Anne O'Brien - The Runaway Heiress

‘And how were you intending to get there?’ He allowed his eyebrows to rise.

‘Walk.’

‘For ten miles? In the pitch black along country roads?’

‘If I have to.’ She raised her head in defiance of his heavy sarcasm.

‘I had not realised, Miss Hanwell, that marriage to me could be such a desperate option. Clearly I was wrong.’

Frances could think of no reply, intimidated by the ice in his voice.

He dropped her ill-used bandbox on to the floor and approached her, raising his hands to relieve her of her cloak. Her reaction was startling and immediate. She flinched from him, raising her arm to shield her face, retreating, stumbling against a small table so that a faceted glass vase fell to the floor with a crash, the debris spraying over the floor around her feet. She turned her head from him and buried her face in her hands, unable to stifle a cry of fear as the dark memories threatened to engulf her.

‘What is it? What did I do?’ Aldeborough’s brows snapped together. Frances shook her head, unable to answer as she fought to quell the rising hysteria and calm her shattered breathing.

‘Forgive me. I had no intention of frightening you.’ He grasped her shoulders in a firm hold to steady her, aware that she was trembling uncontrollably, when an unpleasant thought struck him.

‘You thought I was going to hit you, didn’t you? What have I ever done to suggest that I would use violence against you?’ There was anger as well as shock in his voice. ‘Tell me.’ He gave her shoulders a little squeeze in an effort to dislodge the blank fear in her eyes. It worked, for she swallowed convulsively and was able to focus on his concerned face.

‘It’s just that once I tried to run away,’ she managed to explain. ‘It was a silly childish dream that I might escape. But I was caught, you see … and …’

‘And?’

‘My uncle punished me—whipped me—for disobedience. He said I was ungrateful and I must be taught to appreciate what I had been given. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to …’ Her voice trailed away into silence, her expression one of utmost desolation.

Aldeborough gently removed her cloak from her now-unresisting body. He steered her away from the shards of glass, scattered like crystal tears on the polished wood, and pushed her into a chair before the dying embers of the fire. He poured a little brandy into a glass and handed it to her.

‘Here. Drink this. Don’t argue, it will make you feel better—it’s good for shock amongst other things. Although, from experience, I do not advise it as an aid to helping you forget.’ The touch of sardonic humour at his own expense allowed Frances to relax a little and do as she was told. ‘Now, tell me—what did you expect the Rector to be able to do for you that I couldn’t?’

She sipped the brandy again, which made her eyes water, but at least it stilled the shivering. ‘I thought that he would lend me some money to enable me to reach London where I could make contact with my relations,’ she explained.

‘But you told me you didn’t have any.’

‘It is my mother’s family.’ She was once more able to command her voice and her breathing. ‘They disowned her, you understand, when she married my father. They thought he was a fortune hunter and too irresponsible, so they cut all contact.’

‘Your father, I presume, was Torrington’s younger brother. I never knew him.’

‘Yes. Adam Hanwell. I remember nothing of him—he died when I was very young.’

‘And your mother?’

‘She was Cecilia Mortimer. She died just after I was born. That’s why I was brought up at Torrington Hall and Viscount Torrington is my guardian.’

‘As I understand it, the Mortimers are related to the Wigmore family.’

‘Yes. My grandfather was the Earl of Wigmore. I hoped the present Earl would not abandon me entirely if he knew I was in trouble. I believe he is my cousin. Do you think he would?’

‘I have no idea. And I cannot claim to be impressed by your plan.’ Aldeborough ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. ‘If they refuse to recognise you, you will be left standing outside their town house in Portland Square, with no money and no acquaintance in London. Or what if they are out of town and the house is shut up? Do you intend to bivouac on their doorstep until they return? It is a crazy scheme and you will do well to forget it.’

‘It’s no more crazy than you forcing me into a marriage I do not want!’ Frances was stung into sharp reply. ‘You have no right to be so superior!’

‘I have every right. There is no point in making the situation worse than it is already.’

Frances sighed. ‘It seemed a good idea at the time.’ She raised her hands in hopeless entreaty and then let them fall back into her lap. ‘Do you think I could be an actress?’

‘Never!’ Aldeborough laughed without humour. ‘Every emotion is written clearly on your face. I cannot believe that you would actually consider such a harebrained scheme.’

‘No. But desperation can lead to unlikely eventualities.’ She tried to smile, but it was a poor attempt.

The Marquis noted the emotion that shimmered just below the surface, prompting him to take the brandy glass from her. She did not resist. ‘Let us be sensible.’ He returned to lean his arm along the mantelpiece and stirred the smouldering logs with one booted foot. ‘I think that we are agreed that you have very few realistic options. There is no guarantee of a favourable welcome from Wigmore. You have spent far too long unchaperoned in my house—don’t say anything for a moment—so you must marry me as it is the only way to put things right.’

‘But—’

‘No. Think about it! Your reputation will be secure. We can call it a runaway match, if you wish. We saw each other at some unspecified event—unlikely, I know, but never mind that—and fell in love at first sight. With the protection of my name no one will dare to suggest that anything improper occurred. You will be able to escape from your uncle and a life that clearly has made you unhappy. And, until your own inheritance is yours, you can have the pleasure of spending some of my wealth and cutting a dash in society.’

It sounded an attractive proposition. For long moments, Frances considered the clear, coldly delivered facts, smoothing out a worn patch on her skirt between her fingers. She raised her eyes to his, trying to read the motive behind the unemotional delivery.

‘But why would you do this? You don’t want a wife. Or, certainly, not me.’

He laughed harshly. ‘You are wrong. I do need to marry some time. It is, of course, my duty to my family and my name to produce an heir. So why not you?’

Frances blushed. ‘I am not suitable. I am not talented or beautiful or fashionable … Your family would think you had run mad.’

He shrugged carelessly. ‘You come from a good family and the rest can be put right. And it will stop my mother from nagging me. What do you say? Perhaps we should deal very well together. Your view of marriage seems to be even more cynical than mine! As a business arrangement it could be to the benefit of both of us.’

Frances still hesitated.

‘If for no other reason, you might consider my position. It may surprise you to know that I do have some sense of honour.’ His lips curled cynically. ‘I would not wittingly seek to be accused of abducting and ruining an innocent girl. I do have some pride, you know.’

Frances took a deep breath. ‘I had not thought of that.’

‘Then do so. You are not likely to be the only sufferer here.’

‘But you already have a reputation for—’ She came to a sudden halt, embarrassed by her insensitive accusation.

‘Ah. I see.’ His voice was low and quiet. ‘So my damnable reputation has reached even you, Miss Hanwell, shut away as you have been in Torrington Hall. Do you expect me to live up to it? One more victim from the fair sex will make no difference, I suppose. Perhaps I should seduce you and abandon you simply to give credence to the rumours spread by wagging tongues. I am clearly beyond redemption. Perhaps I should not insult you with an offer of marriage.’