Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Novel Read online

  “Come on, let us get something to eat,” she said instead. “I do not know about you girls, but I am very hungry.”

  Annabelle picked up the bottom of her dress to prevent it from dragging along the ground as she made her way across the hall with her three closest friends in tow. As they moved, all of them discretely glanced their eyes over the other guests in the room. It was no longer just people from the wedding, other friends, business associates, and society people had come to join in with the celebration, and curiosity demanded that the girls needed to know who was there.

  Knowing her father, Annabelle felt certain that he would have invited everyone within a radius with any sort of power. He loved to turn everything into an opportunity, it was how he had made such a big success of himself. This would not be any different, he would find a way to use everything to his advantage.

  Annabelle saw her father as a ruthless man, but she did not know the story behind it. She had never cared to ask, so Otto had never divulged the truth.

  Otto Hathaway had come from a long line of very successful men, the Hathaway inheritance was supposed to be a wonderfully huge one. It would have been too, Otto would have been given a very good start in his life, if his father had not gotten himself sucked into the deep, dark world of gambling. It was just one of those things that started off small, but soon consumed his entire existence. Otto’s father kept this side of his life a secret while he was living, but of course it could not continue on that way forevermore.

  By the time he passed away, he left the Hathaway family with an almost inconceivable amount of debt that none of them were expecting. To say it almost destroyed the family from the inside out was putting it mildly. Suddenly having to deal with angry creditors thrust Otto into the deep end. He could have floundered, if he hadn’t been a strong man.

  The shock killed his mother, Otto felt sure of it. She passed only a few months later, and he was certain it was all through stress. He tried to take control of everything, but it did not matter how hard he tried, he could not keep it away from her completely.

  When her heart gave out and she simply stopped breathing, Otto knew that there was only one person he could blame. His father did not act with the best interests of his family, he did not behave in a sensible way. Otto knew with absolute certainty that he would not make the same mistakes with his own life.

  With Otto at the head of the Hathaway family, a role he absolutely relished, he worked tirelessly, sometimes ruthlessly, he did whatever he needed to do to remain on top. With all his determination, he brought his family out of debt and he transformed them back into one of the wealthier ones in the city, all without any damage to the Hathaway reputation. He achieved that by controlling everything, which explained why he did not like to let anyone that he cared about make decisions for themselves. He had been through enough to know best.

  “Oh my goodness,” Catherine hissed gleefully as the girls finally reached the food table. “Who is that?”

  “Who is who?” Annabelle did not even bother to look. She was far too busy eyeing up the food. Her stomach twisted up in excitable knots as she tried to decide what she would taste first.

  “That absolutely gorgeous boy staring at you as if you are the most beautiful woman on the planet.”

  “Huh?” That got her attention. Much as she did not feel ready to get married, she still liked the idea of being seen. What girl did not want to feel attractive? “Who?”

  "He is on your left-hand side, near the window." Catherine glanced rapidly, far too obviously in Annabelle's opinion. "He has dark hair and a stark black suit on."

  “I will take a look now.”

  Annabelle spun slowly, looking at absolutely everyone as her eyes passed them. Whoever this person was, she did not want him to think that she was singling him out. She wanted to appear cool and collected as she finally saw him. Eventually, though, she found the only person that fit Catherine's description and as she did her heart unexpectedly stopped dead in her chest for a split second.

  “Oh.” She could not even begin to find the right words to explain how she felt as she stared at the man in question. He appeared to be taller than her, with cropped black hair and deep brown eyes that chilled her to the bone. There was something odd about him that Annabelle really did not like. Not that she understood why. “I see.”

  “He is gorgeous.” Catherine nudged her playfully. “You should dance with him.”

  His lips twisted into a smile which only made Annabelle fear him more. She could not put her finger upon it, there was just something very unlikable about this person. “Oh my goodness, is he coming over?”

  In a state of panic, she twisted her whole body around and she gripped onto the table in front of her. Annabelle’s lungs squeezed tight, her breaths fell raggedly out of her mouth, her pulse pounded so hard it caused her entire body to vibrate. She did not want to speak with this man, she did not want to dance with him, she just wanted to enjoy the celebration with her friends. Nothing more.

  “He is,” Catherine squealed excitedly. “He is coming to talk with you. Oh, you are so lucky, Annabelle.”

  “Do not leave me.” Annabelle stared defiantly at Edith, who she thought she might have more luck with. “Please stay by my side.”

  “Hello there, ladies.” The chocolaty smooth voice which could only belong to him rang out behind Annabelle. She tightened her grasp so much that her knuckles turned a funny shade of white. “I am Lord Watson Ashdown, it is lovely to meet you all on this wonderful day.”

  “Yes, I am Lady Catherine Wakefield and these are my friends: Edith and Harriett Stanbury, and this here is the sister of the bride; Annabelle Hathaway.”

  That was her cue to spin around. Annabelle had to do it if she did not want to behave in a way that would draw any unwanted attention to herself. She had just promised that she would behave herself, and if that meant being polite, then that was what she would do. With only her reputation in mind (maybe she was more like her father than she first realized) she forced a bright smile on her face and she turned.

