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“It’s about Marley.”
Amelia stopped walking. Her hands fisted at her sides and she slowly turned around. “What of him?”
Lila looked at her with such pity that Amelia wanted to scream. “What is it?” she demanded. “Speak, woman, or I—”
“Marley is the owner of Goosefeather Abbey.”
It took a moment for Amelia to arrange her thoughts. “What?”
“Hewasthe owner. But he sold it earlier this week. To a man who means to tear it down and build a mill.”
Amelia stared at her. “What?” she said again, her voice weaker. How could he? How could he listen to her talk about the abbey and what it meant to her and say...nothing?
Joshua was right—she hated him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
June,1858
England
To Her Majesty the Queen, Justine,
Dearest Jussie, I am writing to beg you to bring me home to Wesloria as soon as possible. This trip to England has not been successful, and I can’t possibly abide another moment of being here. I’ve no doubt that Lila has sent word of how wretched it all turned out, although I think she is loath to admit that she has failed. She insists she has not given up, but as I pointed out to her, it hardly matters, because I certainly have.
I trust you will keep this between us, promise me, but I’ve never been so despondent, not even when Papa died. I don’t want to rise from bed in the mornings. The girls, who have been my great joy these weeks, bring me no cheer. I despair that I likely will never marry, as no one suits me. And then my chest fills with fury that the one I thought suited me perfectly should prove to be so deceitful. It is my burden in this life to be drawn to ones who are so very wrong. Happiness will elude me all my life.
I will never forgive Lord M for what he made me feel both in happiness and despair. I beg you never say his name to me. I can’t bear to hear it. I know you will want to know what happened between us, and of course I will tell you, but at present, I can’t think of him without feeling ill.
I’ll write more when I’m able. At present, even the pen feels too heavy a burden for me. I miss you terribly. I miss my dogs. I even miss Mama. Please don’t tell her I said so, or she will write and tell me to lift my chin, that I am the daughter of the great King Maksim and have absolutely no reason to weep when I do.
Yours, A
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
LILAHADBEENat the business of matchmaking for nearly two decades. In all that time, she could count on one hand the times she had failed to make a successful match. And never had she been unsuccessful with a member of a royal family.
She had written Queen Justine and Prime Minister Robuchard to tell them that the princess desired to return to Wesloria, that she’d not found any of the suitors to her liking. The prime minister responded right away to say he was disappointed in the outcome, but hardly surprised. The queen responded with a heartfelt request that Lila take care of her sister. She wrote that Princess Amelia may not seem to be tenderhearted, but she was, and she was distressed to learn her sister had not found love.
The queen wasn’t the only one who was distressed by the turn of events. But what bothered Lila most of all was that the Duke of Marley and Princess Amelia were perfect for one another. She rarely had two people so perfectly suited.
It didn’t help that Joshua left Hollyfield for London almost immediately after the sale of Goosefeather Abbey was known. She could hardly persuade him to see his way to the princess if he wasn’t here.
Princess Amelia was due to leave in four days. Lila was packing to leave, too. Donovan was bringing Valentin to her, as their plans for London had been scrapped, and the two of them intended to carry on to Scotland, where the heir to a substantial fortune wished to speak to her about her services. She missed her husband terribly, so it was jubilation she felt when she heard the jangle of horses and the creaks of a coach on the drive.
She dropped what she was doing and ran down the stairs and out onto the drive and didn’t stop running until Valentin caught her in his arms. “My love,” he said, laughing, and kissed her unabashedly in front of everyone.
But then he set her back and with a smile said, “I think you ought to look around.”
Lila looked around. There was Donovan, of course, who had been kind enough to fetch Valentin. And standing next to him, looking stiff and uncomfortable, was Marley. He had dark circles under his eyes and the shadow of a beard. What was he doing here? She turned around to look at Beck, who stood at some distance, his expression grim. “Lord Aleksander, you are most welcome. I’d walk over and shake your hand heartily and inquire after your journey, but it would appear I have an unexpected visitor and my good humor has evaporated.”
“Fair and deserved, my lord,” Marley said. “But I’ve brought you something I hope will restore your good humor.”
Beck snorted. “Unless you’ve brought me Goosefeather Abbey, Your Grace, my good humor can’t be restored.”
“Beck, darling,” Blythe said.
“I am speaking the truth. He has deceived us all. He didn’t give us a chance.”
