Page 36 of The Heiress Masquerade (Dollar Princess #2)

The trip from Wilheimer’s estate back to Mrs. Holbrook’s townhouse had been a solemn affair, with Mrs. Holbrook mourning her niece while Aimee mourned the end of whatever she’d had with Harrison, who’d thankfully done as she’d asked and arranged to return to London himself, separately.

Small talk had been kept to a minimum, with both ladies preferring the company of their own thoughts rather than further discussing what had occurred.

Initially, Aimee had considered going to the Mayfair Grand and staying in her suite until her passage back to New York had been arranged, but given there was a much higher chance of bumping into Harrison there, she’d decided to stay with Mrs. Holbrook instead, and all her clothes were there, too, or rather Evie’s.

Another situation she was going to have to face the ramifications of…her switch with Evie. The thought was exhausting, but she took in a steadying breath, and then another, and gradually the feeling subsided.

As the carriage began to slow, she glanced out the window and saw Mrs. Holbrook’s townhouse ahead. She gasped seeing Evie and her father at the top of the entrance steps.

Her father was here in London? The most profound sense of relief overwhelmed her, and tears began to course down her cheeks. Barely waiting for the carriage to come to a halt, Aimee yanked open the door and jumped out as her father bounded down the steps toward her and she ran into his arms.

“Oh, thank God, you’re all right,” he said, hugging her fiercely.

Aimee returned his embrace, wrapping her hands tightly around his neck, never wanting to let go.

“I’ve never been so terrified in all my life hearing you’d been kidnapped!” he said, pulling back from her slightly and staring into her eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she replied with a nod, wiping away at her tears, trying to convince him of something that was most definitely not the case. “But how are you even in London, let alone know what’s been happening?”

“That is a story best left for when we’re all settled back at my hotel. But tell me this, were you hurt?” he asked with such concern that Aimee felt like bawling even harder.

Instead, she shook her head. “No, I wasn’t. I managed to escape and then Ha-Harrison saved me.” Even just saying his name was excruciating.

“And where is he?” There was anger in his voice. “I would have expected him to accompany you back here given the situation.”

“I didn’t want him to,” Aimee replied, before she buried her face in his chest and soaked his shirt with her tears.

He gently began to pat her on the back just as he’d done when she was a child. “There, there, my darling,” he murmured. “You’re safe now. Everything’s going to be all right, Papa’s here to protect you,” he continued to reassure her, his strong arms like a band of steel around her, keeping the world at bay and protecting her as little else could. “Now let’s go inside and you can tell me what happened.”

Ten minutes later, seated in the sitting room, Aimee finished recounting all that had occurred, except the part involving her and Harrison. That she’d take to the grave before she’d tell anyone about. Silence echoed in the room for several moments after she was done, her father appearing as equally concerned as he was furious, while Evie nervously wrung her hands together and Mrs. Holbrook sat stoically on the armchair across from them.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Ann,” her father said, glancing over to the lady with compassion in his eyes.

She nodded. “Thank you, Thomas. And I’m so sorry for all your daughter had to suffer because of Molly. I should have known something was wrong. I should have sought help for her a lot sooner…”

“It’s not your fault,” he replied. “You weren’t to know what she was up to.” He glanced pointedly over to Aimee and she knew he was talking of her masquerade.

“But I can’t help but feel responsible—” Mrs. Holbrook’s voice broke off and she suddenly stood, tears beginning to cascade down her face. “I’m sorry, I think I need to be alone now. If you’ll all excuse me.” And with that she hurried from the room, the sound of her crying gradually getting more distant as her feet pounded up the staircase.

“I never should have agreed to swap places with you in the first place,” Evie said, breaking the silence following Mrs. Holbrook’s departure. “Then you never would have been kidnapped.”

Aimee reached over and hugged her cousin. “None of this is your fault, Evie. It was all my idea, and you know I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

“And it’s something we shall all be discussing at length later,” her father added sternly, before he let out a sigh. “However, we must get back to the hotel as I need to let your mother know you’re safe, Aimee, and then I shall have to sort out the messes you’ve both gotten yourselves into with this swapping places business.” He stood and walked to the door. “I shall go and have my carriage brought around and organize with Mrs. Holbrook’s housekeeper to have your things sent on to the hotel.”

