The Spurned Sister
Gloria Masters
Copyright © 2019 Creative Brand Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, organizations, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations or persons, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental.
This book is a Red Theory Romance production. For inquiries regarding this book, please email [email protected].
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author or publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Enjoyed The Story?
Red Theory Romance
Prologue
It was a gray and rainy, and such a very dull and dispiriting, day when the elegant Letitia Hayward awaited a letter from her beloved. The beautiful 21-year-old woman sat in the front drawing room of her large and mahogany-adorned family seat of Warwickshire, with no one else around. Not her mother, or her father, or her younger sister. She was all alone, relishing the sense of anticipation. She knew the post must arrive soon. Would her letter arrive?
The Hayward family were an old Warwickshire family with an illustrious past, but Letitia’s father was a member of only its junior branch. He was a distinguished personage in himself, however, having been a high-ranking army officer. And he had the great luck of having inherited a charming house from a distant relation before Letitia’s birth.
Her mother’s family had given her a large portion upon her marriage, but much of this had been spent on the upkeep of the house. The appearance of the house and the family within it, though, were truly impressive. One would never imagine there could be any financial strictures there.
The letter arrived, conveyed in by a deferential and polite maid. Letitia could not imagine greater excitement as she opened the envelope. What would her lover say? His name was Robert Clarke, and he was the eldest son of a very old and impressively wealthy family in the same county.
As she had hoped, the letter was full of ardent adoration and devotion. He still could not believe how fortunate he had been in her accepting his proposal, he said. It was as if roses had been unexpectedly strewn before his feet. With her beauty and charm, she could have had her pick of anyone, he declared with enthusiasm. Yet she had chosen him, as unworthy as he was. Letitia felt almost dizzy with giddiness as she read this, glad there was no one else around to notice her discomposure.
1
Letitia had met Robert Clarke several months beforehand during the London social season. She had gone to a ball with her family that night. Wearing a dazzling white and rose gown, her delicate silk slippers had made a delicious sound against the polished, glistening floor. It was within a few minutes that the dashing and handsome Robert Clarke had seen her and was at once overwhelmed by her beauty. Friends told him about her and her family, and this seemed to increase his ardor. He soon arranged to be introduced, and he was brought to his object of admiration. He asked for two dances during the course of the night and was accepted. Due to propriety, he could ask no more. The young lady was captivated by his charm and apparent admiration of not only her beauty but also her clever mind.
When he had asked for her hand in marriage a month later, her parents enthusiastically agreed. After all, this young man was not only handsome and wealthy but also seemed to have a wonderfully marked devotion to their daughter. They were sure that she would be happy with him and that they would be pleased with their prospective future son-in-law. It was true that on one occasion, some of his remarks on some unimportant matters had somewhat displeased them, but they set this down to youth and the harmless impulsiveness of a young gentleman.
Letitia’s bliss upon the arrival of her love’s most recent letter was unfortunately short-lived. Just a few days later, the greatest tragedy the lovely young lady and her family had ever faced began. Tragedy of the worst imaginable kind. Mr. Hayward fell ill, dreadfully ill. After days of devoted care by nurses, doctors and apothecaries, and of course, his loving wife and daughters, the poor gentleman passed away. Letitia and her family felt a greater sadness than they ever could have felt possible.
“He was the best of men, girls. Your father was truly the best of men. Please always remember that,” Mrs. Heywood said to her weeping daughters.
Letitia’s face was covered with tears, her soft blonde hair falling onto her cheeks. “We are aware, Mama!” Letitia said. “Both Jane and I are certain that there was no greater. We’ve always known it!”
“I know, my dear. You both have been the best of daughters. And your father watches us now, I believe. We must make the best of things and muster all of our strength to face the future that awaits us.”
“Oh, Mama. What shall we do? What are our circumstances?” Letitia asked, a tone of dread wholly pervading her usually delicate and cheerful tones.
Mrs. Hayward was hesitant about upsetting her daughters even further during such a distressing time, but she didn’t want to mislead them either. She took a very deep breath, as if to hold in the tears. With a serious expression on her visage, she simply replied, “We are strong, my dear. Strong enough for anything. Never fear.”
Overcome with terror, Letitia ran up to her chamber and gently closed the door. She threw herself on her bed and cried until all the tears had fled her hazel eyes. Her sister came in soon after this, and they sat holding one another.
As the two sisters started to become more composed, Jane said, “You must write to your Mr. Clarke, Letitia. He will comfort and advise you. Oh, you are so fortunate to have such a young man!”
“Yes, I am, my dear girl. I will write to him this very night. And I promise, Jane, that when I am married, I will help you and our mother. Robert loves all of us, and he would never see anyone connected with me suffer, of that I am sure. And Jane, you are sure to find a Robert of your own soon. You are far more beautiful and charming than I am,” Letitia declared, with her usual modesty. “Why, just look at your lovely amber hair and fair skin!”
