“Anna’s suitor,” said Violet in a matter-of-fact manner, instead of the earth-shattering news it was.
“What do you mean, her suitor?” asked Mark, trying and failing to remain calm.
“She means this Graves chap calls on Anna with romantic intent,” said Wes.
Mark could not believe what he was hearing. “Are you betrothed?” he asked Anna, not wanting to hear the answer.
“No,” she said.
Profound relief swept through Mark.
“She is not betrothed right now,” clarified Violet. “But I have no doubt that is Mr. Graves’s goal.”
“That is certainly no secret,” agreed Letty.
“You should send him away forthwith, then,” said Mark. “He should not be making a nuisance of himself.”
“But he is quite nice,” said Letty. “He is a widower, poor man.”
“So he is old,” said Mark, with some relief. No wonder no one had mentioned him. He was merely an older man who was taking advantage of Anna’s innate kindness.
“He is tragically young to have lost a wife so soon,” corrected Letty. “I believe he is not one and thirty.”
“That is much too old for Anna,” said Mark, though that was just a few years older than he himself was. But, really, men had no business being widowers at a young age. Mark felt sorry for the man because he could not imagine losing a wife so young, but this Graves chap should importune someone else. Surely there must be any number of young ladies eager for his suit. But was Anna one of them?
“Anna does not think he is too old for her,” said Violet casually. “She was just telling us how nice he is.”
“Is that true?” Mark asked her.
“He is very nice,” conceded Anna. “As you know, the Emersons have not always been welcomed in the county because of the old earl, though Rose’s marriage helped smooth the way, of course. And others have taken a dislike to the color of my skin.”
“Those people can go to the devil!” said Mark.
“People are afraid of what is different,” said Anna.
“Those people are ignorant,” said Robert. “And they are the ones who are missing out.”
Anna smiled at him and Mark was dismayed to learn he was now jealous of his friend, though he knew Robert was happily married. Anna continued, “Mr. Graves has always been kind and his two children are quite sweet.”
“So he is looking to foist his children off on an unsuspecting lady who would be their new mama.”
“I believe he would like to find a mother for them, but I do not believe there would be any foisting involved as he is quite dedicated to them.”
“He is a very dedicated father,” agreed Violet. “And handsome, of course.”
“What does handsome have to do with being a dedicated father?” asked Mark, whose head was beginning to ache.
“Nothing,” said Violet. “Though it can be a wonderful trait in a husband, as Letty and I can both attest. But I fear we are upsetting you. You should rest. And I am certain the others will wish to visit with you. We should take Anna away and prepare her for Mr. Graves’s visit. He usually calls at this time of day.”
“I should stay here,” said Anna.
“Nonsense,” said Letty. “I am certain Papa and the others will be here any moment. You must meet with Mr. Graves today, else I am certain he shall report us to the magistrate on charges of false imprisonment.”
“But Uncle Alex is the magistrate.”
“And he is already busy enough,” said Letty. “Come. We shall get this all sorted. Get some sleep, Mark.” When it looked like Robert and Wes were going to stay behind, she added, “You two can talk to Mark later. Right now he needs his rest.”
The five of them were soon gone and all Mark could think about was this handsome Mr. Graves and his children who no doubt were already clamoring for Anna to be their new mama. It was most disturbing. He needed to get well for no other reason than to physically eject this Graves chap from the house the next time he decided to call.
* * *
When they were down the hall, Letty dismissed the men. “Why don’t the two of you play with the children? They always love it when you visit.”
“Why can’t we go back and talk to Mark?” asked Robert. “We have not seen him in ages.”
Letty rolled her eyes. “Because he must be left alone to realize how terrible it would be to have Anna marry Mr. Graves.”
“I am not going to marry Mr. Graves,” said Anna.
“Yes, dear, we know that,” said Letty. “But if you want to marry Mark, he has to realize it is time to act.”
“I do not believe it’s fair to manipulate Mark this way,” said Wes.
“That is because you are a man.”
“Letty has the right of it, of course,” said Violet. “You want Mark and Anna to marry, do you not?”
“Of course,” said Wes.
“Then leave this to us,” said Violet, as she and Letty took Anna by the arm and went to their old bedchamber. She called out over her shoulder, “I thought you two were going to play with the children.”
“We are on our way,” said Wes with a grin and a bow.
Once they were in the privacy of their bedchamber, Anna turned to her two closest friends. “I believe this is all for naught. If Mark wished to marry me, he would have done something about it long ago.”
“You could not be more mistaken,” said Letty. “That is unusual, since you are the most logical of all of us. Mark clearly loves you but feels he doesn’t deserve you because of the circumstances of his birth or some such nonsense. While we are not certain anyone deserves you, Mark is a wonderful candidate.”
“I believe he only sees me as a sister.”
“You are wrong. We have seen the way he looks at you,” said Violet. “Even Wes has remarked that Mark’s heart is engaged and Wes is not all that perceptive when it comes to love.”
