by Wendy Vella
Alex had kissed her, Hannah thought, touching her lips, and it had felt better than it should have. Of course, that was possibly because she had received so few kisses in her life, but she had a terrible feeling that even if she were experienced, which she was not, Alex’s kiss would still rise above all the others. Surely it was not normal to feel the fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach when Alex’s lips had touched hers, and the need to clench her toes hard into her shoes to remain upright.
“What have I done?” Hannah moaned, slapping a palm to her forehead. Already, something she had hoped would be simple, was far from it; now she knew what Alex kissed like and worse, she’d enjoyed it.
The problem was she hadn’t thought, she’d just acted when her father had demanded the name of the man name she had a tendre for. Impulsiveness tended to be a trait of hers when she was distressed, and her argument with her father had indeed distressed her. How could he have done this to her? It was his fault, he had forced her into taking action, and now she and Alex were to pay the consequence. She had tried to explain that it was humiliating to have him raise her dowry, just so men would offer for her, but he had not understood.
Looking around the pale lemon walls of her room, she sought comfort from the familiar surroundings. Her brushes and books sat beside each other. Her father had gifted her another copy of the Lyrical Ballards by Wordsworth just last week, as Pumpkin had eaten the last one.
“Hannah!”
Her door swung open so hard it hit the wall and in ran Bridgette, followed closely by the ginger bulldog. Her riot of red curls had been tamed by a ribbon but her sapphire blue eyes were as usual alert and seeking something. Small with delicate features, she looked like a pixie… a particularly mischievous one.
“It takes a matter of seconds to knock, child.”
Bridgette jumped on the bed and bounced a few times, rolling Hannah from side to side. Pumpkin’s little legs couldn’t get him up there, so he sat on his rump and stared at them.
“I have no need to knock in this house, surely?”
“I am schooling you for the poor unfortunate man who must one day be your husband, Bridgette. My fondest wish is that a few of the things I and your tutor teach you will take hold in that pea brain of yours.”
As she knew her words would, they incited Bridgette to shriek a denial.
“I do not have a pea brain, nor for that matter am I a child. I am twelve and worthy of respect!”
“Really?” Hannah made a scoffing sound. “I know other twelve-year-old girls who are already young ladies. They walk correctly, sit with poise, and have impeccable manners.”
Bridgette bounced a few more times as she thought about Hannah’s words.
“Who?” she asked, her eyes intent on Hannah’s face.
“Who what?”
“Who do you know that is twelve, and why have you not introduced me to them?”
Bridgette was a bright child and one had to take a great deal of care with what one said around her. She was also the reason Hannah was being blackmailed. The monthly amount was not exorbitant, but it had been the main reason she had needed to increase her income, and she would continue to pay to ensure Bridgette was safe.
“I forget the names.”
Bridgette studied Hannah. “You’re lying to strengthen your point and it is unworthy of you, Hannah.”
Because Bridgette was right and Hannah’s head was all over the place, she picked up one of her pillows and threw it at her, simply so the conversation would end. As predicted, Bridgette grabbed the pillow and hit her back, and soon they were fighting, with Pumpkin’s excited barking cheering them on.
It was what she needed, the laughter like a balm to Hannah’s bruised nerves.
“What is going on in here?”
Bridgette shrieked with laughter as she looked to the doorway and saw their father. Big and broad of body, Lord Wooller had snow-white hair, bushy brows, and eyes as black as midnight. He looked indomitable, but he wasn’t because inside that chest lay a weak heart, and this was motivating him to see her wed.
Hannah loved her father very much, and there had never been a day, until now, when she had not loved being his daughter. He was a forward-thinking man, or so she had once believed, and had allowed her to run her own business without interference or censure.
“We are having a pillow fight, Papa, before we take Pumpkin for his walk in the park.”
His eyes went to Hannah even though it was Bridgette who spoke. She saw that he was hurting as much as she at the harsh words they had spoken, yet she was still too numb and raw to bridge the gap that had opened between them.
“Well now, that looks like fun,” he said, still standing in the doorway. Yesterday he would have entered and joined in their play, but not today.
“Come and join us, Papa.”
“Another day perhaps, child.” His eyes were on Hannah once more. “You go and get your bonnet and your sister will meet you downstairs soon.”
“Of course, Papa.” Bridgette gave Hannah a snooty look before climbing off the bed. She then straightened her skirts and walked elegantly from the room to prove to her big sister she could be a young lady when required.
The silence sat heavily between father and daughter when Bridgette had left, but Hannah did not break; instead, she got off the bed and straightened it.
“I won’t apologize again for wanting you happy and wed before I die, daughter. I did what I believed I should, but had I known of your feelings for Alex, then I would never have done it. Why did you not tell me?
“You are not going to die.”
“Doctor Preston said my heart could stop any day, or last many more years, but that matters not right now. What matters is that we have never kept secrets, Hannah. Why did you not share your feelings about Alex with me?”
Hannah’s own heart thumped hard in her chest at her father’s words. Would she and Alex be able to carry off this charade? She had grave doubts.