“Nonsense! More beautiful than you are? That’s simply an impossibility! Everyone knows that Letitia Hayward is the most beautiful young lady in Warwickshire. Your golden hair and hazel eyes are forever remembered wherever they are seen. And as for your skin, mine could never even approach the porcelain quality that yours has. But you are so kind, as you always are,” Jane said, appreciative of her sister’s kindness.
Letitia soon hastened to the small cherry-wood desk in her chamber, to write her mournful letter to Robert. She could barely believe that the events of the past while had actually happened, and putting it into writing felt like making it even more real and terrible. She pulled herself together, though, and set pen to paper. Robert had to know what had happened to the man who should have been his father-in-law.
She began with, “My dearest Robert. I can
only hope with all my heart that this letter finds you well. I have the most dreadful news, the saddest I have ever had to endure. My dearest father, the most wonderful of fathers, become ill recently. His fever was too much for him to bear, and even with the attentions of his doctors and apothecaries, he died before I even had the chance to tell you of his illness. I was so very busy attending to him, and my foolish, misguided hope made me believe that he would recover, that he must recover. I write still in a state of disbelief, but it is true.”
Letitia’s tears fell heavily on the paper, staining it and blotting the ink. She knew that her beloved would understand and appreciate the depth and strength of her emotion, so she did not feel embarrassed. Why would she? She had just suffered the greatest loss and shock of her short life, and a great deal of uncertainty and insecurity awaited her. But she and her family had Robert. He would always be there for them, she thought.
2
It was the third of several sparkling spring mornings, and Letitia found herself again in the drawing room awaiting a letter from Robert. Her father had been buried weeks before, and she and her sister and mother were still, of course, in full black mourning dress. The black silk of her gown even further drained the usual liveliness of the young lady’s face.
Letitia had not received a letter from her beloved and betrothed since shortly before her father’s death. When she had written to him to tell him about the tragedy her family had endured, she was certain that she would hear back from him immediately. In fact, she anticipated his appearance at the door of her family home. Upon admittance to the house, he would rush to her and take her in his arms, any worries of impropriety swept away by concern for her grief and fear. She would feel safe and calm in his presence. But this did not happen.
Robert had not even written to his fiancée since her father’s untimely death and his wife and daughters’ abandonment to a merciless world. How could this be possible? This did not seem the behavior of a devoted fiancé. Letitia could hardly believe it. The reality devastated her. She worried that something terrible had happened that had prevented him from writing, so consequently, she wrote to his parents to ask if they could verify his well-being. They responded in a strangely cool way, indicating that he was in London.
One terrible day, Letitia found out of the truth from a friend in London to whom she wrote and asked to inquire about Robert’s whereabouts. She had never before experienced such a painful feeling in her heart, except for when her father died.
Robert was said to be attached to another young woman. A very wealthy young woman. An heiress, in fact. Her name was Sophie Adamson, and she was the only child of an earl. While the nobleman’s estate and title would one day be passed to a male cousin, it had been arranged that Sophie would inherit a fortune of 50,000 pounds. And the family was extremely well-connected, the sort to which many young men would be eager to attach themselves. Robert’s family was indeed wealthy and well-respected, but no known male members of the family had a title. Being connected to such a distinguished family could certainly be a temptation for an inconstant gentleman.
Letitia’s emotions were a mixture of agony, disbelief, and confusion. She sat down to write yet another letter to the young man she loved.
My dear Robert,
I am in a state of utter confusion. I wrote to you several weeks ago, informing you of my father’s tragic death. And yet I have not heard a word from you. I expected that you would appear here, ready and eager to comfort me and assuage my fears, but you did not. I wrote to you again and again, and yet no precious letter arrived. And now a friend in London tells me that you are said to be attached to another young woman! This cannot be true, tell me this cannot be true! Please write to me, Robert. Please have mercy on my agony!
I know that you will write soon.
Your devoted,
Letitia
Letitia gave this letter to a maid immediately, instructing her to ensure it was sent by the first available post. And the lovely young lady waited. And yet nothing ever came over the course of two weeks.
She was a kind and forbearing young woman, and she forever hesitated to judge too hastily. Locked in her chamber, she spent hours considering the different possible reasons why Robert might not have responded. She had ascertained his well-being from his parents and her friend in London. Despite her efforts, she could not think of one circumstance that could possibly prevent him from writing. A feeling of dread overtook her.
Letitia’s family saw her paleness and feared for her health. Her mother and sister urged her to go for a restorative and healthy walk to the nearby village, and they finally prevailed. Jane said that she would go with her, which is why she finally acquiesced.
