Confessions of Lady Tabitha, page 11
There had to be something she could do! Tabitha had toyed with the idea of running away, but where would she go? She had never been by herself before and wouldn’t know the first thing about living life. Injuring herself again was out of the question. Her knee was aching a little more now, but it wasn’t a shooting, sharp pain. It was more a dull throbbing pain that reminded her of what she had done today.
The door opened without a knock, admitting her mother inside. Tabitha should have known it was her mother. The duchess did not think that knocking on doors was necessary as she was the mistress of the house, but Tabitha disagreed.
“How are you doing, dear?” her mother asked. “Do you feel a little better?”
Tabitha had to think before she answered. If she said yes, her mother might force her to meet Lord Bazeley, but Tabitha would not be able to move freely around the house if she said no.
“Uh ... it’s throbbing,” she said truthfully. “But the bleeding has stopped.”
It had stopped a while ago, but Tabitha just felt like adding that in.
“I’m glad to hear that, dear. I don’t suppose you’ll be able to change out of that ruined dress and put on something else?”
Tabitha didn’t like the sound of that question. “Why?”
Her mother briefly looked at her hands. “Well, your father insists that you come down and join us in the drawing-room. This is Lord Bazeley’s first time in our home, and you should be available to greet your own fiancé.”
Tabitha should have known! Leo must have asked for her, and now her father was jumping through hoops to ensure that Tabitha came down.
“But what of my injury?”
Two little spots of colour appeared high on the duchess’ cheeks. “Your father said you can hobble downstairs with his walking stick. He really wants you to meet Lord Bazeley.”
“I have already met him.”
“That was different,” her mother insisted. “You were meeting for the first time then. However, now he is your intended.”
“Through no fault of my own.”
“Tabitha!” the duchess scolded. “Can you at least show some appreciation that a man like Lord Bazeley has agreed to marry you, knowing that you do not have a dowry to give him?”
Tabitha coughed back a snort of surprise. “Are you saying it’s my fault that we no longer have the money?”
“That is not what I am saying, Tabitha,” her mother argued and sighed. “Please, just get ready to come down with me. I am tired of arguing.”
Tabitha couldn’t believe it. Her father would rather see his daughter in pain than tell his guest that she was not well. What sort of man was he? Tabitha had always doted on her father and believed that he could do no wrong, but this situation said differently.
“I will need assistance going down,” she finally told her mother.
“I’ll tell Mandee to assist you. Please do not do anything to keep yourself from coming down,” her mother warned. “Your father will not like it.”
The duchess said it as though she knew the knee injury had been planned. Well, it had, but Tabitha hadn’t had days to practice it and make it seem more believable. She had thought on her feet, thinking that it would save her today, but her father had other ideas.
Her mother left, and moments later, Mandee appeared. The woman’s face was grim as she looked at Tabitha struggle to her feet.
“Do not say it,” said Tabitha.
“Say what? That you should never have hurt yourself? Fine, I shall not say it.”
“But you just did,” Tabitha accused. “How was I to know that Papa would still insist?”
Mandee said nothing but helped her hobble to the door. Tabitha wasn’t sure how she would walk down the stairs, but she was sure she could manage it. She didn’t want to, but she could.
“I’m really upset with you,” said Mandee after a while.
“I can tell.”
“No, I don’t think you can. You’re like a sister to me, Tabitha. It pains me to know that you had to hurt yourself just to avoid a man. There has to be a better way.”
“If you know of one, then I am all ears.”
They came to the top of the stairs and stopped. Tabitha had never noticed how many steps there were until now. The task looked a tad daunting, but she was confident that she could do it.
“Lean more heavily on me,” Mandee advised. “And place your good foot on each step.”
“Yes, Mother,” Tabitha joked, trying to lighten the air between them.
“I’m glad you’re well enough to jest. I am so angry with you that I do not wish to look you in the face.”
Tabitha winced a little as she pushed a little too hard on her injured knee. “I’m sorry if I upset you, Mandee. You know that was never my intention. I panicked, and this was the result of it. I promise not to do anything so foolish again. Now, please smile before you curdle all the tea I have drunk today.”
“So you think a little apology will make everything better?”
“Yes?” said Tabitha hopefully.
“You are one fortunate woman, Tabitha Browning,” Mandee replied with a shake of her head. “We only have three steps to go.”
