“I will tell Merton to forbid you from marrying,” Dotty spat the words.
Henrietta dropped Dotty’s hands. “Even if it means destroying my happiness?”
“You are beautiful and intelligent. You will find someone else.”
“How can you even say that?” Finding someone to love wasn’t a matter of going to a store and ordering one. Nate was the first gentleman she had ever been interested in. He was the only man who fit her. “Do you not care that we love each other?”
Her sister seemed to hesitate; then her face was like marble again. “I will do whatever it takes to stop you from being with him.”
She blinked back the tears threatening to fall. Nothing was going to change Dotty’s mind. “You can try.” Henrietta swiped at her eyes. “Grandmamma has already given her permission, as has Mama.”
Dotty’s eyes flew open. “No! She did not.”
“Yes.” Henrietta nodded. “I did not want to upset you, but I have made up my mind. He is the only gentleman I wish to wed.” She walked to the door and turned to face her sister again. “I am truly sorry you cannot bring yourself to find it in you to even give him a chance to ask for your forgiveness.”
“I will never see him.” Tears welled in Dotty’s eyes. “I will not see you if you wed him.”
“I am sorry it has come to this. I thought our love for each other would make you want to try to understand what I see in him.”
“Never.”
“I realize that now. I will ask Dorie if I can stay with her until the wedding.” Henrietta blinked back her own tears, opened the door, and ran to her room.
She threw herself down on her bed and let the tears flow. This was every bit as bad as she feared it would be and worse. Everyone else had come around. Why could her sister not at least try?
“Oh, there you are,” Styles said. “The boy from the Phoenix Society is asking for you.”
Henrietta grabbed her handkerchief and wiped her eyes. “Send him to my parlor.”
Her maid gave her a dubious look. “Yes, miss.”
She went through the door to her parlor, and a few seconds later a footman brought Toby in. “What is it?”
“Mrs. Perriman said as we’re gonna need help today, and if you’d come. We got a mess of babies to pick up. She thought it ’ud be fine ’cause it’s full day.”
“Yes, of course.” This, at least, would give her something to do. “I’ll change and be right down. You can ask Cook for something to eat in the kitchen.”
“Ain’t got time. I got another place ta go.”
“Very well. I’ll go straight to Phoenix House.”
The lad gave two sharp nods and dashed out of the room.
Henrietta rushed back into her bedchamber. “I must change. The dark blue wool serge gown.”
She got out her pistol and loaded it. “Tell Parkin I will need two men to accompany me.”
In less than a half hour, one of the servants was up with the coachman and the other was on the back of the carriage.
Nate saw Henrietta in her brother-in-law’s unmarked town coach turning onto Grosvenor Street. He’d wager she was going to Phoenix House as well. He was about to hail her when she turned her head in his direction and saw him.
She signaled to the coachman to stop. “Are you going to Phoenix House?”
He rode over to her. “I am. I take it you’re going there as well.”
“Yes. Take Darragh back and you can ride with me.” Her lovely lips were set in a thin line. “We are betrothed. No one will think anything of it.”
“Very well.” Nate was glad they were still betrothed, and he wondered if she had had her conversation with Lady Merton. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
