sister to the other, following the conversation with rapt attention, until she finally gave in.
“All right,” she said. “You’ve got me. I don’t have a single clue what is going on.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it already. It’s hot gossip in London,” Alison said. “May I?” she asked, pointing to the strawberries.
“Of course,” Isabella said. “You do not need to ask. Heard about what?”
Alison selected the plumpest strawberry and bit into it, her mouth flooding with sweet juice, and then put the stalk of the strawberry onto her saucer.
“Please, Alison,” Teresa said, reaching over to take her sister’s hand. “Let’s not give in to this too easily. Mr. Jones will be back soon, and—”
“Back? Where’s he been?” Isabella asked, and then she huffed. “Actually, will someone please just tell me what has happened? I feel entirely left out and it’s not fair!”
She stamped her foot beneath the table, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. Alison and Teresa both chuckled, and Alison leaned over and patted Isabella’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” Alison said. When she licked her lips, she could still taste the strawberry, and she eyed the plate again. “You’re right. I’ll start at the beginning. After Teresa met Luke, she persuaded me to tell my parents—”
“And I stand by the belief that that was a good idea,” she said, eyeing Alison carefully.
“Well, perhaps,” Alison said. “But it turns out that my parents had something else in mind. It appears they have already arranged my marriage. And it is not, needless to say, to Luke.”
“No!” Isabella cried, a hand to her chest and her eyes wide. “Really?”
“Really,” Teresa said.
“To whom?”
“Rupert Sherriden,” Alison said, tightlipped and with flaring nostrils. She couldn’t bring herself to utter his title.
“The Earl of Belmont?” Isabella gasped. “But he is so… so—”
“Horrid?” Teresa asked. “Dull? Conceited?”
“Unclean?” Alison added.
