Prologue
“Do come in, my dear girl. You look quite weary.”
Miss Dinah Shepherd shivered violently as she stood on the threshold of Lord Whitehaven’s manor house but did not take a single step forward.
“Come, my dear.” Lady Whitehaven’s voice was soft, her expression entirely compassionate, but still Dinah felt nothing other than the same unrelenting fear that had crept into her heart ever since she had crawled under her bed to hide.
“I am truly sorry to hear of what has occurred,” Lady Whitehaven continued, stepping closer and settling her hands over Dinah’s tightly gripped hands. “But we shall be your family now, Dinah. You will not be alone. There is nothing to fear, truly.”
Dinah’s throat worked painfully, her heart aching furiously as she thought back to what had been a happy and contented life with her dear mother and father. They had been taken from her so swiftly, gone together in almost the very same moment, that still she could not quite take it in.
“Your cousins are waiting for you,” Lady Whitehaven urged gently, now carefully tugging Dinah forward. “And there are honey cakes and hot tea already being prepared. Of course, if you are hungry, then we can have anything you wish sent up to you.”
Dinah found herself moving forward without being aware of having had any intention of doing so. This was all so strange, so unfamiliar and confusing, and when intertwined with her grief, it made her feel quite overwhelmed. A ragged gasp left her throat, her hands tugging free from Lady Whitehaven’s as she came to a stumbling stop, swaying just a little as she stared all about her.
Her life, as she had known it, had now come to an end. Her parents were gone, taken from her by cruel thieves who had attacked her father and mother and had left them both to die, having taken everything of worth from the house. Only Dinah had been left alive from their family, cowering under her bed and praying to God that she would not be found. God had answered her prayer, but what she had been left to endure was now so painful that she almost wished she too had gone on to heaven.
“You are not to be afraid any longer,” Lady Whitehaven murmured, her eyes searching Dinah’s face. “There is nothing to harm you here, Dinah. You are loved, you are safe, and you are protected.”
Dinah let out another shuddering breath and closed her eyes tightly. She had been sent to this family, to her aunt and cousins, in order that she might continue her life in whatever way she could, but there seemed to be no easy way forward. Her mind told her that all she had to do was to step forward and walk into the drawing room, where her cousins would be waiting, but she simply could not bring herself to do it. It was as though she was setting her back on the memories of her family, making the conscious decision to forget her parents and all that they had been to her, and instead looking to her future, to whatever her life was to be without them.
Always look to God. He will show you the path your life is to take.
Dinah started visibly as the voice of her mother seemed to fill the room. Lady Whitehaven was now staring at her with wide eyes, evidently all the more concerned that Dinah was now reacting to something she herself could not see. Dinah’s breathing became quick and heavy as the words went all the way around her, securing her in what felt like a compassionate embrace. The sorrow and the pain that had gone previously, Dinah believed, had been brought about by the sinfulness of men and the greed of their hearts, and now, because of that, she had been brought here, to the Whitehaven estate with the expectation that she would now become a part of their family.
He will show you the path your life is to take.
Her mother had so often said those words to her and had told her repeatedly that all she had to do was continue to pray and fix her mind upon God and that He would show her the path she was to follow. And now the path was directly before her. Somehow, she would have to find her way to continue towards it, no matter how much pain she had to endure. Perhaps, somehow, there would be some goodness to come out of her agony.
“Thank you.”
Her voice was hoarse, her words weak and filled with a misery that she could not fully express, but at the very least, she did manage to say something. Lady Whitehaven let out a long slow breath, looking a little less concerned now as her hand once more pressed Dinah’s.
“You don’t have to thank me,” she murmured, a small smile on her face as her eyes warmed. “We are truly glad to have you here, Dinah. We wish to give you as much comfort as we can, truly.”
Dinah nodded and swallowed hard, feeling a lump continue to form in her throat.
“I think,” Lady Whitehaven continued shrewdly, “you should greet your cousins briefly, and then I shall show you to your bedchamber. Your new maid shall take care of you thereafter. You look as though you need to rest.”
“I would be very grateful for such a kindness,” Dinah replied honestly, feeling a little less overwhelmed now. “Thank you, Lady Whitehaven.”
Lady Whitehaven squeezed her hand again. “And you are to refer to me as ‘Aunt,’” she answered, gesturing for them to move forward once more. “I am aware that I married into the Whitehaven line, but I still consider us to be family.”
“And I shall be glad of you all, I am certain,” Dinah replied, feeling a trifle stronger now as they walked along the softly lit hallway. “I have no other. Not in all the world.” A sob caught in her throat, but she suppressed it with an effort. She had already cried a great deal over the loss of her parents, and yet the tears still pressed at her eyes. She could not say more but simply walked alongside her aunt until she was led into a softly lit drawing room, where a fire blazed in the hearth and candles decorated every surface. The room was ornate in its furnishings, almost resplendent, but it was not the décor that drew Dinah’s attention. Instead, it was the presence of four young ladies, who rose to their feet at once, turning towards her as one.
Her cousins. Cousins whom she had never met before in her life.
“My dear girls, this is Dinah Shepherd,” Lady Whitehaven said gently, staying close to Dinah as she spoke. “Your cousin and now a part of our family.”
Dinah swallowed hard and dipped a curtsy, which was not particularly graceful given that she was shaking all over. Her eyes lifted again to her cousins, who were curtsying also. She knew nothing of their characters, kn
ew nothing of them at all, and could only pray that she would be accepted by them, as their mother so obviously wished.
“We are glad you are here,” said one young lady, stepping forward. “I am Eliza, and the others here are Catherine, Merry, and Titania. Our brother is not, as yet, with us, but he will be present soon.”
“You are mistaken.”
Dinah jumped in surprise at the loud, masculine voice that filled the room. Turning her head, she saw a tall, broad-shouldered man walk into the room, although there was something about his gait that was a little unusual. He had a mound of thick, brown hair that fell across his forehead in a somewhat unruly fashion. His square jaw and sharp green eyes gave him a foreboding expression and sent a shudder through Dinah. He, perhaps, did not want her here. He would not welcome her as his sisters had.
“This is my son, Grayson,” Lady Whitehaven said, as the fellow continued to scrutinize Dinah, leaving her feeling entirely uncomfortable. “He will, of course, welcome you into our home and our family.” This was, Dinah thought, said more for Grayson’s benefit than for her own for she could hear the note of warning in Lady Whitehaven’s voice.
“Goodness, you are nothing more than a bird!” Grayson said, sounding quite astonished as he walked around Dinah, evidently now looking her up and down whilst Dinah did her very best to avoid his gaze. “Nothing but skin and bone.” He tutted loudly, as though this was her fault, her doing. As though she ought to have kept herself pristine and in the best of health as she lost herself in her grief. A flicker of anger began to burn within her heart, but Dinah pushed it aside with ease. The gentleman did not mean to be harsh, she was sure.
“You shall have to improve yourself almost at once, Miss Shepherd,” Grayson continued, walking towards the fire and standing in front of it, regarding her now with a slight lift to his brows. “After all, the Season will soon be upon us and you shall have your turn to find a husband!”