William Wentworth rounded the desk and looked at his daughters sternly before speaking.
“I am not happy about this,” he said at last. “It is a grave disappointment to me, Caroline. A grave disappointment that one of my daughters was caught in a scandal with… with that man.”
Caroline looked up nervously at this, but when she met her father’s angry eyes, she quickly averted her gaze back to her hands and her cheeks flushed.
“I spoke to Lord Burlington and his rake of a son,” William continued, his voice cold. “And we agree that there is only one way to handle this scandal.”
Caroline looked up hopefully. Beatrice and Sebastian would marry, she was certain of it—so certain that she did not hear her father’s next words until Beatrice turned to face her, tears forming in her eyes.
“Oh you awful, awful girl!” Beatrice let out shakily as she looked at Caroline. “This is all your fault! Do you have any idea what you have done to me?”
Caroline looked from her father to her sister, silent and dumbstruck. She was still not quite certain what was happening, but Beatrice now had two angry red blotches on her pale cheeks and her eyes were wild in her head.
“I will never forgive you for this, never!” she ascertained angrily. “I will be a spinster forever because of you! Oh, I should have known that you would do something like this when you waxed lyrical about how handsome he was! I… I hate you!”
Caroline was barely aware of the muttered apology that stumbled over her lips—watching in a daze as Beatrice stormed from the room. Only once her sister was gone, did she turn to face her father once more.
Though she had no doubt that he was furious, her father looked remarkably calm as he spoke.
“We will not waste time,” he said simply, as though he were discussing nothing more than a business transaction. “Your wedding to Sebastian Fairchild will take place soon—as soon as possible, in fact.”
Caroline felt a wave of heat rushing over her and she shook her head.
Marry Sebastian?
It was impossible. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
For a treacherous second, it was the thought of spending every day in close proximity with the man whose arms had felt so strong and comforting around her that sent heat rushing to her cheeks. Her entire body heated up at the thought of spending not only days, but nights with him—in his bedchamber, in his bed. This thought however, was quickly replaced by a small voice—sounding rather like her sister—screaming that she was a traitor.
“Father…” Caroline got out at last, her lips dry and her voice small. “Please… please do not make me do this.”
William merely looked at his daughter and Caroline stared at him pleadingly.
“I cannot marry him!” she let out at last. “Please… please do not make me marry him, Beatrice… she will be heartbroken. She will never forgive me.”
Though she pleaded earnestly, Caroline could not shake the thought that her words were empty. While she was quite certain—and terrified—that her sister would never forgive her if she married Sebastian, a part of her was rather certain that it was not about Sebastian at all—instead, she knew that Beatrice was not in fact heartbroken over the man, but rather the idea of being married that she’d held onto.
“You have no choice, Caroline,” William said sternly. “As for your sister’s heart, that is something you should have thought of before you were caught in a scandal with the man. Right now, we need to do everything in our power to ensure that your reputation is not ruined beyond repair!”
“I don’t care about my reputation,” she burst out. “I do not care if it is ruined, I do not care if I never marry… if you send me away… But I cannot marry him, please!”
Despite her earnest pleas, William seemed quite unaffected. “You will marry Sebastian,” he said simply, his voice cold. “It is the one favor you can do for your sister now.”
Caroline frowned at this and William shook his head irritably. “If your reputation is ruined, Caroline,” he explained coldly, “your sister will suffer too. That is why I will not listen to your pleas or heed your tears. It is too late now.”
He was right, Caroline realized with a shock. If she did not marry Sebastian, she’d be branded with the reputation of a loose woman—a harlot—and Beatrice would be branded merely because of their close relation.
Her father was right. She truly had no choice.
“Alright,” she whispered, though she was quite aware that her father barely heard her. “I will marry him.”
Her heart raced wildly within her chest as she said this, and she pressed her clammy hands on her lap to keep them from trembling. Her father, however, did not notice this for he did not look up from the documents he was already perusing.
“Of course you will,” he muttered simply before dismissing her with a wave. Caroline stood slowly, leaving the study without a word.
Her feet felt heavy as she walked to her own bedchamber, tears burning behind her eyelids, tears that she would not allow to fall. She hesitated in front of Beatrice’s door. She could hear miserable sobs from within the chamber and she wanted nothing more than to enter, hold her sister in her arms and comfort her, but she knew that Beatrice would not want it.
She had gained a betrothed and lost a sister all in one horrible misunderstanding.
