The Art of Loving You

Prologue

"Dear Readers,

You will not believe what I have just learned from a very reliable source. It seems that Miss Ingrid Whittington, the eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Whittington, was left at the altar by none other than Lord Henry Stirling, the heir of the Duke of Devonshire. Yes, you read that right. The handsome, charming, and wealthy Lord Stirling, who had been courting Miss Whittington for several months, and had even proposed to her with a stunning sapphire ring, suddenly changed his mind and fled the church before the ceremony could begin. How shocking and scandalous!

What could have possibly caused such a dramatic turn of events? Did Lord Stirling discover some dark secret about Miss Whittington that made him reconsider his choice? Did he fall in love with someone else and decide to follow his heart? Or did he simply get cold feet and panic at the thought of marriage? Whatever the reason, he has certainly broken Miss Whittington's heart, and ruined her reputation. How will she ever recover from such a humiliation? How will she ever find another suitor who will want to marry her after such a disgrace?

I pity Miss Whittington, but I also admire her courage and dignity. She did not cry or faint or scream when she realized that Lord Stirling had left her. She simply walked out of the church with her head held high, escorted by her father and her sisters. She did not show any sign of weakness or despair. She did not let anyone see how much she was hurting. She is a strong and resilient woman, who deserves better than Lord Stirling.

I hope that Miss Whittington will find happiness and love someday, with someone who will appreciate her for who she is, and who will never abandon her or betray her. She is a rare gem among the ton, and I wish her all the best.

Yours truly,

Lady Whistledown"

Ingrid felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and turned to see her mother's face. She looked into her mother's eyes, and saw a mixture of sadness, anger, and compassion. Her mother pulled her into a hug, and whispered in her ear.

"My darling, I'm so sorry. This is not your fault. You did nothing wrong. He is the one who should be ashamed. He is the one who betrayed you. He is the one who lost you."

Ingrid felt a surge of emotion, and buried her face in her mother's chest. She sobbed quietly, letting out all the pain and humiliation that she had been holding in. She felt her mother's arms around her, holding her tight and stroking her hair. She felt her mother's warmth and love, soothing her and healing her.

She heard her father's voice, loud and angry, coming from the other side of the room. He was talking to someone demanding an explanation for what had happened. He was using words like "scandal", "disgrace", and "revenge". He was threatening to sue, to expose, to ruin.

Ingrid shuddered, and wished he would stop. She wished he would come and comfort her too, like he used to when she was a little girl. She wished he would tell her that he loved her, that he was proud of her, that he was on her side.

But she knew he wouldn't. She knew he was too proud, too dignified, too honorable. He cared more about his family's name and reputation than his daughter's feelings and happiness. He blamed her for bringing shame and dishonor to their house. He blamed her for ruining their plans and hopes.

She felt a pang of resentment and bitterness towards him, but also a twinge of guilt and fear. She knew he was only trying to protect their family and their future. She knew he had worked hard and sacrificed a lot to provide them with a comfortable and secure life. She knew he had high expectations and standards for them, especially for her.

She wondered what he would do next, and what he would make her do. Would he force her to marry someone else, someone he approved of? Would he send her away, to another country or another continent? Would he disown her, or worse?

She felt a cold dread in her stomach, and clung to her mother more tightly. She hoped that her mother would stand up for her, and fight for her. She hoped that her mother would help her find a way out of this mess, and a way to be happy again.

She hoped that this was not the end of her story, but the beginning of a new one.