Page 53 of A Duke's Temptation Poetess
“His Grace will never learn what I have suggested,” her mother retorted, “as long as you do not tell him! As far as he will know, you are a perfectly proper young lady whom he may have a good future with.”
“It does not matter,” Clarissa said. “He has resolved never to wed, and I do not imagine that he will be inclined to change his feelings on the matter just because he is caught in a compromising position. He is a rake. What care has he if his reputation is torn asunder?”
Even as Clarissa spoke, she did not believe the words. His Grace was so much more than a rake, but she needed her mother to stop with such terrible schemes. She could not even imagine doing something so dreadful to the Duke of Hartingdale, who had been nothing but kind and supportive of her.
“He will care,” Clarissa’s mother insisted. “If you are caught in a compromising position, his aunt will force him to wed you. I am sure of that. By the end of the weekend, you must have ensnared the Duke of Hartingdale.”
Clarissa straightened her spine. “I shall not.”
“Then, you are welcome to enjoy your future living on the streets of London,” her mother said.
Clarissa shook her head. “There is no need to be so dramatic about it,” she said. “We will not be living on the streets.”
“We will,” her mother said. “I have tried to protect you from the worst of the truth, but perhaps that was a poor decision. As I speak, the creditors are taking everything we own to cover your father’s debts, including our townhouse in London.”
Clarissa felt as if her blood turned to ice in her veins. She had known that her father had left debts, but she had thought that they were the sort of debts which would make it impossible for them to live as they had before. Clarissa had assumed her father’s debts meant fewer servants and luxuries, not that they might have no place to call home.
“You cannot be serious,” Clarissa said, stunned. “The situation cannot be that dire, surely.”
“It is!” her mother snapped. “It is that bad, and I have found a solution, which you refuse to accept! If you married the Duke of Hartingdale, all our problems would be solved!”
“Well, maybe if you did not insist on us living such an extravagant lifestyle, we would not be in this situation!” Clarissa snapped, her temper getting the best of her. “How much money did you spend in coming to Bath and in may wardrobe for the past two Seasons when you knew that marriage would be unlikely?”
“An extravagant lifestyle?” her mother asked. “How dare you speak to me in such a disrespectful manner? Stop being so selfish!”
Clarissa dug her nails into the palms of her hands.Shewas selfish? That was difficult to believe when her mother kept conspiring against her, trying to force her into humiliating the Duke of Hartingdale.
Before Clarissa could find any words to speak in her own defence, her mother turned on her heels and stormed away. Clarissa slowly sank onto her bed. Were the creditors really taking their townhouse with the rest?
She wanted to believe that her mother was simply saying anything to make her upset or scared, and yet Clarissa had seen her mother’s face and the desperation in it. Clarissa drew an uneven, shuddering breath of air. She simply did not know what to do.
***
Colin seat beside his aunt at the dinner table. Their other guests had not yet joined them. Lady Clarissa and Lady Bentley were both preparing for dinner, along with Deborah and Russell. Colin took a small sip of his brandy. He preferred to spend the time before dinner in the billiards room, but his aunt Matilda preferred to sit at the table before her guests arrived. So Colin had joined her.
“I am pleased that Lady Bentley and Lady Clarissa are joining us for the weekend,” Aunt Matilda said.
Colin doubted that his aunt would be nearly so pleased if she knew all the rakish fantasies he had about Lady Clarissa and seeing her in various states of undress.
“I am certain they are delighted with the invitation,” Colin said.
His aunt narrowed her eyes. “You know,” she said slowly, “Lady Clarissa would be a charming wife.”
Colin stared at her and took a pointed swallow of his drink. “A wife?”
“Listen to what I have to say,” his aunt insisted.
Colin smiled, but shook his head. “Nothing you say will persuade me to abandon my resolve not to wed.”
“You say that,” Aunt Matilda said softly, “and I know why you insist on remaining unmarried. However, I must ask youwhy?”
“Because I do not wish to be like my father. You know that.”
“No,” his aunt answered.
Colin stared blankly at her. “No?” he echoed.
“No,” Aunt Matilda said. “You do not want to wed because you do not want to be like your father, but because you want to punish him. You believe that if you act in a way that would displease your father, that will be enough.”