“As I told you last night, Papa, we are as yet unsure of our feelings, therefore, we wanted time to realize how much we mean to each other.”
“People are married who know much less of each other than you and Alex, Hannah.”
“There is much at stake for us. Our friends and families are close, and we are business partners. Our circumstances are not like others’. I hope you will not push us.”
“I am not a bully, daughter.” Color was climbing up his neck, a sign his temper was rising also.
“You may want me to wed a stranger who only wants me for your money; I, however, wish to have respect and love before I reach the altar.” It hurt just as much saying it out loud for a second time.
“I did not want to wed you to a stranger, I wanted you to have the chance to get to know a man who would be a suitable husband.” Hannah heard the anger in her father’s words. “I love you, daughter, and wanted only to see you happy and settled should something happen to me.” He still stood in her doorway, when normally he would be sitting on her bed by now, close to where she sat.
“If you loved me you would have realized that this was unpardonable,” Hannah said, her voice rising. Inhaling deeply, she tried to stay calm for both their sakes. “To sell me to someone who would only have me for money and not love? Do you believe I would be happy with such a man, a man like Lord McDonald? Do you believe I would be happy living in Scotland, so far from everything I hold dear?”
“I did not want to sell you! I wanted only for you to have the opportunity to make a choice of several men. If you had not liked them, I would not have forced you. Just as I would not force you to wed McDonald as some fathers would do.”
“But I had believed you different from those fathers. It seems I was wrong.”
She watched color flood into his cheeks.
“I am different, but I want you married. Is that so hard for you to understand, daughter? I had every right to do as I did! I am your father.”
“It matters not,” Hannah said, with a ca
lm she was proud of. “I will make my own choice, and if that is Alex, so be it. You can now remove the price on my head, as Alex has said he has no wish for it if we were to wed one day.” Hannah had no compunction in lying, as she would not be marrying Alex.
“He’ll bloody well have it!”
“Calm yourself, father, it does your heart no good to get excited, and for your information, he has no need of it,” Hannah said, determined to have the last word.
Straightening her dress, she picked up her bonnet and then moved to the mirror and pulled it on before tying the silk ribbons into a bow. She tried to ignore her father, but felt his eyes on her. He had been the man in her life since she was born; they shared everything, and this was possibly the first time she had felt he’d betrayed her.
“Hannah, I need you to understand why I did this.”
She felt the bite of tears and inhaled deeply, determined to keep them at bay. “I understand that because of your heart you want me settled, but you must understand that I do not wish it to be done this way. I have heard other girls speak of their fathers’ ruthless intentions to marry them off, yet I never believed it of you until now.”
“Hannah, please, love, try to understand I only wanted what was best for you.”
“This is not best for me,” she whispered. “Now I must leave as Bridgette is waiting for me.”
He sighed loudly and then stepped to one side and she left the room.
Bridgette and Pumpkin were awaiting her in the hall, and her sister held her second-favorite possession in one hand.
“Is there enough wind to fly a kite today?”
“Jack said there was.”
“Well if one of our footmen says it, then it must be so,” Hannah said, ushering her sister and the dog outside, and soon they were strolling down the street. She let her sister rattle on, the words drifting over Hannah’s head unless Bridgette demanded she respond, as she thought about her father.
They had never argued in such a way before, and never had she left the house still angry with him. Of course, when you had two strong-willed people they were bound to disagree, and they did, loudly and often. But it was more debating than arguing; they had never actually hurt each other… until now.
“’Tis a fine day, don’t you think, Pumpkin?”
“Why are you addressing that question to the dog, when you know very well he cannot reply?”
“Because you are here but your thoughts are elsewhere, and as I would like to converse with someone, I chose Pumpkin. He is most observant, you know.”
“No, Bridgette, he is not,” Hannah said, guiding her across the road. “Forgive me, I have a few things on my mind, but now I shall be at your disposal, so you may talk to me.”
“What things?” Her sister squinted up at her. The white bonnet framed her sweet face.
“Things.” Hannah waved her hand about.
“I am hurt you have no wish to share your ‘things,’ with me.”
“Bridgette, I will not be manipulated,” Hannah said as her sister pouted. “We all have secrets, even you, and I will not be sharing these particular ones with you, therefore you can stop right now.”
“Is it why Papa looks sad and why you and he were arguing before we left the house?”
Hannah looked at the rows of trees beside the railings they passed, noting their gentle sway back and forth. Oh to be a tree, she thought, and have nothing better to do than move from side to side.
“I thought you went to your room, thus did not deliberately overhear our conversation.”
Bridgette led Pumpkin through the gates when they reached park. The dog gave Hannah a look, as if to say is there nothing you can do to stop this enforced daily exercise?
“Oh I did, but I was very quick.”
“And just happened to pass my room on your way down the stairs, where you stopped to deliberately listen to a conversation in which you were not invited to partake?”
“Yes.” It was very hard to shame Bridgette. “However, it was difficult to hear anything, as you were talking in hushed angry voices.”
“I’m not telling you what happened; it was between Papa and me.”
