Chapter 1
One
“If you think I will allow you to take advantage of my kindness, you are very mistaken and foolish.” The Countess of Devron glared at Ailee, pursing her already narrow lips into an impossibly thin line.
Ailee Capleton took a deep breath and brushed a single strand of her wavy auburn hair from her face. “I hesitate to remind you, Aunt Petunia …” The countess cut her off sharply.
“You shall address me as Lady Devron at all times. I am not sure how things are done in Scotland, but here in the civilized world, we use proper terms of address.” She sniffed importantly and looked down her impossibly sharp nose at Ailee and her sisters.
Fiona and Bonnie exchanged a pointed look, but Ailee chose to keep the peace, instantly deflecting her aunt’s attention back to herself.
“My apologies, my lady, as I was saying, we would not have come all the way to London if you had not extended your generosity after receiving my letter. We did not come here on a whim, just expecting to be received.” Ailee glanced back at her sisters and the suitcases surrounding them in the grand foyer of their aunt’s home.
The sisters had been forced to leave their childhood home within two days of their father’s arrest, with only a few personal belongings that were quickly sold to pay for travel expenses.
Ailee sent the letter to her aunt as soon as they had secured a room at a nearby inn, including their temporary address, and insisted on staying until they received a reply from Lady Deveron, even though it meant taking on kitchen work at the inn to earn their keep.
But even though the sisters had left for London as soon as they received Lady Deveron’s invitation of generosity, their aunt had changed their minds by the time they arrived upon her doorstep.
The countess’ plump figure heaved along with her heavy bosoms as she sighed.
“Yes, well, I wrote that letter extending my generosity before I knew that we would be having such a busy season. My daughter, Eliza, is to be engaged this season to the Duke of Brunswick. He’s a very important and wealthy man, you know, I can’t have anything getting in the way of our plans.
” She looked pleased with herself, as if the king himself could not have offered any better news.
He must be a special man to want to be a part of this family.
Ailee forced a smile despite her bitter thought. “I understand, Lady Devron. We do not wish to intrude, if we could just have a little time to find a place, or even suitable matches for my sisters and me.”
The countess scoffed. “And who do you think would marry three ruined Highland girls such as yourselves? Don’t think that your father’s scandal has not reached the gossip columns of London.
I could be ruined myself by having you standing here in my foyer.
” Her dark eyes flickered with distaste as she recoiled a little, leaning away from Ailee.
The words struck Ailee deeply as she glanced at her sisters, the panic in their matching grey-green eyes all too palpable. Fear took hold of her heart as Ailee wished that she could have had the conversation about their father in private. She composed herself again and smiled stiffly at her aunt.
“I understand the difficulty of your situation, aun … Lady Devron. Nobody would envy your position, having to take in three poor girls from Scotland. My father’s situation has not been easy for any of us.” She swallowed hard, pushing down the resentment of her paternal aunt’s judgment.
“No, it has not, you can’t even begin to imagine the sleepless nights I’ve had to endure since the fraud scandal came to light.” The older woman blinked back non-existent tears and sniffed pitifully.
“I suppose I cannot, being on the other side of the coin. I did hope that your kind reputation for Christian charity could be extended to us, but I do understand that matters are too difficult for you, Lady Devron. I shall seek help elsewhere; I am sure other relatives would be willing to take on the praise for taking in helpless, ruined young ladies.” Ailee laid it on thick, turning to her sisters with a silent prayer that her last-minute ploy would work.
All she needed was a little time and a roof over their heads to find someone who would take them in. Her pride could heal later when she had ensured that her sisters’ futures were safe.
“Just a moment,” Lady Devron called to her, making her stop in her tracks.
“Yes, my lady? Was there something that you needed?” Ailee asked her, turning back with a sweet smile.
Her aunt sighed heavily, pursing her lips until they almost disappeared entirely.
“I suppose I could have you all stay here until you find somewhere else to go, but mark my words: I will not have you getting in my way.” She glared at Ailee for a moment before looking her up and down as if she were a horse being sold.
“How old are you? You are quite tall,” she barked sharply, narrowing her eyes.
Feeling a little self-conscious, Ailee cleared her throat and attempted to fix her slightly tattered skirt over her shapely figure. “I am twenty-two, my lady.” She drew her fuller lips into her mouth and let them go again before forcing a smile.
“You are a bit old to be finding a suitable match; you should have been married already. I won’t have much use for you, but I guess I can come up with something.” Lady Devron shook her head in disappointment and moved on, allowing her eyes to slide to the youngest of the sisters.
Bonnie’s cheeks filled with color as she averted her gaze and ran her tongue nervously over her lips. Her slight figure and plain features made her look a little younger than her eighteen years. Yet, she was still quite lovely with her mahogany hair and pale skin.
