Marrying her Best-Friend (The Seymour Siblings Book 3) Read online

  Carson agreed with Lizzie, of course. He couldn’t imagine living with a woman such as that young harpy for the rest of his life. In fact, he would most certainly take his own life rather than allow that to happen.

  Carson ran his fingers through his hair and as he sat back in his chair, the door of his study burst open. His entire body jolted, and he glanced at Adrienne, who stood in the doorway. Her face was coloured crimson with anger, and her wild hair added to her enraged state.

  “What is the matter with you?” Carson inquired calmly, preparing himself for a theatrical performance starring none other than his sister.

  “I had such a lovely and delightful day at the hospital. Mr. Barrington was released this afternoon. He has made a miraculous full recovery from the fever.”

  “That is wonderful, congratulations to him,” Carson muttered, not in the least interested in her tale any longer.

  “Thank you, brother. Doctor Richards was very pleased, although I had assured him from the very start that the hospital would benefit from having me there,” Adrienne beamed and glanced at Carson. “As I left the hospital, I strolled across the road and entered the apothecary. Miss Georgia was there, and she told me of a rather dramatic event that happened in the tearoom. I even heard it from numerous people as I made my way back to the estate.”

  “I hardly think that this kind of gossip is something I should concern myself with,” Carson scoffed.

  “It involves Miss Violet. She was verbally attacked by Will’s new wife and the Duchess of Somerset.”

  “What?” Carson gasped. “Why?”

  “Some say she made a snarky remark, threatening Lady Emma with her father’s position, and some say that she was entirely innocent in the matter,” Adrienne stated.

  “I hardly think the latter is the case. That woman has no tact, and no discretion either. She will say anything necessary to ensure that she humiliates everyone who crosses her. I am quite surprised that Her Ladyship didn’t slap her,” Carson scoffed.

  Adrienne’s jaw dropped as she was clearly taken aback by her brother’s lack of remorse for the treatment of Miss Violet, and she crossed her arms. “That is certainly no manner in which to speak of your betrothed.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Carson exclaimed, shock pulsing through his system. “I didn’t agree to any such thing.”

  In fact, he’d declared quite the opposite.

  “Miss Violet is extremely excited about the upcoming nuptials. She even sent me a letter to personally thank me for introducing her to you.” His sister beamed happily.

  “Did you not hear me, Adrienne? I do not wish to marry that woman. I informed you from the start,” Carson explained and stood from his chair. “Why do you insist that I marry her so strongly?”

  “Because is a good fit.”

  “No, because in your eyes she is a better fit than whom I wish to marry,” Carson snarled. “I cannot believe you orchestrated this without my knowledge.”

  “I did what I had to do. For our family,” his sister insisted.

  “You are utterly ridiculous, Adrienne! You relish in my pain and woe just as Miss Violet does. You deserve one another. Perhaps you and Miss Violet can marry. I am certain you will be very miserable together,” Carson answered and rushed past her to the door.

  “I already made the announcement, Carson.”

  Carson whirled around and glared at her. “You did what?”

  “I didn’t think you were serious when you told me that you didn’t wish to marry her,” she said with a shrug.

  “Why would I joke about something as serious as that? You know how I feel about arrangements and loveless marriages. It is pointless, unnecessary, and creates more heartache and unhappiness than anything else. I don’t wish to be a part of something like that. Knowingly marrying someone whom you do not care for, or cannot stand for that matter, you’re doomed from the start? I refuse.”

  “Mother and Father didn’t have an arranged marriage. Did you know that?” his sister asked suddenly.

  Carson narrowed his eyes at Adrienne and his jaw clenched.

  She rushed on. “That’s right. They met, they fell hopelessly in love with one another, and they married. The entire city of Somerset was besotted with their tale of love, as they were under the impression that they fell in love after their arrangement had been made by their parents. But it was not true. They only made it seem that way to preserve the relationship between their families. That was how we attained our authority, our power and our wealth.”

  “Mother’s family,” Carson muttered.

