The thought disgusted him as he wiped the spit from his face, but he had no idea what he could do about any of it. No man of his position could take on a man like Lord Parsons and live to speak about it later.
***
Numbness. That was all Juliet felt in her body, heart, and mind. Her very soul had been torn apart by her mother’s demand she never see Daniel again. A demand Juliet knew she could not change.
She sat in the drawing room wearing her best gown, a blue muslin draped with white lace and satin underskirts. It had been her favorite, but now, forced to wear it for Lord Parsons, she hated it. The man sat across from her, his smile wide and his clothing immaculate, but she heard little of what he said, for her thoughts were on Daniel.
What must he think of the arrival of Lord Parsons? The poor man must be devastated, and she wished to tell him that she cared nothing for this awful man.
Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother touched her arm. “Juliet, Lord Parsons asked you a question.”
“My apologies,” Juliet said. “I have not slept well as of late.” That was not an untruth; she had spent the past four nights since her mother had forbade her from seeing Daniel tossing and turning, sleep evading her at every turn.
“It is the weather,” Lord Parsons replied with a laugh. “As spring nears and warms away the last of the winter chill, it causes all to become drowsy. I had asked if you and your mother would like to join me for dinner Friday next. It would be an honor to have you both in my home.” He smiled and took on a humbleness that no one would believe was real. “It is no Scarlett Hall, but I believe you will find it to your liking.”
Panic gripped Juliet. The man wished to show her his home, the home he wished to share with her. However, she wanted nothing to do with him, but if she spoke her mind, her mother’s rebuke would be scathing. Furthermore, she would still be in the same position afterward.
“That would be pleasant,” she replied. “I look forward to seeing it.” She took a sip of her tea to hide her grimace and was surprised when she saw Lord Parsons smile. It was not a smile that radiated kindness or love like Daniel had given her so often in the past. In contrast, it was a smile of conquest. The idea of marrying this man angered as much as it terrified her. Oh, how she wished she could simply run far away!
“I am pleased,” Lord Parsons said. “I believe you will find the journey short, and the roads are well suited for travel at the moment.” He turned to Juliet’s mother. “Although it will be some time before the flowers return to my garden, I do hope it meets your approval.”
“I have no doubt that it will,” her mother said with a wave of her hand. “As it will meet Juliet’s approval, as well.” She gave Juliet a piercing look when she did not reply.
“It is Juliet’s approval I seek above all others,” Lord Parson said. “It is what I hope I earn during our courtship. As we progress in our relationship, I hope it will lead to other…arrangements.”
Juliet wished to tell the man that Daniel was courting her, not he, and that her heart and soul belonged to her stable boy. However, she kept silent. She pleaded with her mother with her eyes, but the woman ignored her.
“I have taken careful consideration of your offer after our last conversation,” her mother said. “I believe now is not the best time to discuss it. Perhaps when we are at your home for dinner?”
Juliet wished to wail, to scream, to shout that she did not want to marry this man, but she sipped her tea, her fingers gripping the handle of the cup so tightly she was surprised it did not shatter.
Lord Parsons nodded. “No, you are correct, Lady Lambert. Forgive my eagerness.” He rose and Juliet and her mother did the same. “I shall see you in a week. Thank you again for having me here.” He gave her mother a bow and then took her hand to kiss her knuckles. “I await your arrival with bated breath.”
When he was gone, Juliet rubbed the back of her hand on her skirts. “I do not wish to marry him,” she said angrily. “Do not make me do that. Not him.”
Her mother shook her head. “If I allow you to turn away Lord Parsons, another will take his place, and you will reject him, as well. It will become a never-ending cycle of you refusing each suitor, and I cannot have that.” She turned to face the fire, her back to Juliet.
“But you will leave your daughter heartbroken,” Juliet cried. “The daughter who has changed and become who you wanted. I have always known how much the others have pleased you and that I was the daughter you disliked the most.”