Tabitha risked a brief glance at her friend, noticing that her expression wasn’t as dark as before.
“Do you forgive me?” she asked.
Mandee shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I do. I can never stay angry with you for too long.”
Tabitha laid her head on Mandee’s shoulder and gave her a side embrace. She could see the little smile play about her friend’s lips, but Mandee was probably still too annoyed to let it show.
They stopped at the drawing-room door and argued under their breaths about who should knock. It seemed that wasn’t necessary because the door swung open.
“You’re finally here!” the duke exclaimed, his cheerful voice not matching the look of displeasure on his face. “We have been waiting for you.”
“I apologise for my tardiness, Papa. I’m afraid I cannot move as quickly as I wish to with my injured knee.”
To prove her point, Tabitha limped forward, screwing up her face into one of pain. It wasn’t all that bad, but she wanted her father to feel guilty about calling her down.
“How unfortunate, dear,” her father commented. “Of course, we understand. Let me help you to a seat.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary, Papa,” Tabitha objected. “Mandee is more than capable, and it helps that we are about the same height.”
“Nonsense, dear. I shall take you straight to Lord Bazeley. He has been waiting to see you since the night you met.”
An involuntary shiver travelled down her spine at the mention of the marquess waiting to see her. Tabitha could never see him in the same light now that she knew what type of person he was.
“Oh, very well, Papa,” said Tabitha, knowing that her father wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Mandee disengaged from Tabitha, giving her a light squeeze on her hand before leaving the room. Tabitha was sorry to see her go, but she had no other choice. She took her father’s outstretched hand and hissed when he took a large step forward, jerking her injured knee. Instead of her father apologising, Leo came forward and took her hand. Tabitha tried not to cringe as the man’s hand covered hers, but she didn’t quite manage it. Fortunately for her, no one noticed. They were all too busy staring at the marquess.
“You must be more gentle,” he admonished the duke. “She does have an injury after all.”
The duke smiled a little too smugly for Tabitha’s liking. Had he purposefully caused her some pain to have the marquess come to her rescue? The thought hurt her.
“Since you will be her husband soon, perhaps you should escort her to her seat,” Tabitha’s father suggested.
“With pleasure, Your Grace.”
Leo pulled her closer, supporting her arm as he led her to a chair. She noted it was next to the one he had been sitting on moments earlier and inwardly groaned. It was the last place she wished to be in. The woman who sat on his other side regarded Tabitha with open hostility, only changing her expression to one of politeness when she found Tabitha looking at her. What on earth was that all about? Why did the woman dislike her despite them not knowing each other?
“Sit down and give that knee a rest, Tabitha,” said Leo, helping her into the seat.
Tabitha meekly thanked him, snatching her hand away from his at her first opportunity. Leo undoubtedly noticed, but he merely smiled and sat down next to her.
“Now that we’re all here, why don’t we start the introductions?” her father said. “Tabby, you already know Lord Bazeley, but the woman to his right is Lady Whittier, his half-sister.”
“Nice to meet you, Lady Whittier,” Tabitha dutifully said.
“Call me Ellie,” the woman replied. “I think I shall call you Tabby as your father did. It’s an adorable name. It reminds me of a kitten I used to have.”
Tabitha didn’t want the woman calling her anything but Tabitha or even Lady Browning, but she could see that she didn’t have a choice in this.
“We’re one big happy family, and we’re not even married yet,” said Leo, grinning. “How are you, Tabitha? I must admit I was disappointed that my wife-to-be did not meet me like the others. However, there is always a next time. You’ll be the best dutiful wife in no time at all.”
Tabitha raised her eyebrows at that. The man was already dictating how she should act, and they were not even married yet! What had happened to the charming version of him?
It had been fake, hadn’t it? The man is as charming as a hornet’s nest.
“Giving orders already, Leo?” his sister said, laughing. “At least give the little woman some time to grow accustomed to us, then you can order her however you like!”
Little woman? Order her around? Tabitha found she didn’t like that at all. Not knowing what to say, she decided to remain quiet. Let the ‘adults’ talk amongst themselves. However, that wasn’t what Leo wanted.
“I imagine your father has explained everything to you?” he asked her. “We shall be married by August.”
“Is that not a little too quickly?” Tabitha ventured to say. “Why not get to know each other a little better.”
