Page 43 of Dared By a Lyon
“How dare she inflict herself on our gathering?”
“She’s nothing but a fraud! A pretender!”
“She’s a nobody…”
“I’mnota nobody,” Ashlyn cried to herself. “I’m the daughter of a kind and talented physician and his wife.”
“It must be an American failing, but it seems quite forward to declare herself in love with someonefarabove her station,” another sarcastic female voice said. “And knowing she was lying to Lord Ravensthorpe the entire time! She’s actually the daughter of a lowly country doctor, and her name is Ashlyn March! The utter gall…”
Ashlyn froze, recognizing the woman’s voice. Gripping the banister for support, she slowly turned and met the vicious gaze of Lady Paula, whose ruthless smile told Ashlyn everything she needed to know.
She did this! That’s why she left the tea party so early…
Pain shot through Ashlyn’s chest so intensely that she would have stumbled had she not been hanging on to the newel post.
Her hand went to her heart, and she took a deep breath to steady herself.
Had this happened back home, or had she been outside in the woods, far away from the public, she would have tackled the bitch and ripped her hair out.
But she couldn’t. Not here. Not in front of so many people who could spread even more vicious gossip that could have terrible consequences for Elizabeth, and her aunt and uncle’s reputation. Not to mention Gabriel’s reputation and that of his own family. Hadn’t they suffered enough?
Ashlyn was determined to escape to her room and speak to Alice about what had happened. But as she spun away from Paula’s cold, cruel, triumphant look, her eyes met Gabriel’s. He had just come in from his morning ride. His dark hair was wind-blown, his cheeks ruddy from his recent exercise. But it was his eyes that tore into Ashlyn’s soul. They were a dark, stormy gray—flashing shock, disbelief, and anger all in quick succession before livid anger settled on his face.
Of course, he’s furious with me. He can’t abide lies, and I deceived him about who I was… I’ve lost him.
Whatever affection and attraction Gabriel might have felt for her had been destroyed in one fell swoop; of that she was certain.
But while his jaw was set, she noticed he stared beyond her, and she paused a moment to turn around. He was staring at Lady Paula, who was wearing a fake-innocent look.
“You’ve got it wrong, my lady. She never declared herself to him. She wrote she loves him in her book,” another female voice said, before bursting into peals of laughter.
Ashlyn refused to turn around again. She could no longer remain there. Not one more second. She had to leave. Her vision blurred with tears of humiliation and heartbreak, and she ran up the stairs as fast as she could.
As she reached the second-floor landing, she saw Mrs. Dove-Lyon exiting her room. “I must ask a favor of you, Mrs. Dove-Lyon. Something unforeseen has happened, and I must leave assoon as possible,” she said, swiping her eyes and cheeks with the back of her hand. “M-may I borrow your carriage? I promise to send it back as soon as I arrive.”
Mrs. Dove-Lyon looked at her with a clear and direct gaze. “Miss Vickers, you should rethink this,” she said firmly. “I know what happened. I know how difficult this must be for you. But one should always face down a bully; never run from them.”
“That m-may be true. But I cannot do it…not now.”
“Is there no way I can convince you to face Lady Paula?” Mrs. Dove-Lyon said.
Ashlyn shook her head. “No, ma’am. It is best for the people I care about if I leave.”
The older woman opened her mouth to speak, but Ashlyn blurted, “If I cannot access your carriage, I’ll steal a horse from the stables, if necessary.” She needed to disappear and was willing to do whatever it took.
“There is no need for that, my dear.” The older woman heaved a sigh of understanding. “You can use my carriage. Tell the stable master you have my explicit permission. If I were already packed, I’d be tempted to leave with you. Where are you going? London?”
“No, ma’am. I’m going back to Ravenswood to collect the rest of my things. And then to London. I will have to wait for my aunt and uncle at the hotel. But I plan on booking passage back to America as soon as I am able.” Ashlyn could not leave England without saying goodbye to dear Lady Ravensthorpe and to darling Caro and the kind household staff. Nor could she book passage and return to America without speaking to her aunt and uncle first. They had been so generous to her, and she would not hurt or offend them by fleeing in the dark of night just because of her own foolish pride. Hopefully, when she returned to London, she would find a letter from Elizabeth waiting for her, and her aunt and uncle already there.
“Is there truly no way I can persuade you to face Lady Paula Ashbourne?” the older woman persisted.
Ashlyn gave a subtle shake of her head. “I must go,” she said, fleeing to her room.
“Alice, we need to pack,” Ashlyn said a few moments later, as she burst into her room. “We have to leave at once.”
“Miss, someone broke into the room, and they stole…they stole…” Alice’s voice tapered off as she blinked back tears.
“My diary—yes, I know,” Ashlyn said, trying stoically not to cry again. Reaching for Alice’s hand, she added, “Lady Paula did it—all of it. She disappeared from the tea party, obviously knowing I would be occupied for a while. And stole into my room and did this… Then she tore pages out of the diary and passed them around for all to read. I could live down the embarrassment, but Gabriel heard Paula speak of my lying to him about who I was. And despite how cold and cruel she was, his face held such anger.” Her voice cracked. “She destroyed my life,” she continued as she helped Alice pack up her trunk—or rather, Alice was packing in her usual efficient way, while Ashlyn was throwing things in willy-nilly.
