The Accidental Princess by Michelle Willingham Read Free Book Online

going to die. She’d been so pale, in such agony.
    ‘Even if what you say is true, it doesn’t change the fact that you stayed with her alone for hours.’ James reached out for a letter opener, running his finger along the edge. ‘She is my only daughter. My youngest child.’
    ‘This wasn’t her fault.’ Yet, Michael didn’t see a clear solution. It wasn’t fair for Hannah to endure the sly gossip of the society matrons, nor to be shunned if word got out.
    ‘No, it’s yours.’ The Marquess folded his arms, adding, ‘Don’t think that I would allow a man like you to wed her. You won’t touch a penny of her inheritance.’
    Michael stepped back, his anger barely controlled. Keeping his voice steady, he said, ‘I don’t want anything from either of you. She was in trouble, and I went to help her. Nothing more.’
    The Marquess set his pen down. ‘I want you to leave England. I don’t want her to ever set eyes upon you again.’ Picking up his pen, he began writing. ‘I am going to ask your commanding officer to see to it. I’ll contribute enough funds to the Army to make sure you stay far away from London.’
    Michael didn’t doubt that the Marquess’s money would accomplish anything the man wanted. ‘And what will happen to Lady Hannah?’
    The Marquess set down his pen. ‘Belgrave has offered to wed her.’
    ‘No. Not him.’ Michael clenched his fist. ‘You would offer her up to a man like that?’
    ‘There is nothing wrong with Belgrave. He’s going to keep Hannah’s reputation safe.’
    ‘You mean he’s going to reveal the scandal to everyone if she doesn’t wed him,’ Michael guessed.
    The Marquess didn’t deny it. ‘I won’t let my daughter be hurt. Not if I can prevent it from happening.’
     
    Hannah had seen her mother cry before, but never like this. Usually Christine Chesterfield used her tears to dramatic effect, whenever her husband wouldn’t let her opinion sway him.
    This time, Christine simply covered her mouth with her hand while the tears ran down her cheeks. Hannah sat across from her, while two cups of tea went cold. The grandfatherclock in the parlour chimed eight o’clock. Eight hours was all it had taken to change her life completely.
    ‘I promise you, Mother, I am fine,’ Hannah murmured. ‘Neither of them compromised me.’ She refused to cry, for the shock was still with her. ‘I don’t know what else to say, when you won’t accept the truth.’
    ‘This isn’t about truth.’ Christine dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. ‘It’s about appearances.’
    ‘It will be all right,’ Hannah insisted. ‘My friends will believe me, if they hear rumours. They know ‘I would never do anything of that nature.’ She stood up, pacing across the carpet. ‘I don’t see why we cannot simply tell everyone what happened.’
    Christine blew her nose. ‘You are far too naïve, my dear. We can’t risk any of this scandal leaking to anyone.’
    ‘I am not ruined.’
    ‘You are. Your only hope of salvaging what’s left of your honour is to marry Lord Belgrave and to do so quickly.’
    ‘I will not marry that horrid man. He’s the reason all of this happened!’ Hannah arranged her skirts, tucking her feet beneath them. ‘He kidnapped me from my own home, Mother! Why won’t you believe me?’
    Her mother only shook her head sadly. ‘I believe you, Hannah. But the greater problem is that you spent hours alone in a carriage with a soldier. Lord Belgrave is right: nothing will cover up that scandal, if it gets out.’
    But no one knew about it, except…
    ‘He’s threatening you,’ Hannah predicted, suddenly realising the truth. ‘Belgrave plans to tell everyone about the scandal unless I wed him. Is that it?’
    Her mother’s face turned scarlet. ‘We won’t let that happen.’
    Hannah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her parents were allowing themselves to be manipulated for her sake.
    Christine avoided looking at her. ‘You have nothing to