Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
“This cannot be happening,” Phoebe Danvers whispered, staring at the piece of paper in her hand.
Her older brother, Rowland Danvers, viscount of Hartmoor, sighed deeply, his expression darkened by worry and disgust.
“We have long since established that this is unfortunately a problem we need to face. It is time we forgot about the nature of the situation and worked out a solution instead,” he stated through gritted teeth as he balled up the paper in his hand and flung it into the fireplace.
In Phoebe’s hand lay a scandal sheet, with the front page detailing the latest bit of gossip that was sure to get the entire ton chattering away like excited hens.
It was not something she busied herself with often – had barely even read up to a handful of them herself, but the subject of the situation detailed in the sheet was someone close to Phoebe.
Her own younger sister, Anna Danvers.
“If I ever cross paths with that cad, I will skin him alive and hang him upside down,” Rowland swore.
“That will hardly help with our situation, given that the story will still be out there. What we need is a solution that would straighten out this matter, once and for all,” Phoebe reasoned.
“Perhaps if I kick his teeth in, he’ll feel the urgent need to exonerate our sister from the blight he has set upon her life. I knew I should have never accepted his proposal request from the start!” Rowland fumed.
Phoebe started to coax her brother to calm down but stopped when she noticed Anna had been silent for too long. She looked towards where their youngest sibling had been seated and frowned, noticing Anna held a scandal sheet in her own hands, her face contorted in shame and embarrassment.
“Why?” she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she looked up at her older brother and sister. “If he – if he did not love me anymore, why did he not simply end it? It would have been better than –”
“It is no fault of yours, dear sister. The man is simply a lout and a coward,” Phoebe said quickly, walking over to Anna’s side and seizing the scandal sheet. “Do not blame yourself.”
Phoebe was just as angry as Rowland, and she too, wished it would be possible to rip apart Anna’s former betrothed. However, what her sister needed more than anything was support and she was willing to offer it.
“I simply do not understand,” Anna mumbled. “He said he – we were to be wed. In only a few weeks time. How could he desire to want to spend the rest of his days with me one moment and run off with another woman in the next? How could he be so fickle? Was I not enough?”
Phoebe crumbled the sheets in her fists, knowing it would hardly change things, because the story was already ingrained in her mind.
The sheets had detailed how, at the beginning of the season, the lovely Anna Danvers had seemingly captured the hearts of many men – but it was Lord Brightwood who had claimed her attention and affection.
After a few weeks of courting, the earl had gotten on one knee and proposed, declaring that he wanted nothing more than a life with her.
Eagerly, Anna had agreed and the wedding date had been set for the following month.
Which was why it was a surprise to many when it was discovered that Lord Brightwood had eloped with a lover. And of course, the fingers of accusations pointed at Anna, because why else would a man who had been prepared to marry her suddenly change his mind and flee with a lover?
The sheets speculated on whether he had discovered some sort of dire secret of Anna’s – perhaps something that would decrease her value and taint his reputation and as such, he had decided his only choice was to flee.
Phoebe thought it was all so ridiculous, but she knew no one would share her mindset. No one ever considered the perpetrator of the offense if they were a man. The women automatically took the blame and fault, leaving them ruined forever.
“There must be something we can do,” Phoebe stated, turning to face Rowland.
Guilt flooded her as he faced them, the familiar furrow of worry etched on his face as he exhaled, looking as though the world had settled on his shoulders and he had no hope of relinquishing the burden any time soon.
“We must act before the situation worsens. Things are bad now, but the longer we allow them to believe that Anna has been abandoned, the worse it would get. It’s still quite early in the day, and it is likely the news hasn’t spread too far because some people will not have read the scandal sheets yet.
If... if we secure a new match for Anna, that is sure to calm things down,” he stated, standing up straighter.
Phoebe blinked, unsure if she had heard her brother correctly.
“You wish to – what? Rowland, her engagement just ended and she only found that out because we read a scandal sheet. Anna isn’t ready to –”
“Our finances are not stable or impressive on any account, but perhaps we can still find a man who has not read the scandal sheets yet,” he continued, clearly still convinced to follow his plan.
Phoebe shook her head, reaching out to hold Anna’s hand in hers as she addressed Rowland.
“We cannot drag her from one engagement to another. The odds of finding another man who would be willing to take her is his wife in this state – while the scandal has only just broken is rare enough, but it would not be fair to force her to stifle her pain in order to put on a brave face. This is not an ideal plan, Rowland.” Phoebe protested, keeping her voice as gentle as it was stern.
“This is the only way. If we do not prove that she is not defective or... whatever excuses Lord Brightwood had hoped would spring forth in his defence and get her engaged soon, we will not be able to come back from this. Her prospects were already thin, but now there would be none left.”