That way, she could have more time to figure out how to get rid of him and this marriage plan.
“Why?” Ellie asked. “You met each other once already, and your father has already given his permission. There’s no reason to wait.”
Tabitha pulled her head back slightly and stared at the woman. Why had she answered and not Leo? That wasn’t a ladylike thing to do at all. Leo didn’t seem to mind, but Tabitha did. She looked at her parents, who seemed surprised as well. Let them see the family they were marrying her into.
“Ellie is right, Tabitha,” Leo added. “Everything has been set and organised already.”
“It has?” Tabitha asked weakly.
No one had told her anything about the wedding planning being confirmed already. Who had planned it?
“But Mama has not had the time to discuss anything with me yet,” Tabitha argued.
“That is because I am the one who organised everything,” Ellie declared. “All you need is a church, vicar, and a place to have your ceremony. The banns will be read tomorrow in both our parishes, but you and Leo will be married sooner than three weeks.”
Tabitha swallowed some of her spit and coughed. Less than three weeks? That would require a special licence. Why was Leo so keen to marry her soon?
“You’ll be Lady Bazeley in no time at all,” Ellie continued. “And then I can train you to be a good little wife for my ... brother.”
The last word was dragged out as Ellie looked at her brother, winking her eye and laughing. Tabitha found the whole exchange terribly forward and in bad taste. Ellie did not act like any lady she had come across. Tabitha glanced at her parents again, noting her father’s horrified expression. The duchess was still trying to appear neutral to the exchanges, but her face showed her disapproval.
Leo slumped a little in his chair, resting his head on the back of it. She had never seen him lounge like this, acting as though the house was his already. It technically would be his house once they were married, but that didn’t mean he had to take over. The fact that her father wasn’t doing or saying anything was mind-boggling.
“So, what do you people do to liven up your days?” Ellie asked. “I have no notion of how country people entertain themselves.”
“Well, uh, we play music,” Tabitha’s mother offered. “Write letters, go for walks, read – that sort of thing.”
Tabitha watched Ellie pull her face. “I’ll fall asleep with that sort of thing. Why don’t we play cards?”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Ellie,” Leo proclaimed. “What do you say, Your Grace? I know that you are a man of cards.”
Tabitha noticed the warning glance her mother shot in the duke’s direction, but her father point-blank ignored it, choosing to smack his hands together instead and rub them.
“Then a game of cards is on the table,” the duke responded with much excitement. “Why don’t you get the table, Lord Bazeley? I’ll get the cards.”
Tabitha was promptly ignored as Leo fetched the table and set it. The only two people who didn’t take part was Tabitha and her mother, as neither of them particularly liked playing them.
“Why don’t you play for us, dear?” her mother suggested. “I think I would like something soothing while we sit here.”
Fortunately, the pianoforte was just behind Tabitha. She nodded and limped to the instrument, opening it before running her fingers along the keys. Tabitha’s mother had asked for something soothing, so she thought about it for a moment and played something from memory. She still kept an eye on the card game being played, noting that her father did not appear to have a good hand. Perhaps he would win the next one.
Tabitha looked away for a moment, watching her fingers glide across the keys before giving her attention to the game once more. From the way Ellie and Leo were carrying on, Tabitha knew they had won again. What was wrong with her father? He was usually good with cards. Another six games were played, eight in total, and her father had lost every one of them but was calling for a rematch. Tabitha’s fingers faltered on the keys, almost coming to a complete stop as horrible realisation dawned on her. She stood up quickly, knocking the stool over and alarming everyone.
“What is wrong with you, Tabitha?” her father snapped.
Tabitha couldn’t tell if he was snapping at her because she had disturbed him or because he was losing. She decided to go with the latter.
Tabitha didn’t speak as she shook her head and ran from the room, ignoring how her knee protested the movement. She just wanted to get out of the suffocating place and into her room.
“Tabitha!” her father bellowed.
But she ignored him. Why should she listen to him when it seemed as though he was the reason behind her current situation?
Climbing the stairs proved to be more difficult, but Tabitha pushed herself, refusing to give anyone the opportunity to stop her. Finally, she reached her room, pulling the door open and shutting it with a loud bang. Tears were already falling down her face by the time Tabitha dropped onto her bed, and she gathered a pillow to her. How could her father have done this to her?
