AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What has happened?” John asked, reaching for his coat to hide his state of undress.
“Let me inside. I must close the door.”
From Jane’s tone, he sensed the worst. She seated herself, but John remained standing, eager to hear what news she had to offer. “Is Margaret all right?”
Jane peered into his eyes desperately. “What you have feared most has transpired.”
“Speak.”
“Margaret… Margaret is to marry Lord Darkmoor. Her father lost her in a wager, and now the event is sealed in stone.”
John felt his jaw tense and his shoulders tighten. “When did she learn of this?”
“Just last night, after I had already returned from delivering the letter. Oh, John. She is positively distraught. It pains me to see it, but I did warn her that this was going to happen.”
“Come now, we all knew that this would happen. Why are you resigning yourself to it?”
“Because what else are we to do?” Jane protested. “Brother, sometimes I think that you do not understand how the world works. You fool yourself into thinking that you can do as you choose, but there are rules to society, and Margaret must abide by those rules.”
John clenched his fists at his sides. “She need abide by nothing other than her own will.”
“Stop this!” Jane stood defiantly. “You are making this situation worse. Can you not see that? Margaret has no choice, no say, and if you fill her head with silly notions, she may harm herself in some way.”
John fell silent. What did his sister mean by that? Margaret would never harm herself. The only person who could harm her was her own father, and that had already been accomplished. He continued to glare at his sister, thinking that there was no way in the world to get through to her.
“I shall go to her at once.”
“No.” Jane shook her head. “Let it go, John. You continuously stir up trouble. You have since you were a young boy.”
John protested, “And what the devil is wrong with that? I believe that a man should stir up trouble if something is amiss.”
Jane placed her hands upon her hips. “And so, it is men like you that start wars.”
“I would start a war for Margaret.”
“There is no sense in trying to get through to you. I am leaving.”
“I am coming with you,” John said, following her.
Jane stopped and turned and forcefully pressed her hand against John’s shoulder. “Do not do so, Brother! Or I will tell the viscount all.”
John could not believe this threat from his sister. Why was she going to such great lengths to prevent him? Again, he feared this was the protective instinct in her, but what rubbish to not defend her dearest friend.
“If you insist on preventing me, then send word to Margaret,” John said darkly.
“And what shall I say?”
“Tell her that all shall be well. I will find a way to make it so.”
Jane gazed at him intently, seemingly unsure of whether or not to relay this message. “Very well,” she said softly, conceding.
“Do you promise?”
Jane softened. “I promise, Brother. Just do me one favor and prevent yourself from going to Pelham Downs today. With the state that Margaret’s nerves are in, I do not think that she will be able to handle it.”
John nodded without saying a word. He watched as his sister fled his room, and John stood there dejected, not having the slightest clue of what he should do next.
It was all an utter nightmare, and now more than ever, John wished to help Margaret escape from Pelham Downs and take her as far from there as he could. They could go to Scotland that very day and elope. In John’s mind, there seemed no other way.
Oh, he did wish to win her hand traditionally, but now it was clear that wouldn’t be possible. He would use force if he had to.
Then he had to reconsider all of these thoughts and wonder what the deuce he was thinking. There was a strong chance that Margaret would be afraid of making such a bold move. And what’s more, there was a very strong chance that Lord Darkmoor would find them.
John sat on the end of his bed—frozen in anger. No, there was only one thing that John could control that day. He would search Farthington, and he would locate Lord Darkmoor.