“But I will not mislead Mr. Graves,” said Anna. “I cannot give him hope where none exists. My heart belongs to Mark, even if he does not wish to have it.”
“But Mark does wish to have it,” said Letty. “And we are determined to make sure he finally acts accordingly.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Mark was pacing his bedchamber. His ribs were still a bit tender, but given his many injuries through the years, he knew it was good to get moving as quickly as possible. The sooner he was on his feet and well again, the more quickly he could move on to his next assignment if he chose to go back to the Foreign Office.
If he decided not to go back, it was still good to be moving because there were matters he would need to attend to here. As he was walking by the window, something caught his eye. It was Anna walking with a man who was distressingly tall and fit even from a distance.
It seemed Mr. Graves had made an appearance.
* * *
When Thompson had told Anna that Mr. Graves was there, she had been tempted to say she was not receiving visitors. But she knew she would have to face him sooner or later. To draw this out and give hope where none existed would be cruel.
So she had gone downstairs to meet him, then they had set out on a stroll in the garden.
She had to admit he was a handsome man. His hair was dark brown and his hazel eyes surely had made many a lady swoon. He was tall and had a trim physique. He was interesting, intelligent and an excellent father. Surely she would be besotted with the man, if she hadn’t already been so very much in love with Mark.
“It is good to see you, Miss Emerson. I hope this means your guest is feeling better.”
“Fortunately, he is. His injuries healed well and he is past the stage where a fever could overtake him.”
“Fever can be a terrible thing,” said Mr. Graves quietly. Anna knew his wife had died of it the previous year. They walked along in companionable silence for a bit. “Louisa wanted to see you today, as did Phillip.” Louisa and Phillip were his four-year-old twins.
“They are such sweet child
ren,” said Anna. “And they are both so clever.”
“I agree with you, if you will excuse a father’s pride. I wish more educational opportunities were open to girls.”
“I agree. It is a shame that girls are too often prepared for only the duties of a wife.”
“Do you find the duties of a wife distasteful?” he asked.
“It is not that,” she said, stopping to look into his eyes.
He nodded with understanding and some disappointment. “But you do not wish to be my wife.”
“It is nothing personal, I assure you,” she said. “You have always been kind and respectful. And your children are wonderful.”
“But your heart is not engaged. Or, rather, it is engaged elsewhere?” He could see the truth in her eyes. “I cannot say I am not disappointed, though I did not think you had developed a tendre for me. I was hoping the children might draw you to the marriage. Not every woman would love another woman’s child as her own. But I believe you would, mayhap because Lady Irene set such a fine example.”
“She did, indeed. She has loved me as if I had been born to her. And I could not love her more. Your children are wonderful, indeed. And it is commendable that your first priority is to find a mother for them, rather than a wife for yourself.” She looked into his eyes, which seemed to have been sad for the entire year she had known him. “I do not believe I have your heart, either.”
“I fear a part of my heart died when my wife did. Though, I would have done my best to make you happy.” They walked a bit more. “This is not the way I wanted this conversation to go, but I do wish you happy in your marriage.”
“I am not getting married, Mr. Graves.”
“Oh, I think you will be. I know this Mr. Jones has been a part of your family these many years. He cannot have missed seeing what a wonderful lady you are. It is only a matter of time before he acts on it. I hope you will be very happy.”
Anna wondered why everyone thought she and Mark would be happy together, except for Mark himself. It was most frustrating.
Mr. Graves took her hand and brought it to his lips in farewell.
“Stop right there! Unless you wish to meet me at dawn!”
They both turned to see that Mark was out of bed and facing them in a temper.
* * *
Mark could not believe what he was seeing. This giant of a man was pressing his attentions on Anna, whose head only came up to the usurper’s shoulder. She was much more suited for a man of Mark’s size, where he only had to bend his head slightly to reach her lips. Well, she also had to reach upward and ‘struth there were only two or three inches between Mark’s height and the giant’s, but the end result was the same. Anna was his and the other man should not be there.
“Mr. Jones!” said Anna. “You are being rude to our guest.”
Her guest, more accurately. For he certainly was not “our” guest. Mark would have turned him out on his ear. Or any other part of his anatomy.
“He was being rude to you!” said Mark.
The other man stiffened. Good. Mark wouldn’t mind fighting him. Broken ribs or not, he needed to work off his anger and, if he must be honest with himself, jealousy.
The giant ignored Mark, but turned to Anna. “You must forgive me, Miss Emerson, if I did anything untoward. It was certainly not my intent.”
“You claim your intentions were entirely honorable, do you?” asked Mark with great skepticism.
“Sir,” said the hand-kissing giant, who was finally beginning to lose his composure. “I can assure you my intentions toward Miss Emerson have always been honorable. If they were not, I never would have offered marriage.”
“Marriage!” The idea of Anna married to another man hit Mark in the chest with the speed and pain of a bullet. He looked at the woman he loved, knowing all was lost. She would marry this man, be the mother of his children and fill his home and bed with her love.
“She refused me,” added the giant.
“Could you please repeat that?” Mark asked the man, while still looking only at Anna.
