The Gilded Web by Mary Balogh

Papa?” she said. “He lives his life as he thinks it should be lived, James. He means well. It is all anyone can do. I wish you did not hate him so.”
    â€œHe thinks he is God,” he said vehemently, squeezing her shoulder once more. “And I will be eternally thankful that he is not.”
    â€œHe will be sending for me soon,” Alexandra said. “Lord Amberley said he would call this morning. And I still do not know what I am to do. Oh, James, I have never known a nightmare like last night. First, that snubbing. It was dreadful, even though both Lord Eden and you had warned me what to expect. And then the duke. And finally Lord Amberley. I felt like a thing. A thing with leprosy. I have never felt much in control of my life, but last night I was totally at the mercy of others. I hated the feeling. I wanted to yell and scream and hit out at people. Is not that dreadful?”
    Purnell stooped down on his haunches and looked into his sister’s face. “I wish I could protect you from life, Alex,” he said, his intense dark eyes glowing. “God, how I wish it! I have known some of the cruelty it can inflict. But I wish it would leave you alone. You are the only person in this world I have left to care about.”
    â€œJames!” she said. She leaned forward in her chair and framed his face with her hands. “I wish you were not so bitter, dear, and so full of hatred. I do wish that. Can you not forget about what is in the past and cannot be helped? Can you not look to the future and make something bright of it? Besides, we are forgetting that there was one ray of light last night. There was the earl’s sister. I have seen her before, you know, and always admired her beauty and gaiety, her ability to simply enjoy herself. Was it not kind of her to come and talk to us last night?”
    â€œKind!” he said, drawing back his head and getting to his feet again. “The girl likes to make grand gestures, Alex. She saw a chance for heroism. It was a chance not to be missed. For the space of a few minutes she was the focus of everyone’s attention in that drawing room.”
    â€œI think you do her some injustice,” Alexandra said gently. “She risked a great deal to put us at our ease. Perhaps other people will not like what she did and will shun her too.”
    Purnell laughed. “Her?” he said. “Taking a risk? Nothing is uncalculated with shallow, artificial little creatures of society such as she, Alex. She knew her brother was about to maneuver you into marriage. She ended up being the heroine of the hour.”
    â€œI liked her,” Alexandra said.
    â€œThen you must continue to do so,” he said. “It seems likely that she will be your sister-in-law. Just don’t expect too much in the way of love or loyalty, Alex.”
    The expected knock sounded at the door. Alexandra smiled briefly at her brother as he strode across the small room to open the door. She did not wait to hear the words of the footman who stood outside. She rose to her feet and smoothed out the cotton of her morning dress.
    She was surprised when she reached her father’s office to find him alone. She had expected the earl to be there. Her father was standing by the window, looking out into the street.
    â€œCome in, Alexandra,” he said, not turning at her entry, “and stand in front of my desk.” One was very rarely invited to sit in Papa’s presence, Alexandra reflected.
    â€œGood morning, Papa,” she said, clasping her hands loosely in front of her.
    â€œI do not know what is particularly good about it,” he said. He turned from the window to look at her. “Though I suppose we must make the best of the situation. I have had two visits concerning you this morning.”
    She looked inquiringly at him, but found her eyes dropping before the severity in his, as they had been doing for as far back into her infancy as she