strode fully into the room.
Marcus quietly followed and shut the door behind them. He silently leaned back against the barrier, unspeaking but in a stance of wary readiness. Georgina flashed him a quick, grateful look before she drew a breath and answered her father.
“Father—”
But he clearly didn’t give a damn about her answer, for he continued to rail. “Your mother and I have done everything to protect you during your Seasons. We’ve done everything to shield you from those who would take advantage. And this is the thanks we get? You ungrateful child!”
Now that she was covered, Paul got to his feet and held up a hand. “Mr. Hickson, you mustn’t blame your daughter,” he began.
Georgina jumped up. “You must very much blame your daughter,” she corrected. “I am not a child who didn’t understand what I was doing, Paul. Don’t disregard this as a foolish, youthful mistake. I know my mind and I know my heart.”
Paul sent her a quick look. “Georgina, please. Don’t make this worse than it is.”
Her father moved on him. “You shut your mouth. I don’t blame my daughter, sir, I blame you . For two years I have watched you with her. I have seen your sideways glances and the longing in your stare. And I knew it wasn’t her charms or her beauty which tempted you. Admit it, you have always been drawn in by her money and her ties to a family of such importance.”
Paul’s face twisted in horror at the accusation and Georgina flew between the men, offering herself as a shield between her father’s ugly words and Paul’s very decent true self.
“Stop, Father!” she burst out. “Stop this at once. You don’t understand. I am in love with this man. I am in love with Paul Abbot.”
She had somehow hoped that this declaration would shock her father into seeing the truth. But instead of softening, he shook his head.
“Of course he would make you believe that—he would play on your weak, romantic heart.” There was no malice to his tone, despite his harsh words. There was only sadness. “He is using you, daughter, and the fact that I have caught you here only proves it. He is trying to force you into a union that will benefit only himself.”
Marcus finally cleared his throat, and all heads in the room swiveled to him. He kept his gaze firmly on Georgina as he said, “Actually, Mr. Hickson, you are correct. This entire exchange was orchestrated. You were meant to find Georgina here with my manager. But Abbot had nothing to do with it. Georgina was the master of this plot.”
Georgina caught her breath. She hadn’t expected Marcus to reveal her machinations like that, but as she met his gaze she saw why. She had to admit what she had done both to clear Paul’s name and to let both her father and her lover know how deeply serious she was about forging a future that followed her heart, rather than the rules her parents had endlessly forced upon her.
Her father and Paul both turned back to her, and she almost laughed. Their expressions were twin images of horror and betrayal. As if this experience and their shock and eventual anger with her would bond them.
Paul was the first one to find his voice, it seemed. “Why would you do something so drastic and foolish, Georgina?”
She shook her head. “You know why, Paul. I am in love with you. Deeply and truly in love with you.” His hard expression softened a fraction, but it seemed to be against his will. She turned away from it and toward her father. “I have lived under your rules for years, Father. I knew you would never let me have this man without drastic intervention. And this was the best plan I could concoct on short notice and under duress.”
Her father’s eyes were wide and his hands shook. When he spoke, his voice was low and strained. “You would go so far to escape my protection?”
She swallowed, captivated by the true pain on his face. He had spent so much time in the past few years growing increasingly frustrated and
Marcus quietly followed and shut the door behind them. He silently leaned back against the barrier, unspeaking but in a stance of wary readiness. Georgina flashed him a quick, grateful look before she drew a breath and answered her father.
“Father—”
But he clearly didn’t give a damn about her answer, for he continued to rail. “Your mother and I have done everything to protect you during your Seasons. We’ve done everything to shield you from those who would take advantage. And this is the thanks we get? You ungrateful child!”
Now that she was covered, Paul got to his feet and held up a hand. “Mr. Hickson, you mustn’t blame your daughter,” he began.
Georgina jumped up. “You must very much blame your daughter,” she corrected. “I am not a child who didn’t understand what I was doing, Paul. Don’t disregard this as a foolish, youthful mistake. I know my mind and I know my heart.”
Paul sent her a quick look. “Georgina, please. Don’t make this worse than it is.”
Her father moved on him. “You shut your mouth. I don’t blame my daughter, sir, I blame you . For two years I have watched you with her. I have seen your sideways glances and the longing in your stare. And I knew it wasn’t her charms or her beauty which tempted you. Admit it, you have always been drawn in by her money and her ties to a family of such importance.”
Paul’s face twisted in horror at the accusation and Georgina flew between the men, offering herself as a shield between her father’s ugly words and Paul’s very decent true self.
“Stop, Father!” she burst out. “Stop this at once. You don’t understand. I am in love with this man. I am in love with Paul Abbot.”
She had somehow hoped that this declaration would shock her father into seeing the truth. But instead of softening, he shook his head.
“Of course he would make you believe that—he would play on your weak, romantic heart.” There was no malice to his tone, despite his harsh words. There was only sadness. “He is using you, daughter, and the fact that I have caught you here only proves it. He is trying to force you into a union that will benefit only himself.”
Marcus finally cleared his throat, and all heads in the room swiveled to him. He kept his gaze firmly on Georgina as he said, “Actually, Mr. Hickson, you are correct. This entire exchange was orchestrated. You were meant to find Georgina here with my manager. But Abbot had nothing to do with it. Georgina was the master of this plot.”
Georgina caught her breath. She hadn’t expected Marcus to reveal her machinations like that, but as she met his gaze she saw why. She had to admit what she had done both to clear Paul’s name and to let both her father and her lover know how deeply serious she was about forging a future that followed her heart, rather than the rules her parents had endlessly forced upon her.
Her father and Paul both turned back to her, and she almost laughed. Their expressions were twin images of horror and betrayal. As if this experience and their shock and eventual anger with her would bond them.
Paul was the first one to find his voice, it seemed. “Why would you do something so drastic and foolish, Georgina?”
She shook her head. “You know why, Paul. I am in love with you. Deeply and truly in love with you.” His hard expression softened a fraction, but it seemed to be against his will. She turned away from it and toward her father. “I have lived under your rules for years, Father. I knew you would never let me have this man without drastic intervention. And this was the best plan I could concoct on short notice and under duress.”
Her father’s eyes were wide and his hands shook. When he spoke, his voice was low and strained. “You would go so far to escape my protection?”
She swallowed, captivated by the true pain on his face. He had spent so much time in the past few years growing increasingly frustrated and
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