A True Love Forbidden

by McColl, Charity

  “You shouldn’t have come.”

  “You don’t mean that, Nancy.”

  She raised her eyes to him and he saw the deep sadness in them. “I don’t understand why you have come to our home.”

  “Believe me, I would have come sooner had I known where you lived. Losing Claire was sad because she was a good woman, even though I didn’t love her. Losing you was so terrible and I had promised that I would spend the rest of my life searching for you.”

  Nancy didn’t believe him and her doubts showed on her face. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “My lord, you were engaged to someone just a few months ago but unfortunately she passed away. What do you think people will say when they hear that you are already running after another woman, when your fiancée has barely been in the grave for three months?”

  “Nancy,” he held out a hand which she ignored. “Remember I told you that I had developed strong feelings towards you. I was going to ask Claire to release me from our engagement as soon as she got better. She must have suspected that I didn’t want to carry on with our sham of an engagement because a day before she died, she told me that she was letting me go so I could find happiness with whoever my heart chose.”

  “Don’t say that,” tears welled up in Nancy’s eyes. “We shouldn’t speak of Lady Claire in that way.”

  “I’m only stating the truth, my love. Had Claire not died but gotten better, I was ready to end our engagement even if it meant losing everything.” He shook his head. “My father promised to disown me if I didn’t marry Claire, but it didn’t matter to me. Nothing matters to me except winning your love.”

  “Please, you’re making things worse for me.”

  “How? Don’t you have any feelings for me, Nancy?” This time he took her hands in his and held fast even though she struggled to be free. “You wouldn’t have left Claire’s house if you didn’t feel anything for me. Why won’t you admit that you’re in love with me, just as much as I’m in love with you?”

  “Because I can never play second fiddle to anyone,” Nancy blurted out. Now that she had said the words that had tormented her, she found that she couldn’t stop. “All I will ever be to you is your second choice. In any case, your own family will never accept a commoner like me, and neither will the ton of London and your friends. I’m realistic enough to know that I can never be the woman of your standards.”

  “And I don’t want you to be of my standards as you say. You’re a beautiful woman inside and outside and I don’t ever want you to change. My darling, don’t you see? You touched my life just as you were and things changed forever. I couldn’t go on with the engagement and if you ask anyone, they’ll tell you that even before Claire got sick and you came to take care of her, I was searching for you. Not a single day went by without me going to the farmers’ market and walking around, with the hopes of catching a glimpse of you.”

  “Please, just forget about me and go back to your own world. We can never be one, not in this society.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I love you and I’m prepared to fight for you and for our love. Nothing’s going to change my love for you, Nancy. You hold my heart and my affections. You’re the woman that I love, the love of my life.”

  Nancy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had prayed that she would meet a good man and be happy, but this was just too much for her. A duke and a commoner, a well-schooled man versus her simplicity, could it ever work? She shook her head. “Your friends and family will look down on me and I can’t go through that.”

  “No one will dare, or else they’ll have me to reckon with.”

  “Please just reconsider and leave me in my own simple world.”

  “When I found your house, I determined that I wouldn’t leave until you agreed to be my wife. I love you and I’m not going to lose you again. If you think I’m joking then just wait and see what I’ll do.”

  Nancy pulled her hands away and crossed them over her chest. “Please, don’t do anything irrational. You’re a noble man and shouldn’t taint your name by mixing with me.”

  George smiled lovingly at Nancy and she wanted to throw herself into his arms and tell him how much she loved him and how she had longed for him. But common sense prevailed. This wasn’t just any ordinary man.

  “Nancy, no matter what you say, I’m not leaving here until you agree to be my wife. If you don’t, be prepared to have another person living with you. I won’t go back home until you agree to be my wife.”

  * * *

  George knew his father would turn him out of the house when he appeared three days later with his new bride. It had taken a lot of persuasion on his and his future mother-in-law’s part, to get Nancy to agree to be his wife. They had argued and at one point Nancy had given in to her tears, but he was unmoved. He wanted to marry her and he had already obtained a special licence which he carried around with him.

  “You won’t leave me alone, will you?” Nancy had said finally, tired of arguing with him.

  “Not until you agree to be my wife, and get married by special licence.”

  As the carriage stopped outside the door, which opened to reveal his unsmiling father, George stepped down and then held a hand out to his beloved. “Welcome home.”

  “You father doesn’t look welcoming at all,” Nancy wished she was anywhere but here. “Perhaps I should return to my mother’s house.”

  “No, my darling. In any case, your mother is at your aunt’s place while your things are being packed to be brought here. Like I said, there’s a special cottage where your mother can live if she feels uncomfortable to be with us in the manor.”

  “But your father.”

