The truth of her circumstances would soon become apparent. In the meantime, she hoped her father would find the strength to ignore his quest to find her a suitable husband or, at best, direct his aim at someone other than Burton. With their financial situation still unresolved, however, it was doubtful her father would desert his scheme to connect their family to the gentleman. In fact, she thought it would only serve to fill him with fervent purpose to see the deed done. If it was absolutely necessary for her to marry for money and to keep a scandalous pregnancy concealed, who would be her likely pawn? Embroidering a rose petal into a delicately designed piece of linen to occupy her time, Constance jumped when a knock sounded on her door and Cooper addressed her from the doorway of her receiving room. “Yes,” she said. “You have a visitor, my Lady.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Who?” Cooper’s eyes scanned the sparsely furnished room, dedicated to her mother’s memory, and then raised a conspiratorial brow.
