Arabella dropped her hand. “This conversation could have waited until I returned home.”
“I’m afraid it couldn’t wait.”
“Why is that?”
Her father looked uncomfortable as he remarked, “If you are not willing to marry Lord Eastwood, then it will be best if you retired to our country estate.”
“For how long?”
He hesitated before asking, “I don’t believe there is a purpose for you to return to London, do you?”
Her mouth dropped. “You are banishing me to our country estate?”
“No sensible man will want you now that you have two broken engagements, despite your generous dowry.”
“I can’t believe you are doing this to me.”
“Augusta and I feel that it would be best for you to be in your own household—”
She cut him off, attempting to keep the hurt out of her voice. “This is all because of Augusta.”
“No, it is not,” he replied. “We came to this decision together.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she asked, “What would Mother think of you banishing me to a life in the country?”
A pained look came to his face. “That is not fair of you,” he stated. “You created this mess, and now you have to deal with the consequences.”
“I did no such thing!”
“I’m beginning to wonder if you even know what you want in this life.”
An image of Colin came to her mind, and she didn’t hesitate to reply, “I know precisely what I want.”
“And what is that?” his father asked, his voice skeptical.
She tilted her chin. “I want to marry Lord Barrett.”
Her father scoffed. “Did you forget that Lord Barrett does not want to marry you?”
As she opened her mouth to reply, Colin’s voice came from the doorway. “Do you mean that, Bella?”
* * *
Colin knewthat he shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but he’d heard the pain in Arabella’s voice, drawing him in. He’d been about to make his presence known when she’d said it, the most wonderful thing, and he could scarcely believe it. She had informed her father that she wished to marry him.
Her words had shaken Colin to the very core, causing him to make a most awkward entrance. Now he just stood there, waiting for her to answer, and the silence was deafening.
Arabella turned to face him, openly surprised. “Colin! I hadn’t realized you’d arrived.”
Colin stepped further into the room, but his eyes never strayed from hers. “Did you mean what you said?”
Her eyes darted towards her father. “I did.”
Before Colin could respond, Lord Clavering spoke up. “Absolutely not!” he exclaimed. “I forbid a union between you two.”
Arabella arched an eyebrow. “You forbid it?”
Lord Clavering nodded. “I do,” he replied. “Lord Barrett is an earl, but Lord Eastwood will one day be a marquess; a wealthy one, at that.”