  “Indeed. Her father is the late King George of Wales, and she was a princess.”

  Carson stood silently for a moment, allowing the revelation to fully sink.

  Tears formed in his eyes. “How are you aware of this and I am not?”

  “I was not aware of it until a few years after Mother left. I came across documents in Father’s study. He kept a journal and wrote in it often. He wrote about the Welsh Princess who broke his heart. I also found a document that stated the same,” Adrienne explained.

  Carson shook his head. “Mother loved Father, but still she left him. How does someone fall out of love with someone whom they had married and had a family with? Did we not mean anything to her?”

  Adrienne touched his arm gently. “Carson, you must understand that Mother loved us both with her entire heart, and we meant everything to her.”

  “Then why did she leave? It doesn’t make sense,” Carson asked, his heart tightening in his chest.

  “Her parents wished for her to join them in Aberystwyth as her father was terribly ill, on the brink of death. Her father had written a letter to say that since she was the only living heir to the throne, she would be required to move back to Aberystwyth. Mother and Father had a rather heated and exhausting argument, as Father didn’t wish for her to leave, or accept her lineage. He had told her that if she left, she should not bother coming home again. She had no choice but to leave. Her father needed her there,” Adrienne explained.

  Carson’s brow furrowed and he shook his head in disbelief. “And the rumours of her and Lord Fitzgerald?”

  “Rumours. That was all they were and all they will ever be. Mother loved Father, and she loved us, but she also did what was necessary for her family,” Adrienne answered, her gaze lingering on his.

  Carson ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. The ambiguity was not lost on him, and he nodded. “It was not Father who sacrificed for us, but Mother.”

  “Indeed. She gave up her entire life in order for us to live a normal one. She didn’t wish to disrupt us, and when she was needed in Aberystwyth, she gave up everything she loved, including Father and us.”

  A tear ran down Carson’s cheek and he lowered his gaze.

  Adrienne placed her hand against his chest. “My dearest brother. I understand that Miss Violet is not the woman whom you wish to spend the rest of your life with, but please remember what Mother did for us.”

  Carson glanced at his sister and nodded slowly.

  “You should perhaps speak to Lizzie. We would certainly not wish for her to ruin your prospects,” Adrienne said softly.

  “What do you mean by that?” Carson asked and stepped away from his sister.

  “She was also at the tearoom, apparently badmouthing Miss Violet as well. At least she didn’t threaten Miss Violet, or so I heard,” Miss Adrienne shrugged.

  Carson narrowed his eyes and his jaw clenched. “I am fairly certain she didn’t. She would never.”

  Adrienne rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Do not be so naive. It would not be the first time she had displayed erratic and inappropriate behaviour.”

  “Adrienne, you don’t know what you speak of,” Carson muttered. He glanced angrily at Adrienne, and a sudden revelation washed over him. “Of course.”

  “What?”

  “It is not important,” Carson fobbed her off. “Did Miss Violet harm her in any way?”

  “You care mo
re for Lizzie’s safety than your betrothed.”

  “She is only my betrothed because of you! I had nothing to do with that decision,” Carson muttered. “I must go see if Lizzie is all right.”

  “Carson, do not dare...”

  “Or what?” Carson growled at her. “You are the reason why Miss Violet is in our lives, so this is your doing, not mine.”

  “Lizzie is a grown woman, she can fend for herself,” Adrienne muttered and crossed her arms.

  “That is not the point, Adrienne! Lizzie was there for me when I felt the loneliest in my life. She was there for me when I needed someone. Her mere presence provided me with the comfort and understanding I required at that time in my life. Lizzie has never disappointed me, and it is only fair that I defend her when she is being scrutinised and gossiped about. She is my best friend and she has never hurt me. Or lied to me. Unlike you.”

  “I didn’t lie to you, Carson. I was merely protecting you, as a sister should,” Adrienne defended.

  “No, you twist the truth to appease yourself, and I will no longer allow you to manipulate me,” Carson answered and turned away from his older sister.

