Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
E mma hadn’t known what to expect when she approached Sarah.
Given the muted sobs she’d heard through the door, she’d thought she would find her sister lying in her bed, weeping into her pillow. Instead, as she entered she was confronted by her sister sitting in an armchair, looking perfectly ahead.
It was frightening, almost, to see her in such a composed state save for her tears. In an instant, she leaped into action, running to her and holding her in an embrace.
“Oh, Sarah,” she whispered. “What is it? What happened?”
“I am to marry.”
“Baron?” she asked, smiling. “Well, that is wonderful news! It is sudden, and I know it is daunting, but–”
“Lord Frenton. Father told me this afternoon.”
The words rang out in Emma’s ears. She had never heard of the man, and she was quite certain that Sarah had not, either.
“Is he… a good suitor, at least?”
“He is old , Sarah.”
Emma, thinking at once of the wide open door, quickly ran to close it before returning to her.
“He is a friend of Father’s,” she continued. “Fifty-six, can you believe it? It is as though Father is punishing me, but I do not know why. I haven’t done anything to anger him.”
“Perhaps he is doing what he thinks is best?” Emma asked, to which Sarah gave her a skeptical look. “Yes, very well, it is not something he does, but you never know. How did he come to this decision?”
“I was paired with the Viscount for the treasure hunt today, and it was awful. He expected me to follow him the entire time and not say a word. We lost, in the end, of course, but the entire time he was saying these… things… He said I would make a lovely wife one day, and that any gentleman would fight until his last breath to have me. I should have seen then and there what would happen, but I never would have thought– Oh, Emma, I do not know what to do!”
She had spoken so quickly that it took Emma a moment to realize what had happened. She remembered the old man she had returned with, and if he had only been six-and-fifty she dreaded to think what he would look like within the next five years. He was not the match for Sarah that Lord Rosendale had been, and their father had been happy with it as it meant at least one of his daughters would no longer be his responsibility. Something had to have changed, and Emma was determined to know what.
“I shall speak with Father,” she promised.
“No, Emma. You are not even supposed to know about any of this. I am forbidden to tell you until the day of the wedding. I was– I was supposed to make you believe I was marrying Lord Rosendale.”
With those words, Emma decided that she truly did hate her father.
“I will tell him I heard Lord Frenton discussing it. I do not care how angry he will be that I know, I want answers. He shall not be unkind to you about it, I assure you.”
“He is always unkind to us, even if we do exactly as he says. There is no escaping this. I must accept it, and even though I certainly am not reconciled at this moment, I will be in time.”
“And if you are content to do that, then you may. I, on the other hand, am not.”
With that, she gave a sister a tight embrace before leaving. Her eyes stung with tears for Sarah, and she could not return in such a manner. She quickly tried to dry her eyes before fixing her posture and going on her way.
Of course, she simply had to see the Duke of Lupton as she did.
He was looking at her kindly and she hated it. She hated that someone could be so nice to her when she was so undeserving. She couldn’t do a thing right, and when it came to the Duke, a man that she was warming to in spite of her best efforts, she did not want to ruin that too.
So she rid herself of him as hastily as she could; she did not wish to spend any more time with him than was necessary, not after what had happened. She would have to sit beside him at dinner, and that was already more than enough.
And so, she returned to the party. Her friends were there, and what she needed in that moment was a mere hour or so where she could forget all that was happening around her and simply be Emma Kendall.
“There you are!” Cecilia said brightly. “How is your sister?”
“She is well,” she lied, “she simply had a long afternoon with the Viscount.”
“Yes, and I thought that my time with Gretchen was terrible,” Beatrice sighed. “Poor girl, she must have been at her wit’s end. I do not know the Viscount, of course, but he doesn’t seem very kind. He was practically dragging her along with him.”
“Such a brute,” Cecilia nodded. “In any case, it is done with now. She is more than welcome to stay with me for the rest of our time here, if she wishes. I am more frightening than any viscount, and if it is protection she is searching for then there is no better chance than with me.”
Emma smiled, knowing Cecilia was only half speaking in jest.
The dinner was excruciating, and Gretchen’s attempt to ensnare her with her own words had been the second worst part of it all. It was not as biting or scathing as such a cutting comment could have been, but it was enough to rid her of her appetite. She had no interest in engaging in such childish behavior, not when there were real troubles coming her way. Within the hour, she would be speaking to her father, and that would be the most difficult thing of all, far worse than anything Gretchen could try to do to her.
Not because she was afraid—though she was—but because he would confirm her fears that it was not a threat he had given Sarah, but a promise.
He did not seem all too pleased to see her approaching him. He was surrounding other gentlemen, including Lord Frenton, who eyed her carefully.
“Not now, Emma.”
“Father, we must talk.”
“No. I am otherwise occupied.”
“It is alright,” Lord Frenton nodded. “She is your daughter after all. We shall still be here upon your return.”
She hated her sister’s appalling fiancé, but she was slightly grateful to him for that. With a sigh, her father followed her to an empty drawing room, and Emma closed the door behind them.
“Is it true?” she asked.
“That you have pulled me away from a few lovely hours of being a man rather than a father? Yes, it would appear so.”
She looked at him incredulously, her arms folded in spite of how fearful she truly was.
“Is Sarah to marry?”
“Did she tell you that? Because I–”
“No, Father. You know how gossip travels in the ton , and it has led me to believe that Sarah is to marry that Viscount.”
“I will not hear a word against Frenton. He is a good man, and one that is willing to marry her quickly.”
