Prologue
New York City, 1812
How could he?
Lily Prescott allowed the piece of parchment to flutter to the floor beside her feet. Even in the rain-splattered glass of her chamber windows, she could see that her pale cheeks were streaked with tears. She had stopped crying for at least several hours, yet her bright blue eyes were rimmed with red.
Everything seemed so cold despite the shawl that she had draped over her shoulders. Her reflection seemed almost frail as she huddled beneath the shawl, making her thin stature appear even smaller.
The chambers were lavishly decorated in the latest French style with pink trimmings, plenty of roses, and tiny painted cherubs on the ceiling, but nothing could take her mind off the shock she had received.
Her light blonde hair had been neatly pinned back that morning, yet several strands were now framing her face. Her fine features and straight nose were all a little puffy after the shock she had received.
She looked more disheveled than she ever would have been after a simple breakfast, but none of that registered to her, not after she had read the gossip columns.
Lightning streaked the sky, followed by a loud, thunderous crack that barely made her wince.
Was it something I did?
Her entire body felt numb as fat droplets of rain continued to beat against the glass.
“Lily, may I come in?” Her mother’s gentle voice called from the doorway after a gentle knock.
“Certainly,” Lily said softly, still unable to think.
None of it made sense to her, not the gossip, how he had treated her, or even the fact that a small voice inside of her believed it.
Shutting the door behind her, Alice Prescott closed the distance between them before placing a gloved hand on Lily’s shoulder. “I know this has all come as quite a shock to you, my darling, but Oliver is downstairs.”
The name sent a wave of disgust down Lily’s spine as she shivered and shut her eyes, the pit of her stomach knotting with displeasure and pain.
Oliver King.
The man she was engaged to.
Was engaged to.
She quickly corrected her own thought and sat up straight, opening her eyes as she looked at her mother’s reflection beside hers. “Did you read the columns for yourself, Mama?” she asked in a strong voice, finding the courage to face the matter.
Kind blue eyes that matched her own stared back at her with a look of sympathy mixed with sadness and understanding. “I did. My maid brought me a copy of the gossip sheet after you ran from breakfast this morning. I thought it best to give you some space, but…” Her mother pursed her thin lips into a sympathetic smile.
“But now Oliver is downstairs demanding to see me?” She finished her mother’s sentence for her.
Her eyes wrinkled slightly at the corners, showing her age. At forty, Alice was still the picture of beauty with fine features that she had passed on to Lily, who looked exactly like her mother at the tender age of twenty-one. “I can send him away, dearest. Allowing some time to pass will give you both more clarity on how matters should be handled.”
“How much time do you think will be enough time, Mama? He has been seeing one harlot for Heaven knows how long; how many more will he see if I give him more time?” Lily raised an eyebrow, noting the shock and anguish in her mother’s eyes.
I should not have been so harsh.
Lily shut her eyes again for a brief moment before opening them, suppressing a sigh as she came to her feet and turned to face her mother. “My apologies, Mama, I should not have been so crass. I imagine that this has all come as quite a shock to you as well.”
“Oh, my dearest.” Her mother’s eyes filled with tears as she reached out and touched Lily’s cheek. “Your father and I had the best of intentions in arranging your marriage. I had wanted you to fall in love, but I did see reason when your father chose Mr. King. And now, to have him…” Her words trailed off as she shut her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.
Reaching up, Lily placed her hand over her mother’s and lowered it to her side. “Now that he was seen leaving thelodgings of an infamous courtesan. You know that I do not believe in hiding from matters, Mama. Mr. King has been caught in a cruel secret, and it should be outed as such. I shall go downstairs and tell him that our engagement is off.” Her voice was firm and confident despite her inner trembling.
It still did not seem real to her that her fiancé, out of all people, had been caught having an affair. She had been in love with him or had at least convinced herself that she had been. Her heart had certainly been broken as if she had truly been in love with him.
Her mother pursed her lips into a sympathetic smile. “You have always been my strong, independent girl. Sometimes, I think that we never should have left our little farm in Colorado. We were all so happy back then.”