Page 2 of The Lyon’s Last Gamble (The Lyon’s Den Connected World #80)

“M ama, what have you done?” Whitney Watkins asked for the third time. “Please, you must tell me.”

Standing in front of the window, her mother wrung her hands as she stared off into the distance. Finally, she spun and faced Whitney.

“Dearest daughter, you know your father and I love you so.”

The tone of her mother’s voice had Whitney worried. She was much too serious and it was apparent that something weighed very heavily on her mind. The crease in her usually smooth forehead was the deepest Whitney had ever seen.

“Mama?” Whitney asked again, trying to swallow the large lump that had formed in her throat.

Her mother approached, clasping Whitney’s hands in hers, and pulled her to the settee so they could both sit down next to each other.

“As you know, your marriage prospects have dwindled to the point they are non-existent.”

Whitney groaned. Not this again. She wasn’t in the mood to be lectured about how she had ruined her life. She was well aware of that already and didn’t need or appreciate the constant reminder. She and Harold were to be married. He’d promised her so. They’d talked of their future. What it would mean for the both of them. The life they would share. The children they would have. The home they would build.

Unfortunately, young, gullible Whitney didn’t see the talks for what they were—lies.

All of them.

Not one word Harold spoke was true in any way. He had filled her head with such dreams and fantasies, and was so convincing in the process that not once did she ever have a doubt that he was lying to her. So, when he pushed her to take their courtship to the next level, telling her that it was only natural, she agreed. They were to be married after all. For them to partake in carnal pleasures was to be expected.

She should have known that their future wasn’t to be. They weren’t courting in public. There were no promenades, no dancing at the many balls they both attended. Harold hadn’t spoken to her father to get his blessing.

None of the usual things that happened when a couple courted happened in their relationship. But, yet, in her mind, she longed for the companionship so badly, she ignored all the things that were wrong. She didn’t have many girlfriends. And after word got out that she had bedded Harold, and they’d continued the endeavors for quite some time before getting caught, the few friends she did have were prohibited from associating themselves with her. As if what she’d done was contagious.

And then she’d found out that she was with child.

Her father was furious. He was ready to march over to Harold’s house and demand he do the right thing. But Whitney would rather be alone than be married to someone who didn’t love her.

Between she and her mother, they managed to convince her father to stay home and not confront her former lover. No one ever learned of the baby. It was a well-guarded secret between Whitney and her parents. One that would remain so.

Just a few weeks later, she’d lost the baby. The period of mourning she’d felt at the loss wasn’t anything she wanted to experience ever again. Still now, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be a mother. Could she carry a child to term? She didn’t know. And she wasn’t so sure she wanted to try and find out.

The heartbreak would be too much to bear.

“Whitney.” Her mother called, drawing her attention back to the present. “Your father and I would like to see you happy. You deserve all the best.”

Whitney scoffed. Society obviously did not feel the same way. “I appreciate your concern, mama. It’s very kind of you. Unfortunately, it’s not you and papa that that I need to convince.”

Her mother held fast to Whitney’s hand. “This is why we’ve decided to take a new approach.” Her mother rolled her lips inward. “It may be considered unorthodox by some in society, but it will be they who look upon you with envy.”

She couldn’t imagine what plan her mother had concocted now. “Mama, you have me utterly flabbergasted. Can you please get to the point instead of dancing around it?”

With a big breath, she spilled what she’d been keeping inside. “We have hired the services of a woman that will find you the perfect husband. One that will not be deterred by your past discretions in any way whatsoever.”

Discretions was a nice way of putting it. But that wasn’t the important part. “You’ve hired a matchmaker? To find me a husband?” She asked with surprise. This was even worse than if they’d paid off a man to marry her. It was practically the same thing. What will everyone say? There will be whispers said behind her back that she was unable to secure a husband on her own, so they needed to pay for one. She would be the laughingstock of society and an even bigger pariah than before.

She dropped her head in her hands. “Mama, this is awful.”

“It will be fine, Whitney, you will see. The woman is not a matchmaker per se, but she does have ways of securing husbands.” She patted Whitney’s hand. “And let’s be honest, your options are zero. I dislike that for you so very much. You deserve the very best and you aren’t getting it.”

“But now I’m going to get who knows what. How is that better?” She slumped into the back of the settee. “If you believe people continued to gossip about me before, just wait until they find out about this.”

“You are being very dramatic. But you worry for no reason. The woman we have hired is very discreet. And we have a lot of say into the specifics of it all.”

Whitney couldn’t believe what her mother was saying. “I don’t know how this is a possibility. What of the man? Does he know the situation he is walking into?”

Her mother grew quiet.

“He doesn’t?” She exclaimed. “Surely, this cannot be real, mama. What does papa say to all of this?”

Straightening, her mother pursed her lips. “Your last two marriage offers—”

“I’ve had marriage offers?” She asked surprised, sitting up straight.

“As I was saying, your last two marriage offers were from two men older than your father. Practically as old as your grandfather.”

Whitney blanched. She couldn’t imagine such a union.

“Exactly. They were not plausible matches and there was a reason why we didn’t even approach you with them. It’s not that you aren’t worthy of a viable marriage. You are. We just need to find the right man. One who deserves you and that’s what we’ve sought help with.”

Whitney pushed off the settee and began to pace the floor in front of the fireplace. “So some poor, unknowing sod is going to be saddled with me, and he’s not going to know there’s an issue until after we’re wed?” She paused, running her palms down the front of her green day dress. “I have to say, mama, I did not see you and papa as such conniving creatures.” She began pacing again. “I have no wish to take on an unwilling husband.”

“My dear.” Her mother threw her hands up in exasperation. “You have no option. It is this or be married to someone old enough to be your grandfather. And I would most certainly suggest you take this offer while it is available.” Her mother stood and walked out of the salon, leaving Whitney there to ponder this new direction her life could be headed in.