“Lord Rosendale was much the same.”
“Lord Rosendale is young, and young men are wild. There will be no offer of marriage for months, I can guarantee you that, and by then she will be a spinster like you and I shall never be rid of either of you.”
“You do not know that!”
“I do. In spite of what you may think, Emma, you do not know very much at all. I blame that Miss Penton for that, for making you think that you are any better than what you truly are. You are not some special exception to ladies where you know what is best. I am your father, but more than that I am a gentleman. I know more than you ever could, and I am telling you that Lord Frenton is the best Sarah can do if we want her married quickly.”
“Then why did you allow her to form an attachment?”
“Because the Viscount had not shown interest then. I do not need to explain myself to you. This is what will happen, and that is final. You will not change my mind about it no matter what you say, and I do not understand why you believe you could.”
Emma took a deep breath, steadying herself. Her father had always spoken to her in such a manner, as if she were an imbecile, and it had always made her feel like one, but she knew then and there that what he was doing was anything but right and anything but fair.
“I am a good father,” he continued. “I have fed you, and I have housed you. You really should be thanking me, but instead you willingly became a spinster and allowed your sister to believe in such trite things as love. It isn’t real, Emma. What is real is protection and security, and a viscount can offer that more than any baron. Do you not want what is best for her?”
“I want her to decide.”
“Then you will be disappointed. The deal is done. The Viscount and I shall be drawing up the contract upon our return. I have half a mind to find another friend of mine and do the same for you, but as you promised to leave for your mother’s sister’s estate once Sarah married I am not too concerned.”
“You also promised I would have a year to find her a match. I still had time.”
“Yes, and instead you have spent your time with your friends, and a duke that you have no intention of marrying. You have brought shame upon us all, and yet you expect me to trust you to know what is best for your sister. Well, I do not, and so this is how it will be. If you do not wish to accept it, then there is no need for you to return home with us at all.”
Emma could feel her hands trembling. She knew that she would not have been able to change his mind, and she had only wanted to know the truth, but now that she had it she was furious. She hated the answer that she was given; that this was the way it was and to bite her tongue about it. She wanted to scream, she wanted to take the vase of flowers nearby and throw it against the wall with as much strength as she could muster. She wanted to release her anger out into the open and let it leave her rather than fester within.
But she could not. She knew that her place was to smile and nod and accept, and so she did. She wore the same placid smile for the rest of the night, and spoke with the other guests politely and said what a joy it was that her sister had found a match. She saw Lord Rosendale out of the corner of her eye, drinking his brandy in one motion, and pitied him greatly. She had seen his affections for Sarah, and she knew how confused he must have been. She could not tell him the truth, she thought, but she could at least speak with him and offer sympathy.
“Good evening,” she said gently, curtseying to him.
“Good evening, Miss Kendall. I am not sure it is wise for you to be seen talking to me.”
“It would appear that I am quite unwise, as things go,” she laughed nervously. “Are you… are you alright?”
“I do not know how to be. I know I have only known your sister for a short while, and I shan’t claim to love her or any such flights of fancy as that, but I could have loved her. I would have been a good husband to her, even if my rank is not as high as the Viscount’s. I do not know what I did to change her mind.”
“You did nothing wrong. You must know that. Sarah is only– well, our father has expectations, and he has insisted that she follow them.”
“But it was one afternoon! With a man almost thrice her age, I will add. Something has to be wrong with all of this, and I intend to learn what, but she will not speak to me. She is not even here at present.”
“She is in her bedchambers, unwell. That should tell you enough.”
She hoped that he was intelligent enough to know that, while she could not tell him outright, she could lead him to the truth.
“You are not happy about this either, are you?” he asked. “I can see it in your face. You do not want this, and given you want only her happiness, I will assume that she does not either.”
Emma gave him a small and quick nod, as that was all that she could do. At least, she thought, he understood the truth of the matter, even if there was nothing that he could do about it.
“I will fight for her, Miss Kendall,” he promised. “If it makes her happy, I will do what I must. I want only her happiness, and if that does not lie with the Viscount then I will do anything to change that.”
She nodded, thanking him before returning to her friends. There wasn’t much that Lord Rosendale could do, but it was more than Emma could. He was, after all, a man.
“Is he all right?” Dorothy asked gingerly. “We have heard whispers.”
“Of an arranged marriage?” she laughed emptily. “Yes, I am not surprised.”
The three ladies looked at her in shock. Cecilia was the closest to anger of the three of them, but none of them had any emotion stronger than their surprise.
“That poor girl,” Cecilia muttered. “Let us hope that he is at least a good man, because he does not have many other things in his favor.”
“It is my fault,” Emma whispered. “I pushed our father too far by being a spinster, I know I did. I simply thought he would give me more time, but he was given an offer and now… I shall never forgive myself.”
“None of this is because of you!” Dorothy exclaimed. “It is your father that made the deal, and so the blame lies completely with him. He has made his choice, and it is as Cecilia says. Perhaps he is not a bad man, and he will be a good husband to her in the end?”
“Or,” Beatrice said slyly, “Sarah will find her own way out of all of this.”
“What do you mean?”
“When an animal is cornered, and it has nowhere to go, you mustn’t be surprised if it bites. I am not saying that Sarah is an animal, but I am saying that if she feels she has no way out of this, she may take matters into her own hands.”
Emma trembled, dreading the thought of what her sister might do to escape her fate. Beatrice was smiling, optimistic as always about what Sarah would do.
Emma, on the other hand, was terrified.