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Freddie’s face was implacable. “Yes, all of that could happen. You still must try.”
Percy didn’t reply. He couldn’t tell Freddie the truth—that it was the fear of Jane finally telling him that she didn’t love him, couldn’t love him, would never love him that made him hesitate to call upon her. Perhaps it was better to not know. That final pain might be too much.
“What a day,” he sighed, sipping his whisky. “In all the drama that unfolded at the Metcalfe residence this afternoon, I almost forgot the reason I called there in the first place.” His face twisted. “It seems that there are many people who do not want Jane and me to marry and are causing mischief to ensure that we do not.”
Freddie raised his eyebrows. “Who? What else happened?”
“It seems that Beatrice Prescott and Charles Crawford are in cahoots,” he said, his voice bitter. “She told me that Crawford and Jane are having a secret affair. When I confronted the man about it, he said it was true. He claimed they are in love and warned me off.”
Freddie shook his head in disbelief. “And what did Jane say about such a claim?”
“She said it is not true,” said Percy. “She says he is in love with her, and it is the act of a desperate man. She believes that Crawford and Beatrice Prescott are conspiring together to tear us apart in an effort to clear the way for both of them.”
“What do you think?”
“I think Jane is right,” said Percy. “I have always known Beatrice Prescott is ambitious and has targeted me. If she discredits Jane in my eyes, she thinks I may turn my attention to her.” He paused. “And it is obvious that Crawford is in love with Jane and cannot accept she does not love him in return. It is the last desperate act of a man who thinks he may win her if I am out of the field.”
Freddie gave a low whistle. “It is astonishing to what depths people will sink to get what they want. Two ambitious ladies who have their sights set upon you because of your title. And a gentleman who cannot concede defeat in love. And they do not care whom they hurt in the process. It is despicable.”
Percy’s heart contorted. Itwasdespicable. He had always known that many people schemed and tried to manipulate those around them for their own ends, but he had never encountered such single-minded determination as this.
Strangely, though, his furious anger seemed to have subsided about it all, and now he just felt immeasurably sad. He didn’t care about Crawford and Beatrice Prescott any longer. They had both put up a fight and lost. Neither of them was going to get what they wanted, and they would just have to live with the outcome.
Lucy Metcalfe was another matter. It looked like that lady was going to win. But even his anger over that seemed to have diminished somewhat. Instead, he just pitied her. What must it be like to be ruled by ambition like that, to the point that the lady was ensuring her own unhappiness, just for a title? To be the type of person who would seek to hurt someone in her own family just for her own ends?
He gazed down into his glass, surprised to find that he had finished his drink again. His mind was a bit fogged by the liquor. He knew that he should stop now before he was well and truly in his cups. He needed a relatively clear head to be able to think properly tomorrow about what he was going to do about this appalling situation.
“I am retiring, Morland,” he said, getting to his feet. “I need my bed.”
Freddie nodded. “A good idea. I shall put my thinking cap on and try to think of a way that you can get out of this, Carlisle.” He frowned. “Theremustbe a way. Do not give up hope.”
Percy nodded, walking away and up the staircase to his room. He knew that Freddie would try his very best, but it was hard to have any hope. He felt as tightly enmeshed in this situation as a fly caught in a web. And the spider was looming down upon him.
At the top of the stairs, he stopped, gazing out the window at the sea beyond. He had come to Seaborne with such hope. It seemed an age ago now. So much had happened in a brief period of time that his mind was reeling.
He had met Jane. And everything had changed for him from that moment. He wasn’t the same man anymore. He wasn’t the same man who had arrogantly asked her to marry him the day after they met. He didn’t even recognise that man any longer.
She had finally opened his closed heart. He had fought it, but it had always been a futile endeavour. He had been falling in love with her from the moment he first set eyes upon her. But had she been falling in love with him the same way?
He closed his eyes in anguish. He wished he knew the answer to that question. But it seemed she didn’t. She wouldn’t be able to let this happen otherwise. And perhaps, it was time to not fight that truth any longer and just accept that he was never going to have her. The love of his life had come and gone, just like that, in the blink of an eye.
Chapter 36
It was still early morning when Percy headed out for a walk the next day. His head throbbed, and his mouth was dry. He had spent a restless night tossing and turning, unable to sleep properly. When dawn had finally come, he had given up entirely.
Almost against his will, he found himself heading towards the Metcalfe house. He had no idea what his intention was. It was far too early to call. When he got there, he loitered around the side of the house, staring at it in a longing way.
Perhaps he was hoping to catch a glimpse of Jane. Perhaps he thought she might be looking out a window and see him standing there waiting for her. But after five fruitless minutes, where he saw no one at all, he gave up, heading back the way he had come.
Freddie’s words swam around in his head. His friend said he should just tell Jane how he felt about her, and then the outcome to all this might be different. But how could it be? Jane must know that he cared about her by now. He hadn’t been able to keep away from her. Just before Lucy had barged in on them, he had pleaded with her to marry him once more. And he had pleaded with her again after Lucy had arrived. And she had resisted him the whole time.
He gritted his teeth. She knew what she meant to him. If she didn’t know by now, she never would. She was reacting this way because she truly didn’t love him, and her commitment to remaining a spinster was more important to her than anything. Even him being forced to marry her despicable cousin to save Jane’s honour.
She didn’t love him enough, and she never would.
His heart felt as heavy as it had ever felt as he turned a corner, almost colliding with another walker. To his shock and dismay, it was none other than Charles Crawford.
The other gentleman looked as shocked as he felt. But he collected himself quickly, squaring his shoulders, as if preparing for a fight.
