“Oh, Mother,” Annabelle panted desperately as she slid into the chair beside her. “I do not know what to do, I really need your help.”
Josephine’s heart skipped an excitable beat. She loved being needed, it made her feel much better than anything else ever could. All the money, all the dresses and jewels she owned, were nothing compared to the warmth in her chest when someone she loved needed her. It did not often happen, even less so now that her daughters had grown up. She felt herself jump on the opportunity desperately.
“You need help? What can I do?”
Annabelle paused for just a second, she hoped and prayed that this one moment of weakness would not backfire on her. “I met a Lord at the celebration last night...”
“A Lord?” Josephine leapt on this information with glee, taking it completely the wrong way. “Which Lord? A Lord you like?”
“No, nothing like that.” Annabelle shook her head rapidly. She did not want this to be misconstrued at all. “His name is Lord Watson Ashdown, a friend of Beatrice’s husband.”
“Lord Ashdown? I do not think I know the name.”
“Well he asked me to dance and when I refused him...”
“You refused him?”
Annabelle did not have time to deal with her mother’s shock at her rudeness. She needed to get the rest of the story out, so she continued to talk right over her. “...he told me that I would dance with him at our wedding.”
“He believes that he will marry you?”
“I do not know.” Annabelle shrugged helplessly. “But I do know that I do not want to marry him. I do not want my wedding to be for at least two years anyway, and I do not want it to be with him.”
Josephine folded her arms across her chest as she examined Annabelle. She got the impression that Beatrice was not immediately keen on Abraham Urwin but she had not ever complained. Her eldest child was fantastic at following the rules, no matter what was asked of her, even if she did not like it. She never put Josephine in a position where she would be forced to intervene.
But Annabelle was not like Beatrice, she never had been.
“Do you have reason for not wanting to marry him?”
“Yes, I do!” Annabelle’s eyes lit up, she felt like she was truly being listened to which was exactly what she needed. “I got a horrible feeling from him right away, before he even came to speak with me. Then he made comments that were not gentleman-like at all. He was very rude to me.”
“That might have just been a bad first impression. Maybe your feelings will change later on...” Josephine knew many people that did not adore their husbands at first, including herself.
“No, it is not just that. Edith and Harriett’s brother, Edmund, used to work with Lord Ashdown. He said that he is known for being brutish, and also for spending time with courtesans.”
Josephine held up her hands to silence her daughter with a relieved smile on her face. “If that is the case then you have nothing to worry about. You know better than anyone how important reputation is to your father. He will not risk it for some young Lord who asks for your hand. Even if he asks Otto, he will have his offer refused.”
Annabelle sunk into her seat, relief flooded her. She was right to come and speak to her mother, this was the best thing for her. Now she knew for sure that no matter what happened, she would remain unwed for the time being. This had only furthered the opinion that she shared at Beatrice’s ceremony... she did not want to get married for a very long time. Her life was just perfect as it was, there was no need to change a thing.
“Thank you, Mother,” she gasped with standing up to circle Josephine’s neck with her hands. “I appreciate you helping me.”
“You are welcome, sweetheart.” Josephine relished the moment of physical contact, it had been a long time since her daughter had shown her any kind of affection. “You know that I am here for you, whatever you need. I hope you will come to me if you ever need help in the future.”
But Annabelle was barely listening anymore, her head was soaring with happiness. The whole mess with Lord Watson Ashdown was all but forgotten. His comments dissolved in her brain, the ice-cold sensation he gave her vanished, the tension fell away from her muscles. Annabelle felt like herself again, which was utterly perfect.
“Of course, Mother. That I will. Thank you again.”
As Josephine watched her daughter flounce out of the dining room, she smiled to herself. She had distanced herself from her daughter as she grew up because it was what she wanted, but now she wanted to be fully involved in her life once more.
Maybe this would be a one-off, maybe everything would now go back to normal, but she hoped not. She hoped that she could help her child more. It felt wonderful.
Chapter 4
Annabelle soon forgot all about Lord Ashdown and their night at the party. Weeks had passed and nothing had come of it, making her fears completely unfounded. Either Catherine was right and Watson just said it to tease her, or her mother was right and her father told him where to go. Either way, it hardly mattered.
It was merely a fleeting thing, and now it was over. Life had completely gone back to normal.
“Lady Hathaway?” the butler of the house called outside the door to where Annabelle was sitting in the garden, soaking up the rays of sunlight that were growing increasingly rare as summer rolled into autumn. “Your father wishes to speak with you.”
“Is Beatrice here?” She stood up as quickly as she could, with happiness coursing through her. “I cannot wait to see her again.”
Annabelle had struggled to keep still all morning long with excitement. Her older sister was finally coming to visit her family for the first time since the wedding, and according to her letter, Beatrice had some news. Annabelle had no idea what the news was going to be, but she was looking forward to gossiping and maybe learning a little bit more about what married life was actually like behind the scenes.
She just hoped that her sister had managed to find happiness.
