Maida Locke, never a Bride

This is a scene from Bedroom Eyes, Book 2: Song of Love. Lord Nathaniel Fairchild, the hero, has agreed to marry his childhood friend’s sister, Maida. Sir Jacob Locke leaves to fetch his sister from the country. However, during his friend’s absence, Nathaniel has compromised a young woman at a London party and must call off the tentative betrothal. Jacob urges him to get out of the new engagement, but “Nate” is not successful. In the scene before, Nathaniel comes to the hotel to share and asks Jacob’s forgiveness. Jacob accuses him of selfishness and ends the friendship.

Maida puts on a brave face at this news as marriage, a house, and children were all she ever dreamed of. Having survived a house fire, she and her scars have hidden away for years. She will have her own story in Bedroom Eyes, Book 4: Uncovering Love. The rough draft for Book 4 is finished, and I’m taking a short break before I begin editing it into its final form.

The sitting room door slammed open.
“He’s a bastard! Slithering out of his commitments!” Jacob stormed to an abrupt stop behind the chair opposite Maida. She drew a breath and waited. “I’ve a mind to appeal to the law to force his hand.”
Her breath leaked out as anguish made her head bow. She hadn’t anticipated that angle and had no response. Her gaze rose. She waited.
“I thought only of you and Nathaniel the entire trip home. My only two companions left in this world, after…after losing Catherine. Why did he have to ruin this alliance?”
“I didn’t want to marry Nathaniel.” A hand came up and covered her scars, an instinct. “He’s the past, like so much of my life. A hornet’s nest I would rather not disturb.”
Jacob pounded the top of the seat. “You’re almost twenty-six and live with a seventy-year-old, hidden away. That isn’t right. It isn’t good when you’re Miss Locke, daughter of a baronet. You needed this alliance to set you back in your rightful place.”
Maida rubbed her scars against her hand. “I don’t know which of us is dreaming or lost. Maybe both. You’ve omitted sharing about your experiences in battle like I’ve not spoken about father’s nastiness at home. But please refrain from interfering anymore and let us leave London.”
Jacob grimaced. She suspected Aunt Rae had taken him aside to explain how horrid their father had been.
She continued, “I know you, even after six years apart. People don’t change drastically. You’re impulsive, a boy who takes action without thinking things through. You loved dares so much Mama worried you wouldn’t reach manhood. You’re a man who proposed to a girl in front of an audience, confident of his answer. A man who chose to run from grief rather than work through his feelings.” The hand dropped. “Now you want to use me as a peculiar substitute for your failure to deal with your past.” Her voice sharpened. “I’ve only ever wanted marriage and children, so I agreed to discuss a possible alliance. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe this would never have worked. I’m content with the situation turning topsy-turvy.”
She saw the emotion build before the words burst out.
“A substitute! As if anyone could hold a candle to Catherine! Don’t you see this would have settled the past for both of us? It would have made things right. Helped us get through our grief!”
“This isn’t how to handle your grief about Cathy’s death.”
They had an unspoken rule not to speak about Cathy, yet he had broken it first. Although, that was no excuse for her to mention her closest friend. “We both need time. Time away from Cathy’s brother to complete the healing neither of us has accomplished.”
She resisted the impulse to hide her scars. Instead, in her calmest voice, Maida said, “you need to take me back to Winsome and Aunt Rae. You must face the responsibilities of being the next baronet.”
Several minutes went by before he removed his hands from the chair and straightened to his full height.
“Very well. I was a fool to run away. I’m older and wiser and will do my duty.” A fist thumped against the upholstery, raising dust. “But I will never forgive Nathaniel, never!”
Maida didn’t like the look on his face. She merely said, “thank you.”

Snippet from: Song of Love

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