Page 44 of A Virgin to Trap the Earl of Thornhill
“Lady Chatsworth, Miss Penelope,” Viscountess Blackwell greeted, her voice slightly cool. Eris offered a polite nod.
Lady Chatsworth studied them for a moment, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “How is your other daughter, Lily, I believe? We have not seen her at any recent gatherings, sadly.”
Viscountess Blackwell straightened, smoothing down her dress. “Oh, have you not heard? My Lily is resting. She has been feeling a tad under the weather lately, poor thing.”
Lady Chatsworth’s eyes gleamed, and the feigned smile on Penelope’s face widened. “Oh, how peculiar. I heard a rumor she was indisposed because of the Earl of Halstead.”
A hush fell over the table as Eris’ heart pounded in her chest. She watched as her mother’s smile tightened, her eyes reflecting a mix of outrage and embarrassment. Eris felt a heat rise to her cheeks, the shame prickling at her.
“What an absurd rumor,” Viscountess Blackwell finally managed to say. Her voice was icy. “Why would he have anything to do with Lily?”
“Well,” Lady Chatsworth replied, a wicked glint in her eyes, “rumors often have a hint of truth, don’t they?” She laughed, a high, tinkling sound that seemed to echo around the room.
Before Eris or her mother could reply, the pair sauntered off, leaving behind a wake of unease. Eris sat in stunned silence, her cheeks flaming, her heart heavy with a sadness that seemed to seep into every corner of her being. The reminder of her sister’s scandal felt like a punch in the gut, and the looming prospect of the upcoming ball suddenly took on a darker shade.
Viscountess Blackwell’s usual composure had given way to distress. She fumbled with her china teacup, her hand trembling slightly. Her eyes, bright with unshed tears, held a desperate plea as she looked at Eris.
“Eris,” she said, her voice hoarse, “you must understand why it is so crucial that you find a suitable husband at the ball. The rumors are already spreading. If you do not secure a good match soon, I fear it will be too late for us.”
Her mother’s words stung, even more so when she added, “And we can’t afford to keep Lily’s child. We have to send the baby to an orphanage as soon as it’s born.”
A lump formed in Eris’ throat at the harsh reality of her sister’s situation. A wave of sympathy for her mother’s plight welled up in her, but it was tightly braided with an overwhelming burden. The thought of her niece or nephew, her own flesh and blood, being sent to an orphanage was unbearable.
Her mother’s raw desperation sent a wave of sympathy through Eris, coupled with an overwhelming sense of pressure. She reached out and covered her mother’s shaking hand with her own, offering what comfort she could.
“I understand, Mother,” she said softly though her heart pounded in her chest at the thought of what lay ahead. The stakes were much higher than she had realized, and the future of her family seemed to rest heavily on her shoulders. The image of William’s brooding face floated in her mind, and she could not help but wonder if he would be at the ball. And more importantly, if he would be the answer to her family’s looming crisis.
As the reality of their predicament sank in, Eris could not help but feel a shiver of apprehension creep down her spine. What was to become of them all if she failed? With a determined set to her jaw, she decided then and there, she wouldn’t let her family be ruined. Not if she could help it. She would attend the ball and do what she must, even if it meant her own heart would pay the price.
ChapterTwenty-Four
“James, a cup of tea if you please,” William instructed the footman upon entering the library of his London manor house.
“Right away, My Lord,” James replied with a nod before disappearing to fetch the requested refreshment.
William settled into the leather armchair of his London manor house’s stately library. His gaze flitted over the words of Sir Walter Scott’s latest novel,the Talisman, but his mind stubbornly refused to engage with the historical romance. Instead, it was preoccupied with a romance of a different kind — a romance that was beguiling, complicated, and utterly consuming.
His thoughts kept straying back to Eris, the fiery and captivating woman who had turned his world upside down. He envisioned her dark, wavy hair cascading down to her shoulders and the way her cheeks turned the sweetest shade of rosy pink when she was flustered or impassioned. He remembered the feel of her body against his when he had kissed her, the way she had melted into his arms and kissed him back with a fervor that left him breathless.
He could still taste the sweetness of her lips on his, and the memory of her touch ignited a flame that sent tendrils of desire curling through his loins. Yet, it was not just her physical beauty that bewitched him. Eris’ sharp wit, her vivacious spirit, and her boundless intelligence were the very qualities that truly captivated him.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he closed his eyes, wishing he possessed the talent of an artist. He would have loved nothing more than to immortalize Eris’ beauty in a painting. A painting that would be for his eyes only, a lasting tribute to the woman who had unwittingly captured his heart.
As he sat there in the silence of his library, the ticking of the clock on the mantle serving as a constant reminder of the passing time, William could not help but wonder what the future held for him and Eris. Would he see her at the Duchess of Hartville’s ball? And if so, what then?
The sound of laughter and commotion echoed down the corridor, jolting William from his thoughts. As the library door swung open, his eyes widened at the sight of his younger brother, Cassian, grinning broadly at him.
“Cassian! What are you doing here? I thought you would be at sea,” William exclaimed, his surprise making way for a surge of genuine warmth and happiness at seeing his sibling. His eyes traveled over Cassian, taking in the sea-hardened expression and broadened shoulders. His brother had always had a love for the sea, and it had shaped him in ways William could hardly fathom.
Cassian’s grin widened as he shrugged off his naval coat. “The ship needed some unexpected repairs, so I thought, ‘What better time to see my favorite brother?” he quipped, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
“You mean your only brother,” William retorted, matching Cassian’s grin as he got up to greet him properly.
Laughing together, they made their way to the parlor, their camaraderie echoing warmly through the grand manor house.
Cassian slung an arm around William’s shoulder, steering him toward the drinks cabinet. “I heard Mother came with you into town. Has she managed to strong-arm you into attending any of those dreadful balls she is so fond of?” Cassian teased, pouring himself a glass of brandy.
William raised an eyebrow at his brother. “As a matter of fact, she has,” he admitted, taking the glass that Cassian offered him. “She is out shopping for a new gown as we speak.”