“He did not give me such information,” the butler continued regretfully, barely even making eye contact with Annabelle. “He simply asked for your presence in his office.”
Annabelle did not wait to hear anything else, so certain she was that she was finally going to see Beatrice again. Potential questions that she needed to ask her sister completely consumed her brain, it actually took her aback when she found herself paused outside her father’s office door, listening intently to an intense silence.
If Beatrice was in there, she was being incredibly quiet. She was not having any kind of conversation with their father, which seemed very strange. Maybe she did not always have as much to say as Annabelle, but silence was a shock. It unnerved Annabelle, it left her with an odd sense that something was terribly wrong.
What could it be? Annabelle wondered as she ran her finger idly over her bottom lip. What could have happened?
Nothing instantly came to mind, nothing except potential tragedy which Annabelle did not want to consider so she reached her fingers forwards. It was only at the moment that her hand neared the door that Annabelle realized how much she was shaking all over. Her heart raced rapidly, her knees knocked together, she decided that she did not want this meeting after all.
But her father had requested her presence, so she had to give it. Whether she wanted to or not, Annabelle had no choice.
Knock, knock.
Annabelle pressed her ear up against the door as she waited for her father to answer her request to come inside. She did not get anything immediately, but she did not expect to. He was known for making people wait for a few moments while he finished up whatever he was doing, and that rule still stood for family members who had been summoned by him. Annabelle presumed that it was a power thing, he needed that control, whatever the situation.
Eventually, his booming voice called out to her. “Come in,” he said gravely.
With a deep sigh, Annabelle pushed open the office door and she stepped inside, taking a second to
inhale the musky scent of old books. She had not spent a lot of time in her father's office during her life, it was the one room that she and Beatrice had never been allowed inside without supervision, but somehow there was something very familiar about the old book smell. Annabelle would always associate it with her father forevermore.
“Sit down, Annabelle,” Otto said loudly in a commanding tone of voice. “There are things we need to discuss.”
Things to discuss... that did not sound inviting. Annabelle wished that she had never received the message to meet with her father. It was ruining what was, so far, a very nice day.
“Why am I alone?” Annabelle asked as she took a seat on the other side of her father’s mahogany desk. The candle light flickered on his face as Otto regarded her carefully. The expression on his face made Annabelle fear for whatever he was about to say. “Where is Beatrice?”
“She has not arrived yet,” he replied, confirming her worst fears. She was here for something else. “Your mother should be here with us too, but since she is not, maybe we should continue on without her. There does not seem to be any reason we should wait.”
“R... right,” Annabelle shifted uncomfortably. Her hands folded in her lap and she crossed her legs under the skirts of her dress. She tried her best to hide her discomfort but it was probably plastered all over her face. “I see.”
A pregnant pause filled the air, the tension was so thick Annabelle found it hard to breathe under the pressure of it. She wanted to beg her father to speak, to simply get it over with, but she feared that would be the wrong thing to do.
“Now, it is good that you mention your sister because this is related to her.” Otto tapped his fingers together thoughtfully as he spoke. “It all began with the day of her wedding.”
"It did?" Annabelle's mind reeled frantically, she wanted to get one step ahead of her father, or at the very least on the same page, but it was difficult when he was being so cryptic with his words.
“Yes. Now, this is not something that I was planning to concern myself with right away, but when an offer like this comes along, it would be ridiculous of me to ignore it.”
“Right. I see. Ridiculous.” Annabelle was definitely missing something, if only she could work out what.
“I understand that maybe you do not quite feel emotionally ready to take a step into adult life.” Wait, did he just accuse her of being childish? Annabelle did not like that at all. Her back straightened and her lips pursed together in a thin line as she tried to keep her temper inside. “But the Lord who has requested your hand in marriage would like it to happen now, and he is a very wealthy, self-made, young man. Absolutely perfect for you.”
Otto liked that aspect of the Lord best of all. Just like him, he had worked hard to make something of himself. Having been in a position where he had to create his own wealth, he understood more than most what a challenge that was. It showed tenacity and determination. With qualities like that, he was sure to give Annabelle the comfortable life that she deserved.
“A Lord has asked for my hand in marriage?” Annabelle gripped tightly onto the material of her skirt. She could feel her skin perspiring fearfully. This was not something that she had to worry about for the foreseeable future, everyone had told her as much.
Were they all wrong?
“Yes, a Lord who you spoke with at Beatrice’s wedding.”
No, no, no, this was a nightmare. There was only one Lord that Annabelle had spent any time with during the day of her sister’s wedding, and that was Lord Watson Ashdown. She had spent the rest of the time with only her girlfriends, her father had to be talking about him... but how was that possible? Her mother had promised her that his terrible reputation would overshadow anything else. There was no way her father would be willing to ignore that.
Annabelle pinched her leg, certain that she was in the middle of a terrible dream. But the hot pain that burned her skin proved that she was very much awake and this was really happening.
“Who?” Even though she knew the answer, she needed to have it confirmed. She had to hear the words from her father’s mouth before she could truly accept it. “Who has asked for my hand?”
