Without my sister as his betrothed.
A knock at the door made me jump. I tossed my embroidery and notes to the sofa behind me and opened my palm to reveal the time. Early? In one swift motion, I threw the timepiece down to the sofa as well, correcting my posture for Dr. Pembroke’s arrival. I could not appear weak or submissive. He needed to know that he was not welcome to court and marry my sister. I set my jaw and clasped my hands together in front of me.
His deep voice echoed in the entry hall, mingled with the much more aged voice of our butler. I quieted my breathing, straining my ears to understand the tone in the physician’s voice. Was he nervous?
The door clicked open, and I snapped my spine back to its proper alignment.
“Miss Elizabeth, Dr. Luke Pembroke.”
My heart thudded hard against my chest as the door widened.
Dr. Pembroke wore his customary black colors. His dark hair fell in loose waves over his ears, and his eyes were piercing as they took in the room. Empty, aside from me. His brows—two slashes of dark brown—flattened over his eyes. He did not seem at all pleased to see me there. As it were, I was not pleased to see him either.
“Good afternoon, doctor.” I offered a brief curtsy before ushering him to the nearest chair. “Please, do be seated.”
He gave a slow nod. “Miss Elizabeth.” Confusion washed over his features as he took the chair I offered. “I have come to speak with your elder sister.”
I sat down elegantly on the sofa, trying to appear as credible as possible. I swallowed, uncomfortable under his sharp gaze. “I’m afraid she does not wish to speak with you. She asked me to deliver her decision regarding the will on her behalf.” The last time we had spoken, I had acted very much like a child. What would give Dr. Pembroke reason to believe a word I said?
His brow twitched. “And what is her decision?”
“She has decided not to comply to the amendment in the will. I am sorry that you traveled here just to hear that news.” I cast my eyes downward, unable to meet his amid my lies.
He was silent for a long moment, and when he spoke I thought I heard a hint of suspicion. “What then will become of you and your sisters?”
“We—we might remain here with our cousin.”
“Mr. Yeatman?” He shook his head. “That is not a suitable situation in which any young lady should live.” The disgust on his face shocked me.
“Do you know Mr. Yeatman? You acted quite familiar with him yesterday, but—”
“It is no matter. Please know that I am willing to marry your sister. I will do it if it will save your family from living with Mr. Yeatman, or risking the separation of the three of you.”
I scoffed. “You cannot pretend to be so noble as to marry my sister with the sole intention of securing a comfortable living for us.” I could not help but doubt his motivation. How could he claim to wish to marry Juliana only for our benefit? I had not been kind to him—goodwill from Dr. Pembroke was both uncalled for and undeserved. It was suspicious in every way.
He raised both eyebrows. “What has given you reason to think worse of me?”
“My aunt liked you very much.”
“Is that why you are so determined not to like me?” His voice had taken on an accusatory tone, one that I did not like one bit.
“In part, I must confess.” Without thinking, I stood, feeling much braver now that I towered over him as he sat on his chair. “But I am not determined to dislike anyone. I am determined not to be made a fool, Dr. Pembroke, in placing my trust in someone that has not earned it. You wish for Brookhaven for your own gain. It is understandable, of course. It is a beautiful estate. But it is your refusal to admit to your desire to inherit that has made me reluctant to trust you.”
His chest rose with a deep breath, and he stared at me for a long moment. I stared back. Silence filled the room.
Dr. Pembroke rubbed one side of his face. “My intentions are not solely to help you and your sisters, but your well-being was certainly something I considered in making my decision. You cannot fault me for wanting Brookhaven.”
So his intentions were not as selfless as he had let on. My hands traveled to my hips as I took one step closer to his side of the room. “If you wish to do what is best for my sisters and me, you will leave us alone. You will surrender any effort to marry my sister. Aunt Augusta was not in her right mind, as you well know. Juliana does not wish to see you or marry you. Her decision is final on the matter.”
