Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan Page B

expected, her beautiful features tightened with disapproval, confirming that the ton’s network of gossips had already struck.
    “How
could
you, Maura?” she demanded at once. “I have had two reports from friends in the space of an hour. It is bad enough that your father left us mired in scandal. You have to go and make it even worse by humiliating a peer of the realm before all of London.”
    Maura pressed her lips together at the unfair charge against her father. It was a huge point of contention between them. She believed utterly in her father’s innocence, but her stepmother seemed to have doubts. Certainly she had never refuted Deering’s false accusations with any vehemence, as Maura had. It was almost as if she blamed Papa for leaving her to deal with the disgrace. And now, even worse, she was taking his accuser’s side.
    “Your outrageous behavior is shaming us all,” Pris continued scolding. “And honestly, can you not see that making an enemy of Lord Deering will only hurt your stepsisters? But I suppose you don’t care about Hannah and Lucy one whit.”
    “Of course I care about them,” Maura said stiffly.
    “Well, it will surely be your fault if they fail to make decent matches.”
    Maura bit her tongue to hold back her retort, not wanting to say something she would regret.
    Priscilla had no such qualms, however. “You are living under my roof. You at least owe me the courtesy of restraining your hellion ways while you are here.”
    “You are right, Priscilla,” Maura agreed with effort, refraining from pointing out that this house used to be
her
roof before Pris had worked her wiles on Noah Collyer. “But you needn’t fear that I will disgrace you again in the immediate future. I am returning home to Suffolk this very afternoon.”
    Her announcement clearly caught Pris by surprise.
    “You are leaving London?”
    “Yes, I would not want to inconvenience you any longer,” murmured Maura, unable to repress an edge of sarcasm in her voice. “I only came to London to try and retrieve my horse, and that has proved impossible.”
    Priscilla lowered her gaze, looking almost contrite. She understood perfectly well that she had wronged Maura by delivering Emperor to the viscount for so many pieces of gold. “I am sorry you lost your pet, my dear,” she said in a softer tone, “but I had no other choice if I hoped to provide Seasons for my daughters to improve their chances of marrying.”
    It was an apology of sorts, one that Priscilla had offered several times before, but Maura was unwilling to accept that excuse.
    “As I
told
you,” she rejoined, “if you had only waited three months, I could have sold the spring foals to raise the funds you needed.”
    “But I could
not
wait,” Priscilla argued. “Too much time has already been wasted waiting for our period of mourning to be over. It will be difficult enough to find husbands for Hannah and Lucy when they are still young, and the case will be hopeless once they reach spinsterhood as you have. And surely even you can see Lord Deering’s patronage is
vital
to their acceptance by the ton. Without his support, their matrimonial prospects are doomed.”
    “No, I do not see that at all.”
    Refusing to be drawn further into the familiar, futile dispute, Maura spun on her heel and left the parlorwithout another word. She went straight up to her bedchamber to pack, her emotions simmering.
    She was aware that losing her beloved horse had dredged up old childhood resentments against Priscilla for taking away her father and sending her away from home. But just then Maura couldn’t repress the painful reminders.
    A half hour later, however, when her stepsisters burst into her room, she had to clamp down on her memories while trying to console them, for they were visibly upset at hearing the news of her impending departure.
    “Mama says you are leaving, Maura. Please, won’t you stay?” Hannah begged. “How are we to manage without you?”
    “I