“His name is Lord Watson Ashdown,” he replied with a bright smile. Otto truly believed that he was doing his daughter a favour, he could not even begin to see that she did not want this.
Annabelle scraped her chair back and she leapt up as if her bottom was on fire. “No, Father, I cannot marry him. Please, do not make me. I simply cannot, you do not understand...”
“Oh, Annabelle,” Otto rolled his eyes at his daughter’s over the top reaction. He half suspected something like this would happen. At eighteen years of age she still had a bit of growing up to do, but Lord Ashdown was too good an offer to refuse on such a silly basis. “I know this is a big step for you, but he is a nice young man who has a lot of money. You will spend your life being very well looked after.”
“No, Father, you do not understand.” Annabelle tugged desperately on the ends of her hair. Somehow, she had to find a way to make her father see what she did. Lord Ashdown was not the man for her. “He is a brutish man, he... he is bad tempered.” In a state of sheer terror, Annabelle could not remember all the reasons why she did not like Watson. Edith had given her reasons, she simply needed to recall them. “He spends time with courtesans...”
“And how, may I ask, do you know all of this?” Otto was not about to be swayed so easily by words that did not even sound true.
“Edmund told Edith everything...”
“And how does Edmund know?” Otto cocked his head and gave Annabelle a knowing look. She needed to understand that he knew best, once she accepted that, everything would be so much easier.
“He worked with him at the bank a few years back, he knows him well. He told his sister that he is bad news.”
“Do you think he might have told Edith that because he wants to marry you himself?”
That concept struck Annabelle cold, she had not considered that possibility. But then she rapidly realized that it was her father just trying to get his own way as per usual. “Edmund is betrothed to Mary Smith,” She shook her head determinedly. “He is not interested in me.”
“Maybe not, but Lord Ashdown is and he is the perfect man for you.”
Annabelle needed an angle, she had to somehow make her father see her point of view which would be nearly impossible because of his stubborn nature. Once he set his mind to something it was almost impossible to change it. It seemed that even her mother had been unsuccessful with this one... maybe that was why she was too cowardly to show her face at this meeting. She knew that she had let Annabelle down.
“You spend a lot of time being concerned about our reputation, Father, but you do not seem to care that terrible things are being said about the man you want me to marry. How can that be? Why will you not listen to me?”
“That is because I do not believe anything being said,” Otto shrugged. “I believe what I see, and what I saw was a young man who very politely asked me if he could have your hand in marriage...”
“But I do not want to marry him.” Annabelle shot back coldly. “I do not like him. I did not even want to dance with him at Beatrice’s wedding reception. That has to tell you something...”
“I am not a cruel man, Annabelle.” Otto narrowed his eyes as he shut Annabelle down. He did not want to allow her to continue, for fear that she might get hysterical. “I have thought this through, and to ensure that you do like him before your wedding day, I told him that he would have to spend time with you first. I would like it if we all got to know him better as a family. I do not intend to rush into anything.”
“Oh.” Annabelle could not argue too much with that one because it was far more reasonable than she ever expected from her father. It seemed that he actually wanted her opinion on her own life, which was something of a revelation. It would be worth forcing herself to spend more time with Lord Ashdown if everyone else got to see just what she did.
.. that he was not the one for her. “I see.”
Otto nodded, satisfied. “So, we can make a decision for ourselves, based on what we see with our own eyes. Does that not seem like a much more sensible solution than listening to gossip? Can you agree with that?”
“Yes,” Annabelle felt like a chastened child. Her head hung low, she could not even bring herself to meet his eyes. “Thank you, Father.”
"I am pleased that we have managed to sort this out because I do know what is best for you, I hope that you understand that.”
Annabelle bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from doing something stupid like bursting into tears. “Yes, Father.”
"I am sure that your sister will arrive soon if you would like to go and meet with her."
Annabelle knew that spelled the end of the conversation. Once her father dismissed her like that, he did not wish for any more debate on the subject at hand. For once, Annabelle did what he wanted and she left his office without another word. She did not have anything to say to him now. She just needed to be alone to have some time to think... and to plan. She hoped that Lord Ashdown would reveal his true nature to her parents himself, but if not, she needed to make sure her father saw the truth one way or another.
“Annabelle!” She did not even manage to make it to her bedroom before she heard Beatrice’s gleeful sounding voice. Her sister’s arrival allowed her to forget about the storm brewing in her chest for just a moment. “I am here.”
As Annabelle turned rapidly with excitement, the first thing she noticed was the happy glow surrounding her sister. Beatrice had the brightest smile on her face that she had ever seen. She certainly looked happier than she did on her wedding day.
“Oh my goodness, Beatrice you look wonderful,” she gasped. “It is so lovely to have you home.”
The sisters embraced like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was not something that they ever really did beforehand, but the time apart had caused them to miss one another terribly. Annabelle’s eyes even welled up as she realized just how much she enjoyed having her sister back, even if it would only be temporary.
Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 3
