gold and my eyes to moonlight.”
“Men who, no doubt, were interested in meeting you in the privacy of an empty music room.” The pleasant tone of his voice belied the loathsome nature of his words.
Sheer outrage choked her response and she could do nothing more than sputter.
“In addition, your character is apparently quite shallow, your intelligence is suspect, your behavior is not unlike that of a child, and I have serious questions about your morals. In short, my dear lady, were I to select a bride of my own choosing you would not be my first choice.” He smiled sweetly, and once again Jocelyn wanted to hit him.
“Oh, this is starting out well,” Marianne said under her breath.
“We should make the arrangements at once,” Thomas said.
“No, wait. Please.” Jocelyn pressed her fingers to her temples and tried to think. Surely there was some way to avoid this disaster. “What if... what if I go with him but... but we bring Aunt Louella as a chaperone. And servants.” She addressed her plea to Marianne, possibly her best hope among this group for salvation. “Lots and lots of servants.”
“Impossible,” Beaumont said. “We will have to travel quickly and by horseback.”
Aunt Louella shook her head. “I can’t possibly ride a horse in this state.”
“And the fewer people who know about this the better,” Beaumont added.
Jocelyn glared at him. “You are enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Perhaps a bit. It always helps to find amusement in dire circumstances.” He shrugged. “I am reconciled. Nothing more. And unfortunately, I cannot see another way to save both your life and your reputation.”
“Dearest Jocelyn,” Marianne said softly. “There doesn’t appear to be any choice.”
The inevitability of it pressed in on her. Jocelyn’s heart sank. “There has to be something.”
“Consider for a moment, child,” Aunt Louella’s voice was gentle. “How you would feel if something were to happen to Marianne or Becky because of you. You would never forgive yourself.”
She was right, of course. They were all right. Even that blasted Beaumont. It could all be blamed on her. If she’d never gone to meet Alexei none of this would have happened. And her life would not be ruined.
“Very well then.” Jocelyn squared her shoulders. “I’ll marry him but”—she turned toward Beaumont— “the moment this is resolved I want an annulment.”
“An annulment is exceeding difficult to get,” Aunt Louella said.
“Wouldn’t you have to be insane for that?” Thomas asked Beaumont.
“What makes you think I’m not?” Beaumont muttered. “I’m marrying her.”
Jocelyn ignored him. “Or a divorce then.”
“Even harder.” A smile quirked the corner of Beaumont’s mouth. “The best you can hope for, my dear, is to be a young widow.”
“I shall work on that.” Jocelyn fairly spit the words.
“It appears we are all in agreement then.” Aunt Louella nodded firmly. “Come, Becky, help me up the stairs. Marianne, go with Jocelyn and start packing her things.” Becky assisted Aunt Louella to her feet. The older woman paused. “Jocelyn, my dear, I know this is not what you’ve planned for your life but I am confident all will work out well. He is a good man. You could do far worse.”
“I could do far better,” Jocelyn muttered.
“As could I.” Beaumont swept a sarcastic bow.
Aunt Louella’s gaze lingered first on her niece, then Beaumont. “You may very well suit each other better than you think now. You have already shared a kiss.”
“How did—” Jocelyn started.
“As one gets older, one realizes eavesdropping is not the sin it has been portrayed. Now then, as I was saying, the two of you also share a passionate distaste for one another. Many newly wed couples do not even have that much in common.” She leaned on Becky and started toward the door, then stopped and glanced back at Beaumont. “You did say this all came about because the men involved
“Men who, no doubt, were interested in meeting you in the privacy of an empty music room.” The pleasant tone of his voice belied the loathsome nature of his words.
Sheer outrage choked her response and she could do nothing more than sputter.
“In addition, your character is apparently quite shallow, your intelligence is suspect, your behavior is not unlike that of a child, and I have serious questions about your morals. In short, my dear lady, were I to select a bride of my own choosing you would not be my first choice.” He smiled sweetly, and once again Jocelyn wanted to hit him.
“Oh, this is starting out well,” Marianne said under her breath.
“We should make the arrangements at once,” Thomas said.
“No, wait. Please.” Jocelyn pressed her fingers to her temples and tried to think. Surely there was some way to avoid this disaster. “What if... what if I go with him but... but we bring Aunt Louella as a chaperone. And servants.” She addressed her plea to Marianne, possibly her best hope among this group for salvation. “Lots and lots of servants.”
“Impossible,” Beaumont said. “We will have to travel quickly and by horseback.”
Aunt Louella shook her head. “I can’t possibly ride a horse in this state.”
“And the fewer people who know about this the better,” Beaumont added.
Jocelyn glared at him. “You are enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Perhaps a bit. It always helps to find amusement in dire circumstances.” He shrugged. “I am reconciled. Nothing more. And unfortunately, I cannot see another way to save both your life and your reputation.”
“Dearest Jocelyn,” Marianne said softly. “There doesn’t appear to be any choice.”
The inevitability of it pressed in on her. Jocelyn’s heart sank. “There has to be something.”
“Consider for a moment, child,” Aunt Louella’s voice was gentle. “How you would feel if something were to happen to Marianne or Becky because of you. You would never forgive yourself.”
She was right, of course. They were all right. Even that blasted Beaumont. It could all be blamed on her. If she’d never gone to meet Alexei none of this would have happened. And her life would not be ruined.
“Very well then.” Jocelyn squared her shoulders. “I’ll marry him but”—she turned toward Beaumont— “the moment this is resolved I want an annulment.”
“An annulment is exceeding difficult to get,” Aunt Louella said.
“Wouldn’t you have to be insane for that?” Thomas asked Beaumont.
“What makes you think I’m not?” Beaumont muttered. “I’m marrying her.”
Jocelyn ignored him. “Or a divorce then.”
“Even harder.” A smile quirked the corner of Beaumont’s mouth. “The best you can hope for, my dear, is to be a young widow.”
“I shall work on that.” Jocelyn fairly spit the words.
“It appears we are all in agreement then.” Aunt Louella nodded firmly. “Come, Becky, help me up the stairs. Marianne, go with Jocelyn and start packing her things.” Becky assisted Aunt Louella to her feet. The older woman paused. “Jocelyn, my dear, I know this is not what you’ve planned for your life but I am confident all will work out well. He is a good man. You could do far worse.”
“I could do far better,” Jocelyn muttered.
“As could I.” Beaumont swept a sarcastic bow.
Aunt Louella’s gaze lingered first on her niece, then Beaumont. “You may very well suit each other better than you think now. You have already shared a kiss.”
“How did—” Jocelyn started.
“As one gets older, one realizes eavesdropping is not the sin it has been portrayed. Now then, as I was saying, the two of you also share a passionate distaste for one another. Many newly wed couples do not even have that much in common.” She leaned on Becky and started toward the door, then stopped and glanced back at Beaumont. “You did say this all came about because the men involved
Similar Books
