Page 2 of Cora
“Your brother has gone off to try and offer the house as collateral,” Annalise said.
“This house,” Cora echoed in disbelief. “The one that’s been mostly gutted into a construction site? The one where we’re more camping out than living in? Why would anyone want this place?”
Annalise lifted one slim shoulder and let it fall.
“It’s well-located. The architectural plans are approved. It’s going to be very elegant once completed. In the meantime…” She inhaled and released a sigh. “We plan to move into my small holding.”
In an act of contrition after his disastrous courtship, Eryx had given Annalise a house with a bit of land on the outskirts of London. It was presently unoccupied.
“What happened to the hotel?”
“Luxury is no longer an option,” Annalise answered.
“Where will I go?” Cora asked inanely.
Annalise smiled faintly, a gesture that didn’t reach her eyes. “Could you stay with Lysander until this blows over?”
“He doesn’t like Titi.”
“Impossible. Everyone likes Titania.” Annalise bent to pet the little dog.
“I suppose I could stay with Honora, but her stepmother doesn’t like pets. She says they’re dirty and has the sitting room cleaned after each visit.”
Honey did like pets and wanted a dog badly, but she was an unmarried lady, her family still held out some hope of her one day making a match. Until she did, she had to live by her father and stepmother’s rules.
“The situation is dire, then?” The frightened part of her simply wanted reassurance.
Annalise looked up, and Cora read the answer in her eyes.
“We are on the verge of losing everything,” she answered calmly. “You’re always welcome to stay with us, of course. Although I must warn you that quarters could become very tight soon.” She stood up and sighed. “Especially once the baby comes.”
Baby.
Eryx was about to lose his wealth, his business, and his home—and his wife was pregnant. No wonder he’d been so surly of late.
Cora ignored the pang of longing that flickered through her. For years, she had watched her onetime friendssettle downandstart families, options that had long since been closed to her. Now she knew that what little kindness they’d shown her had all been posturing in an attempt to gain favor with her father or, once he passed, Lysander, the new duke. After her disgrace, everyone had dropped her immediately.
Even Eliza Wells, the girl she’d known from her one year at finishing school, had only been trying to get to Eryx. Last Cora had heard, she had married and borne children, too. Everyone except her.
“Congratulations,” Cora finally remembered to say, after an awkwardly long silence.
“You seem surprised.”
“I’m not. I have been anticipating such a happy event.”
“I confess I wanted to wait longer. Nature had other plans.” Annalise stared out into the street with a tiny pleat on her forehead. Worried. She had lost everything once before and been forced to take charge of her younger siblings after their parents died. Cora could hardly blame her for wanting some time to herself before diving back into child-raising.
Annalise squeezed her hand. “I’d suggest packing up anything you need for an extended stay elsewhere. Chin up. It’s not so different from what we had already planned.”
Cora ran her fingertips over the smooth wood of the pianoforte that took up a corner of the front parlor. Soon it would be covered in cloth and removed through the window to be placed in storage. Not that it mattered. She hadn’t played in many years. Not since her disastrous debut.
Not sincehim. The man whose name she refused to even permit into her mind. Another reason she no longer read the papers: he was her brother’s banking competitor.
She had survived unexpected problems before, and stroking the gleaming wood reminded her that she would survive this setback, too. She did love a fresh start, after all, and this new year had presented her with an unanticipated one.
“We shall find a way to make the most of it, won’t we, Titi?”
The little dog blinked up at her with trust shining in her shoe-button eyes, and yipped.
