As soon as she stepped into the carriage, Claire felt tears sting her eyes. Just because men should leave her alone didn’t mean she enjoyed it. Before all this mess she had fun and she flirted just like the rest of them. The old Claire would have jumped on the situation and made the best of it, perhaps even sent a message to have tea later in the week. Would he have liked her? Would dinner have gone better if she weren’t considered an adulteress?

Claire didn’t see her father again until the next morning at breakfast. Servants had laid out a very nice arrangement of eggs, toast, sausage, and butter. It was a little too much, in fact, which made her wonder if her father hadn’t ordered it because he was in a good mood…

Turned out she was right. Lucas Abbot came into the room humming some tune, one that made Claire a bit leery. “What are you so cheerful about?” she asked, shifting in her seat. “And what’s with all this? You know I don’t eat much in the morning.”

“I thought you might want to celebrate. I found you a husband,” he said bluntly, sitting down and immediately ordering someone to serve him a plate full of sausage, which explained his plump size.

“What?” Claire breathed, eyes wide. She didn’t know what to think. What kind of man would want to marry her? A horrible human being , it just had to be. “Who? I don’t understand, when…”

“Nicholas Rochford! You two seemed to have such a splendid time last night. You can’t tell me you expect to find a better catch than him. Not nobility, I know,” he went on, as if Claire weren’t shooting daggers at him with her eyes, “but still. They’re a good family that have a lot to offer London.”

“Father, I told you I’d rather end up alone forever than set up with some arrogant man marrying me for my money! And even if I wanted to, you can’t just set me up without consulting me first!” she hissed, getting to her feet. The couple serves that had been in the dining area had left by now.

“Consult you first?” Her father’s voice was calm. Too calm. She had said something that she would deeply regret, Claire could already tell. “You lost your right to choose a husband when you got caught in the bedroom of Matthew Lawrence!” he said back, staying in his seat, still cutting up his breakfast with knife and fork in hand. “If you don’t get married, you will not get my inheritance, and that’s final, Claire.” At this point he knew she didn’t care about the money per say, but it was her only way of survival. Women couldn’t just go against their families and not get married, it just wasn’t possible. What were they supposed to do for income?

If only he knew about her stash of earnings accumulated from her secret life, her jobs. But if she didn’t have a life to hide it all behind, she would surely get caught in no time. There was no getting out of this. Unless… “So do I get to speak with him anytime soon?”

“Yes, Nicholas is supposed to send a note saying when he would like to drop by and see you again.”

Claire nodded, not asking if she could be excused before leaving the room. Right, like she was going to put the timing of all this into his hands. Or rather, Nick’s father. He didn’t want this marriage either, and she knew it. Perhaps he could be the one to get them out of it. Her father couldn’t be angry if he was the one to turn her away. With an exhausted sigh, despite the day only having just begun, Claire wrote a note and sent it with one of her own messengers. ‘I need to speak with you – as soon as possible and privately. CA,’ it read, and was to be sent directly to him.