Chapter 4
Chapter Four
“Are you sure your mother doesn’t want to come and see the baby?
It seems a shame to come all this way to Stonewood Manor and not see the most precious sight,” Lydia asked, cooing over her nephew, Luke.
It was a natural sight, and she was bathed in a maternal glow.
Margaret was currently spending time with Lydia’s grandmother in another room, while her sister, Charlotte, was with Rose and Lydia.
“Oh no, she’s never been particularly fond of babies or small children. She finds them quite peculiar,” Rose said. They exchanged small talk for a little while, and then Rose shared something that had been on her mind. “I had a visit from Edmund yesterday.”
“Oh?” Lydia replied, not looking up from the baby.
“Would you prefer me to leave you two to speak privately?” Charlotte asked. Lydia did look up at this, but she did not want to let go of Luke.
“No, of course not. I am sure Lydia has told you about the situation. Perhaps Edmund has, too,” Rose said.
Charlotte smiled. “My brother does not confide in me about such matters. We have always had different opinions about how he conducts himself, though I am sure he will provide you with plenty of entertainment. Lydia told me that you are going to meet five times?”
“Yes.”
Charlotte tittered with laughter. “That is four times more than he usually sees anyone.”
“I don’t understand why, of all the people in London, he would have to choose my friend,” Lydia said.
“I am not sure I had much to do with it. I could have been anyone, and he still would have bid on me.”
Lydia sighed and nodded, then glanced toward Rose and offered a sly smile. “Perhaps you could be the woman who changes his ways.”
Rose couldn’t help but laugh before apologizing to Charlotte. “I don’t mean to imply that your brother is unworthy of love. I am just not interested in such things.”
Charlotte offered a knowing smile. Luke stirred and began to cry, a high-pitched wail that seemed much louder than something that small should be able to make. Lydia got up and rocked Luke back and forth, walking him across the room.
“I felt the same way before I met Nathaniel. I was so sure that marriage would get in the way of my ambitions, but I ended up having the best of both worlds. And I have Luke as well. I feel blessed,” Charlotte said.
Rose put her hands in her lap and chose her words carefully, so as not to cause offense.
“You do not feel as though you have lost any independence?”
“Of course I have,” Charlotte said with a candor that surprised Rose.
“But what I have gained in return is far more valuable. Lydia has told me about your opinions on marriage, and I am certainly not going to dissuade you from them, but as someone who once felt the same way, I know all too well how things can change.”
“See?” Lydia said. “If you ever needed proof, then there it is. There is a happy ending waiting for everyone.”
“I have never disagreed with that notion, Lydia, I just disagree with your insistence that a happy ending must involve marriage,” Rose said.
“And what do you hope for in life?” Charlotte asked.
Rose searched her mind, for she had never really wanted for anything other than a general sense of well-being.
“To live well,” she said simply.
“But you may end up regretting being so adamant. Time is fleeting,” Lydia said.
“I am sure that Rose can live as she intends. I am sure there is going to be enough love in your life for the rest of us. Speaking of which, Lydia, is there a suitor that has caught your attention?”
Lydia blushed and avoided the question by singing to Luke. Charlotte then turned back to Rose, wearing an amused smile at her sister’s evasive nature.
“I would not worry about a thing, although I must say I was surprised to hear about the exact nature of this auction,” Charlotte said.
“It was my parents’ idea. They are determined to see me married. Apparently, they worry about me if I do not find a husband.”
“I never understood the way parents could worry until I had Luke. But we must each find our way in the world. I am sure you will have fun with Edmund. He knows how to keep things interesting, but you need not worry about a proposal from him. Marriage has always been the farthest thing from his mind.”
“He has already stated the same thing to me,” Rose said.
“He has never been one to dangle false promises,” Charlotte said.
“I can’t understand why I am surrounded by so many people who do not see the value in romance.
” Lydia stopped singing for a moment and instead allowed a harsh tone to creep into her words.
“Love is an ideal to which we should all aspire. I have seen how it has enriched your life, Charlotte, and we should all want a reflection of that happiness. I only fear that Edmund is a lost cause…”
“And do you feel the same way about me?” Rose asked, challenging Lydia with her stare.
“Yes,” Lydia said in no uncertain terms. “You have become so entrenched in your opinion that you cannot see any alternative. Marriage can be many different things. It can be a source of strength, of liberation, it can be inspirational and ideal, and so much more.”
“You are speaking from books, Lydia. Most real marriages are not like that at all. They are just products of circumstance,” Rose said. The air was getting heated, and she could feel one of their infrequent arguments stirring.
Thankfully, Charlotte was there to interrupt the tension.
“Do not allow this subject to mar your friendship. Having experienced both viewpoints myself, I can tell you for a fact that they are both valid. One is not better than the other, and you can both be happy taking different paths in life. Besides, Lydia, we both know Edmund, so there is no point in talking about marriage around him. He has made his intentions very clear.”
Rose nodded, thinking to herself that indeed he had. Well, it was reassuring to know that he wasn’t playing any games in this regard and would keep his word. And one day, even Lydia might begin to see that marriage was not the only path to take.
And hearing Charlotte speak about the virtues of marriage did not change Rose’s mind one bit, because it was not because of her ambitions that she did not wish to be married; there was another reason, one that she preferred to keep to herself.
Even Lydia did not know it.