Page 7 of Rescued from Betrayal (Harrowed Hearts #1)

Chapter 7

T he next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Melior spent most of them packing while simultaneously trying to avoid her mother. The night of the ball had been tumultuous enough without her mother’s temper, but when they had returned home, she’d had to endure a full hour of her screams.

Holding her own words in check had taken monumental effort. No matter what she said, it would not change things. Then her mother had accused her of ruining herself on purpose, and she could bite her tongue no longer.

No doubt the gossip of their heated words would make its way around all the servants’ tables by the time she took her vows tomorrow morning.

She rubbed her cheek where her mother’s hand had taken its revenge in the end. The light bruise had faded, but it still made Melior feel self-conscious.

Her mother had always vacillated quickly between praise and criticism, depending on how pleased she was with her children, but she’d never become violent. It was the first time she’d ever struck Melior and Melior vowed it would be the last.

That was the one light in her rushed marriage. No more need to deal with her mother’s fits.

Oh, she had begged Uncle Percy to give her time and have the banns read, but he’d not relented. He’d obtained a special license in order to avoid further speculation and gossip and insisted they remove to the country to allow the rumors to die down.

The thought of not only being married off so quickly to a man she barely tolerated and who despised her was hard enough, but the idea of being banished to the country while everyone else enjoyed the London season was agonizing. What would they do with only the two of them for company?

Someone knocked lightly on her door. “Enter.”

Eddie opened the door and leaned against the frame. She glanced up from where she was organizing several necklaces. She’d tried to avoid him too these last few days, mostly because he stalked around the house as if he’d been the one who faced an unwanted fate.

“So you are really to marry my best friend?”

She frowned. They had been over this several times. Why must he keep asking?

“Eddie, make yourself useful and bring me that stack of linens on the end of the bed.”

“Do I look like a footman?”

“Close enough. If you insist on irritating me with the same useless questions, then I demand you work for your answers.”

He skirted around a crate of her painting supplies and gathered the stack. She took them from him and continued wrapping each necklace and broach individually.

“What really happened that night, Mel?”

She froze. None of her family had questioned the lie they had fed them about a torn dress and Sir Nathaniel’s kindness. A chill washed over her as she recalled the moment she had feared she’d be forced to marry Mr. Fairchild.

“I know you were not the only ones in that room.”

Her gaze shot to him. “How?” she whispered.

“Nate is one of my best mates.”

“He told you?”

Eddie nodded.

Anger bubbled within. No one needed to know. Sir Nathaniel had promised her he would not share her secret. He’d betrayed her trust. And why tell her brother of all people?

“You will be kind to him, won’t you, Mel?”

She gritted her teeth. “I cannot promise anything.”

He frowned.

“I will do my best, but it will depend on how Sir Nathaniel treats me as well. Especially if he goes about spreading information you should not have been privy to.”

“Why not? I am your brother.”

“First because you are my brother, and I know how much of a numbskull you can be. Do you think I wish to have such a terrifying and private experience jested about at my expense for the rest of my days?”

Eddie’s crossed arms dropped to his sides. “I would never twit you about this, Mel.”

She blinked at him. “Really?”

“Yes,” he said solemnly.

Melior returned to her packing not sure if she believed him. Eddie always had loved a good jest, but he appeared sincere enough. “Even so, Sir Nathaniel still should not have broken his promise.”

“I suppose I can understand that, but you can call him Nate, you know. You will be married in fifteen hours and I certainly hope you do not plan on calling him Sir for the rest of your lives.”

Was there really so little time? She stared at the open box.

“He is a good man, Mel. I have never known one so willing to help those in need, as is evidenced by your current state.”

“Yes and one so disapproving of me.”

“He does not dislike you.”

“Come now, Eddie. You cannot possibly have been so blind these last five years. He detests me.”

“And yet he willingly sacrificed himself for your sake.”

“What sacrifice can it be on his side? He will be gaining status, wealth, and a diamond of the first waters.”

Eddie scoffed. “I see you are still so humble. You know, sometimes you sound exactly like Mother.”

“Is that so bad?”

“You tell me.”

Melior cringed. As a little girl all she’d wanted was to be as beautiful and refined as her mother and to gain her approval, but over the years her eyes had slowly opened to her mother’s distasteful side.

Eddie sat on the bed. “Are you so blind to Mother and Father’s crassness?”