  “Think of Mother and Father, Carson,”

  He glared at his sister, his pulse pounding in his throat.

  “If they had dared to tell me the truth, perhaps, but they do not deserve my consideration at this point,” Carson exclaimed as he stormed out of the study, leaving Adrienne behind.

  Chapter Thirteen.

  The journey back to Woodlock Manor seemed to last a lifetime. The silence was deafening. Neither Lady Emma nor the duchess spoke a single word in the coach. Lizzie practically held her breath the entire time, awaiting any response from her new sisters. She had certainly not expected either of the two ladies to defend her in the manner that Emma and Kitty had, and her gratitude spilled over.

  Only now, she wondered whether they had only done so to silence Miss Violet, or to help her.

  Lizzie glanced at the duchess, who gave her an encouraging smile and it reassured her slightly.

  Upon their arrival at home, they discovered that James and Will had planned their own excursion for the afternoon, and the duchess requested that Frances and the maids prepare a delicious lunch for the ladies in the parlour.

  Emma suddenly and completely out of nowhere, began to giggle, and within a few moments, it had evolved into a peal of amused laughter.

  “Is everything all right, Emma?” Lizzie inquired, wondering if her new sister had lost her sanity.

  “I am perfectly fine,” Emma chuckled and wiped a tear from under her eye. “I simply cannot believe that Violet threatened me with her father’s position. Please. That man would not know his left hand from his right.”

  Lizzie cocked her head and she pursed her lips, suppressing a smile. “Precisely. Violet is a spoilt, foolish woman. She is oblivious to the ways of the world, and is under the impression that her father’s stature and position in the courts is a valid reason to treat people in any manner in which she wishes,” the duchess muttered.

  “But as soon as she is treated similarly, then it is an atrocity.” Emma laughed and turned to Lizzie. “You should certainly not fret over her. She is as insignificant as a waft of grass blowing in the wind.”

  “Wafts of grass disperse seeds into the air, allowing for...” Lizzie contended, but her voice trailed as she noticed her new sister’s expressions. She cleared her throat and nodded. “I apologise. I understand what you meant.”

  “Are you really fine, though, Lizzie?” Kitty inquired. “This cannot be easy for you at all. You and Carson are very close.”

  “We were close,” Lizzie corrected her.

  A silence fell over the parlour as Lizzie pursed her lips briefly, avoiding the eyes of the duchess and Lady Emma. “My brothers are convinced that I am jealous of Miss Violet because she is being courted by Carson.”

  “Are you?” the duchess asked.

  “It is not a simple yes or no answer,” Lizzie admitted. “I want Carson to be happy, as he deserves a wonderful life, but not with her. She is not the right woman for him. He merits someone so much better. I wish that he would realize she is an unkind woman who will not love him in the manner in which he deserves.”

  “That certainly is not jealously, Lizzie. It sounds more as though you are in mourning,” the duchess pointed out.

  “It feels that way, although I am not certain why,” Lizzie admitted. “I have spent countless hours attempting to determine why I feel so melancholy. It feels as though I have lost the only person who understands me better than I understand myself. He had the ability to see through my forced smiles and my cold indifference. He noticed the smallest indicators that I was not well. He could dry my tears before they even welled in my eyes.”

  A tear ran down her cheek and she didn’t attempt to wipe it away.

  “You love him.” Kitty’s words were tender and kind, and Lizzie nodded slowly.

  “Very much so,” Lizzie whispered. “But it is too late now. He is betrothed to Miss Violet.”

  “It is not too late, Lizzie,” Emma assured her. “Perhaps you should speak with Carson, tell him of your feelings for him.”

  “I can’t do that. I would seem petty and desperate. I’ve had many opportunities to make my feelings known to him, but I didn’t follow through. I’ve recited those words in my mind so many times I’ve lost count. I know precisely what to say, but I can never truly say them to his face. I am a coward, on the verge of losing the only man who I’ve ever loved.”

