sheâd fallen for that confidence, too! How could she have been such an idiot? How could she not have realized that Davidâs tender solicitations were false? Clearly heâd been acting a part the whole time, determined to gain her money.
He said he didnât care about your money.
Heâd said he didnât want to marry either, but that had certainly changed once he saw that she was pretty! Apparently he could stomach marrying for money if his wife was handsome enough to tolerate.
Tears now streamed down her cheeks. How could she have let herself be so deceived about him? What was wrong with her?
She spent the next hour sobbing into her pillow. Even after she was cried out, choking desolation filled her. She lay in bed, clutching the damp pillow to her chest. If she could just keep herself together for another few hours, they would be leaving this place. She would be safe.
Safe? A chill struck her. Perhaps from David and his two-faced lying and cheating, but not from Papa. He wouldnât care that David had dallied with a maid. If she told him of it, he would just give her some nonsense aboutlooking the other way, since that was precisely what he expected from Mama. And if she said she meant to refuse Davidâ¦
Her mouth went dry. She dared not tell Papa yet. Remembering his threats, she rubbed her arms feverishly in a vain attempt to banish the icy fear stealing over her. Papa wouldnât accept her refusal. He would take her onto a boat and sail the seas until she begged him to stop, until she agreed to whatever he demanded.
Oh, what was she to do? She could wait until they reached London to tell Papa, but that would only delay the worst. Eventually David would make a formal offer, and Papa would demand that she accept it. And if she didnâtâ¦
Icy tendrils of fear curled round her heart. The only way Papa would leave her alone was if David never made an offer at all. Papa would blame her for it, of course, but he wouldnât be able to do anything about it.
Her breath quickened. Yes, that would work!
But how to manage it? Leaving the bed, she paced the bedchamber. She had to make David give her up. She would dearly love to throw his dalliance with the maid back in his face, but he would just deny it. So she had to convince him that she had simply changed her mind, but in such a way that he was glad of it. She had to provoke him into despising her.
Spotting the writing table, she walked toward it. She would write him a letter detailing exactly why she was a bad choice for a wife, fortune or no. She would promise to make his life a misery if he married her. And since he hated having his pride pricked, she would do that, too. She would infuriate him to the point that he washed his hands of her and her whole family.
Giving him a piece of her mind wouldnât prove difficult; right now, it was all she could do not to throttle him for how heâd betrayed her. Her blood teeming with righteous indignation, she sat down and picked up her pen.
It took two hours to perfect her missive. When it was done, she sat back, drained but feeling decidedly more in control. If he didnât decide against marrying her within moments of reading this, then he was a fool. He might be a heartless, smooth-tongued cad, but David was no fool.
Now she must manage her good-byes without showing her unhappiness, so neither David nor Papa suspected anything. And the letter had to be left for David without Papa learning of it and demanding to see what sheâd written. After all, young ladies werenât allowed to write to young gentlemen on their own.
She hid the letter in her writing case, then stretched out on the bed while she decided how to deliver it. A servant? No, she couldnât trust them not to tell Papa or Davidâs parents of it.
Could she sneak it into Davidâs room? Hardly. He had probably returned to his bedchamber by now, and if she were caught with him there, sheâd have
He said he didnât care about your money.
Heâd said he didnât want to marry either, but that had certainly changed once he saw that she was pretty! Apparently he could stomach marrying for money if his wife was handsome enough to tolerate.
Tears now streamed down her cheeks. How could she have let herself be so deceived about him? What was wrong with her?
She spent the next hour sobbing into her pillow. Even after she was cried out, choking desolation filled her. She lay in bed, clutching the damp pillow to her chest. If she could just keep herself together for another few hours, they would be leaving this place. She would be safe.
Safe? A chill struck her. Perhaps from David and his two-faced lying and cheating, but not from Papa. He wouldnât care that David had dallied with a maid. If she told him of it, he would just give her some nonsense aboutlooking the other way, since that was precisely what he expected from Mama. And if she said she meant to refuse Davidâ¦
Her mouth went dry. She dared not tell Papa yet. Remembering his threats, she rubbed her arms feverishly in a vain attempt to banish the icy fear stealing over her. Papa wouldnât accept her refusal. He would take her onto a boat and sail the seas until she begged him to stop, until she agreed to whatever he demanded.
Oh, what was she to do? She could wait until they reached London to tell Papa, but that would only delay the worst. Eventually David would make a formal offer, and Papa would demand that she accept it. And if she didnâtâ¦
Icy tendrils of fear curled round her heart. The only way Papa would leave her alone was if David never made an offer at all. Papa would blame her for it, of course, but he wouldnât be able to do anything about it.
Her breath quickened. Yes, that would work!
But how to manage it? Leaving the bed, she paced the bedchamber. She had to make David give her up. She would dearly love to throw his dalliance with the maid back in his face, but he would just deny it. So she had to convince him that she had simply changed her mind, but in such a way that he was glad of it. She had to provoke him into despising her.
Spotting the writing table, she walked toward it. She would write him a letter detailing exactly why she was a bad choice for a wife, fortune or no. She would promise to make his life a misery if he married her. And since he hated having his pride pricked, she would do that, too. She would infuriate him to the point that he washed his hands of her and her whole family.
Giving him a piece of her mind wouldnât prove difficult; right now, it was all she could do not to throttle him for how heâd betrayed her. Her blood teeming with righteous indignation, she sat down and picked up her pen.
It took two hours to perfect her missive. When it was done, she sat back, drained but feeling decidedly more in control. If he didnât decide against marrying her within moments of reading this, then he was a fool. He might be a heartless, smooth-tongued cad, but David was no fool.
Now she must manage her good-byes without showing her unhappiness, so neither David nor Papa suspected anything. And the letter had to be left for David without Papa learning of it and demanding to see what sheâd written. After all, young ladies werenât allowed to write to young gentlemen on their own.
She hid the letter in her writing case, then stretched out on the bed while she decided how to deliver it. A servant? No, she couldnât trust them not to tell Papa or Davidâs parents of it.
Could she sneak it into Davidâs room? Hardly. He had probably returned to his bedchamber by now, and if she were caught with him there, sheâd have
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