“She refused me. I believe her heart is engaged elsewhere, though if it is with a mad bull of a man who cannot recognize the prize before him I may have to renew my addresses.”
Mark finally turned to him. “You will do no such thing. If she refused you, you have no more business here. So, you can go right along home again.”
“Mark!” said Anna. “Please forgive Mr. Jones, Mr. Graves. I would introduce you, but I fear that may be a task for another day. I thank you for your kind offer earlier. Pray do not give up on love, for I am certain you will find it if you only look. You and the children deserve no less.”
She curtsied and that Graves fellow finally took his leave.
“Now,” said Anna when they were alone, “would you care to explain yourself?”
Mark was finally realizing the folly of what he had just done. He had chased away an honorable suitor when he was unable to offer for her himself. “So, I take it he was not importuning your good nature?”
“Not unless you consider the only proposal I have ever received from a decent man importuning me.”
“You looked like you needed help.”
“I do not believe I did.”
Anna seemed to be waiting for something. An apology for his behavior. Or, even more distressingly, a proposal of his own.
“Anna, you deserve someone who can join you in Society.”
“I do not give a fig about such things.”
“But what about your family? You would be excluded from events they are regularly invited to if you married outside of the ton.”
“I do not care. My family does not care. They do not accept invitations from people who condemn my heritage. And, as you know, Mama and Papa spend most of their time in the country.”
“But what of Letty and Violet?” asked Mark. “When she becomes the Marchioness of Selden, Letty will have to invite all sorts of people to events to further Robert’s career and Wes’s family has already demonstrated how little they care for outsiders.”
“But Letty and Robert, and Violet and Wes will never be like that. You cannot think they would reject us.”
“No,” conceded Mark reluctantly. “I know they are the very best of people. But I do not wish to hold you back.”
“Then marry me, for I cannot think of marrying someone else. Or bearing another man’s child.”
“I certainly do not want you doing that!” said Mark, realizing just how indefensible his position was. “I do not wish to be the dog in the manger…”
“Then do not be one. It is incredibly unfair of you to chase away my one decent suitor when you have no desire to take his place.”
“It is not that I have no desire to take his place. It is because I cannot do so. And I thought you said you had already refused him.”
“Do not argue over my choice of words! You do not wish to marry me, but I can think of no one else I want for my husband. For the father of my children. So if you do not have anything more to add, we have nothing else to say to each other.”
Mark was faced with a choice. He could be selfish and marry her, making himself happy. Or he could do the selfless thing and allow her to find a man who truly deserved her. One who would enable her to live in Society. For he knew if he married her, they would never truly be welcome there.
He loved her too much to ruin her life.
She waited an agonizing moment, then she walked away.
Taking his heart with him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Anna could barely see through the tears in her eyes. Thankfully they didn’t begin to fall until she was far away from him. She had purposely held them back hoping he would run after her. But he remained where she had left him.
She ran into the house, even brushing by a few of the children in her efforts to be alone. She would have to make it up to them later. She didn’t want them to see her crying and right now she could not do anything but. The door opened and her fi
rst thought was that Mark had found her, but it was Letty and Violet.
“Oh dear,” said Violet. “We are not who you were hoping to see. Perhaps we should leave, though I do not wish to do so since you are crying.”
“I most certainly will not leave,” said Letty as she sat next to Anna on the bed and folded her into her arms. “Did Mr. Graves say something to upset you?”
Anna had quite forgotten she had even seen the man. “No,” she said, drying her eyes. “He was amiable, as always. He declared his intentions, though I had to turn him down.”
“Of course you did,” said Letty. “You cannot marry two men. It is not only against the law, but Mark would not like it one bit.”
“I don’t know what Mark would have to do with it.”
“He loves you,” said Violet. “He always has. Robert and I used to talk about it, but always swore each other to secrecy, though I hope he would understand why I have to break that promise now. Mark feels he is not worthy of you and must make a noble sacrifice. And I believe this proves one can actually have too much nobility.”
“I could not agree more,” said Letty. “He is a sapskull in this one area. He loves you. You love him. The two of you should marry. Wes agrees.”
Anna smiled at her friends’ attempts to cheer her. “Unfortunately, the person whose opinion matters the most does not.”
* * *
Colin found Mark sitting on a bench, looking out at the vast expanse of farmland. It had been here where Mark had told him he would be leaving to take an assignment overseas. It had been here where Mark had come after receiving word of Robert’s beating at Tattersall’s. It was his place to reflect, far from the attention of others. Ever since Colin had assumed guardianship of Mark, he had known the young man took things to heart more profoundly than others. He put up a tough front honed by a difficult childhood, but he felt things deeply. And when Anna had returned to the house trying to hide her tears, Colin had known where to find Mark.
“I am not certain how long you will be able to enjoy your solitude,” said Colin, as he approached the young man, who stood upon his arrival. “The others are most anxious to talk to you, to reassure themselves you are on the mend. Please sit. I hope I might join you.”
Never and Always (Emerson Book 6) Page 22