Without another word, Rowland left the drawing room and Phoebe exhaled deeply, stomping out the feelings of frustration within her. Clearing her throat, she faced Anna once more.
“Let us allow him to cool down for a bit. I am sure he’ll come around sooner or –”
Anna’s sob cut her off and she watched sadly as her younger sister slipped her hands out of hers to conceal her face as she wept. Phoebe wrapped her arms around Anna, soothingly patting her back.
“Oh, my dear Anna, do not cry,” she crooned softly. “It will be all right. we will come out of this somehow.”
“I do not want to marry like this!” Anna cried, her voice heavy with pain. “I had thought I had found love. I-I loved him dearly! But he did not care at all for me. It is his fault we’re in this mess now, yet I am the one who has to bear the consequences. I am the one who is ruined! It’s not fair.”
Seeing her younger sister so hurt and broken caused the guilt within Phoebe to grow even stronger. She continued to stroke Anna’s hair, hoping to soothe her as she spoke.
“I am sorry, Anna, truly. You could not have suspected he was capable of such disappointing behavior.”
Anna shook her head and pulled away from Phoebe slightly.
“But I should have known! I saw how his eyes wandered, and I noticed how I barely seemed to hold his attention any more than usual. I thought that if I could do better – learn how to keep his attention and affection on me, then perhaps we would be all right. Why… why couldn’t he just tell me he wanted things to end? Why make a fool of me?”
Phoebe kept her arms around her, voice stern as she said,
“He should have done the right thing and ensured that he ended your engagement if he had fallen out of love with you. No matter what the reason might have been, his actions were not justified and it is not fair that you must nurse a broken heart and deal with the blow to your reputation. I only wish I could have spared you from all of this.”
Anna sniffed, wiping at the corners of her eyes as she tried to hold back a sob.
“You hold no responsibility for what has happened. In any case, you hold no fault for…”
Phoebe smiled, raising her hand to trace a finger along the scar that ran along her left cheek.
“For my unattractiveness? For being unable to find a man willing to overlook it? I do not even blame their aversion towards me. I know that I look horrid.”
“You do not!” Anna protested quickly. “You are lovely, sister. And you are so strong and kind. This family has only been able to come this far because of your support. Your responsible nature and quick thinking practically raised Rowland and I, after our parents passed.”
“I could have done more. I should have been able to fulfil my duties properly –” Phoebe faltered, swallowing the tears threatening to well up within her.
Even though it happened well over seven years ago, she still remembered how it had felt, to make her debut and explore the social events of the ton during her first season.
It was cumbersome enough, being from a family many did not regard as prestigious in the slightest, due to their lack of wealth.
Her scar had greatly decreased her chances and it wasn’t long before she became a laughing stock. Her fellow debutants whispered behind her and the potential suitors sneered at her. It had all been too much and without any prospects, she had refused to engage in the seasons that followed.
“If I had not become a spinster and had found a match, you would not have to take on the task. I am sorry that I didn’t spare you from this,” Phoebe sighed sadly.
“You could not help what happened, Phoebe. You and Rowland do so much for me – you have, ever since mama and papa... even with your scar, you have fought hard to help this family in every way you could. I only wish I could fulfil what was expected of me, just as you both have. Perhaps if I had been much more like you, Lord Brightwood would not have –”
“That man was vain and selfish. He had the loveliest young lady who thought the world of him and he allowed his greed to ruin the great life you could have brought him. Do not blame yourself for his shortcomings, my sweet. There are many other men out there. Good, honest ones, who have values and a sense of responsibility.” Phoebe assured her younger sister.
Then she had a thought.
What if... she found one of such men? What if she was able to convince a good man to marry Anna? That way, it would be someone she had personally vetted and was assured would care for her sister properly?
And the idea became deeply rooted in her head, because she knew just where to find one of such men.
“Do not despair, sister. I have an idea that might just save us from this problem.” She told Anna, dabbing away her sister’s tears with her handkerchief.
“W-What is it?” Anna questioned, bewildered by the sudden display of certainty from Phoebe.
“I cannot say for now, but I need you to trust that I have your best interests at heart. I only want to do what’s best for you and I will make sure that you are never put in another difficult position ever again.
If I had been able to marry well, you would not have needed to take on the duty.
If I can see to it that you are at least happy and satisfied, it would mean the world to me.
Now, go and get some rest. It is far too early to let that lout steal away the radiance from your lovely face. ”
She helped Anna up to her feet and ushered her off in the direction of her room. Anna went away, still looking confused and Phoebe exhaled deeply, silently praying to whoever could hear her that her idea would actually work.
“For all our sakes,” she whispered, clasping her hands together. “Please, let this work.”