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Prologue
New York City, 1812
How could he?
Lily Prescott allowed the piece of parchment to flutter to the floor beside her feet. Even in the rain-splattered glass of her chamber windows, she could see that her pale cheeks were streaked with tears. She had stopped crying for at least several hours, yet her bright blue eyes were rimmed with red.
Everything seemed so cold despite the shawl that she had draped over her shoulders. Her reflection seemed almost frail as she huddled beneath the shawl, making her thin stature appear even smaller.
The chambers were lavishly decorated in the latest French style with pink trimmings, plenty of roses, and tiny painted cherubs on the ceiling, but nothing could take her mind off the shock she had received.
Her light blonde hair had been neatly pinned back that morning, yet several strands were now framing her face. Her fine features and straight nose were all a little puffy after the shock she had received. She looked more disheveled than she ever would have been after a simple breakfast, but none of that registered to her, not after she had read the gossip columns.
Lightning streaked the sky, followed by a loud, thunderous crack that barely made her wince.
Was it something I did?
Her entire body felt numb as fat droplets of rain continued to beat against the glass.
“Lily, may I come in?” Her mother’s gentle voice called from the doorway after a gentle knock.
“Certainly,” Lily said softly, still unable to think.
None of it made sense to her, not the gossip, how he had treated her, or even the fact that a small voice inside of her believed it.
Shutting the door behind her, Alice Prescott closed the distance between them before placing a gloved hand on Lily’s shoulder. “I know this has all come as quite a shock to you, my darling, but Oliver is downstairs.”
The name sent a wave of disgust down Lily’s spine as she shivered and shut her eyes, the pit of her stomach knotting with displeasure and pain.
Oliver King.
The man she was engaged to.
Was engaged to.
She quickly corrected her own thought and sat up straight, opening her eyes as she looked at her mother’s reflection beside hers. “Did you read the columns for yourself, Mama?” she asked in a strong voice, finding the courage to face the matter.
Kind blue eyes that matched her own stared back at her with a look of sympathy mixed with sadness and understanding. “I did. My maid brought me a copy of the gossip sheet after you ran from breakfast this morning. I thought it best to give you some space, but…” Her mother pursed her thin lips into a sympathetic smile.
“But now Oliver is downstairs demanding to see me?” She finished her mother’s sentence for her.
Her eyes wrinkled slightly at the corners, showing her age. At forty, Alice was still the picture of beauty with fine features that she had passed on to Lily, who looked exactly like her mother at the tender age of twenty-one. “I can send him away, dearest. Allowing some time to pass will give you both more clarity on how matters should be handled.”
“How much time do you think will be enough time, Mama? He has been seeing one harlot for Heaven knows how long; how many more will he see if I give him more time?” Lily raised an eyebrow, noting the shock and anguish in her mother’s eyes.
I should not have been so harsh.
Lily shut her eyes again for a brief moment before opening them, suppressing a sigh as she came to her feet and turned to face her mother. “My apologies, Mama, I should not have been so crass. I imagine that this has all come as quite a shock to you as well.”
“Oh, my dearest.” Her mother’s eyes filled with tears as she reached out and touched Lily’s cheek. “Your father and I had the best of intentions in arranging your marriage. I had wanted you to fall in love, but I did see reason when your father chose Mr. King. And now, to have him…” Her words trailed off as she shut her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.
Reaching up, Lily placed her hand over her mother’s and lowered it to her side. “Now that he was seen leaving the lodgings of an infamous courtesan. You know that I do not believe in hiding from matters, Mama. Mr. King has been caught in a cruel secret, and it should be outed as such. I shall go downstairs and tell him that our engagement is off.” Her voice was firm and confident despite her inner trembling.
It still did not seem real to her that her fiancé, out of all people, had been caught having an affair. She had been in love with him or had at least convinced herself that she had been. Her heart had certainly been broken as if she had truly been in love with him.
Her mother pursed her lips into a sympathetic smile. “You have always been my strong, independent girl. Sometimes, I think that we never should have left our little farm in Colorado. We were all so happy back then.”
“All of us except Papa. You know how much this opportunity here in New York has meant to him, Mama. We shall not allow a small setback such as this to ruin that for him. We shall handle the matter one step at a time, and the first step is for me to confront Mr. King.” She held her head high, taking a deep breath as she composed herself for the conversation that lay ahead.
“Would you like me to come with you, my dearest?” her mother asked tearfully.
Lily shook her head and gave her mother’s hand a gentle squeeze. “No, thank you, Mama, but I must end things on my own. You may watch from the gallery so that everything is proper, but I will face Mr. King on my own.” She swallowed hard, feeling as if her throat were far too dry.
“As you wish, my dearest. I shall watch from a distance.” Her mother offered her one final smile of encouragement before allowing her to pace.
Her feet moved slowly at first, as if her shoes had been filled with lead, but she quickly found her courage again and left her chambers, walking along the gallery of their fine New York home until she spotted her fiancé below.
He is really here.
