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“Don’t make too much of it,” said Indy. “In the eyes of the world I jilted him. Only our close families know the truth about the existing contract. It’s quite a complicated and difficult contract to dissolve and neither one of us intend to marry and so... it means nothing.”
“Oh I completely understand. Why bother with legal proceedings unnecessarily?”
“Quite.”
Mari’s eyes danced with laughter. Apparently she thought there must be some other reason that Indy hadn’t been eager to legally dissolve the betrothal.
There was no other reason.
She wore the Minerva coin around her neck as a reminder to never love, never trust, again.
And the marriage contract served as enforcement. She couldn’t fall in love and marry, even if she wanted to.
And neither could Ravenwood. Which, for some unknown reason, gave her a feeling of great satisfaction.
“How did you jilt him, and why?” asked Mari.
“It was at my coming-out ball,” said Indy, the memory bleeding into her mind. “I hadn’t seen him in years.”
Standing on the edge of the candlelit ballroom, wearing a ridiculous frothy white gown, waiting breathlessly for Daniel to ask her to dance.
“We wrote to each other faithfully while he was at a private boarding school in Scotland. But then his letters grew few and far between. Eventually he stopped writing to me altogether.”
“How strange. If you used to be friends then why did he stop writing?” asked Mari.
“I don’t know why.”
“Haven’t you asked him?”
“Never,” said Indy, her voice coming out too loudly. She clenched her fists. “I’ll never ask him. I’ll never give him that power over me. I don’t need to know why he did what he did. Nothing will change with the knowledge.”
“Indy.” Mari’s blue eyes filled with emotion. “You sound so like your brother. I hate to think you’re so filled with hurt and pride that you won’t clear up what might be a simple misunderstanding.”
“A simple misunderstanding?” Indy didn’t even attempt to modulate her voice now. “He bloody well kissed another blasted woman at my blighted coming-out ball!”
“Oh.” Mari started. “I... well that does rather change things.”
“It changed everything.” Her life had been torn asunder. She didn’t even like thinking about that night. It was still such a tormented memory.
He’d looked so handsome in his formal attire. He’d grown so tall and broad shouldered. Black coat and white linen and those amber eyes she hadn’t seen in so long. He’d avoided her gaze.
Why?She’d wondered.Why won’t he ask me to dance?
“I was a pathetic, stupid little partridge, standing there, waiting for the fox to ask me to dance when he was out in the gardens devouring a very merry widow,” said Indy. “Kissing her for all the world to see.”
His gaze meeting hers, almost as if he’d been watching for her.
She’d never been able to shake the feeling that he had planned the whole thing.
To be rid of her.
“The bloody fool,” exploded Mari, her expression severe. “No wonder you don’t trust the man. No wonder he’s your enemy.”
“Mother had planned a grand affair, she was hoping our storybook engagement might distract society from... the other scandals plaguing our family. Edgar wasn’t in London at the time.”
“Yes,” Mari said softly. “I heard about what happened between Edgar and your father.”
“When I caught Daniel—Ravenwood—kissing Mrs. Cavinder in the gardens I exploded with rage. I called off the engagement then and there.”