“If her decision is final, then why are we having this conversation about my intentions? Does it even matter now?” Dr. Pembroke remained in his seat across the room, his head tipped slightly to the side as he watched me. “If you wish for my confession, then here it is: I want Brookhaven just as much as you do. If I marry your sister, we may all enjoy the estate.”
“Juliana would never marry you.”
Something like amusement crossed his features, but within a blink it was gone, replaced with his serious stare. “I do not trust you.”
My skin froze. “Why not?”
He stepped to his feet and crossed his arms. I shrank back as he walked the several strides that separated us. I maintained his gaze with great effort, unsettled by how close he stood. He tipped his head down to look at me. The man was taller than I had first estimated, and even more handsome on closer inspection. I cursed my cheeks for catching fire.
“I encountered your sister outside before coming in to await her,” he said. “She seemed interested in speaking with me and instructed me to await her in the drawing room. That seems quite contrary to what you told me just moments ago.”
Heat tingled on my ears. “Well—she…” My voice caught in my throat.
Dr. Pembroke stared down at me. My well of lies was dry at the moment—I had already uttered my share. Shame burned against my cheeks.
“It seems you have been caught in a lie, Miss Elizabeth. If you are going to be shamming it, then you ought to practice your credibility.”
When his lips twisted in a smirk, a surge of anger rippled through my embarrassment. I glared at him. “I would rather live under Mr. Yeatman’s care than yours. You are a selfish… pig. A selfish pig.”
Dr. Pembroke’s eyes widened.
I opened my mouth to speak further insults, but the door clicked open before I could. Dr. Pembroke kept his eyes fixed on mine a moment longer, and it occurred to me that I was close enough to distinguish the color. Grey, much like the color of stone just after it rains. Aunt Augusta had been right about one thing. But she had certainly been wrong about his character.
I grumbled under my breath as Dr. Pembroke turned around, greeting Martha and Juliana with a nod.
Martha’s gaze met mine, her eyes filled with an unspoken apology. She hurried toward me, whispering under her breath. “I tried to keep her longer, but she saw the physician outside and insisted we hurry back. She quickly realized the cat was not in the bush. I’m sorry, Eliza.”
“Not to worry. We will think of something else.” I turned my attention over Martha’s shoulder, where Juliana stood before Dr. Pembroke. What was the man playing at? I narrowed my eyes.
“Eliza, Martha.” Juliana’s voice cut through my glaring. “I will meet you outside when Dr. Pembroke and I have finished our meeting.”
How could I leave her here to speak with him privately? Would he propose? Despair ached in my bones. There was only so much one could sacrifice for those they loved. Juliana had too much to lose in abandoning Gilbert in order to marry Dr. Pembroke. The cruelness of fate, of Aunt Augusta, choked me as I reluctantly led Martha out of the room. As I closed the door, I met Dr. Pembroke’s gaze over Juliana’s shoulder. His eyes flitted away the moment they met mine, but I saw the victory in them.
If he thought his squabble with me was in the past, he was terribly mistaken.
I urged my chin upward as I closed the door with a firm click, taking Martha by the arm.
“What are we going to do?” Martha asked. Her brows tipped
downward at the corners. “How can we stop her?”
“A well-devised plan must have alternatives. If our first plan did not work, we must set others in action.”
“Do you have other plans?”
“Not yet.” I stopped by a table in the hallway, drumming my fingers against it. “No amount of convincing from us will change Juliana’s mind, and Dr. Pembroke will not be told.”
Martha gasped. “Does he intend to marry her?”
I tucked my arms behind my back, staring at the marble floor. “Yes, that is what I gathered from our brief conversation.” Heat rose to my cheeks at the thought of the victorious smirk he had given me. Despicable man. He reveled in his opportunity to inherit Brookhaven. I drew a steadying breath into my lungs, which felt like two bricks in my chest.
I searched my brain for any idea, but my thoughts were elusive today.
Martha threw me an inquisitive glance. “Perhaps Gilbert could change Juliana’s mind?”
I gripped her elbow. “Yes. Once Juliana sees him again she will realize how ridiculously she is behaving.”
