To Pleasure a Lady (Courtship Wars)

Their ardent, highly emotional discussion lasted well into the evening. As Arabella expected, Lily was the hardest to convince, yet she seemed concerned more for Roslyn than for herself.

“Have you truly considered the ramifications, Rose?” Lily implored. “The scandal is likely to be resurrected, just when we have finally begun to live it down. It matters little to me, since I never intend to wed, but if you want to marry, then welcoming Mama back will undoubtedly hurt your prospects of making a good match.”

Roslyn nodded slowly. “Perhaps so, but I think it is a risk I must take.”

In the end, they all decided to relent. Victoria was their mother and they wanted her back in their lives, regardless of what she had done in the past, or what it might cost them in the future.

The hour was past eight o’clock by the time Arabella ordered the old Danvers carriage made ready to take them to the nearby Red Boar Inn where their mother was staying. They spoke little on the way, and when they reached the inn, Lily lagged behind. Thus, when they were shown into a private parlor, Lily was closest to the door when it slowly opened a short time later.

Victoria stood there on the threshold, as if afraid to enter. One by one, she met each of her daughters’ gazes, until Arabella broke the tense silence. “We are glad to have you back, Mama.”

With a shuddering sigh, Victoria covered her face with her hands for a moment, before reaching them out to her daughters. “Oh, my dearest girls…”

Lily gave a small sob and flung herself into Victoria’s arms. She embraced her two older daughters next, and soon they were all laughing and crying.

It was some time before Arabella realized they were not alone. A gentleman had joined them, shutting the parlor door quietly behind him.

Eventually Victoria calmed herself enough to recall her manners and introduce her new husband. Dark-haired and dark-eyed, Henri Vachel seemed a somber man, but he hovered protectively near Victoria, and Arabella liked him the better for it. He looked relieved when Victoria smiled and told him he could return to their bedchamber to allow her privacy with her daughters.

When Monsieur Vachel had withdrawn, they settled in chairs around the hearth. The tears and apologies that followed made for a poignantly emotional reunion. Victoria wanted to hear everything that had happened to them during her four-year absence, and she listened intently, not sparing herself recriminations for the difficulties her daughters had suffered because of her actions.

The conversation only became a trifle awkward, however, when Victoria brought up the subject of their futures. “Lord Danvers tells me that none of you are eager to marry.” She glanced at each of them, but her gaze lingered longest on Arabella. “I know I am to blame for your disgust of matrimony.”

Arabella managed a wry smile. “It was not solely your doing, Mama. I think Papa bears some responsibility as well.”

“I suppose your father played a large role. But I set a terrible example for you girls to follow. Still, you cannot ruin your futures because of what we did.”

Arabella’s smile faded. She had already come to that realization. She couldn’t make crucial decisions about her future based solely on what had happened in her parents’ past, or in her own.

Before she could reply, Victoria leaned forward in her chair, her expression intent. “I grievously regret the foolish choices I made, Arabella, but you have always been wiser and stronger than I. You needn’t let my circumstances prejudice your feelings about love and marriage to your detriment.”

Perhaps she was stronger than her mother, Arabella reflected, but she wasn’t so certain she was wiser. She had let fear rule her life for too long. But no more.

“You cannot judge all relationships by what happened between me and your father,” Victoria insisted. “Simply because we had a terrible marriage doesn’t mean that good ones are not possible.”

“I realize that, Mama.” She had already come to that conclusion herself.

“You can find love and happiness in marriage. I did at long last. It took me years to comprehend what a good man Henri is. Years to find true love when it was right under my nose the whole time. Perhaps true love is right under your nose as well.”

She looked at her mother keenly. “What are you saying, Mama?”

“That you have already found a good man, Arabella. Lord Danvers went to significant trouble on your behalf. He must care for you a great deal to go to such lengths. Otherwise he would never have made so determined an effort to help us reconcile.”

Indeed, Arabella reflected, Marcus had gone well beyond his obligations as her guardian, particularly when he had already agreed last week to relinquish the position as a result of their wager.

If she had wanted proof that he cared about her, she need look no further, Arabella knew. But did it mean he truly loved her as he claimed? She desperately hoped so.

“I think he does care for me,” Arabella murmured.

Victoria nodded. “And he seems to be nothing like your father. Can you imagine Charles putting himself out for anyone like that?”

No, she couldn’t imagine such a thing. Marcus was far, far different from her father.

Roslyn spoke up just then, her tone solemn. “Do you care for Lord Danvers, Arabella?”

She hesitated only a moment. “Very much.” She sent Lily an apologetic glance. “I vowed I wouldn’t let myself fall in love with him, but in the end, I discovered I never had any choice.”

Lily regarded her solemnly, clearly troubled by her admission, but Roslyn smiled. “I only want you to be happy, Arabella. If you love him, that is all that matters.”