Her mother turned, her eyes reddened with unshed tears. “Never say such things,” she said in a low voice. “Never!”
“I am sorry,” Juliet said, wiping away her own tears. “I do not wish to believe it, but I have never been like my sisters. I have done nothing but disappoint you, and for that I can only apologize. But I have changed! Can you not see how much I have changed?”
Her mother closed her eyes. “You have no idea how much I love you,” she whispered. “You have a special place in my heart that the others do not.”
“Then allow me to marry the man I love,” Juliet said. “Do you love me enough to allow that?”
Her mother opened her eyes. “It is because I love you that I cannot allow it.”
Juliet turned and stomped from the room before she said something she would regret. As she made her way to her room, she knew the time had come. Tonight, she would inform Daniel of her plans to leave, and then, come morning, she would ask Robert for his help.
Stopping at Annabel’s room, she opened the door and went inside. Her cousin rose from the bed as she set aside a book she had been reading.
“What is wrong?” Annabel asked.
Juliet could no longer keep back the flood of tears, and Annabel rushed to her side and wrapped her arms around her. “It is no use,” Juliet said. “I must leave Scarlett Hall. Do you still wish to come with me?”
Annabel nodded. “I do. I will not be forced to marry Lord Agar.”
Juliet took Annabel’s hand in hers. “Then I will need your help tonight distracting Mother. Go to her after dinner and tell her that you have concerns about Lord Agar. Keep her occupied for as long as you can.”
“I can do that, but what will you do?”
“I must speak to Daniel,” Juliet whispered. “I must let him know we must be gone two nights from now.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Standing in the hallway outside the dining room after dinner, Juliet did everything she could to appear calm and keep her face clear of the anxiety that boiled inside her. When her mother joined them, Juliet nodded to her cousin.
“Aunt Eleanor,” Annabel said, “may I speak with you?” She shot an apologetic glance at Juliet. “It is a private matter.”
“Yes, of course,” Juliet’s mother said, her voice bathed with sympathy. “Would you like to join me in the study?”
Annabel nodded. Now was the time for Juliet’s part.
“I am happy to listen and offer any counsel I can,” she said.
Annabel sighed. “Do not be angry with me, but I would like to speak with Aunt Eleanor alone about this.”
Juliet gave an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, I see. Very well. I will go and find something else to do. Perhaps I will read in the drawing room.”
Placing a hand on Juliet’s arm, Annabel said, “Thank you for understanding.”
Juliet smiled in return. “Of course. See you soon, and then maybe you will be willing to tell me.”
The door to the study closed, and Juliet let out a sigh of relief. Annabel would keep her mother busy for at least an hour, which was more than enough time for Juliet to speak to Daniel.
Hurrying to the door, she ignored her coat, fearing her mother or Forbes would notice it missing, and stepped out into the cold wind. She wrapped her arms around herself and made her way to the stables. When she saw Daniel brushing one of the horses, she smiled.
“Juliet,” he said, placing the brush on a nearby bench and rushing to her. “You cannot be he
re. Your mother…” His embrace was comforting, but it lacked the heat it once had.
“Do not worry. Annabel is keeping her busy, but I cannot stay long.” She placed her hands on either side of his face. “You may smile; I am here now.”
He nodded and gave her a small smile. “I don’t know what to say.” He walked over and patted the horse he had been brushing. “I assume your mother told you I’ll be leaving?”
Juliet nodded. “She has already made inquiries for another stable hand. But that does not matter. We will be leaving in two nights.”
Daniel turned, and Juliet could not stop the worry that crept under her skirts like the cold wind outside. She brushed it aside; there was no need to worry.
“Tomorrow, I will go see Robert and collect any funds that may be ready. The rest we can collect at a later point. I am ready to leave here, as is Annabel.”
Daniel nodded and walked away, heading down the long corridor between the stalls. Juliet followed him and watched as he walked over to the worktable. “I still can’t read the letter you gave me.”