Martha chewed the nail of her index finger. “She did not wish to tell him until her engagement to Dr. Pembroke was established.”
“Perhaps that engagement never will be established if Gilbert reasons with her in time.” I turned Martha by the shoulders, sending her toward the staircase. “Go fetch your bonnet and gloves. We are going to Gilbert’s cottage.”
Chapter 6
Telling Gilbert of Juliana’s plan was more difficult than I had anticipated. I stuttered over my words while Martha stood timidly beside me.
Gilbert appeared to have just come inside from his gardening, for his clothes were spattered in dirt, his face glistening with perspiration. His eyes were just as friendly as they had been the last time I had seen him, youthful and innocent. “Would you like to come inside?” he asked. “Is Juliana on her way?”
I drew a heavy breath. “No, I’m afraid not. You must come quickly to Brookhaven.”
Gilbert wiped the dirt off his brow, frowning. “What is the matter?”
“Juliana is about to be engaged… to another man.” I cringed at the straightforward manner of my words.
Gilbert’s eyes widened, and Martha thrust her elbow into my side.
“Well—there is much more to the story than that, but I will explain it all to you on our way.”
He remained frozen on the doorstep. “Engaged?”
“You must hurry if you wish to change her mind. Please.”
A frown did not suit Gilbert. Not one bit. He stepped down from the doorway, taking large strides in the direction of Brookhaven. “Will you please explain why Juliana is—is—” He raked a hand over his hair.
My heart flipped with despair, my stomach in tangles. Had I just made a terrible mistake? “I know Juliana cares for you very much, and she is only agreeing to this engagement because of an amendment we discovered in our great-aunt’s will yesterday. If Juliana does not wed our great-aunt’s physician, we will lose Brookhaven to our scoundrel of a cousin. Juliana is being ridiculous and insisting on sacrificing her own happiness with you in order to ensure Martha and I are not left in the care of Mr. Yeatman or sent to seek employment.” I caught my breath, surprised by the grief that gripped my throat. “I cannot bear to see her so unhappy. You must change her mind. Help her see reason.” I cast my gaze up to Gilbert, surprised by the raw pain in his features.
“When did she plan to tell me this?”
“I don’t know.”
Gilbert’s eyes filled with tears, and he sniffed hard, wiping his nose with vigor. He walked faster. “If I had a larger house or if I had more money,” he shook his head, “I could provide a living for all of you. Brookhaven would not matter.”
“Brookhaven does not matter. What matters is that you and Juliana marry, just as you planned. Juliana is being too selfless in this instance.”
Gilbert glanced at me, his eyes weary. “If she must choose between securing the happiness of you both, or securing happiness for herself, she will always choose you. Even if it means losing me.” Gilbert swallowed, his face twisting in sorrow. “I cannot pretend to have ever deserved Juliana if I do not share her same strength of character.” His voice was distant. “If her marriage to this physician is her only means of protecting the two of you, then I must allow her to make that choice.”
His words struck me with a pang of hopelessness as Brookhaven came into view. “Mr. Robins—”
He stopped at the top of the hill, taking off his hat. “Perhaps there is another solution.” He gave a weak smile. “I will speak with her.”
His optimism made me feel even more guilty. My muscles fell slack as Gilbert walked down the hill toward the house. What Gilbert did not realize was that there was no other solution. In any situation that did not involve Juliana’s marriage to Dr. Pembroke, Martha and I would be in dire straits. Juliana had told me that love required sacrifice. I would sacrifice anything to see Juliana and Gilbert happy, even if I dampened my own chances at a bright future.
Martha stepped up beside me. I squinted after Gilbert’s retreating form in the late afternoon sun, noting his slack shoulders and slow steps, the same signs of heartbreak I had seen in my sister. I followed him, and when we reached the bottom of the hill, I sighed in relief. Dr. Pembroke’s gig was still on the drive. He was still inside. Just as I saw it, the front door opened, and Dr. Pembroke strode out to the steps. I picked up my feet, walking faster on the expansive drive toward where his gig was stopped, the solitary horse nickering at my approach. I turned to Gilbert. “You will find Juliana in the drawing room. Please, hurry.”
