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“Your Grace, there are many other young girls that—”
The dowager’s cane came down on the marble floor. “I like you, Lady Jennifer. Do not change my opinion of you.”
“Perhaps I might be able to extricate myself from this more if I succeed in changing your opinion,” she blurted out and immediately regretted allowing the words to move past her lips.
The dowager stepped closer, her eyes narrowed to intimidating slits. “You will marry my grandson, and if you do not, you will find yourself ending up a helpless spinster. You know, Lady Jennifer, I do not threaten people.”
A cold shiver ran through her body and her arms instinctively came about her body. The dowager could ruin her if she didn’t marry Nicholas.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening, my dear.” The dowager began to step down into the garden but paused and turned to look at Jenny. “See that you don’t confront me again.”
Jenny was left there feeling confused and oppressed. Now that Nicholas had had a change of heart and was inclined to marry her, it would be difficult to get out of this. But there was still one person that could help her. The person who had placed her in this predicament in the first place.
She picked up her skirts and hurried into the ballroom, looking around for her. She found him at the center of a small crowd of gentlemen who listened attentively to him speak. Taking a deep breath, she approached them. Thankfully, the gentlemen made way for her to reach him when they saw her. But every step she took was labored and her stomach turned.
“Are you alright, my dear?” he asked when he saw her. “You look pale.”
Oh, do I?
“I fear I am not feeling well, Papa.” It was not a lie because Jenny did not lie. Shewasfeeling slightly faint, weak in the legs, and nauseous.
He took her hand in his, his brows drawing together with concern. “Do you want me to take you home?”
She gave him a nod. “Please excuse me, gentlemen. I must attend to my daughter.” He took her arm and began to guide her out of the ballroom.
“We should get Daphne,” Jenny said.
“Right.” Her father stopped. “Where is she?”
Jenny didn’t need to look around for long before she found her. She was dancing with Earnest again. A pang of guilt stabbed at her. She didn’t want to bring her friend’s evening to an abrupt end but she needed to leave.
“She’s over there on the dance floor.”
“Can you wait here for me to go and fetch her?” he asked.
“We should let the dance end. I cannot bear to interrupt her dance.”
Something was seriously wrong with Jenny, for she felt more unwell by the second. Still, she was willing to wait for Daphne to finish dancing. From the corner of her eye, she spied Nicholas entering the ballroom from the garden and her illness intensified.
“You don’t look well, my dear. Give me a moment to find someone to take care of Daphne since you insist on allowing her to finish her dance.” He left her.
Jenny leaned against the wall, beads of sweat forming on her brow. She could not understand what was happening to her. She’d thought herself in possession of a stronger constitution. Surely the idea of marrying Nicholas was not the only thing causing her such disturbance.
A hand touched her elbow and she stiffened. She knew it was not her father. “Jenny, is something the matter?” Nicholas asked.
“I…” She couldn’t seem to find her voice. Her knees began to give way under her.
Please don’t faint, Jenny. You are stronger than this. Please, Jenny.
But her body would not listen to her mind and everything went dark.
