Page 3 of The Lion Duke's Proposal
“Good day…er…good evening,” the solicitor said, nodding at them both one last time, and then just as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone, leaving the tattered chaos of their lives in his wake.
“What are we going to do, Julia?” Poppy’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Julia glanced at her sister. “We’ll take one step at a time. But first, I’m going upstairs to put on something respectable.”
Her head spinning, she shrugged off the coat and went upstairs to change.
One month.
One month before, they would have to leave the only home they had ever known, without a penny between them. She was not panicking, though. Her reliable brain was already in the process of organizing itself into thoughts and plans.
Julia was sure she could find work. She may not be able to cook or clean, but she was well-spoken and knew her music, literature, languages, and etiquette; if nothing else, she would become a governess or perhaps a schoolteacher. She was confident that she would be okay, even if she never saw any of her dowry.
For Poppy, the path ahead was clear as well. She needed a husband, and she needed one who would be willing to accept her without an immediate dowry. It would not be the easiest task, but she was young, pretty, and well-educated. Poppy still stood a chance if Julia could clean up her own bad reputation this Season.
Julia kept her voice steady, though every word felt as though it scraped against her throat.
“We shall manage,” she said. “There are always solutions to be found. We must not despair.”
Poppy stared at her, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears.
“But what are we to do?” she whispered. “Everyone will know. If what Mr. Brown said is true, if Papa has truly… absconded.”
Julia did not let her finish.
“We do not yet know the full extent of it,” she said firmly. “And even if the situation is… grave, we shall face it together.”
Together.
The word sounded hollow, even to her own ears.
Because she did know.
Mr. Brown had made it perfectly clear.
Their father had not simply fled debts. He had deceived, manipulated, and ruined men of standing. There were those in London who had lost fortunes. Others who would be seeking retribution.
And his name would be spoken with contempt.
No respectable family would align itself with such disgrace.
No suitor would come forward.
No protection would be offered.
They were alone.
Poppy’s voice trembled. “Will they come here?”
Julia hesitated, just for a moment.
“They will not harm us,” she said, with more certainty than she felt. “We have done nothing wrong.”
But innocence, she knew, did not always shield one from consequence.
She rose abruptly.
“I shall write to Aunt Bendon,” she said. “She will advise us. Until then, we must remain composed.”