I took off at a run toward Dr. Pembroke before realizing how improper such an action was. I slowed down my steps, still far ahead of Gilbert and Martha.
Dr. Pembroke noticed my approach, something like exasperation flashing across his face.
“Doctor.” My breathing was heavy from the swiftness of my approach. I rested my hand on my side. The wind blew my hair over my eyes, and I shoved it away so I could see him clearly. I planned my words carefully. Dr. Pembroke did not react well to accusatory words, no matter how true they were, so I would have to take a different approach this time. “I know how difficult it must be for you to marry a near stranger. There is no need for you to be so gallant as to marry Juliana for our benefit.”
One of his eyebrows lifted. “I am gallant now, am I? A gallant pig, perhaps?”
My cheeks seemed to catch fire, but I chose to ignore his comment. “My sisters and I will find another way to live comfortably without your help. This situation is ours to handle, ours to navigate, and there will be no need for your assistance. I do not know what you discussed with my sister, but if it involved an engagement, then—”
“We are not engaged.” Dr. Pembroke stared down at me from beneath the brim of his hat.
I took a step back, placing both hands on my hips. “You are not?”
“Not yet.”
I tried to gather all I could from his expression, but he remained perfectly unreadable. Had Juliana changed her mind? Before I could ask for an explanation, Dr. Pembroke turned and stepped into his gig, taking the reins with command. “Good day, Miss Elizabeth.” What looked suspiciously like a smirk flitted over his lips as he set his horse in motion.
My confusion now doubled, I hurried inside, finding Martha outside the drawing room.
“Eliza!” Her voice was a hushed whisper. “Gilbert is speaking with Juliana. I cannot hear through the door, but I think our plan might have worked.”
What had Dr. Pembroke meant by that smile? I shook the image from my mind, focusing on Martha’s face. “Dr. Pembroke said that he and Juliana are not engaged. She might have changed her mind even before Gilbert arrived.”
The door remained closed for what must have been at least twenty minutes. Martha’s gaze snapped back to the door as footsteps approached. We took several steps back as Gilbert pulled it open, his face sullen. He met my gaz
e and shook his head before turning away.
“Mr. Robins.” I tried to stop him, but he was already gone, walking swiftly toward the entry hall.
I shared a worried glance with Martha. I could only see half of the drawing room from where I stood, until Martha eased the door open. Juliana sat in the same place I had been earlier, on the center cushion of the sofa that Aunt Augusta had so commonly occupied. She appeared so small, so broken when she did not know she was being watched.
“Juliana,” Martha said, her voice careful.
Juliana’s head jerked upward, and she slapped at the tears on her cheeks.
I stepped into the room, and Juliana cast me an exasperated look. “I told you I would speak to Gilbert when I was ready. Why did you bring him here today?” She rubbed her nose.
I fell into the cushions beside her with a sigh. “He deserved to know, Juliana. And I thought he might have been able to change your mind.”
Martha sat on the other side of Juliana and exchanged a worried glance with me.
“I told you. I will not change my mind,” Juliana said as she turned her liquid blue eyes toward the window, blinking fast to clear the moisture.
“Are you engaged to Dr. Pembroke?” I held my breath.
She met my eyes. “No. Not yet.”
I rotated so I faced her fully on the sofa. There were those words again. Not yet. “What do you mean? What did he say to you?” Had he told her about my lies earlier that day? I wished I could have been in the room during their conversation, invisible somehow, or hiding behind the pianoforte. The relaying of events could never compare with eavesdropping in authenticity.
“Dr. Pembroke needs Brookhaven just as desperately as we do,” Juliana began. “You cannot fault him for desiring it. He wishes the best for us, that we may not be forced out of our home by Mr. Yeatman, or worse, be forced to reside with him.” Juliana’s hands twitched on her lap. “I believe him to be the sort of man Aunt Augusta described him to be.”
An Unwelcome Suitor (Entangled Inheritance Book 4) Page 5