“I don’t want to go back to the Mayfair Grand,” Aimee blurted out.

Her father paused in his stride and turned back to look at her, his brow raised. “ Back to the hotel? Pray tell, daughter, when have you been there at all on this trip?”

Why did her father have to pick up on everything? Now it was Aimee who sighed. She might as well tell him; he’d find out soon enough anyhow. “I rented a suite there so I could have an occasional bath given Mrs. Holbrook only has one bathroom to be shared by several women.”

“Why am I not surprised.” He took in a deep breath. “I shall have to have a talk with the hotel manager about why he didn’t inform me of that.”

“He didn’t tell you because he didn’t know it was me renting a suite. I used an alias.”

“Of course you did.” He shook his head in resignation. “Tell me, is there anything else I need to know about this trip of yours?”

“Not that I can think of.” He certainly didn’t need to know about her and Harrison.

“That doesn’t particularly fill me with confidence.” His eyes narrowed but her expression remained impassive under his scrutiny. “In any event,” he continued, “I’ll get things sorted and be back in a moment.” Turning on his heel, he left the room.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Evie asked as soon as they were alone. She reached over and squeezed Aimee’s hand.

“Not really.” Aimee returned the squeeze and managed a small smile. “But I will be. Eventually.”

“Does it have anything to do with Harrison Stone?”

“Why would you think that?”

Evie shrugged lightly. “I know you’ve been through a terrible ordeal, and of course that would terrify anyone, but it was only when you mentioned his name that you truly started to seem upset.”

Sometimes, she wished her family weren’t all so observant. “I appreciate your concern, Evie, but I really don’t want to talk about it. I don’t think I ever will.”

“Yes, I can understand that.”

It was then Aimee noticed the sadness in Evie’s eyes, a sadness that hadn’t been there the last time she’d seen her. “Evie, what’s wrong? And, come to think of it, my father never explained why he was even here in London in the first place.”

“He came to England to surprise us both but was instead the one surprised when he found out of your supposed engagement to Alex,” Evie replied, trying for what Aimee thought was a stoic expression, but failing miserably. “He followed me to the duke’s country estate, though he thought it was you he was chasing, and it was there our swap was revealed to everyone.”

“Oh, Evie, what happened with your duke?”

“He was never my duke. Not really.” Evie swiped away several errant tears, doing her best to smile. “But when he found out I’d been lying to him, he called off the wedding. Not that I can blame him…”

“But I thought it was a pretend betrothal?”

“It was meant to be in the beginning, but it turned quite real in the end.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I was a fool to have thought anything could have come from it, given he’s a duke and I’m who I am—”

“You are perfect just as you are!” Aimee interrupted fiercely. “You are the kindest, loveliest, most genuine person I know. He should be grateful to have you as his wife and is a fool for not recognizing that!”

Evie smiled through her tears. “He’s a duke , Aimee, and I’m illegitimate. He could never have married me in the end, even if a tiny part of me was perhaps hoping for a fairy tale, as impossible as I knew it to be.”

The pain in her cousin’s eyes was heartbreaking. “I’m so sorry, Evie,” Aimee said, her own eyes misting over. She leaned over and hugged her tightly once again, the two of them crying silently together. “If he couldn’t love you for the amazing woman you are, then he doesn’t deserve you. Not even for one minute.”

“I’m trying to tell myself that, but part of me still wishes he could have loved me. That I was enough for him, despite everything.”

“Oh, my darling cousin,” Aimee cried, hugging Evie even harder, as her words echoed Aimee’s own desperate longing. She pulled back and stared at Evie. “Men can be the biggest bastards sometimes, can’t they.”

“Not all men, I hope?” her father’s deep voice spoke solemnly from the entrance to the sitting room.

Aimee pulled farther back from Evie and glanced up at him. There was such concern in his eyes that she quickly wiped away her tears and managed a brilliant smile. She couldn’t allow her father to suspect something had happened between her and Harrison, or he’d mostly likely try to kill him, or ruin him… And as much as Harrison had hurt her, she didn’t want anything to happen to him. She still loved him, as much as she wished she didn’t. So, stay strong and pretend she was fine was what she would have to do. “No, not all men are bad, Father. Except for dukes.”

