do you, Major? You never used to."
"I’d be...delighted."
"Well, the Biltmore Ball is one of the most prestigious affairs of the Season. Everyone will be there."
"And you enjoy the...crowds?"
She gave him her broadest smile. "I adore them. Especially when I’m in such pleasant company as that of the marquess." She turned back to the window. "This isn’t the first social function to which I’ve accompanied him. Night before last we attended a dinner at Lord Westmore’s. Next week, Lord Culbertson has asked me to accompany him to the Kennsington Ball."
Lydia put a tie around one of the linen panels and took a step away from the window to evaluate her handiwork. "I think Lord Culbertson’s intentions are quite serious. But that doesn’t surprise you, does it? You knew marriage was what his father intended when you handed me over to him."
"Ah, hell, Liddy." Austin took a step toward her but she stopped him with a lift of her hand.
The major’s face seemed paler. Lydia knew her attack was unwarranted but she couldn’t stop. Not yet. She wanted him to hurt. Wanted him to ache with the same emptiness that had eaten away at her for the past year – until she’d been able to turn that pain to hatred.
"You remember the marquess, don’t you?"
"I don’t think...we’ve...met."
"Perhaps you haven’t. Now that I recall, it wasn’t Culbertson who was here that day you—" She stopped to let her silence emphasize her assault. "... left me, but his father, the Duke of Chisolmwood, was . Culbertson was probably at some important meeting at the Foreign Office."
She sat on the chair beside the bed and gave him the sweetest smile she could muster.
"I’m sure you’d remember if the two of you had ever met. He’s ever so intelligent, and of course, rich as Croesus. Harrison tells me he even has the ear of the Queen. As the Duke of Chisolmwood’s heir, he’s bound to play an important role in the running of our government some day."
"That’s enough, Liddy."
She shivered inwardly at the fury she heard in Austin’s voice, at the threatening glare she saw on his face. He was angry and she suddenly felt the need to defend herself. "I want the major to know that if it hadn’t been for Father’s death and my year of mourning, I would already be the Marchioness of Culbertson. Thankfully, Father saw through the major’s greed and refused him." She didn’t try to hide the bitter resentment in her voice. "At least I know the Marquess of Culbertson isn’t interested in me solely for my dowry."
"Leave," Austin growled in a low, hostile tone.
She rose from her chair before her brother removed her himself, but when she reached the other side of the room she stopped. Some vile, hurtful person had taken over her body. She didn’t like who she’d become, but couldn’t stop herself from flinging more barbed words in Gabriel’s direction. "I simply feel it’s important for the major to understand how necessary it is for a woman to be able to trust a man when he tells her he loves her. And to realize how much a woman detests being lied to and deceived. These were qualities the major didn’t understand a year ago."
Lydia jerked the door open and stepped out into the hall. She didn’t slam the door like she wanted to, but softly closed it behind her and walked to her room.
She wasn’t proud of the way she’d behaved, didn’t feel vindicated like she’d thought she would. And, for the first time since she’d discovered Gabriel only wanted to marry her because of her dowry, she’d come to terms with a fact she’d refused to face until today: she needed to hate Gabriel Talbot.
She hated what he’d done to her. She hated what loving him had cost her. She hated that he made it impossible for her to trust a man enough to give him her heart.
She needed to hate him . But there were times when she wasn’t sure she could. And that frightened her more than anything.
She needed to reclaim her heart so she could give it
"I’d be...delighted."
"Well, the Biltmore Ball is one of the most prestigious affairs of the Season. Everyone will be there."
"And you enjoy the...crowds?"
She gave him her broadest smile. "I adore them. Especially when I’m in such pleasant company as that of the marquess." She turned back to the window. "This isn’t the first social function to which I’ve accompanied him. Night before last we attended a dinner at Lord Westmore’s. Next week, Lord Culbertson has asked me to accompany him to the Kennsington Ball."
Lydia put a tie around one of the linen panels and took a step away from the window to evaluate her handiwork. "I think Lord Culbertson’s intentions are quite serious. But that doesn’t surprise you, does it? You knew marriage was what his father intended when you handed me over to him."
"Ah, hell, Liddy." Austin took a step toward her but she stopped him with a lift of her hand.
The major’s face seemed paler. Lydia knew her attack was unwarranted but she couldn’t stop. Not yet. She wanted him to hurt. Wanted him to ache with the same emptiness that had eaten away at her for the past year – until she’d been able to turn that pain to hatred.
"You remember the marquess, don’t you?"
"I don’t think...we’ve...met."
"Perhaps you haven’t. Now that I recall, it wasn’t Culbertson who was here that day you—" She stopped to let her silence emphasize her assault. "... left me, but his father, the Duke of Chisolmwood, was . Culbertson was probably at some important meeting at the Foreign Office."
She sat on the chair beside the bed and gave him the sweetest smile she could muster.
"I’m sure you’d remember if the two of you had ever met. He’s ever so intelligent, and of course, rich as Croesus. Harrison tells me he even has the ear of the Queen. As the Duke of Chisolmwood’s heir, he’s bound to play an important role in the running of our government some day."
"That’s enough, Liddy."
She shivered inwardly at the fury she heard in Austin’s voice, at the threatening glare she saw on his face. He was angry and she suddenly felt the need to defend herself. "I want the major to know that if it hadn’t been for Father’s death and my year of mourning, I would already be the Marchioness of Culbertson. Thankfully, Father saw through the major’s greed and refused him." She didn’t try to hide the bitter resentment in her voice. "At least I know the Marquess of Culbertson isn’t interested in me solely for my dowry."
"Leave," Austin growled in a low, hostile tone.
She rose from her chair before her brother removed her himself, but when she reached the other side of the room she stopped. Some vile, hurtful person had taken over her body. She didn’t like who she’d become, but couldn’t stop herself from flinging more barbed words in Gabriel’s direction. "I simply feel it’s important for the major to understand how necessary it is for a woman to be able to trust a man when he tells her he loves her. And to realize how much a woman detests being lied to and deceived. These were qualities the major didn’t understand a year ago."
Lydia jerked the door open and stepped out into the hall. She didn’t slam the door like she wanted to, but softly closed it behind her and walked to her room.
She wasn’t proud of the way she’d behaved, didn’t feel vindicated like she’d thought she would. And, for the first time since she’d discovered Gabriel only wanted to marry her because of her dowry, she’d come to terms with a fact she’d refused to face until today: she needed to hate Gabriel Talbot.
She hated what he’d done to her. She hated what loving him had cost her. She hated that he made it impossible for her to trust a man enough to give him her heart.
She needed to hate him . But there were times when she wasn’t sure she could. And that frightened her more than anything.
She needed to reclaim her heart so she could give it
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