Lord Ashdown did not seem to mind that he had upset Annabelle however, he laughed to himself as if he had an inner joke circulating in his brain. If Annabelle was not under strict instructions not to make a scene, she might have asked him why he thought it acceptable to treat her in such a way .
“Would you like to dance ?”
Annabelle had always hated dancing. She despised the hours spent with her dancing teacher as a child. It did not help that her father got annoyed with her until she got it right and that her sister seemed to take to it so naturally. Now, with this man who she instinctively despised, the idea of moving to music sent a shudder racing up and down her spine .
“No, I do not think so .”
She turned her head away, trying to end the conversation, but Lord Ashdown did not know how to be refused. It simply was not in his nature .
“You cannot turn me down; your father wishes me to dance with you .”
“He has not mentioned that to me.” Annabelle’s heart thudded so loudly she could feel it in her ears. “He usually lets me know if there is something that he wishes me to do .”
Watson narrowed his eyes at Annabelle, the rejection stung him to the core. Of course, he knew as well as Annabelle did that he could not make a scene about it, but that did not mean he was done .
“Fine,” he announced with a coldness to his tone. “Save our first dance until our wedding day, I do not mind that .”
As he stalked off, Annabelle felt sick to her stomach. There was no way she would be made to get married to that man, especially not now, it was much too soon. But fear crept through her veins anyway. She did not know what her father would do, with her ‘best interests’ at heart, and that terrified her .
Chapter 3
“I t is not right, is it?” Annabelle asked as she paced Catherine’s oversized bedroom the following morning. The cream and pale blue décor was designed for calm, but she could not feel that way today. After a night of barely any sleep, Annabelle still had unbridled terror racing through her system. “Lord Ashdown will not ask my father for my hand in marriage, will he ?”
Catherine flickered her eyes over to the Stanbury sisters who immediately shook their heads. Catherine was much better at delivering bad news than them. She seemed to have a better way with words .
Catherine sighed loudly as she searched her brain for the right words to calm her friend down. “He might does, if he has taken a liking to you. He might also be interested in the dowry you come with.” Annabelle shot her friend a terrible look, that was not what she wanted to hear. “I know you might not like that,” Catherine did her best to defend herself. “But I feel it is better for you to be prepared for what might come next .”
“Maybe I should speak with my father today, maybe it would be better for me to tell him in advance that I do not want to marry Lord Ashdown .”
“I do not think that is a good idea,” Catherine shook her head rapidly from side to side as she disagreed with Annabelle. “I do not believe your father will appreciate your opinion on the matter .”
“I cannot have an opinion on the man I am going to marry? The father of my children? The person I have to spend the rest of my life with ?”
Catherine did not even bother to answer that. They all knew the answer, once Otto Hathaway had made a decision, it would happen no matter what .
Edith shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, she did not know how to deliver the knowledge that she had balling up inside of her, but she felt compelled to get it out somehow. She did not wish to make her friend feel worse, but it didn’t feel right to keep secrets from her either .
If this affected her future, then she deserved to know .
“Annabelle, I think there is something you should know,” Edith told her quietly. Regret laced her tone, but the weight shifted from her shoulders just the tiniest bit. “I do not think Lord Ashdown is the one for you, I think you should find whatever way you can to get out of marrying him .”
Annabelle rushed to her friend’s side and she gripped tightly onto her arm as she stared desperately into her eyes. “What do you mean? What do you know?” she begged .
“I do not know anything about him at all, but our elder brother used to work with him at the bank a few years back.” Edith glanced over to Harriett who gave her a helpless shrug. She did not know what was the best thing to do. In the end, Edith continued on. “I mentioned Lord Ashdown to Edmund this morning when he was visiting and his opinion of him is not positive .”
Annabelle slid backwards and tried to catch her breath. She knew that there was something wrong with Lord Ashdown, she could just sense it. Still, she was not sure how she felt to have that confirmed. “What did he say ?”
“That he is a brute.” Edith bit down guiltily on her bottom lip. “And that he likes the company of courtesans .”
Annabelle instantly felt her whole body still. There was no way that would be invented, it just was not the sort of thing that one would lie about. And she knew Edmund well, he was a man who took life very seriously. He would never say something unless he had seen evidence of it himself, he did not gossip
“Oh my goodness. I was not expecting that .”
Edith threw a comforting arm over her friend’s shoulder, but Annabelle shook it off as she raised back into a standing position .
“Well that simply confirms it, I have to find a way not to marry this man. I have to somehow stop my father from allowing this to happen .”
“It still might not happen,” Catherine tried to reassure her friend. “He might have only said that to try and rile you up .”
“I suppose so, I just do not want to turn a blind eye to it in case he was being serious.” Annabelle’s brain spun, she did not know what to think anymore. It was all so confusing. “What do you think I should do ?”
“I would leave it,” Catherine said confidently. “I do not think you truly have anything to worry about .”
“Maybe you should try speaking with your mother?” Edith suggested helpfully. “She might have some idea of what your father is planning .”
“Maybe she could stop him too,” Annabelle agreed with a nod. “She is the only woman in the world that he ever listens to. Not all the time, but it is worth a shot .”
Harriett was not convinced. She knew that Annabelle needed to consider every option, just in case she could not control life in the way that she hoped. “You know, I think a lot of men involve themselves with courtesans. Many society women turn a blind eye to their husband’s affairs, that is common knowledge. If you do end up having to marry Lord Ashdown, maybe that side of him will work to your advantage .”
Annabelle rolled her eyes dramatically. That was the last thing she needed to hear. “But I do not want to marry him, I do not want to be a wife whose husband has affairs. I would much rather have a husband who wants to treat me well .”