  “Leave him to me.” George tucked her arm in his and started up the steps, forcing Nancy to follow suit. When he got to the landing at the top of the steps, he stopped a short distance from his father.

  “Where have you been these last few days?” Lord Murray demanded, ignoring Nancy.

  “Father, please don’t act as though you don’t see Nancy,” he smiled encouragingly at her. “Nancy and I got married yesterday, and I’ve brought my bride home, father.”

  Lord Murray didn’t say a word but turned and marched into the house. At least he didn’t slam the door in their faces, George thought. He still had Mark and Mary to face and he hoped they wouldn’t look down on his bride.

  The first few days were really tense and Nancy barely left their rooms. Since the duke had locked his wife’s bedroom which should have rightfully been hers, she had to share George’s. She spent the days crying because she felt really sad, lonely and unaccepted. George had brought her mother to the cottage and appointed a servant to take care of her, so that Nancy didn’t have to go out in the foul weather.

  “You look really sad,” Mark remarked to his brother one day as they were in the drawing room.

  “That’s because I’m sad. My new bride is miserable and the only thing that’s left for me to do is to get her away from this place which is killing her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve started making preparations for me and my wife as well as her mother, to travel to America. We will start a new life over there, away from the discrimination and judgments that we’re facing all because we fell in love. Father can give the duchy to whomever he pleases because I love Nancy and won’t let anyone look down on her.”

  “If you leave, you’ll break father’s heart.”

  “If I don’t leave, I’ll break my wife’s heart.” George sighed. “I’ve already disappointed father and it’s just a matter of time before he publicly disowns me. Before that happens, however, I will have found the means to take us away from here. Nancy is a wonderful woman and if you opened your hearts, you would see the reason why I love her. She’s simple yes, but kind and gentle and I could never ask for more.”

  Unknown to the two men, their father had overheard their conversation and he went to his study. He sat down behind his desk and pondered what to
do. His eldest son was in love and had married a very poor woman. When Claire Hemmingway died, he hadn’t lost hope but had gone in search of another wealthy young woman, finding two who he felt would be good enough for his son. But George had been very courteous and polite when he told the two that nothing would induce him to marry them because he loved another.

  Now George was talking about leaving for America and the thought filled Lord Murray with dread. His firstborn son, the one he relied on totally couldn’t leave home. Something had to be done.

  A few days later, he summoned his son and new wife to his study. Nancy was terrified because she hadn’t come face to face again with her father-in-law after the first time she met him and he turned and walked away. He never took meals with them and that had made her also refuse to take her meals with the rest of the family.

  “I’ve called you here because there’s something I want to say to the two of you.” He looked at them with piercing eyes. “George, I know that you feel that you’re a grown up, but you’re still my son and living under my roof. Going off to marry a woman we don’t know was very disrespectful.”

  “You refused to listen when I told you that I didn’t love Claire..”

  “Silence,” Lord Murray roared. “I didn’t ask you here so we could have an argument. Eloping is a terrible thing for a future duke to do. What example are you setting for your siblings?”

  George didn’t say anything, but held Nancy’s hand. She felt comforted but still terrified at the duke’s anger.

  “You did me a disservice by not allowing me to be present when you wedded. And then you brought your wife and her mother to this estate, acting defiantly. That shows that you’ve lost all respect for me as your father.”

  “But …” George started but Nancy gently squeezed his hand. He looked at her and she shook her head slightly.

  “Young lady, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

  “Your grace, there’s nothing that can be said to make up for the trouble we’ve brought, and all I can do is beg for your forgiveness.”

  Lord Murray observed her bowed head and then smiled. “You’re a good young woman and I want to say, welcome to the family.”

  They both looked at him in disbelief and he smiled at them. George had a rare glimpse of the loving father he had known before.

  “Forgive me for not welcoming you before but I believe my son has told you why. Yet in the days that you’ve been here, I’ve seen how much joy you bring to my son and it reminds me of how it was for me and my duchess many years ago. It won’t be easy to be accepted in society, but you can count on my support.”

  “That’s all we ask for, father. Thank you very much.”

  “And I pray that the two of you will live to a ripe old age and be very happy together.” He stood up. “I’m going to visit Lord Hemmingway whose health has been declining since losing his daughter.”

  Left alone, Nancy and George simply smiled broadly at each other. “Who would have thought the duke would have a change of heart?”

  Nancy smiled. “He’s a good man and I really like him, even though he frightens me. He was protecting his son and is to be commended for that.”

  Lord Victor Murray smiled as he walked away from the door from which he had been shamelessly eavesdropping. Yes, his son had made the right choice and even though their problems hadn’t been solved, he was sure they would survive.

  * * *

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