  “It is lovely to meet you, Lord Ashdown.” Annabelle extended her hand out to him. Watson took it and kissed it like a perfect gentleman should. Only the gesture felt empty. “It is wonderful that you could be here to share my sister’s big day.”

  “Yes,” he replied thoughtfully. “Although maybe it is a shame that you are here.”

  “Pardon?” Annabelle felt her cheeks flame red all the way up to her ears. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, you are outshining her with your beauty,” Watson continued smoothly with a deep, throaty chuckle. “You truly are the prettiest woman in the room.”

  Annabelle was utterly blown away, she felt like she’d been knocked off kilter and that the world was spinning beneath her, in the worst possible way. She did not want to hear compliments, she was not ready to deal with this much attention. She needed to make this Lord leave her alone in whatever way she could.

  Just because Lord Ashdown was dressed the part in his black coat tail suit jacket, his silky waistcoat, and matching tie, did not make him the sort of man that she wanted to speak with.

  “We are just going to the other side of the room,” Catherine jumped in. She wanted to give Annabelle and Lord Ashdown time to speak alone. She could not seem to sense just how upset Annabelle was. Maybe she assumed that she was feeling just a little bit shy. “Come on Edith, Harriett.”

  Edith shot Annabelle a worried look, she did not want to leave her friend when she had been specifically asked not to. Annabelle gave her a sharp shake of the head, but Catherine dragged her away regardless of what she wanted. Annabelle looked hopelessly at the girls as they left, leaving her with absolutely no choice but to make small talk for long enough to at least seem polite.

  “So, Lord Ashdown, how is it you know my father?” she started, figuring it was a safe place to begin.

  “Actually, it is Lord Urwin I know,” he stunned her by replying. “He was a very good
friend of my father’s and he was very kind to me when he passed away. He even offered to train me in business so I could take care of myself, despite my young age. I was only fourteen years of age at the time.”

  “Oh my goodness, I am very sorry to hear that your father passed away.” Despite herself, Annabelle felt badly for this man. He looked sad, and no one deserved sadness. “That must have been a difficult time for you.”

  “It was a decade ago now, I am doing just fine.”

  Annabelle felt like she could hear a vulnerability in his tone, despite the fact he wanted to come across as strong. In a way, that reminded her of herself. She did not want to find anything in common with this Lord, but there certainly was that.

  “Your father has thrown a lovely celebration for the happy couple. It must make you think about your own wedding.”

  Watson wiggled his eyebrows at her, suggesting that he was only teasing. The gesture felt too forward, it caused Annabelle to instinctively take a step backwards. Any gossamer thin connection that she had felt with Lord Ashdown shattered in a heartbeat. She was behaving like a Lady in public, why could he not offer her the same courtesy?

  “I do not think so,” she replied coldly. “I am not thinking of marriage just yet.”

  “A beautiful woman like you?” Watson ran his eyes over Annabelle’s body as if he wanted to devour her whole. It made her very uncomfortable and caused her arms to wrap protectively around her chest.

  Lord Ashdown did not seem to mind that he had upset Annabelle however, he laughed to himself as if he had an inner joke circulating in his brain. If Annabelle was not under strict instructions not to make a scene, she might have asked him why he thought it acceptable to treat her in such a way.

  “Would you like to dance?”

  Annabelle had always hated dancing. She despised the hours spent with her dancing teacher as a child. It did not help that her father got annoyed with her until she got it right and that her sister seemed to take to it so naturally. Now, with this man who she instinctively despised, the idea of moving to music sent a shudder racing up and down her spine.

  “No, I do not think so.”

  She turned her head away, trying to end the conversation, but Lord Ashdown did not know how to be refused. It simply was not in his nature.

  “You cannot turn me down; your father wishes me to dance with you.”

  “He has not mentioned that to me.” Annabelle’s heart thudded so loudly she could feel it in her ears. “He usually lets me know if there is something that he wishes me to do.”

  Watson narrowed his eyes at Annabelle, the rejection stung him to the core. Of course, he knew as well as Annabelle did that he could not make a scene about it, but that did not mean he was done.

  “Fine,” he announced with a coldness to his tone. “Save our first dance until our wedding day, I do not mind that.”

  As he stalked off, Annabelle felt sick to her stomach. There was no way she would be made to get married to that man, especially not now, it was much too soon. But fear crept through her veins anyway. She did not know what her father would do, with her ‘best interests’ at heart, and that terrified her.

  Chapter 3

  “It is not right, is it?” Annabelle asked as she paced Catherine’s oversized bedroom the following morning. The cream and pale blue décor was designed for calm, but she could not feel that way today. After a night of barely any sleep, Annabelle still had unbridled terror racing through her system. “Lord Ashdown will not ask my father for my hand in marriage, will he?”

  Catherine flickered her eyes over to the Stanbury sisters who immediately shook their heads. Catherine was much better at delivering bad news than them. She seemed to have a better way with words.

