Page 7 of Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
Chapter 4
Annabellesoon forgot all about Lord Ashdown and their night at the party. Weeks had passed and nothing had come of it, making her fears completely unfounded. Either Catherine was right and Watson just said it to tease her, or her mother was right and her father told him where to go. Either way, it hardlymattered.
It was merely a fleeting thing, and now it was over. Life had completely gone back tonormal.
“Lady Hathaway?” the butler of the house called outside the door to where Annabelle was sitting in the garden, soaking up the rays of sunlight that were growing increasingly rare as summer rolled into autumn. “Your father wishes to speak withyou.”
“Is Beatrice here?” She stood up as quickly as she could, with happiness coursing through her. “I cannot wait to see heragain.”
Annabelle had struggled to keep still all morning long with excitement. Her older sister was finally coming to visit her family for the first time since the wedding, and according to her letter, Beatrice had some news. Annabelle had no idea what the news was going to be, but she was looking forward to gossiping and maybe learning a little bit more about what married life was actually like behind thescenes.
She just hoped that her sister had managed to findhappiness.
“He did not give me such information,” the butler continued regretfully, barely even making eye contact with Annabelle. “He simply asked for your presence in hisoffice.”
Annabelle did not wait to hear anything else, so certain she was that she was finally going to see Beatrice again. Potential questions that she needed to ask her sister completely consumed her brain, it actually took her aback when she found herself paused outside her father’s office door, listening intently to an intensesilence.
If Beatrice was in there, she was being incredibly quiet. She was not having any kind of conversation with their father, which seemed very strange. Maybe she did not always have as much to say as Annabelle, but silence was a shock. It unnerved Annabelle, it left her with an odd sense that something was terriblywrong.
What could it be?Annabelle wondered as she ran her finger idly over her bottom lip.What could havehappened?
Nothing instantly came to mind, nothing except potential tragedy which Annabelle did not want to consider so she reached her fingers forwards. It was only at the moment that her hand neared the door that Annabelle realized how much she was shaking all over. Her heart raced rapidly, her knees knocked together, she decided that she did not want this meeting afterall.
But her father had requested her presence, so she had to give it. Whether she wanted to or not, Annabelle had nochoice.
Knock,knock.
Annabelle pressed her ear up against the door as she waited for her father to answer her request to come inside. She did not get anything immediately, but she did not expect to. He was known for making people wait for a few moments while he finished up whatever he was doing, and that rule still stood for family members who had been summoned by him. Annabelle presumed that it was a power thing, heneededthat control, whatever thesituation.
Eventually, his booming voice called out to her. “Come in,” he saidgravely.
With a deep sigh, Annabelle pushed open the office door and she stepped inside, taking a second to inhale the musky scent of old books. She had not spent a lot of time in her father's office during her life, it was the one room that she and Beatrice had never been allowed inside without supervision, but somehow there was something very familiar about the old book smell. Annabelle would always associate it with her fatherforevermore.
“Sit down, Annabelle,” Otto said loudly in a commanding tone of voice. “There are things we need todiscuss.”
Things to discuss...that did not sound inviting. Annabelle wished that she had never received the message to meet with her father. It was ruining what was, so far, a very niceday.
“Why am I alone?” Annabelle asked as she took a seat on the other side of her father’s mahogany desk. The candle light flickered on his face as Otto regarded her carefully. The expression on his face made Annabelle fear for whatever he was about to say. “Where isBeatrice?”
“She has not arrived yet,” he replied, confirming her worst fears. She was here for something else. “Your mother should be here with us too, but since she is not, maybe we should continue on without her. There does not seem to be any reason we shouldwait.”
“R... right,” Annabelle shifted uncomfortably. Her hands folded in her lap and she crossed her legs under the skirts of her dress. She tried her best to hide her discomfort but it was probably plastered all over her face. “Isee.”
A pregnant pause filled the air, the tension was so thick Annabelle found it hard to breathe under the pressure of it. She wanted to beg her father to speak, to simply get it over with, but she feared that would be the wrong thing todo.
“Now, it is good that you mention your sister because this is related to her.” Otto tapped his fingers together thoughtfully as he spoke. “It all began with the day of herwedding.”
"It did?" Annabelle's mind reeled frantically, she wanted to get one step ahead of her father, or at the very least on the same page, but it was difficult when he was being so cryptic with hiswords.
“Yes. Now, this is not something that I was planning to concern myself with right away, but when an offer like this comes along, it would be ridiculous of me to ignoreit.”
“Right. I see. Ridiculous.” Annabelle was definitely missing something, if only she could work outwhat.
“I understand that maybe you do not quite feel emotionally ready to take a step into adult life.”Wait, did he just accuse her of being childish?Annabelle did not like that at all. Her back straightened and her lips pursed together in a thin line as she tried to keep her temper inside. “But the Lord who has requested your hand in marriage would like it to happen now, and he is averywealthy, self-made, young man. Absolutely perfect foryou.”
Otto liked that aspect of the Lord best of all. Just like him, he had worked hard to make something of himself. Having been in a position where hehadto create his own wealth, he understood more than most what a challenge that was. It showed tenacity and determination. With qualities like that, he was sure to give Annabelle the comfortable life that shedeserved.
“A Lord has asked for my hand in marriage?” Annabelle gripped tightly onto the material of her skirt. She could feel her skin perspiring fearfully. This was not something that she had to worry about for the foreseeable future, everyone had told her asmuch.