The two young ladies slowly traveled to the village, taking each step as it came. Jane would be feeling livelier than she had felt since her father’s death if it weren’t for the additional affliction that affected her much-loved sister.
“It is outrageous that he has not replied to your letters, Letitia,” Jane said, her face full of strong sympathy.
Letitia was silent for a few moments. She finally spoke, tears emerging from her eyes:
“I am full of confusion, Jane. I do not understand how he could cast off the letter I sent him. I do not understand how he could cast off me.”
Jane touched her sister’s arm. “Do you feel that he has cast you off, Letitia?”
“I only wish I knew! It does not seem possible. He is such an affectionate and loyal young man. But how can I explain the fact that he hasn’t written? The fact that he hasn’t written even though I told him of our father’s death! Oh, Jane, it is too terrible!” Letitia finally broke down and started to weep.
“It is certainly very strange,” Jane said thoughtfully. “It seems unaccountable.”
Letitia stopped in her tracks. She was finally no longer able to escape the truth. “Perhaps it is accountable. Perhaps it is because of his attachment to that other young woman. The daughter of an earl, and the heiress to 50,000 pounds. How can I compete with that? Now that our father is dead, he knows that our mother and you and I will be in financial distress. Perhaps he did not want to be burdened with that. If that is true, I entirely misunderstood his character. I always thought him such a disinterested and kind young man! An uncommonly kind young man. I never thought him capable of choosing a fortune and the prestige of nobility over love.”
Jane’s heart hurt for her sister. “I am so sorry, Letitia, if that is indeed the truth! And if it is true, he is entirely unworthy of you. You are better off without him. You are beautiful and sweet! And you are so clever, too! And our family is certainly very respectable, regardless of whether we are now in financial distress. He must certainly not be the young gentleman you believed him to be.”
Letitia sat down heavily on a large rock that happened to be nearby. She cried until there seemed no tears left.
3
“What shall we do now?” seemed to be the question on the minds of Letitia, Jane, and her mother after learning about Robert’s betrayal.
“We must sue for breach of promise,” Mrs. Hayward exclaimed, outraged. “This young man has behaved in an appallingly dishonorable manner. He asked for your hand in marriage, and it was granted to him by both you and your father. He has spent a great deal of time with us and has written to you on innumerable occasions. Now he suddenly changes his mind and decides he wants to marry an heiress and daughter of a nobleman instead. It is utterly unacceptable.” The kind mother’s face was red with frustration, and her eyes were brimming with tears. She gently touched Letitia on her shoulder. “My dear, we must do this. Must we not?”
Letitia looked down, deep in thought. Finally, she spoke: “Mama, yes, by the letter of the law and by all codes of morality, he is at fault. There is no doubt of that. But with our situation, Mama? Can we set aside the necessary time and funds for such an endeavor? Remember his father is wealthy and powerful. And my father is gone. How will such a thing benefit us? It might well hurt u
s in the end.”
Mrs. Hayward showed signs of reluctant resignation. “Perhaps you are right. This world is so very unfair, I understand that fully now. I will, however, write a stern letter to his father. His son deserves to be stringently upbraided.”
“I agree, Mama,” Letitia replied. “Sadly, however, his father is rather known as quite ‘practical,’” as some people describe it. I’m sure he is quite happy that his son will marry an heiress of 50,000 pounds and the daughter of a nobleman. Rather than, as might be expected, a young woman who has recently lost her father and as a result, is in financial difficulties, along with her mother and sister. Such is the world, apparently. I wish it were not, but that it seems to be.”
Letitia’s prospects were now entirely changed, and they needed to come up with a way to support themselves. They still had the house that their father left, as it was let to Mrs. Hayward. And this was something for which they were incredibly grateful. They were many female relations of distinguished men who were left with far, far less.
After many hours of thinking and discussion, they came to a conclusion: they must open a school for girls in the house. What better idea could there be for women in their precise situation? And so, a school they would open. And they would do everything in their power to make it prosper.
The family home was large, with plenty of bedrooms, drawing rooms, and even two dining rooms. They could readily make new arrangements to transform some of the area into small classrooms. As the Haywards and Mrs. Hayward’s family, the Morrisons, were highly distinguished and respectable, they expected no trouble in persuading parents to send their girls there for a proper education. With Letitia and Jane both being so clever (even though Jane always modestly insisted that Letitia was the quick one), and Mrs. Hayward herself being highly intelligent and accomplished, they could offer a full range of instruction, including French, music, dancing, and drawing. They could bring in masters to help when necessary for advanced lessons, especially in dancing. Everyone knew the necessity of a dancing master!
The Spurned Sister: A Regency Romance Novella Page 1
