The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,53

nose as she laughed, and the other ladies joined her.

My heart pounded fast, and a knot formed in my stomach. I had known just how ridiculous my behavior had been, and just how pathetic my attempts at being a lady were. But to hear it in such a snide, cruel manner made my face heat with shame. There was nothing I could do to stop it. As much as I wanted to be strong, to defend myself, the words were choked from me by Miss Downsfield’s sneer.

As a child, I had once seen two young boys in the woods near my home with a squirrel in a trap, approaching the frightened animal with expressions similar to Miss Downsfield’s. Victory. Spite. Superiority. The poor creature had nowhere to run; it was cornered. I had shouted at the boys to let the squirrel go. Whether they had been intimidated by my crazed screams or the fact that they were trespassing on my family’s property, I didn’t know, but they listened to me. They released the animal unharmed.

Where had my confidence gone? When it came to defending myself, it was nonexistent. There had been a time when I would not have taken spiteful words to heart, but they struck hard, piercing my heart like only the truth could. My frustration rose as I sat in silence, my face growing hotter. A lady might have defended herself, but I was not a lady. I had been taught a new way of living. I was to be submissive and quiet. But why? Right now, I was not a maid. Would Sophia have listened to such cruel words without refuting them?

Before I could sort out my emotions, the drawing room door swung open. The footman would have opened the door gently, so as to not disturb the guests too greatly. But the door made contact with the opposite wall with a thud, and I glanced up to see Mr. Hill in the doorway, hardly recognizable with the scowl on his brow, and a hint of anger burning in his eyes. Had he heard all the things Miss Downsfield had said about me? My shame would swallow me up at any moment.

“Oh, Mr. Hill.” Miss Downsfield corrected her posture, fiddling with her necklace. Her smile faltered as she seemed to notice his expression. “I did not know you intended to join us. What brings you here?”

Several seconds passed, and I stared at the rug at my feet rather than meeting Mr. Hill’s gaze. When his voice finally came again, it was deep and determined.

“I have come to seek a private audience with Miss Sedgwick.”

For the first time since my arrival at Winslow House, Miss Downsfield seemed to be at a loss for words. Her cheeks even darkened a shade, and she cleared her throat with a small, squeaking sound. The rest of the room was silent, but even if it hadn’t been, the sound of my pulse would have drowned out any noise.

“I see,” Miss Downsfield said. “Well…”

I would not have expected to see her confidence or elegance falter for even a moment, but Mr. Hill’s request had ruptured her facade.

And mine.

I could hardly breathe as the ladies traipsed out of the room. Their whispers of disbelief could only be heard once they were in the wide hallway where every sound echoed. The clicking of their feet against the floors grew more distant, and I wished Mr. Hill were just as distant. Instead, he was standing only a few feet away from me in a quiet drawing room, with nothing but the red sofas and Mrs. Ollerton’s little brown dog, always sleeping beneath the pianoforte, as a chaperone.

I squared my shoulders and forced myself to look up. Now was not the time to be timid and submissive, despite the confusion that threatened to consume me. Mr. Hill’s brow was still furrowed, his arms tight at his sides. When he finally spoke, his voice sent a tremor through me. “You were wrong to say those ladies were good.” His eyes met mine, heavy and filled with disgust. “I commend your ability to endure their cruel words with such grace.” He shook his head, walking closer.

So he had overheard Miss Downsfield’s words.

I shrugged one shoulder. “They spoke the truth, which is often most cutting.”

The furrows in his brow deepened, and he tipped his head down to look at me. “You are wrong again. Miss Downsfield’s words could not have been further from the truth. Anything you might be lacking