“Very well, but I shall probably ask the staff anyway, they are a wonderful source of information,” Bridgette said, taking Hannah’s hand and swinging it a few times. “Now, where shall we fly the kite from?”
Hannah laughed; she couldn’t help it. She loved this girl so much that sometimes it hurt.
“I love you, little sister.”
“And I you, big sister.”
“We shall move beyond those trees and into the open more, then it will not hit anyone when it falls from the sky.” Hannah led them in the direction she was pointing. “You can then hold the kite aloft and do the running and I shall hold the string and then pass them to you.”
“All right, but you never do the running,” Bridgette said, handing Hannah the string.
“Because you are so much younger than I and more capable.”
“Yes, it is a shame that your shoulders are stooping already, and the other day while I was standing on your bed looking down on you, I saw a gray hair.”
“Why, you little toad!”
Bridgette shrieked as Hannah ran after her.
“Pick up the strings, Hannah!”
Breathless from her short run, Hannah poked her tongue out at her sister before returning to pick up the string.
“Let it out, Hannah!”
“I am!”
“Not fast enough!”
“Obnoxious child,” Hannah muttered.
“May I be of assistance?”
Hannah’s heart sank as she heard the Scottish burr.
CHAPTER FOUR
Alex had been told, by the Wooller butler that Hannah and Bridgette were in the park, a short walk from their house. As he drew near, a piercing shriek of her laughter told him the youngest Wooller was having a grand time. Passing through the gate he found Bridgette dashing about the place looking skyward, her bright red hair catching the sunlight as she ran. Hannah stood slightly back, watching her sister. Her head was tilted, and every few seconds she looked up to follow the kite’s progress. His eyes moved from her and noted the man at her back. Lord McDonald. He did not know him well, as this was his first year in London society, but he didn’t like him one bit. His pursuit of Hannah had to stop, and Alex was about to ensure that happened. Woolly had caused his daughter a great deal of trouble by increasing her dowry, but that was about to change also. He would make sure she received no further offers from men who saw only her father’s money and not the woman she truly was.
“I am happy where I am, Lord McDonald, thank you, and have no need to retire to the shade of a tree.”
He heard her words as he drew closer, and Alex smiled at her sharp tone.
“The sun is quite high, Miss Wooller; perhaps a parasol?”
“I will not melt, Lord McDonald.”
“Hello, my sweet,” Alex said in his usual amiable way as he moved to Hannah’s side ignoring McDonald. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
She spun, wide-eyed, to look at him.
“A-Alex.”
“The very one,” he said, brushing his lips over her cheek. Placing a hand on her spine, he then turned to look at the other man. “McDonald.” Alex nodded, once again looking at Hannah.
“Hetherington, I do not like the familiar way you have your hand on Miss Wooller’s back.” McDonald’s brogue was thicker now.
“Miss Wooller has no objection and neither do I, therefore you have no say in the matter, McDonald.” Alex could not say outright that Hannah was his, so he would need to imply it. “We are close friends, McDonald… very close.”
“Oh, not that close really, just acquaintances,” Hannah rushed to add, trying to move away from Alex, but he just slipped his hand around her waist and held her still.
“Shall we say we are exploring our feelings for each other, sweetheart?”
“I—ah...,” Hannah stuttered. �
��Good day, Lord McDonald. I shall see you this evening,” she added quickly as Alex continued to glare at the man.
There was a tense silence for several seconds, which Alex refused to break, and then McDonald looked away.
“Your servant, Miss Wooller.” Lord McDonald brought her hand to his lips, then gave Alex a short bow and walked away.
“Alex, what are you doing!” Hannah said when he was far enough away not to hear them.
“I don’t like that man, and for your information, what I was doing was establishing our interest in each other, which I believe is what this entire charade is about.”
“Yes, but there was no need to touch me so”—she waved a hand about as she searched for a word—“intimately.”
“There was every need. McDonald was eyeing you like a delicious treat when I arrived. You need to keep your distance from him in future, Hannah.”
“He is harmless.” She dismissed his words. “It is my dowry he is obviously interested in, although I had thought him quite flush, or so Lady Eleanora told me.”
“We know nothing about him, so keep your distance,” Alex said before moving away from her to intercept Bridgette as she ran past, thereby putting a halt to the conversation before Hannah said anything else.
“Hello, you horrid child.”
“Alex, look!” She waved her hand upward. “It is awfully high, don’t you think?”
“Awfully,” he mimicked her. “And is coming down extremely fast, so run!” He grabbed Bridgette’s hand and ran with her. The kite rose once more. He helped her fly it for a while as Hannah watched, and no doubt thought up more arguments to pose to him when they were alone, and the fat little dog, Pumpkin, sat on her foot.
“He needs to exercise more,” Alex said when he rejoined her.
“Bite Mr. Hetherington for me please, Pumpkin.”
Hannah and Alex looked at the bulldog after her words, but he simply rose, and resettled himself on her other foot.
“Why is he sitting on your foot?”
“He does not like the feel of the grass on his bottom.”
