“I am, indeed,” Kenneth replied with a smile. “In fact, I am here to discuss the matter with Lord Carlisle. Are you interested in the orphanage as well? We are always happy to welcome more patrons.”
The Marquess’s cheek twitched, and he glanced at Joanna, who looked on with a pale face and a jaw clenched so hard that Kenneth worried her teeth might crack.
“I am considering making a donation, yes. Indeed, it would be my wedding gift to my lovely bride,” the Marquess elaborated and smiled at Joanna, whose lips turned up in what could only be described as the world’s most uncomfortable, forced smile.
Bride? He isn’t talking about Lady Joanna, is he? This man has to be at least thirty years older than Lady Joanna if not more.
“Bride? You are to be married again?” Kenneth asked, hoping he managed to mask his shock.
“Indeed,” Lord Carlisle interjected. “Lord Worcester is to marry Joanna. The banns will be read soon enough.”
Kenneth gulped, suddenly understanding why Joanna appeared so uncomfortable.
Is she opposed to this union? She certainly doesn’t look like a blushing bride.
“I see. Well, I congratulate you, My Lord. And you, My Lady.” He looked at Joanna, and when their eyes met, he immediately understood that she was indeed not happy about this arrangement.
There was a panic in her eyes, a despair he knew well. She looked like his mother had looked back when his father was alive. The way his mother had always looked whenever she was to attend events with him or spend any length of time with him. His parents had not liked being together, he knew this. His mother had greatly disliked his father, and his father had not cared much for her either.
His father used to spend his free time with his mistress at one of the townhouses he kept for such occasions. His mother had only ever appeared happy or unbothered when he was away, and when she knew she had to see him, she had the same expression Joanna had now.
Kenneth’s heart went out to Joanna, and he understood why she’d acted so mercurially the previous day and even today. She had to be under a lot of stress.
Why had she agreed to this union? Or had she?
“… Your Grace, don’t you agree?” Lord Carlisle asked then.
Kenneth’s head snapped around, aware he’d let his thoughts drift away. He noted that the Earl had moved away slightly as if intending to continue his walk with him, no doubt to discuss matters regarding the orphanage.
The Marquess had already approached Joanna, who’d placed her puppy down. He offered her his arm, and she took it, but not before curtsying to Kenneth. “I do thank you for finding Rudy,” she said.
Then, she walked away with the man she was to be married to while looking as though she were being led to the gallows.
CHAPTER 4
“Come then, you will be pleased to hear my answers to all the questions you had yesterday.” Lord Carlisle led Kenneth in the opposite direction.
“Good, that is very good, indeed,” Kenneth said, though he could not bring himself to truly focus. “My Lord,” he added, halting his steps. “Your daughter and Lord Worcester, are they betrothed right?”
Lord Carlisle stopped and blinked, taken aback. “Not yet. In fact, he made the offer just yesterday. However, we plan to host an engagement party soon, and then it shall be official.” He leaned forward and chuckled. “To be frank, my daughter is in high dudgeon because I did not tell her that Lord Worcester would be here today. It was a surprise. But I think it is important that the two get to know one another better.”
Kenneth recalled Joanna’s pale face when she first saw the Marquess and now understood why. As her father led him through the garden, Kenneth listened and did his best to focus.He was here for a reason, after all. Still, whenever he could, he stole a glance at the couple walking behind them. A compelling urge pushed him to seek out Joanna, to comprehend the details of her situation.
He knew that in their society, many ladies were forced into marriages they did not want—a practice he’d never agreed with. Indeed, he was sure if he had a sister, his father would have forced her into a union he deemed favorable enough.
Was this the case here? Kenneth had to find out. It was not as if he could do anything about the situation, but he had to at least find out. There was no explanation for his burning desire, yet he knew he had to talk to Joanna again.
Perhaps it was because he’d seen her turn from feisty and outspoken to quiet and reserved. Perhaps it was the desire to spare another young woman from his mother’s fate. Whatever it was, he had to act.
After finishing his conversation with Lord Carlisle—an endeavor that left him more uncertain about the state of the orphanage than before—he walked back to where he had last seen Joanna. She wasn’t there. Lord Carlisle had returned to his spot on the lawn, where he sat with a woman Kenneth assumed to be his wife and two other young ladies, but Joanna was nowhere in sight.
Kenneth was about to give up hope when a tiny bark drew his attention, and he spotted her. A curl of chestnut brown hair sparkled in the sunshine.
She sat on a bench hidden behind a row of trees, the little Dalmatian puppy asleep in her lap. Joanna stared ahead, but when he approached and she did not react to the sound of his footsteps, he understood she was lost in thought, her eyes likely seeing nothing.
“Lady Joanna?”
Her head snapped around at the sound of his voice, and her lips parted in surprise. As she sat there, under the glow of the afternoon sun, Kenneth realized she was a rather beautiful woman. He’d noted her handsome face before, but now, he saw that she was rather striking with her plush lips, sparkling blue eyes, and the charming redness that had returned to her cheeks.
