behind her head. It looked painful to Cordelia.
"I do not think that way about you. I even asked you to
come live with me once you reached your majority."
She had but Cordelia had felt intrusive. One week and she
had wanted to leave. Michael had not been a nice man.
"Yes, but that was not to be."
Diana set her teacup down on the service tray and studied
Cordelia. "And, you are fine wedding a man you barely know?"
"Is this any different than your marriage, or the
hundreds of marriages that take place within the ton each year? I do not know one woman who can truly say they know
their husband. Most of them believe the fairytale that they will marry for
love. Within a month, most women wake up to the painful reality. I do not have
that problem. At least I know he has the ability to take care of me."
"Yes, he is rich."
Cordelia sighed. "Yes, there is that. But the incident
last night came upon us because I was attacked. Mr. Blackburn protected
me."
"Are you telling me you were not truly
compromised?"
"I have been in London, on my own, and lived with a
father and brother who had the most debauched parties in recent memory.
Amazingly, I kept my virginity intact. I do not think a few minutes with a man
in a darkened library would have made me lose my head."
She didn’t think she was telling that big of a fib. She had
lost her head there for a moment. The truth of the matter was there was a good
chance he could have very well taken her virginity, and she would have been
happy to give it to him. Even the memory of his hands on her, his breath
feathering over her flesh, had her fighting the shiver that slipped through
her.
"Indeed."
She glanced at her sister. Diana's expression had grown even
more impenetrable. They had not always been like this. With her mother dead the
day after her birth, Cordelia had spent a huge amount of time with her sister.
She had been her primary caregiver...until she abandoned her to get married.
She pushed that thought aside. It did no good for either of
them to dwell on the past.
"Yes. I have been independent since my majority, and
since I did not want to live with our brother, I chose to come to London.”
Although she loathed every minute of it, actually. London was dirty, the air
sometimes foggy with the waste from the march of industry. Still, she could not
admit that to her sister.
“That was not what should have happened.”
She studied her sister, trying to discern the emotion behind
the statement. As usual, Diana kept it hidden.
“Well, you have your father to thank for that. According to
his will, I am truly not part of the family. The way it is written, the family
has no say in what I do."
That was the truth, and they all knew it. The will had
effectively cut her off from the family. It had not hurt so much...they had
been lost to her years ago. But the financial blow had been hard to accept.
Until she had found writing.
Her sister looked away, and for the first time, she looked
vulnerable. Then her jaw tightened. “You are right, and I guess there is no
reason for us to go over old problems.”
She wanted to fight it out, yell, but the truth was it would
do no good. "I am assuming there are places I need to go shopping for a
dress...I guess." She shrugged, almost overwhelmed by what all needed to
be done. Cordelia did not know if she would ever be able to accept her fate.
"Yes. I guess I can take you around to the shops
today."
Cordelia sighed in relief. "I would like to wait one
day if possible."
She would never admit it to her sister, but Cordelia was
exhausted. She had little to no energy now. Once Nico had walked out the door,
it was as if he took all of her will to actually work for the day. It was not
like her, but she was assuming that it had been the stress of the night before
and now this morning that did her in.
"I think that can be arranged." Diana glanced
around. "You should come to stay with me."
For a moment, Cordelia did not know what to say. Her
"I do not think that way about you. I even asked you to
come live with me once you reached your majority."
She had but Cordelia had felt intrusive. One week and she
had wanted to leave. Michael had not been a nice man.
"Yes, but that was not to be."
Diana set her teacup down on the service tray and studied
Cordelia. "And, you are fine wedding a man you barely know?"
"Is this any different than your marriage, or the
hundreds of marriages that take place within the ton each year? I do not know one woman who can truly say they know
their husband. Most of them believe the fairytale that they will marry for
love. Within a month, most women wake up to the painful reality. I do not have
that problem. At least I know he has the ability to take care of me."
"Yes, he is rich."
Cordelia sighed. "Yes, there is that. But the incident
last night came upon us because I was attacked. Mr. Blackburn protected
me."
"Are you telling me you were not truly
compromised?"
"I have been in London, on my own, and lived with a
father and brother who had the most debauched parties in recent memory.
Amazingly, I kept my virginity intact. I do not think a few minutes with a man
in a darkened library would have made me lose my head."
She didn’t think she was telling that big of a fib. She had
lost her head there for a moment. The truth of the matter was there was a good
chance he could have very well taken her virginity, and she would have been
happy to give it to him. Even the memory of his hands on her, his breath
feathering over her flesh, had her fighting the shiver that slipped through
her.
"Indeed."
She glanced at her sister. Diana's expression had grown even
more impenetrable. They had not always been like this. With her mother dead the
day after her birth, Cordelia had spent a huge amount of time with her sister.
She had been her primary caregiver...until she abandoned her to get married.
She pushed that thought aside. It did no good for either of
them to dwell on the past.
"Yes. I have been independent since my majority, and
since I did not want to live with our brother, I chose to come to London.”
Although she loathed every minute of it, actually. London was dirty, the air
sometimes foggy with the waste from the march of industry. Still, she could not
admit that to her sister.
“That was not what should have happened.”
She studied her sister, trying to discern the emotion behind
the statement. As usual, Diana kept it hidden.
“Well, you have your father to thank for that. According to
his will, I am truly not part of the family. The way it is written, the family
has no say in what I do."
That was the truth, and they all knew it. The will had
effectively cut her off from the family. It had not hurt so much...they had
been lost to her years ago. But the financial blow had been hard to accept.
Until she had found writing.
Her sister looked away, and for the first time, she looked
vulnerable. Then her jaw tightened. “You are right, and I guess there is no
reason for us to go over old problems.”
She wanted to fight it out, yell, but the truth was it would
do no good. "I am assuming there are places I need to go shopping for a
dress...I guess." She shrugged, almost overwhelmed by what all needed to
be done. Cordelia did not know if she would ever be able to accept her fate.
"Yes. I guess I can take you around to the shops
today."
Cordelia sighed in relief. "I would like to wait one
day if possible."
She would never admit it to her sister, but Cordelia was
exhausted. She had little to no energy now. Once Nico had walked out the door,
it was as if he took all of her will to actually work for the day. It was not
like her, but she was assuming that it had been the stress of the night before
and now this morning that did her in.
"I think that can be arranged." Diana glanced
around. "You should come to stay with me."
For a moment, Cordelia did not know what to say. Her
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