Chapter 5
Josephine suffereda lot of mixed emotions during the days that followed her eldest daughter’s visit to the family home. Of course, she was pleased for Beatrice, she felt glad that things had worked out much better than expected with her husband, but she still could not shake off the sensation that she had let Annabelle down. That tainted her happiness, she could not shake it off however hard shetried.
When she reassured Annabelle that Otto would not pick a husband for her anytime soon, and particularly not one with a bad reputation, she had meant it. She certainly did not think anything would happen behind her back with Lord Ashdown. To find out that he had agreed for their child to spend time with a man that was known to be a brute shocked Josephine to the core. She did not know what to do aboutit.
She did not take the news lying down, Josephine told Otto what she had heard and she suggested that they wait until Annabelle was older and more mature, but he stubbornly dug his heels in the ground and said he knew what wasbest.
She knew that her husband would not do anything to taint the family reputation, which admittedly made Josephine question the validity of the rumours, but still she knew that this was not what Annabellewanted.
She had promised to help her daughter and she hadfailed.
As Josephine watched Annabelle shift awkwardly in her seat, refusing to make eye contact with Watson as they sat down to an extremely uncomfortable meal, the sense of failure utterly crushed her. She hoped that her husband would sense the discomfort and he would put an end to it before the wedding plans got too far, but as Otto’s expression had been nothing but happy, she did not hold out anyhope.
“It is wonderful to see you again,” Otto declared loudly and happily. He looked so pleased with himself, it was almost unbearable to the women at the table. “It is good of you to join us for a meal, LordAshdown.”
“Oh, please, call me Watson.” He gave Annabelle’s father a charming looking grin, reminding Annabelle of the first night they met. Only she was not silly enough to fall for it, she was not sure that she could say the same for her father. “And thank you very much for invitingme.”
As he did his best to win over Otto, Annabelle risked a small glance at Lord Ashdown. She did not want to meet his eyes, she could not bear the idea of him looking back at her, so this was the only time she dared to really seehim.
If she thought about it without her own emotions attached, she could see why her father would assume that Watson was a good match for her. He had good looks on his side, with dark hair swept to one side and brown eyes that managed to convey a warmth that Annabelle did not believe was really there, and he had youth too. Unlike Mr. Urwin, his age was far more matched to Annabelle’s, which her father probably saw as an advantage. He also spoke in a very manipulative way, charming Otto instantly. To Annabelle, every word he spoke seemed crafted perfectly, it was almost as if he knew how to work people verywell.
He certainly was not saying any of the inappropriate comments that he had made to Annabelle at the party. They must have been saved just forher.
“You have a lovely home, Mrs. Hathaway,” he said, turning his attention to Josephine. “It truly is wonderful here.” Watson’s eyes drifted towards the window. “It is almost like you are not in the city at all. You truly have the best of bothworlds.”
“Luckily we are in the city,” Otto jumped in, eager to keep Watson’s focus on him. “Or I would not be able to conduct my business so easily. Can you imagine what it must be like, living in thecountryside?"
“Oh I know,” he chuckled. “It must be awful. I do not know how they doit.”
Annabelle’s lips pouted out, it did not sound too awful to her. Anything to escape the stifling situation she was currently in. She would have chosen a life in the countryside over this any day of theweek.
“So, you must tell me more about what it is like, working with AbrahamUrwin...”
As the conversation turned to work, Annabelle tuned out and lost herself in the depths of her imagination instead. She pushed the food around on her plate without eating much of it as she thought about anything and everything apart from what was actually happening around her. Her appetite had long gone the moment this dinner had been planned. The only reason she had agreed to attend was to prove to her father that this was a marriage that would never happen, but she was starting to fear that might have been amistake.
Lord Ashdown was too charming, she needed to find a way to beathim.
“What do you think about it,Annabelle?” her father’s strict tone brought her back out from her thoughts and into the present moment. His flaming, angry eyes showed her that she was embarrassing him by drifting off into her own world. That was not what she wanted, she needed her father on her side. “It is wonderful, everything that Watson hasachieved.”
“Oh, right... yes itis.”
Without even meaning to, Annabelle’s eyes were drawn to Watson’s. He gave her a bright, happy looking smile, there was not anything to suggest that he was a brutish man with loose morals to anyone else, but Annabelle knew differently. His comments would never leave her, that was the true him she felt sure of it. Again, the sensation that there was something terribly unpleasant about him circled her heart. Her instincts screamed loudly at her, forcing her tolisten.
“Thank you, Miss Hathaway, it is very kind of you to sayso.”
A thick silence clung to the air, Annabelle knew that it was up to her to break it, but she could not find the words, however hard she racked her brain. There was not even anything she could say just to keep her fatherhappy.
"Right," Josephine announced coldly while pushing her chair back. She could not stand it any longer, she needed to put an end to this. She had to do something to help Annabelle out. “Well, this has been lovely, thank you so much for coming to dinner,Watson...”
“He is not going yet,” Otto chuckled, clearly bowled over by Lord Ashdown’s fake charm. “I am going to take him to have a brandy with me in the drawingroom.”
A sickness swirled in Annabelle’s stomach as she let those words sink in. It seemed that her father liked Watson so much that he might not even listen to her opinion of him. She may be forced to marry him whatever shethought.
“But I am sure you have places to be, Lord Ashdown...” Annabelle jumped in, desperately needing him to leave her house. If he went into the drawing room with her father, she might never regain control. He would hold all of it in his hands, and she could not standthat.
“Oh no, it would be an honour to join you for a drink, thank you, Sir.” Watson gave Annabelle a knowing stare, proving that he knew exactly what he was doing. He understood the game, and he knew that he was winning. “Annabelle, it has been a pleasure, maybe I shall see you lateron.”
No, do not do this!Annabelle pleaded desperately inside her mind.Please, someone, stopthis...
