Chapter 10
“What have you been up to?”
Annabelle was so lost in her thoughts, so involved with everything that was spinning through her mind, that she almost didn’t hear her father calling out to her. Floyd consumed her entirely, their riding lesson had only heightened her feelings for him, almost uncontrollably so. Her cheeks flushed with excitement when she thought about seeing him again, her body buzzed with a thrill as she imagined herself back up on Primrose. Everything feltperfect...
Until her father’s booming voice burst through her brain, bringing her back to reality with athump.
“Erm, I...” she stammered anxiously. “I was justoutside...”
Wait, I was not doing anything wrong, she decided rapidly. I was only learning to ride. There is nothing wrong withthat.
“I was having horse riding lessons.” Annabelle jutted out her chin and stared her father down. She could not see him discovering any issues, he certainly did not know the inappropriate thoughts that were running through hermind.
“Why?” Otto folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at his daughter. “Why now? You have not ever cared to ride before. That does not make anysense?”
“I have... always wantedto.”
“Do not lie to me, Annabelle. Your mother has been trying to get you up on a horse for years. Do not tell me that you have suddenly developed a desire to do something that you have been fighting foryears.”
“Why not?” Annabelle did not feel ready to back down justyet.
“You think I do not see what is going on?” Otto was angry now, he had given his daughter a chance to explain and she refused. That made him madder than the situation itself. “You do not think I know about you and thestable boy?” He said that with such disgust it made Annabelle want to weep. Floyd was worth so much more than that, if her father took a moment to speak to him he would learn that. “You think I do not see the way you look athim?”
Annabelle’s heart stopped dead in her chest, she thought that she had been discrete with her emotions. She parted her lips, racking her brain desperately to find the right words to make this situation right, but there was not anythingthere.
“You will not spend any more time withhim...”
“But I really do want to learn how toride.”
“No, Annabelle.” Otto placed a hand on Annabelle’s shoulder. To an outsider it might have appeared that he was trying to comfort her, but she knew better. It was a threat. She had to do what he wanted or else. “I will not hear of it. Once you are married you will have all the time in the world to do what you want. Lord Ashdown has quite the stable, so I hear, and I am sure he will be willing to get you proper riding lessons from an actualteacher.”
“Floyd wants to be a teacher; he has dreams to open hisown...”
“I do not want to hear it,” Otto yelled. He could not stand his daughter’s obstinacy for another second. “I have heard enough. The stable boy can have as many dreams as he likes, he will not make them come true. Do you understand how much money it takes to start your own business? Can you even begin to imagine?” Otto shook his head looking disappointed and disgusted. It pained him to have to explain such things to Annabelle, it meant he had failed as a father. She should understand the sort of man that she needed to be spending time with at eighteen years old. “Annabelle, you cannot understand, your immaturity still allows you to believe in unattainable dreams. I have been around for a lot longer than you and I have seen much more of the world. I suggest that you listen to me with this one... keep away from the stable boy. Focus on your marriageinstead.”
A crushing sense of hopelessness washed over Annabelle. Her one moment of rebellion and freedom had only sunk her deeper into the mess that she really wanted to keep away from. It was a nightmare. She only had one tool left and it was honesty andlove.
“Father, please,” she begged desperately. “Please do not make me do this. You know Icannot.”
“Annabelle,” Otto warned. “I strongly suggest that you stop this now.” He clutched onto his forehead wearily. Otto felt utterly sick of listening to this. “It isdecided.”
“You can stop it though. You are powerful, you could make sure this does nothappen...”
“And who would want to marry you then?” he exploded. “People know that you are betrothed to Lord Ashdown, if that ends people will wonder why.Menwill wonder why. Do you think any Lord worth anything will want to betroth himself to the woman who cancelled her last wedding? It will be assumed that something is wrong with you, your reputation is ruined, or you are a nightmare. You will end up unwedforever.”
“I would prefer that!” Annabelle shouted back, accidently letting too much of the truth out. “I would prefer to be alone than be withhim.”
“That is only your childishness coming out again. You will not feel the same way in a fewyears.”
“Stopcalling me childish,” Annabelle argued, sounding far more childish than she meant to. “I know what I want out of life and it is nothim.”
Otto did not have the energy for this fight anymore, he could not listen to all the women in his life disagreeing with him. If there was one thing that Otto did not like, it was being undermined. “I am always right,” he growled as anger clouded his vision. “The sooner you and my wife understand that, the better. Your sister soon learned, she is happy with Abraham now, is shenot?”
“I... I...” Annabelle stepped backwards as her father’s expression changed. She had not ever seen him so angry before and it scared her a little. “I guessso.”
“You guess right. Beatrice is happy and you will be too. You just need to give it a chance. Now, you will listen to me on one thing, there will be no more horse riding. There will be no more stable boy. I will not hear another word on the subject, it has beendecided.”
“But Father,I...”
