Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77335 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Who had no real skills other than playing an instrument that apparently sounded like cats dying.
No one came to check on me.
One of the maids left food for me a few times, but my father didn’t say anything or send a maid to ask if I needed a doctor.
Nothing until three days had passed.
I was called down first thing in the morning of the third day.
I got showered and dressed as I was supposed to, strictly on autopilot, and went to wait in his office. This time, he actually didn’t make me wait too long. I barely had time to trace a single pattern in the Persian rug.
“Your engagement party is tonight. I’ve already had a dress delivered. You are to be ready and presentable at seven. The engagement party will start promptly at eight at the Waldorf Astoria. The baroness has taken on the responsibility of planning everything. So there is nothing for you to worry yourself with.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, not looking up from the carpet.
It was fine. I had no interest in planning any type of celebration.
“Good. I suggest you go do some research on the British aristocracy so you don’t make a fool of yourself tonight.”
“Yes, sir,” I responded, still on autopilot.
“The other night, her son was taken by you, but his mother was less than impressed. Thankfully, he seems to have his mother in line, somewhat. But you would do well to ingratiate yourself with her. She is how you will be introduced to London society, and I need those business contacts. The current baron is too old and broken to be of any use to us. Fortunately, your husband will have the title, probably soon, but he is a fool. A fool I can control, but make no mistake, your duty is still to this family first.”
It was terrifying how smoothly he had my fiancé’s father in the grave and my future husband under his thumb.
“Yes, sir.”
“You are to be on your fiancé’s arm the entire night at his side. And you had better show more wit and intelligence and good breeding than you did at the dinner party. I was able to cover your lack of attention as simply nerves. I won’t be able to do that again.”
“Yes, sir,” I said again, still staring at the Persian rug.
He placed a hand under my chin to raise my gaze to his. “Cheer up, Charlotte. Soon you will have a beautiful home of your own, a title, and perhaps a few babies to care for. Your husband will barely be a daily consideration. Trust me, I know what these aristocrat types are like.”
“If you say so, Father.”
“I do. You needed this. Whether you want to admit it to yourself or not. Your life was going nowhere. You needed a push out of the nest. I’m doing this for your own good.”
I swallowed as tears pricked the back of my eyes.
He wasn’t wrong. For so long, I’d blamed my father for the stagnant, stifling life I’d been leading, when in reality, I’d been happily playing along. Like a bird singing in a cage.
It was so much easier to blame him than to look inward.
Was it really fair to only blame him for this marriage when I had been basically sleepwalking through my own damn life?
Was it fair to blame Reid for waking me up?
It seemed I was blaming everyone but myself.
If I were now in this awful position, then it was just possible that I had only myself to blame.
“I understand, Father.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.”
I turned on my heel and left his office, passing Reid as I left.
He didn’t so much as look at me as I walked past.
It was like a knife slicing into my heart.
His anger and hatred were so much easier to deal with than his indifference.
I went back up to my room to find the dress had already been laid out.
The dress was similar to the one I had worn before, except instead of black with pink flowers, it was white and the waist on the corset was transparent. This one did have a full and opaque skirt but a slit that went almost to my hip.
I hated it.
But my engagement party wasn’t really about me. It was more of a trial run to see how I would act on this man’s arm. How I would look and if I could rise to the occasion.
As if failure were an option.
The ballroom was beautifully laid out.
I had been to several events in this ballroom. The Waldorf Astoria did have one of the most amazing ballrooms in the city. I tried to take comfort in the fact that most women would have killed to have their engagement party here.
I stood in the middle of the room, making polite chitchat with people I barely knew, accepting their congratulations and well wishes as I was waiting for my fiancé.