Her heart jolted, bringing back the feelings of that morning when her world had crumbled. The immense pain she felt toward him collided with memories of a man who had courted her the honorable way. The two images did not seem to make sense to her at all as he ran a hand through his thick crop of brown hair and looked in her direction. His square jaw was set, making his hard features appear even harsher.
“Lily,” he whispered her name just as his dark brown eyes fell on her. He seemed just as shocked as she felt as he ran his tongue over his lips. His shoulders and top hat that hung loosely in his hand were almost soaked through, further evidence of the storm that was raging through the streets.
She turned her face while whispering an affirmation to herself before descending the stairs. “I can do this.” She focused on her steps, watching her white shoes peek out from beneath her white day dress at the hem.
I can do this.
She felt her heart hammering in her chest as yet another crack shook the windowpanes in the foyer.
Oliver stood rooted to the spot, his normally straight posture rigid with concern. He was at least a head taller than Lily, who was of medium height, but he somehow seemed shorter to her after everything she had heard.
It did not take her long to reach the bottom of the stairs. She kept her cool and inclined her head in a greeting. “Mr. King.” She stood on the bottom step, keeping one gloved hand poised on the banister.
Dropping his shoulders, Oliver shook his head. “Now, honey, what is this Mr. King business? You have called me Oliver in private since we got engaged…” His voice was filled with disbelief as his damp hair flopped to the side. His tanned skin was beaded with droplets of water.
“Do not call me that, Mr. King,” Lily snapped, feeling used and foolish.
His face stiffened instantly, making his sharp features appear even sharper as his brow creased into a frown. “I take it that you have read the gossip columns this morning. I was hoping to explain matters before they reached you.”
Lifting her head defiantly, Lily looked him straight in the eye. “Explain matters? I am certain that no explanations are needed. You were seen leaving the lodgings of a notorious woman, regardless of her social standing. I dare say that you were not there to take her temperature, or did I miss something? You are the son of a wealthy businessman, are you not? Because the last time that I checked, you were not training to be a physician or anything else that would excuse your presence in her life.”
Oliver opened his mouth, shutting it again quickly when she stood her ground. “Now, honey, that is not fair…”
“I told you to stop calling me that,” she snapped again, more fiercely as her anger began to grow.
Lifting his hands in the air, Oliver surrendered. “Very well, I shall refrain from calling you honey. All I am asking is that you hear me out. I can explain everything if you would just listen to me.” He took a step forward, forcing Lily to step back instantly.
His expression changed in an instant as he clenched his jaw. “I see that you have resolved to make matters more difficult than they need to be.”
Lily cocked her head to the side, staring him down as she pushed back her anger. It took her a moment to respond, but when she did, she removed her hand from the banister and slipped off her emerald ring.
“No, honey, you cannot do this!” He began to complain, stepping away from her as he shook his head repeatedly. “I gave you that ring as an engagement gift. You cannot just give it back. What will people say?”
His answer stunned her as Lily froze. “Did you really just ask me what people will say? Everyone is already talking about you, Mr. King, and by extension, me! I highly doubt that my ringless finger will spark more gossip than your deeds!” Her voice grew thinner as the lump at the back of her throat choked her words.
The audacity of the man astounded her.
The stiffness in his expression gave way to a darker look of anger as he narrowed his eyes, and Lily could not help but wonder if she had ever known him at all. “Be that as it may, we will need to ride out the gossip. All of the plans are in place, and everyone is expecting a wedding.”
“I am more than certain that there is not a soul in New York who expects this marriage to go ahead.” She held the ring out to him.
Oliver shook his head even more fiercely and gestured in front of him almost violently, making crosses with his arm. “I shall not accept this.”
“I am afraid that I am not giving you a choice. Not that you gave me a choice of what gossip is spread about my life.” She held his gaze for a heated moment, feeling the resentment in his eyes penetrate her broken heart before placing the ring carefully on the banister and turning to leave.
His voice was raised and filled with anger when he called to her again. “You cannot do this, Lily! Mark my words, you cannot do this to me! You will be sorry if this wedding does not go ahead!”
Lowering her voice to a whisper, Lily lifted the hem of her dress and climbed the steps one at a time. “I am already sorry that I ever met you.” Tears spilled down her cheeks again, making her grateful for the fact that her back was turned to him.
“You will pay for this, Lily Prescott, mark my words! I shall make you pay for ending this!” His angry words followed her up the stairs and across the gallery until she reached the door to her chambers.
So much for honey.
She pushed open the door, feeling the final waves of shock begin to take over her body as her fingers began to tremble. She had stood strong in his presence, yet her emotional tolerance for the day was reaching its limit.
Shutting the door behind her, she let out a shaky breath and allowed the tears to flow until her legs felt as if they would buckle.
“Why did I allow myself to be humiliated like this?” She asked her empty chambers, needing to voice that question that was tearing her apart.
Placing the tips of her fingers against the rough wood of her door, she pushed herself off and walked to her bed, falling into the softness between the four-posters as if it could envelope her and make everything better.
Her body shook with every sob, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Lust and Love in High Society", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dear readers. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek! I will be waiting for your comments below. Thank you so much! 🙂