She wrapped up a pearl necklace. “Can we speak of something else, please?” The last few days she’d had far too much time to think about her parents. And while she’d slowly awakened to their mother’s poor character, her father’s permissiveness had not been quite so evident as it had since her incident at the ball. He might as well have written her off with how much he ignored her existence.

“At least Lady Stanford will be gaining a daughter again,” Eddie finally said.

Melior’s head shot up. She had completely forgotten about Nathaniel’s mother. Would she be traveling to London for the wedding? Most likely not. It had been three years since she’d last seen her in Town. The poor woman was so bent with rheumatism that she resembled a question mark. It had to be painful to simply exist, let alone ride post chaise.

She shook her head. “Yes, but I doubt I am the daughter for whom she hoped.”

“Probably not.” Eddie grinned at her unrepentantly.

Melior scowled in return, which only made his smile grow wider.

Picking up the silver bracelet set with sapphires, she lapsed into thought. The piece had been a gift from Uncle Percy’s wife, the late duchess, for her eighteenth birthday.

Memories of Aunt Lucinda’s kind eyes and gentle embraces filled her with a sense of loss. Her Grace had shown more maternal love than her own mother ever had. She missed the sweet woman greatly.

“How is Lady Stanford faring?” she asked.

“I’m not certain. Nate does not talk about her much. Last I heard, she was still able to get around, but spends more time in her bed than out of it.”

His words confirmed her fear. Even with Lady Stanford in residence, she might not see her often. What was she to do with her time? She knew few people in Kent, and none from the town of Maidstone. Miss Harris resided in a small borough in that county, Mr. Roberts as well. But they would both still be in Town.

A footman filled the open doorway. “You have a visitor, Miss Kendall.”

“Who is it?”

“Sir Nathaniel Stanford.”

She frowned. Frustration prickled her skin at the knowledge that he’d shared her secret with her brother. Why did he want to meet with her? It was not as if he’d cared to speak with her before now. Could he not wait until tomorrow? They would be stuck together for the rest of their lives. There would be plenty of time to discuss whatever he’d come to say then. Why not give her one last day of freedom?

After they had left the library on Saturday, he’d said very little other than to ask a footman for her things. He’d helped her into the carriage to await her parents and then disappeared.

With his declaration of intent to her uncle she’d assumed he would at least approach the subject of matrimony with her, perhaps even court her, but he’d taken her uncle’s acceptance as her own and left.

It was upsetting how, with so little of her own input, she’d found herself engaged. Even Uncle Percy had not asked after her opinion. Not that she could really have one, what with the circumstances, but she would at least like to be acknowledged as a person. It was her wedding after all.

“I will be down shortly.”

The footman bowed and left.

“Eddie, go down and see what your friend wants. I need to finish putting these things away.”

“You are not even going to speak to him?”

“That is not what I said,” she snapped.

Her brother took a step back. She’d not meant to take out her frustration on him. Or maybe she had. She hardly knew anymore. There were just so many changes happening so quickly.

“You know, you still have not told me how you came to be in the cloakroom with Mr. Fairchild.”

“And I will not .”

“Why?”

“Because it is none of your affair to be meddling in, and I still cannot believe Sir Nathaniel told you. He would not even tell Uncle Percy.”

“Uncle Percy does not know.”

“He knows.”

“But you said Nate did not divulge the truth?”

“Uncle Percy saw Mr. Fairchild rushing down the hall with a bloody nose.”

“Nate landed him a facer?” Eddie grinned. “I have more to thank him for than I thought.”

“No, you should not thank him. He broke my confidence. I should refuse to see him just for that.”

Eddie folded well-defined arms over his chest. “You will meet with him. You owe him at least that much. I will give you ten minutes, Mel. And if you do not appear in that time, I shall send him up to get you.”

“To my room? You wouldn’t.”

The corner of his lips tipped up. “I would.”

She wanted to hurl something at his unrepentant face, but he spun and left too quickly for her to grasp anything other than the jewelry she already held.

Carefully, she placed the piece inside with the others. She glanced around at all the boxes and trunks, some full and some still waiting to be packed. It felt like a benediction on her life as she knew it. No longer would she be Melior, daughter of a future duke. From here on out, she would be Lady Nathaniel Stanford, wife of a baronet. A lowly baronet.

The irony was too much. “Oh how the mighty fall,” she muttered to herself.