“It does not matter at the moment,” she said. “Once we find a place to live, we can resume the lessons. We must plan our escape; that is what is important now.”
It was as if time had stood still. Then Daniel turned, his smile gone. “There won’t be an escape,” he said. “You’re staying here.”
“What? Our plans have not changed except that we will leave earlier than we originally expected.”
Daniel kept his head down. “Your mother wants you to stay here, and I can’t defy her wishes.”
Juliet shook her head. “My mother does not know what is best for me; I do. Do not speak like this, Daniel.”
“It can’t happen. Our dream is over.” When he looked up at her, his eyes held a firmness she had never seen him possess before. “Even if we were to escape, she would send men after us. And you’ll break her heart.”
“This is my dream!” Juliet shouted, tears rolling down her face unchecked. “To be with you, the man I love. Nothing can be more important than that.”
“I’d thought that, too. But that was the dreams of a foolish boy.” He went to reach for her, but she pulled back, and his eyes filled with sadness. “Never doubt that I love you; I always will. But our lives are too far apart, and no amount of love will bridge that gap no matter how much we think it can be done.”
Juliet wiped at her cursed tears in vain. “She will have me marry Lord Parsons, and if not him, then another man. Is that what you wish?”
Daniel shook his head. “I know the man doesn’t love you, and I don’t want to think about his true intentions, but you have to please your mother.” He shrugged. “Maybe another man worthy of you will come into your life.”
“No!” She beat her fists against his chest, and he did nothing to stop her. “I do not want to love another! I only wish to love you!”
Daniel gathered her hands into his. “Goodbye, Miss Juliet,” he whispered. “This hurts me, but we were not meant to be. If you love me like you say you do, please don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
He turned away from her, and she found herself staring at his back, her vision watery. “It is because I love you that I will do as you ask. But no man, be he Lord Parsons or any other, will ever have my heart. That only belongs to you.”
When he turned back around, the pain in his eyes was so pronounced, she almost took a step back. However, instead, she lifted herself onto her toes and placed a kiss on his lips. The thought that this would be their last crushed her soul.
“Goodbye, Daniel. Thank you for showing me the best thing in life.”
“It’s a beautiful gift,” he replied, his voice breaking. “One I’ll carry with me forever.” He turned back to the table, a clear dismissal, and Juliet left the room.
Tears continued to fall as she stumbled across the drive, her steps thudding against the hard earth. Soon, Daniel would be gone, and Juliet would be alone, forced to marry a man she did not love. When she arrived at the steps, she paused to look up at the great walls of her home. The house had once been filled with laughter, but now it was full of heartache due to a mother who denied her daughter the very thing he wanted in life.
She was uncertain how long she stood there, but thoughts of Daniel and the life they could have had tormented her. It was not until she shivered from the chill in the air that she went into the house.
Her mother sat on the bottom stair of the grand staircase and rose as Juliet closed the door. “Where have you been?”
Juliet looked at her mother, no longer wishing to lie to the woman. “I went to speak to Daniel; to ask him to leave with me.” When her mother gaped, Juliet shook her head. “Do not worry; he refused my offer. It seems he believes that, because of his station, he is not worthy to be with the woman he loves.”
“Juliet…”
“It does not matter, Mother. We shall see Lord Parsons next week and we will tell him that I accept his offer.” The words tore at her heart, but she had no other choice. She walked past her mother without looking at her.
“Do you hate me?” her mother asked in a choked voice.
Juliet shook her head. “I could never hate you,” she whispered, although she did not turn back to look at her mother. Instead, she continued her journey up the stairs and to her room where Annabel waited for her.
“I tried…”
Juliet embraced her cousin, but it felt mechanical in some way. “It is all right. I have news for you.”
“What is it?”
Juliet sighed. “We are not leaving,” she said. “At least not with Daniel.” She explained what Daniel had said; it was strange her voice lacked any emotion. That numbness had returned, but it was better than the anger. Better than the sadness. Better than the loss.
