But after rising to her feet and glancing in the mirror, Beatrice knew that she could not see anyone else tonight. Everything about her was marked with sin as though Anthony had tousled her hair and made her lips swollen so that they would all know she belonged to him. Beatrice admired this transformation fondly, removing her clothes once more to examine the small marks he had left on her thighs.
As she dressed in her nightgown, Beatrice found herself still hypnotized by his intoxicating presence, and as she slid into her own bed, she found herself hating the chill. There was no one to lie beside her tonight, and Beatrice drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Anthony’s powerful frame which had enveloped her completely in his love.
The very next morning, Beatrice awoke early to the sound of birdsong and rushed to dress, ignoring her need to sneak down the hall to climb into Anthony’s bed. There was a short knock on the door, and Beatrice welcomed her sister into the room. “Good morning, Penny,” she grinned, filled to the brim with happiness. “Did you and Mr. Morrison have a lovely night?”
A flush crept up Penelope’s chest to her cheeks, and she turned to close the door before admitting. “He kiss me last night, Tris! Oh, it was wonderful!” Their girlish glee shone like the first rays of dawn which peeked through Beatrice’s curtains as though the sun wished to hear of their nightly exploits as well.
“What was it like, Penny? You must tell me every detail,” Beatrice pressed, and Penelope, who was usually not one for gossip, told her all.
“Well, at first, we went upstairs to the piano, and he offered to play some more for me. Of course, I expressed admiration for his talents, and the next thing I knew, Mr. Morrison had me pressed against the pianoforte with his lips upon my own!” Penelope’s tone was hushed, and her words were rapid, so Beatrice had to lean close to hear everything. It felt as though they were children again, whispering secrets to each other, and Beatrice gestured for Penelope to continue.
“It…oh I do not know how to say this…it was soft at first, but then he grew ravenous,” Penelope recounted, closing her eyes as if reliving the scene. “I could hardly believe what I was feeling, Tris! It was like I was warm all over, and my very nerves were tingling.”
Beatrice held her tongue to keep from sharing how Anthony made her feel the night before, for she was not sure if Penelope would consider it in poor taste. However, she did emphatically share her own news. “It seems as though we both had wonderful nights, dear sister, for I have gotten a marriage proposal from Anthony!”
Penelope’s eyes widened, and she nearly tackled Beatrice while squealing, “Oh, I am so happy for you both!” Then, Penelope suddenly pulled back with a concerned look. “But I thought you were only playing along to fool Lord Ivanry. Is this truly happy news, or should we begin planning to get you away from him?”
Despite her best efforts, Beatrice could not withhold the gasp that sprung past her lips at such an idea. “Oh, no! No, Penny, I am quite in love with him as it turns out. I must admit before that I was unsure of his intentions, but now I know for sure that he will be as good of a man to me as father was to mother.”
Penelope’s worry vanished, and her radiant smile returned. “Good. I suppose we were wrong to judge him so readily when we barely knew him.” She peered at Beatrice curiously. “How do you suppose we should go about telling Grandmother and Lord Ivanry?”
Her joviality ceased, and Beatrice thought for a moment, considering Anthony’s grandfather as well. “I think it would be best if I spoke to them together,” she finally surmised. “That way, if our guardian is not entirely pleased by this news, Grandmother can be there to temper his anger.”
Penelope nodded, her blonde ringlets bouncing slightly. “And I will tell them about Mr. Morrison when the time is right…perhaps when we have returned home so as not to detract from Minnie’s wedding.”
It was only two days away now, and Beatrice realized how caught up she had been in her own theatrics that she had not spoken with her best friend as of late. “All right,” Beatrice said, patting her sister’s shoulder. “I will share my news with Grandmother and Lord Ivanry and then go find Minnie to tell her all that has happened.”
Her older sister replied with gratitude, “Thank you for everything, Tris. I shall not forget you have done this for me.”
Beatrice shook her head. “No, I am your sister. It is my job to guard you against men like our guardian.” It felt freeing to speak of the vile man so plainly now that they both knew their futures were taken care of. Beatrice saw Penelope out and closed the door behind her.
It was not late enough in the day for breakfast, so Beatrice thought she would check her grandmother’s room first before journeying downstairs. Farther down the hall, her grandmother’s chamber was empty, her bed freshly made, and the curtains were thrown open, giving the space a golden glow. Beatrice frowned, having hoped that she could confide in her grandmother before speaking with Lord Ivanry, but she had no such luck.
The door to Anthony’s chamber was still closed when she passed by it, and Beatrice blushed at the thought of waking him with her pliant body. There was no time for games though, not when she was about to end her and her sister’s suffering, so Beatrice descended the stairs to head for the drawing room.
There, she found her grandmother, Lord Ivanry, and the Saumons discussing some of the preparations for the wedding. “I do not think it inappropriate to have such flowers at this time of the year, Lady Saumon,” Lady Ivanry was advising. “In fact, with your decorative skills, it should make the ceremony even more lovely.”
Lady Saumon smiled at the compliment and turned to address Beatrice. “Good morning, Miss Beatrice. I hope you had a pleasant sleep.”
“Indeed I did, My Lady,” Beatrice replied. “Grandmother, My Lord, may I speak with you a moment? If I am not interrupting, that is.” She kept her tone light but firm, hoping that it implied a certain sense of urgency to her elders.
“Yes, but be quick, Miss Beatrice,” Lord Ivanry muttered as he stood. “I have better things to do today than entertain you.” It was a harsh response, one that made both her grandmother and Lady Saumon’s lips form a hard, disapproving line, but they said nothing as Beatrice lead them out of the room.
Once they were away from prying eyes and listening ears, Beatrice gleefully announced, “I have good news to share with you both – Anthony has asked for my hand in marriage.” She simply could not contain her excitement at the prospect of fooling Lord Ivanry with Anthony by her side.
To her right, her grandmother exclaimed, “Oh, that is simply perfect, my dear! He is quite the catch, is he not?” Beatrice only smiled in acknowledgment, eager to know what Lord Ivanry’s reaction would be.
At first, the poor excuse for a gentleman grimaced, and then his expression turned neutral before he shared the same sentiment as her grandmother. “I’m very happy for you, Beatrice. I shall eagerly await this proposal from Mr. Grayson himself.”
Beatrice smirked, unable to stop herself from adding, “And, I have heard that Mr. Morrison may soon ask for Penelope’s hand. Oh, My Lord, are you not so fortunate as to have two eligible gentlemen vying for your wards?” Her grandmother glanced between Beatrice and Lord Ivanry, seemingly intrigued by the game her granddaughter was playing.
Quiet defeat filled Lord Ivanry’s countenance, and it gave Beatrice immense pleasure to know that she and Penelope had outsmarted him. In a strained voice, he responded, “Of course, I’m happy for you both. It’s not every day that a man’s responsibilities are lessened two-fold.”
Beatrice stopped herself from sneering at the notion that she and Penelope were mere responsibilities to Lord Ivanry. “Perhaps we shall discuss the details when we arrive back home?” her grandmother suggested, trying to ease the tension between Beatrice and her guardian.
“Yes, I think that is a splendid idea,” Beatrice agreed. “That is all I wished to tell you, so if I may be excused, I am going to find Miss Saumon to share this with her as well.” Lord Ivanry only bowed ever so slightly before turning to walk back to the drawing-room, leaving Beatrice and her grandmother alone.
“Well done, my girl,” the crafty older woman cheered conspiratorially. “I daresay you have saved yourself and your sister, a feat I did not think you capable of accomplishing.” Beatrice grinned at the compliment and glanced at where Lord Ivanry had been standing seconds ago.