by Abigail Agar
“It is horrible, Mary, and I blame Father for this.”
“You do?” Mary wanted to reach out to embrace her sister, but her words had her frozen to the spot for a moment.
“I do. He chose John for me, someone that he did business with and deemed suitable for me. He did not seem to think that this might be a man that I would not like. He simply decided that he had enough money to keep me happy, and that was the end of it.” The mask had gone now, and Charlotte was a mess. “I begged him not to make me marry him, but he did. He does not choose men well, and I do not want him to do the same for you.”
As Charlotte reached out to grab Mary’s arms in a state of sheer desperation, her sleeves fell back slightly. Mary spotted purplish marks on her sister’s arms that appeared to be bruises in the shape of fingers. Mary’s heart flew up into her throat making it incredibly challenging to get any air into her lungs.
Charlotte spotted her sister looking, and she tugged her sleeve down rapidly. While Mary did not ask her what had happened, she already knew. The way that her sister’s cheeks tinged pink with humiliation.
Things were bad. They were worse than she expected.
“You do not wish to end up like me, Mary,” Charlotte warned her. “You do not want to be miserable with a horrible, brutish man who only wants you for an heir.”
An heir … there it was; the stark reminder of the main purpose for a woman in the world. It was all about having a baby to carry on the family name and to inherit anything that the father earned. But before a baby came something that Mary did not want to think about. Judging by the look on her sister’s face, Charlotte did not like the idea much either. The only difference was, Charlotte was already stuck in a marriage where that was already an issue.
“So what do you think I should do?” Mary asked desperately. Now Charlotte had her even more worried. “What do I do about it all? Walter is pushing forward with the plans despite the fact that he can see I am uncomfortable with it.”
“I do really think that you should give up the house. The inheritance is not as important as a lifetime of misery.”
“Where will I go?” Mary’s hand moved up to her mouth in shock. The reality of this hit her hard; she did not know how to deal with what might come next. “What will I do?”
“You can come here.” Charlotte did not know how her husband would react to her inviting her sister into their home, even if they had plenty of room for her, but she could not deny that the idea of having someone around to support her was very tempting. “I shall care for you; we shall find you a husband that you choose yourself.”
Mary rubbed her cheek nervily; she did not know what to do for the best. Whatever decision she made, her life was about to change forever. She was comfortable with how things were at the moment and did not want anything to be different, but that choice had already been taken from her.
How much easier things were when I was a child, she thought wistfully. I wish I could go back to how things were then.
“I still have to meet with the Duke,” Mary told her sister. “But if that goes as badly as I suspect it might, I shall take you up on your offer. I do not wish to end up unhappy.” She felt bad even saying that, seeing her sister in that exact situation. “I am sorry that you are.”
Charlotte was so wrapped up in the idea of helping out her sister that her own issues took a back seat for the moment. Ever since she saw the conditions that the poor were forced to live in, and she was denied the chance to help them, she had wanted to do something for someone.
This was as good a cause as any.
“I will help you, Mary,” she insisted. “Whatever you need me to do. You will have to meet this Duke now; it would be terribly rude not to, but do not think that means you need to marry him. Be strong, Mary, do not get convinced to do something that you know is not right.”
Mary took her sister’s hands and stared intently into her eyes. “I do not know what I can offer you, Charlotte, but if there is any way that I can help you too, you know that I will do it. And thank you very much for your advice; it is very welcome. I shall be strong and will do what I think is right.”
“You must. This is all on you. It is only you that shall be affected by the choice you make for the rest of your life. Our father is not around anymore; he can only command so much from the grave. What you do is up to you.”
“Yes,” Mary whispered as Charlotte’s words washed over her. She was right; Mary knew it, but that did not make it any less overwhelming. “Yes, it is.”
The bond that had been slowly unravelling for the past six years knitted itself together once more just a little bit. The sisters smiled at one another, sharing a moment of unison. They both had their troubles now; neither of them had a perfect life. The only people they really had in the world that they could trust were one another.
“Shall we take our tea out into the garden?” Charlotte asked on impulse. “The weather is so lovely today. Maybe, considering we are both having such a challenging time, a relaxing moment in the sunshine is exactly what we both need.”
Mary nodded and followed Charlotte outside, her mind churning the entire time. She had never been put in the position of having to make a life-changing decision before. It had never been an issue because of her age. Her father made her choices, then Walter. Now, though, this was up to her. She had to choose what was right for herself, and the power of that utterly terrified her.
Chapter 4
Walter’s smile was much too bright. Mary could tell that he was enjoying the moment very much, which only served to make her even more anxious. Her lilac coloured dress felt much too tight over her restrictive corset, and the puffy sleeves were in the way as she turned her head towards her front door for what felt like the hundredth time; the lace that ran down her arms irritated her skin in a way that it had never done before. It was not just her dress that was a problem, her light blonde hair was scraped back so tightly off her face that it pinched her skin, and the heavy make-up around her bright, fiery blue eyes felt heavy.