“It seems my life no longer has meaning,” Juliet finished. “I am tempted to try again, to convince him that leaving together would be the best for us both, but I am at a loss as to what to do.”
“Monday we will go to Rumsbury to speak to Robert.” Annabel had a lilt in her voice that surprised Juliet.
“Whatever for?” Juliet demanded. “What can he do besides give me some of my investment returns? What good will money be if I am not leaving with Daniel?”
Annabel glanced at the door and then leaned forward. “He is friends with your mother,” she whispered. “Perhaps he can sway her in this matter.”
For the first time since leaving the stables, Juliet felt a twinge of hope return. “I suppose he may be able to,” she said thoughtfully. “If the woman is jealous over him, he may do anything he asks of her.”
The more she considered it, the happier she became. “Annabel, I do love you and your mind!” she said, wrapping her arms around her cousin. “Now, let us consider how best to approach Robert.”
***
Sleep had not come easy for Juliet, and come Monday morning, she was bone weary when they arrived in the village. The streets were busy, and people moved in and out of the various shops, greeting one another as they were wont to do after being closeted away during the colder months.
Annabel was speaking with Robert about the ledgers, and Juliet was on her way to collect a few items Robert needed. When she entered the haberdashers, the only shop in the village that carried almost every item on her list, including stationery, unbelievably, the shopkeeper set about collecting her required items.
As she stared out the window at the passersby as she waited, she could not help but wonder why the cobbler’s shop was always void of patrons. Yet, perhaps it was only coincidence; it was not as if she was there at all hours.
With a shrug, she turned her thoughts to Robert. If her mother cared for him, which Juliet suspected she did, the woman would listen to any advice Robert gave. Juliet had little concern for making the request of Robert, for he was her friend and enjoyed seeing her happy. The man would be calling on her mother the following day, which was an opportune time for him to speak to the wom
an.
Once her mother agreed, Juliet would give Daniel the good news—that the love they shared was not lost.
“Here you are,” the shopkeeper said.
Juliet paid the man and left the shop with the items bundled in her arms, almost bumping into Caroline in her rush to leave.
“Oh, Juliet,” Caroline said. “It is fortunate that I have run into you, for I have been wanting to speak to you.”
Juliet stifled a groan. She was not in the mood to listen to gossip. “I am sorry, but I must hurry. I have a very busy schedule. Perhaps we can speak next week.”
“It is about Mr. Mullens, the cobbler,” Caroline whispered after glancing around them. “Rumors are he propositioned a servant of Lady Chambers.”
Juliet scrunched her brow. “Propositioned?”
Caroline grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alleyway between the haberdashers and the jeweler’s. “Shh! Not so loud.” She glanced around them again, her face filled with worry. “He offered her a pair of boots for her virtue!”
Juliet had no time for such nonsense. “I will keep my wits about me,” she said. “I promise. But thank you for your warning.”
Before Caroline could add more rubbish to the heap, Juliet pushed past her and hurried back to the cobbler’s shop. She wanted to laugh; Robert propositioning a servant woman? It was preposterous! If it were true, what servant girl would tell anyone, especially someone who would tell Caroline? No, it was simply more senseless rumors that were so common among the ton, and she would take no part in it.
As she entered the shop, she glanced over at Annabel, who stood in the corner, her arms wrapped around her stomach and her face nearly white.
“Are you ill?” Juliet asked as she set the package on one of the benches. “You look as if you are unwell.”
“It is my stomach,” Annabel said. Then she lowered her voice and whispered, “May we leave, please?”
Juliet went to speak, but Robert entered through the white door behind the counter. “Ah, the supplies,” he said cheerfully. “Excellent.”
Annabel touched Juliet’s arm. “I will wait in the carriage.”
Secrets of Scarlett Hall Box Set: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection Page 67