Vienna Dawn by Mary Lancaster

Author:Mary Lancaster
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: 0
Published: 2017-02-21T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

AS USUAL, JANE’S FACE gave away very little. As she joined Trelawny and they moved casually toward the window, he said, “Are you still angry with her?”

“Why should I be?” Jane asked carelessly, although she spoiled the effect somewhat by adding, “Did you put her up to it?”

“To apologizing?” Trelawny asked, startled. “Lord, no. She told me she needed to, so I came along since you and I need to talk, too.”

Jane nodded. “Yes, we do, and I do thank you for coming, Richard. I… I have got myself into a little…problem.”

Trelawny gazed at her. When she said no more, he prompted, “What problem?”

She turned to the window, drew in her breath, and whispered in a rush, “The Fawcetts believe I’m an heiress.”

At that moment, Fawcett himself entered the room and Jane glanced around in mingled alarm and irritation, as if afraid he would somehow disrupt their tête à tête. She needn’t have worried. Fawcett barely noticed her. His little eyes lit up, though when they found Dunya.

“How,” Trelawny asked, “did they come to entertain such a bizarre belief?”

“I’m afraid I told them so…or at least implied it. Oh, don’t look at me like that! Do you know how hard it is for a girl of even above average looks to be noticed in London society? I had the chance of one season with my cousin, just one. I only meant to draw a little interest while I had the chance, before the rumor died down again, only it just seemed to get bigger and Mr. Fawcett’s attentions grew so particular that… Well, he is so rich that I thought it wouldn’t matter that I was poor, only now that we are engaged, the lawyers are involved and his men of business are instructed to get in touch with mine about settlements, only of course, I have nothing, and my father won’t have a clue what his letter is about…”

“Oh dear,” Trelawny said. “You have got in a bit of a mess.”

Fawcett had sat himself down by Dunya and was talking to her with more animation than Trelawny had ever seen in him before. Poor Dunya was responding in monosyllables, looking both nervous and mortified, but Fawcett didn’t seem at all put out.

“You’ll have to tell him the truth,” Trelawny said sympathetically. “If he cares for you, he’ll forgive you.”

“Do you think so?” Jane turned toward him, so that her gaze fell on Fawcett and Dunya.

“Yes, I do,” Trelawny said firmly. “But it would have to come from you and not the lawyers.”

Jane swallowed, averting her gaze from the sofa. “He’ll think I lied to him.”

“You did,” Trelawny said brutally.

“Not in so many words,” she pleaded. She waved one hand toward the sofa. “What does it matter, anyhow? He is likely to break it off for quite other reasons. Perhaps I should just let it happen and then he’ll never know I’m not the heiress he thinks me.”

“Do you care for him?” Trelawny asked curiously. “Do you want to marry him?”

She faced the window once more.

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