Page 99 of Foolish Bride
Dory poked in her perfect gold-blond head. “We did not have a chance to talk yesterday.” She opened the door further, admitting herself and Sophia to the room. “May we come in?”
“Of course.” Elinor was glad for the distraction from her troubling thoughts. She accepted hugs from her two friends.
The three of them sat at the small table.
Sophia picked at Elinor’s untouched breakfast.
Dory took charge. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” It was what she had told her mother and anyone else who asked. “And no,” she said honestly.
“Tell us,” Dory said.
“I do not know where to start. It was only a few days ago, but I feel as if I have lived years in that time. I fear everything has changed.”
Sophia stopped eating. “Perhaps you should start at the beginning. Then Dory and I will have more of an idea how we can help you to sort this all out.”
Elinor nodded and began the tale from the lovely time she had fishing with Michael’s brothers by the river. She ended with plunging the knife into Roxton’s back and arriving back at Marlton.
Dory gasped and reached forward, taking Elinor’s hand.
Sophia nodded. Perhaps she’d already heard the information from her husband.
“I fear that everything has changed.” The thought plagued her.
Dory squeezed her hand. “What do you mean? You are safe now. No one outside our circle need ever know.”
“I do not think that Michael will want to marry a woman who is a killer. I cannot say that I blame him. He might think that I could do the same to him whilst he slept.” She wiped her tears.
Dory’s eyes widened. “He is a fool if that is what he thinks, and he does not deserve you. You saved his life and—”
“I do not think you need worry about that.” Sophia scowled at Dory, and then smiled at Elinor. “In fact, I am certain that he still wishes to marry you.”
“How do you know?” Elinor sniffed into her napkin.
Sophia had a way of making her feel good just by being present. She had come to her rescue when she and Michael had been caught in a compromising position, and now she had the key to free her from this tragedy as well. “Michael asked Daniel for the use of his study in order to speak with your mother this morning.”
Elinor jumped from her seat. “When?”
“They are together right now.”
“Oh no! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Here I have been sitting and telling stories and my future is hanging in the balance. What if Mother says no? I must go.” She looked in the mirror, tucked an errant hair behind her ear, and ran through the house.
When she got to the study, Elinor pressed her ear to the door, but heard nothing. Catching her breath, she lifted her hand to knock, but instead squared her shoulders, put up her chin, and walked in.
Mother frowned across the desk at Michael, and Michael frowned back. They both looked up.
Elinor was tired of being bullied. “I understand my future is being decided. I would prefer to be the one making those decisions from now on.”
“Elinor, really. You have no business being here.” Mother’s scolding did not have the effect it usually did.
Michael smiled, bolstering her courage.
“I have every right. I am not a child, Mother. I will make my own decisions.” She was an adult and would act as such. The last few days had changed her as much as the events of the last few months.No more waiting for someone else to change her world.
Mother glared. “I have already told his grace that a marriage agreement between the two of you is out of the question. Your father was very specific in his instructions before he left.” She took on the monotone she used whenever quoting Father verbatim. “You are not to marry Michael Rollins. I do not think he has changed his mind and I have no way to contact him at this time. He has an essential job and cannot be bothered with trivialities.”
“My future is not a triviality. Nevertheless, I do not wish for you to contact Father. His business is what he really cares about, anyway. If he cared about me then he would have asked my opinion before he created this mess in the first place. Michael and I would already be happily married, and Father would not have dishonored our family by breaking his word to a duke of the realm.”