The handmaiden had done too much to Mary today, and she was not impressed by it. Maybe she looked beautiful, even in her own eyes she could see that, but it was not worth it to be in so much pain.
“He should be here soon,” Walter said once more in what he seemed to think was a reassuring tone. He did not seem to understand that Mary did not want him to arrive at all. “It is not like the Duke to be late; he must be stuck somewhere.”
“Right,” Mary replied stiffly. “I see.”
Please decide that you do not wish to marry me; that would take off all the pressure.
Mary had spent all night long fantasising about various ways that this could all go wrong. Since his letter to Walter confirmed that he was not, in fact, married, Mary could only hope that something would get in the way to prevent him from wanting to marry her. If he said no, then surely she could still keep the house?
“Is that a carriage I can hear outside?” Walter leapt up as if he’d been burned, and he hurried towards the window. As he stared out through the glass, Mary could not help feeling that he had made himself much too comfortable in her home over the last few days.
Do not hate Walter, she tried to convince herself. He is only acting on Father’s wishes.
Mary had never had a bad word to say about her father. She assumed that Charlotte had not either, but after seeing her the previous week and learning how she really felt about everything was a true eye-opener. Charlotte resented the man who raised them for choosing a suitor for her based only on the money he had, not the compatibility. That had to be the same here; her father had not seen her grown over the last five years. He made the choice – out of necessity – based on what he thought she might need when she was only thirteen years of age.
This could only spell disaster; there was no other outcome.
“Yes.” Walter turned to Mary with a smile. “He is here. I shall go and let him in so that you two can meet for the very first time.”
He is here. Despite what I think, I have to make a good impression. If Walter believes that I am not putting in the effort, he shall strip me of my home. I do wish to make the Duke want to marry someone else, but I cannot be seen to be doing so.
Daisy moved into the room, setting out drinks and snacks for the guests. She could see the troubled expression on Mary’s face, which she immediately understood. All the staff had been coached by Walter on how they were to behave when the Duke arrived today to meet Mary.
“Are you alright, Lady Roberts?” Daisy asked her quietly.
“I … I think so,” Mary stammered back. “I am terribly nervous.”
“Well, you look beautiful if that helps.”
Mary smiled gratefully at Daisy; it was so kind of her to try and make Mary feel better. She knew how scared she was about today, but it was still lovely for her to reach out.
“Thank you, Daisy. Will you be around, serving drinks?”
“I shall,” Daisy replied with a curtsy. “I will be here.”
Mary was not sure why, but that made her feel a whole lot better. Daisy was not quite a friend, but she was the closest thing that Mary had to one. While there was not a thing she could do, simply having her in the room was a comfort.
As footsteps rang through the hallway, joined in with two booming male voices, Mary pushed herself into a standing position. Her good manners were so well ingrained that she could not resist them even in a state of panic. Daisy scurried over to the side of the room where she would wait by the drinks, leaving Mary exposed and by herself.
She brushed her dress downwards, ensuring that the skirts hung perfectly by her feet, then her hands automatically went up to her hair where she smoothed it down more than it already was.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Her heart hammered noisily in her chest while she waited. It vibrated against her ribcage while boiling hot anticipation raced through her veins. Any minute now, she would meet the man who her father had chosen for her. If he was anything like Charlotte suggested, then he would be just as horrible as Lord Jones.
“Your Grace, I would like you to meet Lady Mary Roberts,” Walter announced with flair. “She would like to welcome you to her home and thank you for coming to meet with her.”
Mary’s stomach jolted. She was far too shocked to be annoyed that Walter was speaking on her behalf. Duke Edmund Smith was a massive surprise, nothing like Mary suspected. Despite the fact that she was aware his age was much less than her sister’s husband’s, for some reason she was expecting him to be grey-haired, round-bellied, with pink stained skin from drinking too much wine, just like he was.
Instead, he was tall, dark, and very handsome. He actually made Mary’s heart flutter a little bit.
“It is good to meet you, Lady Mary Roberts.”
Oh. His tone was cold, as was his face. The smile that had somehow worked its way up onto Mary’s face fell away when she realised that he truly did not want to be there. Maybe she should have been pleased for that was exactly what she wanted; maybe she should have expected it because she did not much want to be there either, but instead, all she felt was sadness. A hollow sensation filled her.
“Y … yes, it is good to meet you too.”
She extended her hand and waited for him to kiss it. Despite the fact that it was the polite thing to do, the Duke left her hand hanging in mid-air until she dropped it.
I do not like him, Mary thought angrily. Charlotte was right; he is not a good man. Father has a terrible taste in men. I shall have to refuse to marry him.
But the thought of giving up the family home, even if she did have other options now, scared her. It felt like a huge step that she was not quite ready to take.
“Shall we all take a seat?” Walter asked in a jolly tone as if he could not sense the frosty atmosphere at all. “Edmund, you should tell us more about yourself.”