  “All is not lost, Lizzie.” Emma said again.

  “I am afraid it is. He came to speak with me last week, and I practically hurled a book at him.”

  “If it’s any consolation, Lizzie, I basically did the same to Will,” Emma pointed out.

  “And we certainly are aware of what happened after that,” the duchess retorted.

  Lizzie cringed and rolled her shoulders. “Please. I still cannot enter the study without an awkward feeling in my stomach.”

  The duchess chuckled and placed her hand over her swollen stomach.

  “Are you all right?” Emma inquired, noticing the same thing as Lizzie.

  “I am perfectly fine. The child simply lays in a very uncomfortable position—for me, not for him,” the duchess assured them both.

  “Him?” Emma smiled. “You believe it’s a boy?”

  “Fantastic. Another Seymour man to deal with,” Lizzie muttered, not that she could fault her brothers.

  The duchess chuckled and shook her head. “Perhaps. I am not quite certain yet. It does feel right to refer to the child as a boy, but I cannot say. As long as he, or she, is of sound health I don’t mind.”

  “Have you thought of names?” Lizzie asked, thankful that the conversation had taken a turn and removed her from the pedestal.

  “James and I have discussed it at length, but we have not come to any decision yet. But I promise you two will be the first to know, granted you keep it to yourself,” Kitty said with a smile.

  “Of course,” Emma said.

  Lizzie agreed. “As long as you do not name the baby Elizabeth.”

  The three young women laughed heartily together as they sipped their tea and nibbled on their sandwiches.

  “If I had known what I knew now, I would have waited a few months before becoming with child. The heat can be quite unbearable at times.”

  “I simply wish that I had been introduced to William before your wedding, Kitty. That way, we may have avoided that terrible first meeting in the garden where William was under the impression he was charm personified,” Emma chimed in. “But that was certainly the effect of the whiskey he had consumed that day.”

  “Believe it or not, he was even more obnoxious when he was sober, especially before you met him. You would not have liked him one bit,” Lizzie stated.

  “As opposed to the first time I met him?” Emma chuckled, and Kitty and Lizzie joined in her laughter.

  “Lizzie, what abou
t you?” Emma inquired.

  “What about me?” Lizzie asked.

  “If you were given the chance to go back in time and change one thing in your life, what would it be?”

  “That is certainly an easy question,” Lizzie answered and drew in a sad breath. “It would be the day before I first met Carson in the garden. He had snuck through the hole in the wall, exploring.”

  “Why the day before?” Kitty asked.

  “To ask Edward to close the hole so Carson could not climb through.”

  Emma and Kitty both gasped, and Lizzie suddenly felt guilty for saying such a thing. She lowered her gaze once more.

  Emma reached out her hand and placed it over Lizzie’s, softly whispering, “I am truly sorry, Lizzie.”

  Lizzie sighed, her heart heavy. “It is not your fault. It is my own. I didn’t possess the courage to inform him of my feelings. I was terrified of being rejected, of ruining our perfect friendship. But now, because of my cowardice, our friendship is over. The last words I said to him were to leave my sight. Because at that moment I thought it was what I wanted, what he deserved. He doesn’t deserve someone like me, but he certainly doesn’t deserve someone like Miss Violet. She will break him, make him bitter and resentful. He deserves better.”

  “You are a wonderful young woman, Lizzie, despite what you believe to be true,” the duchess answered.

  “But merely weeks ago, you wished me to leave the estate because I was seen as a bad influence,” Lizzie uttered bitterly.

  “Is that true?” Emma sat up straighter and turned to her friend.

  “It was, but Lizzie has changed. She’s kept her promise to me, and I noticed the difference. James was not the one who decided to ask you to stay, it was I. I want you here, I want you... both of you. Because, I must admit, I am terrified of having this child and you both are the only reason why I am as calm as I appear to be.”

  “Kitty...” Emma and Lizzie whispered in disbelief.

  “You don’t have to be scared. We are here,” Emma whispered.