Page 18 of Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
“You act like your father will actually listen to your wishes, but he has already promised you to me. He has already said that I can have your hand in marriage. We are in the process of discussing yourdowry.”
No, no, no.Annabelle’s head spun, she felt like she might fall if she was not careful. She thought that she still had time, she did not realize that it was already toolate.
“You are lying,” she spat out desperately. “He has told me that he wants us to spend time together to see if we are suitable. He would tell me if an arrangement had already beenmade.”
Watson leaned across and patted Annabelle on the head as if she was a child. “You poor, sweet, naïve girl.” He shook his head from side to side as he pitied her. "Why would I tell lies about this? You can see with your own eyes how much your father likes me. In his opinion, there is no better match for you. He will never be able to find a man he wants for you as much as he doesme."
“That is because he does not see the truth of you,” Annabelle exploded angrily. “He does not see how truly awful youare.”
Watson was not offended by that remark, he found it very amusing. He did not care what Annabelle thought about him, she did not need to like him at all. His time in business had made him see things in a very ruthless, cutthroat way. He was not too keen on the Lady anyway, she seemed a bit too troublesome for his liking, but she was a good investment. She came from a good family, with a well-known name, and would also have a large dowry. Maybe it would have been better for him to get the older sister because her eventual inheritance would have been larger, but Abraham got in therefirst.
Still, Annabelle was good enough, and her father really did think he was the best for her. He had absolutely nothing to worryabout.
Marriage for Watson would simply be another business arrangement, just like the things he did on a day to day basis. He already had a preferred whore that he might decide to keep as his mistress once the wedding was done anyway. He liked Kitty so much better than the others because she was wild, willing to indulge him in any way that he wanted, and she was pretty too. Not beautiful and graceful like the Lady he was expected to marry, but those looks were only beneficial for producing him an heir. He needed the excitement of a mistress to keep himgoing.
“Your father sees what he wants to see,” Watson shrugged with a smirk. “Maybe he does not care for the truth because it really does not matter to him what our marriage will belike.”
Annabelle did not answer that because she feared it was partly the truth. In recent times especially, it seemed that her father was not at all interested in what she wanted forherself.
“Just go, Lord Ashdown,” she said scathingly instead. “I have nothing more to say to you, so like I have already said, I would prefer it if youleave.”
Then she walked out of the room and left him in there, holding her head high as she took some of the control with her. He would be forced to leave eventually if she refused to go back, and there was nothing in the world that could persuade her to speak with Watson again. It did not even matter what her father said, Annabelle had made up her mind and she needed to stick by thatdecision.
Anyway, Annabelle had someone else that she needed to speak to, and it was a conversation that would notwait.
“Mother?” Annabelle said quietly as she finally found the person that she was looking for, sitting on the edge of her bed with an almost unreadable expression on her face. “Can I speak toyou?”
Josephine slid her eyes shut before she answered. She had been trying to avoid any alone time with her daughter recently because she could not face this conversation, but of course, as stubborn as always, Annabelle had found her. She did not want to be reminded that she was a failure, but that fact was not going anywhere however hard she tried to ignoreit.
“Yes, come in. Take a seat,” she repliedwearily.
“Mother, please, you have to help me,” the words spilled out of Annabelle’s mouth like a tsunami as she went to sit with Josephine. “I cannot marry Lord Ashdown, I really cannot. I know I should do what father wants, but I do not believe that this is right for me. He is horrible when you and father are not around, he truly is brutish. Edmund was right about him. I need to put a stop tothis.”
“You cannot,” Josephine replied quietly. “Your father has decided.” She had tried to think about it from every angle, but she could not see an escape. Josephine was not totally ready to give up yet, but she did not want Annabelle to get her hopes up in case there was not anything that she could do. “It has beendecided.”
“But mother, you can help me. You can make him change his mind. I needyou.”
There were those words again, Annabelle needed Josephine. Tears balled up behind her eyes as her failure was thrown in her face once more. She could not admit the truth to Annabelle, she could not tell her that she had already tried and failed. It was too embarrassing forwords.
Maybe she would tell her once she had worked out a proper solution, but for now she needed to simply shut this conversation down. “I cannot make your father change his mind. I am sorry,Annabelle.”
Annabelle knotted her eyebrows together and she crossed her arms defensively across her chest. “Cannot, or will not?” She was not ready to accept defeat justyet.
Josephine knew that she was going to have to play the bad person for a moment to make her daughter accept her fate. She did not want to push Annabelle further away than she had already, but she could not see what choice shehad.
“It makes no difference. The end result is still the same. Your father wishes you to marry Lord Ashdown, there is nothing I can do aboutit.”
Annabelle was left speechless, she could not believe what her mother was saying to her. “I will never expect you to be on my side ever again,” she snapped as she turned to leave. “Thank you very much,Mother.”
