Spring in Hyde Park by Jennifer Moore & G.G. Vandagriff & Nichole Van

Author:Jennifer Moore & G.G. Vandagriff & Nichole Van [Jennifer Moore & G.G. Vandagriff & Nichole Van]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Mirror Press
Published: 2016-03-08T07:00:00+00:00

When she and her sister were at last alone, they embraced silently, and Lavinia began to sob great, wrenching sobs.

“He is after my fortune. I never would have believed it! How can it be that he is such a scoundrel?”

Sophronia stroked her sister’s back, trying to soothe her. “I did not guess either, dearest. Do you suppose Lady Falwell was exaggerating? That she was merely trying to make you unhappy?”

“No. She may have meant to be spiteful, but she spoke the truth. Whyever else would Gilbert tell me lies about Harcourt and refuse to let me see it?”

Sophronia maneuvered her sister into the downstairs sitting room. Ringing the bell for Williams, she ordered tea. Lavinia continued to sob.

“And the worst of it is that I love him! How long will it take before my brain tells my heart what a miserable future I have been spared?”

Sophronia embraced her sister again. She could not even imagine the betrayal she must feel.

“To think his professions of love were false,” Lavinia continued. “It is almost more than I can bear, Sophronia. My future has suddenly become a blank.”

Sophronia thought of the looks she had seen on Gilbert’s face when he gazed at her sister. He had fooled her as well. She had been certain his love was real.

Tearing herself away from her sister, Lavinia went to the small desk and sat down.

“What are you doing?”

“Breaking my engagement. I have been a fool, but not for a moment longer. I shall write one letter to Gilbert and an announcement to the Morning Post.”

“Vinnie, dear, you have been so happy. Are you certain this is what you want to do?”

“I must make a clean break before Uncle can try to talk me out of it. You realize he must have known all along?” She scrawled her notes quickly. “I know it will cause a scandal, but I do not care tuppence. I will not marry a liar and a fortune hunter!”

“I should talk sense into you, but I am afraid I would feel just as you do,” Sophronia admitted. She paced the room. “You are right about Uncle, of course. No one can convince me that Uncle would not have had Gilbert thoroughly looked into.”

Her sister raised a tear-stained face to her. “They just want to be quit of us!”

She tried to think the situation through, to come up with another explanation. “I cannot think of another reason, to tell you the truth.” The wound of her uncle’s carelessness went deep. He did not even think enough of Lavinia to protect her from an outright fortune hunter, and he knew that wherever her sister went, Sophronia would go, too.

“I have given up on Uncle and Aunt long ago,” said Lavinia. She handed Sophronia the letter to the Post. “Can you give that to whatever footman is waiting out there and tell him to deliver it to the newspaper tonight? A public repudiation of my engagement may be the only way that Uncle will let me out of it.

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