Farnsworth tapped his finger to the tabletop, recalling her attention to him. “I’ll be at my club tonight, but tomorrow I am sure we can expect Lord Parker to call. I’ll speak to him tonight, in fact, to ensure he does. Please stress to Cecily the importance of pleasing her future husband. There will be no Lieutenant Ford in her future.”

Arabella’s mind raced. Had the lieutenant done what Rothwell had demanded of him and come to call? Had he proposed marriage rather than meet in secret again? If that were so, he had come too late to do any good, but Arabella’s opinion of Lieutenant Ford rose considerably. His intentions could be honorable after all.

Farnsworth snapped open a newssheet, signaling their interview was at an end. Although she’d like nothing better than to argue for Cecily’s freedom, Arabella stood and walked out slowly, mind racing. Being packed off to Surrey was disagreeable in the extreme. She had vowed never to return to that miserable place. She would miss visiting her friends in Wiltshire whenever she pleased and their calls to her in return. Farnsworth valued his peace, and she would never be free to invite Grayling and his wife and daughters to visit. She would be cut off from everything she knew and loved, and that was unacceptable.

Heart pounding, she closed the library door and leaned against it, drawing unsteady breaths as frustration gripped her. Her plans to find a lover this season were no longer a priority. What she needed was a way out of her dependency on Farnsworth. She wished she had someone to confide in, but her closest friends were still in Wiltshire and too far away to offer immediate aid.

A sniff drew her attention and she raised her eyes to the stairs. Cecily stood at the halfway point of the first flight, eyes filled with tears, the butler at her side holding out a handkerchief. Given their sorrowful expressions, they must have overheard her father’s plans for Cecily to marry immediately. Was a tantrum imminent? That really would seal the girl’s fate.

The butler backed away with a regretful smile, leaving Arabella to the task of comforting the girl on her own. She hurried to Cecily’s side, clasped her trembling hands, and led her back upstairs to her bedchamber before she did something rash like confront her father. She had a feeling that disobedience would not be tolerated. When the door closed behind them, Cecily gave in to her emotions with a loud sob. “I won’t let him do this to us.”

“Come now, Cecily. Surely you knew your father would have the final say in whom you married? In time, it is my hope that Lieutenant Ford will put this behind him and be happy. So will you, I’m sure.” Feeling uncharacteristically close to the girl, she pressed a kiss to Cecily’s hair. “We should prepare for Lord Parker’s visit.”

Cecily broke away. The girl could never bear to be coddled when she was upset. “I thought Father had some foolishness on his mind these past days, but it’s more important to decide how you are going to survive his plans for your life. You hate Surrey.”

Arabella gaped at the girl’s words. She’d always assumed Cecily cared for naught but her own happiness and had never paid attention to what she had to say. Yet Cecily had bigger problems than Arabella’s exile to Surrey to worry about. “Mine? Cecily, dear. Do you understand the sort of life you will likely have as Lady Parker?”

Cecily eyed her critically even through her tears. “We need to find you a new situation and much quicker than I originally planned.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Cecily sighed somewhat dramatically. “A husband you like this time.”

“A husband? What plan? Now wait a moment.” Arabella held up one hand. “There is no plan that concerns me more than your future happiness. I have spent the last two months in search of a good man for you. In all my thinking, it was never to someone twenty years older than yourself. Besides, I doubt we’d be able to find a husband for me. Marriage is not in my future.”

Now that she’d had time to consider Farnsworth’s attitude to his daughter, her ire rose. Women were not to be traded to the highest bidder. Power. Wealth. The Farnsworth men treated women no better than cattle.

Cecily said, “Oh, please. A woman as beautiful as you has many men watching her. Forget Lord Parker. Laurence’s older brother, Lord Maitland, is nice—although he is a full year your junior.” Cecily grinned, warming to the discussion. “Even the debauched Lord Rothwell has paid more than a passing interest in you, and the whole world knows he avoids proper women.”

The mention of Rothwell and the memory of his interest and devastating kiss caused her body to quiver. He would not have plans to marry her. Seduce her, yes, but nothing so permanent as a future together beyond a handful of nights. He’d suit her plans perfectly if she still required a lover. She had considered him briefly for an affair, but her courage had utterly failed until last night, and now she had other concerns to struggle through. “I’ve no wish for a husband. Marriage did not agree with me the last time I tried it.”

“Given my uncle’s greater age and sour disposition, I’m not in the least surprised. You need someone fresher.” Cecily spun about in a tight circle, her grin widening. “Forget my father. We can have any man we want for our husband. It will take cunning and bravery for sure, but you just need to choose one and offer them the right encouragement before my father carries out his plan to banish you to Surrey.”

Arabella caught her niece’s hands to still her. She assessed the gown Cecily wore and considered what might do for tomorrow. There was no time to dawdle. “What we need to do is talk about your future more than mine. Parker is expected to call tomorrow. You will need to be in your best looks.”

Cecily’s expression grew sly. “Does my father join us for dinner this evening?”

“No.” Arabella studied her niece, alarmed when her smile returned so quickly. “He’ll be at his club.”

“Good. There is much to do. The first of which is to send a note to Laurie letting him know my worst fears have come to pass and to arrange a meeting. And the second, helping you, must be undertaken at the same time. So, who among the gentlemen I mentioned takes your fancy? Lord Wade? Although his ears are too large to take seriously. We cannot allow you to be banished to Hinkley’s dull confines. You’ve barely left my side all season, despite my attempts to disappear long enough so a gentleman might be inappropriate with your person.” Her niece giggled. “We need to discover where those you favor will be on any given night before it is too late.”

Arabella shook her head furiously. “Enough of this. You cannot tell anyone of your father’s plans. There has been no announcement yet.”

Cecily’s face grew serious at last. “I am sorry about losing your home in Wiltshire. I fear Papa used my coming out to bring you back under his roof. He can certainly bear the expense of Winslette’s upkeep. He just doesn’t want you so far away from his control. What about Rothwell? I really think he shouldn’t be dismissed as too much a rogue. By all accounts he’s a dab hand when it comes to the bedroom, and that must be a consideration at your time of life. I’ve just never heard of him being interested in marrying anyone, so convincing him to offer for you might require some careful planning.”

Arabella quickly covered her niece’s mouth with her hand, furious that the girl just wasn’t listening. “Do not say such things out loud.”

Cecily broke free and merely laughed at Arabella’s embarrassment. “My dear aunt, you are too precious. You were married for seven years and still sound as prim as those silly girls who came out with me. I cannot wait to be a wife with all it entails. Why do you blush when a man pays you attention? I swear, if I didn’t think it impossible, I would believe you a virgin.”