“Hmm, I think I know what I shall do with you. You seem quite submissive and quiet. Yes, you will do quite nicely. There is an old baron who has been looking for a wife for quite some time now. You can marry him. I am assuming that you are the youngest. There will be a ball this evening, and I will introduce you.” She nodded decisively.
Ailee’s mouth opened in horror as she gawked at her aunt.
“You cannot possibly expect Bonnie to marry an old man; she is far too sensitive and kind. Let me marry him instead. I will handle the situation.” Her tone was filled with panic as she examined the shock on her younger sister’s face.
Bonnie had always been a romantic at heart.
Being married off in such a way would be a nightmare for her.
Lady Devron turned to her with a glare. “Absolutely not, you may very well be able to handle the baron with your sharp tongue, but he will not be able to handle you. You are far too impulsive, it seems.” She glared at Ailee before moving on and settling her focus on Fiona.
“You seemed quite helpful and quick on your feet when you arrived. What is your name and age, girl?” She looked Fiona up and down with the same kind of scrutiny she had used on Ailee.
“F … Fiona, my lady. I am twenty,” she answered hesitantly, curtsying with her eyes downcast.
Their aunt seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding.
“Good, you seem to have more manners than your sisters. I shall keep you on as a personal maid and companion to me and my daughter. Mind you, work on keeping your accent under control; you still sound quite Scottish.” She pulled up her nose at the last word as if she had smelled something foul.
Utterly horrified by what she was hearing, Ailee stepped forward and placed herself between Fiona and their aunt.
“I beg your pardon, Lady Devron, but you cannot possibly be serious. We are the daughters of a Viscount, not simple maids from Scotland.” She held her head high with pride despite the scandal her father’s actions had caused.
A look of disgust came over her aunt’s face as she glared at her.
“You are the ruined daughters of a disgraced viscount. It is no concern of mine if you do not like my decisions. Nor am I concerned by the fact that you are my brother’s children.
He made the bed; you must now all lie in it.
And as for you, a finishing school far away from London should do.
You have almost mastered the English dialect, but I can still hear a hint of Scotland on your tongue. ”
Fear gripped Ailee’s chest, making her chest rise and fall more dramatically with every breath.
“Please do not separate us, Lady Devron. We shall not be in your way, I can assure you of that. We came to you for help, not to be separated.” She forced her English accent, leaning on the way her father had always spoken to her.
The countess’s eyes grew darker as she tilted her head back, looking down her sharp nose once again.
“You are far too outspoken, Miss Capleton. Finishing school will knock that right out of you. As you have said, you came to me for help; you can either accept my offer of help or live on the streets. Some of the maids will be down shortly to show you to your chambers. The first ball of the season is this evening. I expect the youngest, Bonnie, to be ready on time.” Lifting the hem of her skirts with an air of finality as she stalked away.
Ailee’s green eyes fell shut as she took a deep breath.
Why did ye have to leave us like this, Father?
Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she opened her eyes and looked around the elegant foyer of what she had assumed would become their new home. The marble flooring and French vases, along with the giant portraits, all seemed like the bars of a prison as hope was lost.
“Ailee, what will we do now?” Bonnie asked in a gentle voice.
Turning back to her sisters, Ailee fought back the tears and made her way over to them before drawing them both against her chest. “I will make a plan, even if I have to find a husband tonight. I will not allow her to split us up. We have come this far together. There will be an answer, somehow, some way. I’ll find it.
” She shut her eyes again as hot tears threatened to spill over her cheeks.
“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice yourself again, Ailee. Can’t we just go back to Scotland?” Fiona asked, her voice lacking the usual enthusiasm and spark.
I can’t allow them to lose hope.
Ailee suddenly rallied herself as she realized just how defeated her sisters sounded.
She had raised them like her own children after her mother had died giving birth to Bonnie.
She couldn’t let them down now, not after they had come so far.
She took a deep breath and pulled away, looking from one to the other.
“Daenae fuss, I promise you everything will work out. Keeping us together isn’t a sacrifice—Mother and Father would never have wanted us apart.”
“Then perhaps Father shouldn’t have gotten involved in fraud.” Fiona shook her head bitterly. “We wouldn’t have lost our home and all of our belongings if he had just been honest.”
Reaching up, Ailee touched her sister’s cheek affectionately.
“I can’t speak for Father and say why he did what he did.
All we can do now is focus on finding a way out of this situation.
Now, we must hurry and get settled. At least we will have food to eat, warm beds to sleep in, and a roof over our heads.
Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I can find us a more permanent situation.” Her words felt flat even to her, but Ailee remained strong as she came up straight.
I will find a way to get us out of this mess. Even if it is the last thing that I do.