Page 60 of One Waltz with the Viscount

Once the old man had gone he took a moment to himself, resting his head on the wood of the door. He felt panicked, forced into a corner, as if his thoughts were racing around in his head, crashing into one another and just confusing him more.

After a minute he climbed back up the stairs, his feet dragging as if he were wearing heavy metal boots.

Sarah was getting dressed, fighting against the laces and ties as her fingers fumbled.

‘I expect you heard all of that,’ he said quietly.

‘I did.’

‘He is threatening to marry Sophia off to a man five times her age.’

‘Would he do it?’

‘Yes,’ Henry said without hesitation. ‘He would probably derive some sort of pleasure from it as well.’

‘What do you want to do?’ Sarah asked him, her eyes wide and her face pale and drawn.

‘I want to marry you. I want to rescue Sophia from that beast of a man and take her far away from him.’

‘But you cannot do both.’

‘No. I cannot do both.’

They both fell silent. Henry was desperately trying to find a way he could save his sister from the terrible fate their father had proposed, but also marry the woman he loved.

‘I don’t think there is a way,’ Sarah said eventually, walking towards him slowly. She reached up and stroked his cheek, then raised herself up on tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. ‘Your father has won.’

‘I cannot give you up.’

She smiled, but it was full of sadness. ‘Then let me do this for you. I love you, Henry Routledge. Do your duty and take care of your sister. Try to forget about me.’

‘I can’t forget about you.’

‘You must.’

He shook his head, gripping hold of her hand, even though he knew she was right. Marrying Lady Isabelle was the lesser of two evils. He would be tied to a woman he did not care for, but it would be a relationship he would be in control of. Never would he be unkind to his wife, however little he enjoyed her company. If Sophia was forced to marry Lord Tutley she would have to endure unspeakable things.

Sarah pulled her hand from his and, before he could say anything more, she slipped past him and ran from his rooms, down the stairs and out into the street. He stood, unmoving for a minute, before cursing under his breath and following her out. He could not lose her, not like this, not when he had finally allowed himself to feel something real again.

The street was empty in both directions. He could try to follow her, but what would it change? Right now he needed time to think and time to plan. Perhaps he could find a way to get out of the wedding, and if not...

He let the thought linger. It was a cruel world sometimes.

Chapter Eighteen

Sarah dashed through the streets, not really paying attention to what direction she was going in. She felt numb, as if her whole mind and body had been chilled by a dip in a frozen lake.

She could not believe what had just happened. Despite all her reservations, all her vows that she would not end up like her mother, she had given herself to a man who was not truly free to be with her. It was not entirely Henry’s fault—his father had put him in an impossible position, but a small part of her wished he had chosen her. Never would she want his sister to suffer, but surely there must be some way that she and Henry could be together, and Sophia could be rescued from her horrific proposed marriage. She wanted him to fight for her, but she had seen in his eyes that he thought he was defeated.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. This was an impossible situation and she was asking too much of Henry. He had come so far these last few days, realising he deserved a second chance at love and that he could trust his instincts and decisions. They had almost succeeded, almost had their fairytale ending, but Lord Burwell had slipped in right when Sarah had allowed her worries to float away.

A chilling thought hit her as she realised she and Henry had spent the afternoon making love. It was only one afternoon, but babies had been conceived after less.

‘He is not like your father,’ she reminded herself. Henry was a good man stuck in an impossible situation. If she did find herself pregnant, she did not think he would abandon her to deal with it on her own.

A little rebellious voice inside of her asked, If he had to choose between supporting her and helping his sister, what would he do?

Sarah let out a half-strangled sob of distress, startling a couple walking past. She gave then a weak smile of apology and hurried on.