  Catherine sighed loudly as she searched her brain for the right words to calm her friend down. “He might does, if he has taken a liking to you. He might also be interested in the dowry you come with.” Annabelle shot her friend a terrible look, that was not what she wanted to hear. “I know you might not like that,” Catherine did her best to defend herself. “But I feel it is better for you to be prepared for what might come next.”

  “Maybe I should speak with my father today, maybe it would be better for me to tell him in advance that I do not want to marry Lord Ashdown.”

  “I do not think that is a good idea,” Catherine shook her head rapidly from side to side as she disagreed with Annabelle. “I do not believe your father will appreciate your opinion on the matter.”

  “I cannot have an opinion on the man I am going to marry? The father of my children? The person I have to spend the rest of my life with?”

  Catherine did not even bother to answer that. They all knew the answer, once Otto Hathaway had made a decision, it would happen no matter what.

  Edith shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, she did not know how to deliver the knowledge that she had balling up inside of her, but she felt compelled to get it out somehow. She did not wish to make her friend feel worse, but it didn’t feel right to keep secrets from her either.

  If this affected her future, then she deserved to know.

  “Annabelle, I think there is something you should know,” Edith told her quietly. Regret laced her tone, but the weight shifted from her shoulders just the tiniest bit. “I do not think Lord Ashdown is the one for you, I think you should find whatever way you can to get out of marrying him.”

  Annabelle rushed to her friend’s side and she gripped tightly onto her arm as she stared desperately into her eyes. “What do you mean? What do you know?” she begged.

  “I do not know anything about him at all, but our elder brother used to work with him at the bank a few years back.” Edith glanced over to Harriett who gave her a helpless shrug. She did not know what was the best thing to do. In the end, Edith continued on. “I mentioned Lord Ashdown to Edmund this morning when he was visiting and his opinion of him is not positive.”

  Annabelle slid backwards and tried to catch her breath. She knew that there was something wrong with Lord Ashdown, she could just sense it. Still, she was not sure how she felt to have that confirmed. “What did he say?”

  “That he is a brute.” Edith bit down guiltily on her bottom lip. “And that he likes the company of courtesans.”

  Annabelle instantly felt her whole body still. There was no way that would be invented, it just was not the sort of thing that one would lie about. And she knew Edmund well, he was a man who took life very seriously. He would never say something unless he had seen evidence of it himself, he did not gossip

  “Oh my goodness. I was not expecting that.”

  Edith threw a comforting arm over her friend’s shoulder, but Annabelle shook it off as she raised back into a standing position.

  “Well that simply confirms it, I have to find a way not to marry this man. I have to somehow stop my father from allowing this to happen.”

  “It still might not happen,” Catherine tried to reassure her friend. “He might have only said that to try and rile you up.”

  “I suppose so, I just do not want to turn a blind eye to it in case he was being serious.” Annabelle’s brain spun, she did not know what to think anymore. It was all so confusing. “What do you think I should do?”

  “I would leave it,” Catherine said confidently. “I do not think you truly have anything to worry about.”

  “Maybe you should try speaking with your mother?” Edith suggested helpfully. “She might have some idea of what your father is planning.”

  “Maybe she could stop him too,” Annabelle agreed with a nod. “She is the only woman in the world that he ever listens to. Not all the time, but it is worth a shot.”

  Harriett was not convinced. She knew that Annabelle needed to consider every option, just in case she could not control life in the way that she hoped. “You know, I think a lot of men involve themselves with courtesans. Many society women turn a blind eye to their husband’s affairs, that is common knowledge. If you do end up having to marry Lord
Ashdown, maybe that side of him will work to your advantage.”

  Annabelle rolled her eyes dramatically. That was the last thing she needed to hear. “But I do not want to marry him, I do not want to be a wife whose husband has affairs. I would much rather have a husband who wants to treat me well.”

  “I have faith in you,” Catherine said as she rubbed her friend’s shoulders comfortingly. “I am sure this is something that you will figure out. Your father will probably not want to see you wed until you are twenty years of age anyway.”

  Annabelle nodded, but she was barely listening to her friend. A plan was forming inside her mind and it was one that heavily featured her mother. Annabelle had never relied on her mother for much, she usually preferred to be independent, but this was not something she could do alone.

  She needed help.

  As expected, Annabelle found her mother in the dining room taking her time over the endless courses of lunch that she was being served. Josephine never left her bedroom without looking like she was about to attend a society event, even if she had no intention of even leaving the house. Josephine Hathaway was always a Lady, no matter what. She had her red hair twisted up into a complicated looking chignon with jewels decorating it, her face was painted with full makeup, and her lilac silk gown pinched in at her hips and showed off all of her curves.

  “Good afternoon, Mother,” Annabelle said, much too brightly, giving herself away. She usually did not have much to say to her family, so she was being very obvious. “How are you feeling today?”

  “I am feeling good, thank you.” Josephine eyed her youngest daughter curiously. “And how, may I ask, are you?”