As Edmund began to speak, he did so with a tone of arrogance. He was clearly very proud of what he had done, and he was not afraid of letting other people know it. Mary could not imagine her father working alongside such a man; he was always very humble about his own achievements. At least in public; maybe he hid his pride inside, but Mary had certainly never heard it.
“That is so impressive.” Walter sounded like he was in love with the man himself. He was being much too kind, encouraging the man to tell him more. “That sounds like it must keep you very busy.”
“Oh yes, it does …”
Mary could hardly stand to listen. Without even meaning to, she rolled her eyes in a way that she hoped was discrete.
The sooner that this is over, the sooner I can decide what I want to do next.
Anger built up inside Edmund as he spotted Mary roll her eyes at him. He was happy with what he had achieved in life; for a man with no father to guide him, he had made a success of himself.
I should have known, he thought with a sharp shake of the head. I should have guessed this would not work out.
After hearing from his mother that he had to meet the Lady to remain polite, he had asked around to learn more about the Lady Mary Roberts. Not many people knew her well. She was not one who made herself known in society, but the people who were aware of her told him that she was known for her standoffish nature. She did not make an effort with people, and that made her seem rude.
He had wanted to believe that maybe she was just shy, but now it appeared that everyone else was, in fact, correct.
Her sister, married to Lord Jones, was also known for her quiet, impolite nature. She did not even speak much in the times that was expected of her. Again, Edmund had tried his best to rationalise that behaviour in his mind, but now he could see that there was nothing to justify. The Roberts’ sisters were rude, and that was all there was to it.
I do not like her, he thought with determination. I will not marry her, I refuse.
He knew that there was some inheritance riding on this, but that did not trouble him. It was not his inheritance and not his problem. He had always wanted to marry for love, and that had not changed.
There was no love to be found here.
Mary was very beautiful, there was no denying that. Her hair was lovely; her face was incredibly pleasant to look at, and she had soft, touchable skin … but her insides did not match the beauty of her outsides, and that was all that mattered.
“So, Mary,” he said loud enough to grab her attention. If she wished to be impolite, then he would too. “Please, tell me what it is that you do.”
Her face flamed as both men turned to look at her. Mary had not expected to be questioned, and she was not sure what to say. What did she do? She had no real interests, no passions, no work to speak of. Some Ladies rode horses, but it was pointless to go with that lie. She needed to say something to make her seem interesting.
“I erm, I have been helping my sister, actually.” She coughed awkwardly. “My sister is starting a campaign to help get better living conditions for the working classes, and I am helping her with that. It is … it is something that I feel very passionate about.”
It was not all lies, surely that was something? Mary still felt uncomfortable, though, and it showed in her body language.
“I see,” Edmund replied with a smirk. He could tell this was something that she plucked out of the air. “That does sound fascinating. Please, tell me more.”
Mary cringed. She did not know what else to say. She parted her lips a couple of times as if something were about to come out, but of course, there was nothing but silence. An agonising silence that seemed to go on for days.
“I think we have had enough here,” Walter finally interjected as he realised this was not quite going as expected. “Shall we take a break here, think some things through, then start up communication at another time?
&
nbsp; “Yes,” Edmund agreed, relieved.
“I think so,” Mary also said, feeling much better now that she was about to escape. It was utterly apparent that there was nothing but dislike coming from both parties, so she did not feel that she needed to fear anymore. “Thank you for your visit, Your Grace, it has been a …” She paused for just a beat. Barely noticeable to the naked ear, but Edmund heard it. “Pleasure.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine.” Still, he did not offer his hand, so Mary did not either. “I am sure I will see you again soon.”
As Walter walked Edmund to the door, Mary let out a deep sigh of relief. That was far quicker than she expected, and she was so glad that it was over.
“How do you feel now?” Daisy asked from behind her, making Mary jump. She had almost forgotten that she was not alone. “Are you happier now that you have met the man?”
Mary gave Daisy a smile. “Much better, actually. I am now very sure that there will be no wedding.”
“Oh.” Unexpectedly, Daisy’s face fell. “Does that mean you shall lose the home? Do you think it might be time for us to look for new jobs? After all, the new house owner might not wish to keep us.”
Mary’s body boiled; she had not thought about that at all. She had only been concerned with how this arrangement affected her life and her future. Charlotte was wrong. There were other people that could be affected by what she did next. A whole houseful of people, the sort of people she had just pretended to care about the welfare of.
“Well, I do think I shall keep the house if the Duke does not wish to marry me,” Mary replied with a little uncertainty. “I have not spoken to Walter about the finer details of things, but I will.” She reached out and touched Daisy’s arm softly. “I shall ensure that no matter what happens next, you will keep your job anyway.”
Daisy looked up at Mary gratefully through her eyelashes. “What you said to the Duke about the working classes was very touching.” She paused thoughtfully. “Most people assume that the poor are a parasite; they forget that we are hungry too.”