“You can’t tell me to leave,” Lady Harcourt sputtered. “This isn’t your home. You have no authority over who comes and goes.”
Hugh was actually beginning to feel mildly entertained by everything that was going on. It had been clear to him that Lady Harcourt had followed them to Cliffdall Manor with some hope that she might still be able to persuade him to abandon Esther and marry Eugenia. She must have realized by now that she was wrong to hope for that, or she would never have dared to speak to him in such a manner.
But Hugh wasn’t about to be intimidated by her.
“I’m not going to let you stand here and threaten the woman I love,” he said. “And I certainly won’t allow you to strike her. I’m frankly appalled that her parents haven’t stood up to stop you, Lady Harcourt. But that’s a matter to be dealt with later. Right now, I want you out of this place before I summon the constables.”
“You’re not going to call anyone,” Lady Harcourt sake. “What would you tell them? It’s no crime to strike my own niece.Youare the only one who has no place here, Your Grace. You are the stranger.”
Hugh looked to Lord Cliffdall. “If the constables are summoned, whose side will you take?” he asked. “Will you tell them I’m your welcome guest, or that I’m a stranger?”
He was banking on the answer, and he was relieved when Lord Cliffdall spoke. “Of course you’re welcome here, Your Grace,” he said. “You are the Duke of Hallowbinder, and you’re here with the intention of signing marriage papers with my daughter. Of course that’s what we want. We are on your side.”
“You would turn on me like this, Adam?” Lady Harcourt said incredulously. “I never would have imagined it of you. You would allow this gentleman to have me taken by the constables?”
Lord Cliffdall shook his head. “Whatever happens now, Tabitha, you’ve brought upon yourself,” he said firmly. “You are the one who barged into my home and attacked my daughter.”
It’s about time someone objected to that slap!
Hugh still couldn’t believe that he and Lady Eugenia had been the only two to react vocally to what Lady Harcourt had done. Surely Esther’s parents cared what happened to her?
Then again, maybe they don’t.
“I never thought it would come to this between us, Adam,” Lady Harcourt sniffed. “Fine. If this is how things must be, I’ll go. But I hope you don’t think that you’ll be able to come crawling back to me the next time you need something. I certainly won’t be allowing your younger daughter to stay with me in my home when her turn comes to attend a Season.”
“Oh, you needn’t worry about that,” Lord Cliffdall said. “I’ll never send a child of mine to you again, now that I see what you do. You very nearly ruined Esther’s chances, and all because you can’t accept your own child’s flaws.”
“Don’t speak against Eugenia,” Lady Harcourt said.
“Why not?” Lord Cliffdall said. “You certainly do nothing but speak against her. Have you ever said a kind word to your daughter in all your life?”
“What I say to Eugenia is between myself and my daughter,” Lady Harcourt said. “You have daughters of your own to concern yourself with, Adam.”
“Maybe if you took some advice from me, you would be a bit more successful at raising your own child,” Lord Cliffdall said. “Look at her, for goodness’ sake!”
“And just what does that mean?”
“She’s completely charmless,” Lord Cliffdall said. “You say all the time that her beauty doesn’t rival Esther’s, and that’s true, but that’s not her chief problem. The problem is that she has no idea of how to charm a gentleman. A less attractive lady can often gain the attention of many gentlemen if she knows how to flatter and hold herself well in conversation. Eugenia lacks those skills.”
“You think Esther isbetterthan my daughter.”
“Youthink Esther is better than your daughter! Because sheis! You knew yourself that the only way Eugenia could ever become engaged to a Duke was by duplicitous means. That’s why you did what you did. It was her only chance.”
Lady Eugenia was looking down at the floor. It was clear to Hugh that she found the entire conversation painfully humiliating.
And I don’t blame her. Are they really going to discuss her flaws right in front of her like this? Why would anyone do anything so hurtful? What mother would treat her child this way?
The more Hugh saw of Lady Harcourt, the more he understood how Lady Eugenia might have been manipulated into giving her mother the information that had enabled her to nearly destroy Hugh’s relationship with Esther. She was a cruel woman who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anything she saw as a threat to her own happiness.
For God’s sake, it’s not even about what’s best for Lady Eugenia. Lady Eugenia doesn’t wish to marry me. It’s only about what Lady Harcourt wants!
He wanted to say something. He wanted to object to the way Lady Eugenia was being treated. After all, it was thanks to her that he had been reunited with his love. He wanted to pay her back for her kindness by defending her now.
But Esther beat him to it.
“That’s enough, Father,” she said firmly.
“Esther, sit down.”