He stared intently at her for several moments. “If you say so.”

She kept her face perfectly neutral as his eyes searched her own, almost like he knew she wasn’t telling him everything.

But then he nodded. “In any event, I’ve organized the carriage for us, so come along, ladies.”

Aimee and Evie both stood and followed him through to the entrance. They walked down the stairs and then her father gestured for Evie to get into the carriage, but as Aimee began to follow her, he stepped in front of her and blocked her path.

“Did he hurt you?” His voice was a low grumble as his gaze intently searched her own.

“I’ve already told you I’m perfectly fine, Father.”

“I’m not talking about the kidnapping. I’m talking about Harrison,” he replied.

“I don’t know what you’re implying—”

“I saw you flinch earlier when I mentioned his name.”

Of course he had. He never missed a thing. “I flinched because I can’t stand him,” she said. “Nothing more and nothing less.”

“Did he hurt you, Aimee?”

“Not for one moment,” she said with honesty, because the pain of her heartache would stay a constant companion to her for the rest of her life, not merely for one moment. “Now if you don’t mind, Father, I would like to get to the hotel and have a bath. The sooner I can wash away the weekend’s events, the sooner I can get on with my life.”

Slowly, he nodded. “Which clearly I’m going to have to readjust my position on.”

Aimee cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I’m finally realizing how serious you are about wanting to be part of my company.”

“You are?” Her pulse quickened in excitement as hope blossomed in her heart.

“Yes,” he replied gruffly. “You’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble to concoct this elaborate masquerade, which means you’re a lot more determined to follow in my footsteps than I ever believed you to truly be. And rather than continue to fight with you about it, instead I’m going to support you.”

“Are you serious, Father?” She couldn’t believe what he was saying. “You will?”

“Yes. I nearly lost you.” His voice cracked on the last word and he pressed his lips together for a moment and cleared his throat. “You have no idea how terrified I was after I arrived at the hotel this morning and there was a telegram waiting from your mother telling me of your kidnapping. I thought I might never see you again, my darling girl…” His voice broke and the tears he’d been holding onto spilled over. He pulled her roughly into his arms again and held on to her tightly. “It nearly broke me, and I will never let anything happen to you again. And if learning my business and helping me run the company is what will make you happy, then that is what you will do.”

“But what about Mother and her plans I marry a title?”

He pulled back from her and smiled. “Let me handle your mother. But I must ask, are you truly certain you don’t want to marry and have children? That this is the path you want to take?”

It had been all she’d wanted only a month ago…until she’d thought she could have it all, but in the end, a marriage without love was no marriage at all. “Yes, I’m sure, Father.”

“All right then.” He nodded his head. “Though I must warn you, it won’t be easy, especially with the biases many men have about doing business with women. However, I do know several women running successful businesses both here and back home, and I’m sure they will be more than happy to mentor you.”

“But I want you to mentor me, Father.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I will. But if you are serious on this path, then first you will learn from these women how to successfully navigate the world of business and effectively deal with men who are less than willing to conduct business with a woman. The experience you gain will be invaluable, but alas is not something I can teach you. However, once you’ve learned all you can from those ladies, then I will mentor you. It’s time your mother and I gave up on you leading a conventional life according to Society’s standards and embrace what it is you want for your life.”

“Oh, Father, thank you so much!” She leaned over, hugging him again as happiness filled her. Her dreams were finally coming true and she couldn’t wait to tell Harrison.

The thought stopped her cold.

There would be no telling him. In fact, once he sorted out the Wilheimer deal, which she knew he would, her father would sell him the majority stake in the English side of the company and she’d probably never see him again. Which was a good thing, though, wasn’t it? After all, her heart had just been shattered and she didn’t think it could take any further heartache, which seeing him would surely do.

She had to focus on her dreams for her future. Dreams that no longer held as much excitement as they once had, all because of Harrison suggesting she could have the world, with him by her side. He’d promised her everything, except for his heart, which in the end was what she’d wanted above everything but was something he could never give her as much as she wished he could.

She took in a deep breath. It was better this way. It had to be, and eventually she might start to believe that.