Page 43 of The Heiress in Disguise
“Enter,” Aunt Wilhelmina said. Angelique took a deep breath to steady herself and went inside.
Her aunt met her with a frosty glare. “So here you are,” she said. “What do you have to say for yourself? I was looking for you.”
“I apologize.” Angelique knew her aunt well enough to know that she wasn’t looking for explanations or excuses. All she wanted was to see Angelique humbled, and the quickest way through this situation was to give that to her.
“I don’t ask much of you, Ella,” Aunt Wilhelmina said. “You know how important tonight is. I expect to be able to find you when I need you.”
“You’re right. It won’t happen again.”
“I feel sure that it will. You never seem to learn. But right now, I need you to go attend to your cousin.”
“Which cousin?”
“Gwyneth. You’ll find her in her room.”
Angelique didn’t need to ask any further questions. This wasn’t the first time Gwyneth had had a bit too much to drink at a party, nor was it the first time she had been asked to deal with the situation. “I’ll go right away.”
“Be discreet,” her aunt warned.
Angelique couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of power. Of course, shewouldbe discreet, but she also knew that her aunt was right to be fearful. If Angelique were a different sort of person, a crueler person, she could ruin her cousin’s reputation tonight. Then Gwyneth would have a very hard time securing a good marriage for herself.
And Aunt Wilhelmina knew that she had treated Angelique badly enough over the years that it wouldn’t be strange for Angelique to make the decision to do just that. She was forcedto trust in the fact that Angelique was a decent person—a better person than she herself was. Angelique enjoyed watching her aunt confront that knowledge.
She went up to Gwyneth’s room. Her cousin was sitting on the floor. It appeared as if she had been trying to make it to her bed, but she hadn’t gotten there. She looked up as Angelique entered. “Ella?”
“Let’s get you into your nightgown,” Angelique said. She held out a hand and helped Gwyneth to her feet. Gwyneth cooperated with her willingly enough, allowing Angelique to help her out of her gown and into her nightclothes. Angelique put her into bed and pulled the covers up around her. “Are you all right?” she asked. “Do you have everything you need?”
“This was a wonderful party, wasn’t it?” Gwyneth murmured. “Did you have a good time, Ella?”
Even this amount of alcohol couldn’t suppress her cousin’s cruelty—Angelique knew a barb when she heard one. “I’m glad it was everything you hoped it would be.”
“You’ll stay here until I fall asleep, won’t you?”
“You know I will.” Angelique always stayed when Gwyneth had had this much to drink, just to make sure that she was safe. Her cousin was awful, but Angelique didn’t wish her any harm. All she really wanted was to see Gwyneth married so that she wouldbe out of the house and Angelique wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore. Then she would finally have at least some amount of peace in her life.
“It must be so sad for you,” Gwyneth said. Her eyes had slipped closed.
“What do you mean?” Angelique knew it would be better not to ask the question—what did she care what Gwyneth meant, when she knew that her cousin was only trying to provoke her? But for some reason, she couldn’t help herself. It was as if her interactions with the masked stranger had pushed her to a breaking point.
She needed answers, and if he wasn’t going to give them to her, she would seek them here. She would persuade Gwyneth to be fully honest with her, even though Gwyneth’s full honesty would almost certainly be painful to hear.
“The party,” Gwyneth said. “This was your parents’ house. We both know that. Should’ve been your house, but it’s not, because it belongs to us now. You would have been a guest at this party, and instead you’re changing my clothes and bringing me my breakfast every morning. I wear beautiful gowns and you wear old rags. The perfect little servant. If your parents could see you now, what do you suppose they would say?”
Angelique turned away.I asked for this. I knew she’d have nothing good to say if I pressed her, and I did it anyway.
It was her own fault. She had anticipated this outcome. She should have left well enough alone. Why hadn’t she done that?
She could see that Gwyneth was starting to fall asleep. It was a fine time to leave, so she showed herself out of the room, feeling anxious and upset. The interaction with Gwyneth shouldn’t have bothered her. Her cousin was always saying things like that, trying to get a rise out of Angelique, and it had never much troubled her in the past. She was good at keeping herself from becoming emotional when her relatives tried to provoke her.
It was all the masked stranger’s fault. She was weak because he had affected her, and now Gwyneth’s cruel words had an impact that they might not have otherwise.
She hurried to her room. It was too early, and she ought to go back to the party and try to help more, but she couldn’t bring herself to face it. She wanted to be on her own. It was late enough now that the others would pick up the slack, and her aunt would believe she was with Gwyneth. Gwyneth herself probably wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow. She wouldn’t be found out.
As she entered her room, she stopped short.
Somehow, in the midst of the party, with everything that was going on tonight, her fairy godmother had found her once again.
There was a brand-new goose-down pillow with a soft case, a beautiful hand mirror in a carved wooden frame, and a box on the bed. She opened the box and saw that it contained several sweetmeats. She removed one and bit into it. The flavor was so delectable that emotion overcame her, and the tears she had been struggling to contain all night finally spilled over.
