Chapter 1
“Must you be so particular, brother?”
Joseph frowned. “I am not being particular.”
“Yes, you are.” Setting down her teacup, Emily looked at Joseph again with a sharpness in her green eyes that had not been there before. “If you recall, during the summer Season, you were far too busy criticizing every young lady to even think about any that might be suitable!”
“The reason for our presence in society was not for my considerations of matrimony.” Joseph waved one hand vaguely.
“Do you not recall? You were being courted by three different gentlemen, and it took you some weeks to decide which one to accept. It was for your sake and your sake alone that we were in London.”
Color rose in Emily’s cheeks. “That is not so. I had three different gentlemen interested in courting me – gentlemen that you had deemed worthy – but I had already settled on one of them. It was you who took your time in deciding whether or not I would be permitted to accept each gentleman’s court, and once that was decided, you took an inordinate amount of time to permit me to accept Lord Lanark’s proposal!
And he is the gentleman I had quite fallen in love with!
But you did not even consider that, for you think the notion of love ridiculous. ”
Joseph looked away. That, he supposed, was reasonable, but he did not like the criticism.
He had kept a fairly tight grip on Emily’s Season in London.
When there had been gentlemen coming to ask her to dance, he had been the one to say whether she might dance with each one or not.
When there had been the possibility of some interest from one or two, he had been the one to determine whether they would be permitted to call to take tea.
Eventually, there had been three gentlemen all eager to court her, and he had been careful to consider each one in turn.
Once he had satisfied himself that they might all do, he had given Emily the choice thereafter.
Yes, she had taken a little time to decide which gentleman’s suit she was going to accept; that much was true, but it had been his considerations that had taken the greatest length of time.
It was not worth arguing about, he decided, taking in a deep breath and then returning his gaze to his sister.
“There is nothing for us to disagree on, Emily. You are happily married now, and that is a good thing.”
“And you are not, and that is decidedly not a good thing.” She arched an eyebrow. “You need a wife, Applegate.”
A curl of irritation grew in Joseph’s stomach. “While I appreciate your concern, I do not need your encouragement, Emily.”
“You are going to have it nonetheless.” This was said in much too cheerful a voice, one that irritated Joseph a good deal.
He had been rather enjoying his last few months alone and had not expected Emily to come and call upon him so soon.
Her husband’s estate was less than a day’s drive from his own, and while he had thought that a pleasant situation, he now began to wonder if it would turn out to be somewhat disagreeable.
“As I was saying, whenever I pointed out a young lady who was suitable for you, there was always something about her that you found most disagreeable. There was always some reason that you could not consider her!”
Wrinkling his nose in displeasure, Joseph reached for his teacup, wishing it were filled with brandy instead. “That is because there always was something of concern, Emily.”
“You said that Lady Miriam had too long a nose.”
He shrugged. “That is true.”
“She was considered a diamond of the first water!”
“That makes very little difference to me,” Joseph replied, quickly. “I have standards of my own and will not be swayed by the ton’s opinion.”
She rolled her eyes in what Joseph considered to be a most childish manner.
“As I have reminded you already, I was not there to find a match myself.”
“But you are going again to London for the little Season, are you not?”
This question made Joseph’s eyebrows shoot upwards. He had not told her of his plans, not as yet anyway, so how had she come to know of it? A tiny smile touched the corner of her mouth, but Joseph scowled at her, making it fade.
“I surmised as such,” she said, tipping her head and holding his gaze, her unblinking eyes steady.
“You have refused our invitation to join us over the festive period and, given that there is no longer mother or father here for you to care for, I thought that either you would remain here alone – which I considered unlikely – or you would be returning to London.” A twinkle came into her eyes, and Joseph’s jaw jutted forward. “I am correct, yes?”
The desire to say that no, she was quite wrong, bit down hard upon his mind, but his conscience burned hot.
“You do not need to look so displeased. I think it is a very good thing indeed.”
“You think I need a wife?”
She nodded. “I do. Given that you are a gentleman who takes his responsibilities with great seriousness – something that I think is an excellent part of your character – I must assume that you are now considering the future. Since I am now wed and settled, you will be thinking of your duties as a Marquess, yes? Namely, to take on a bride and produce an heir. Thus, you will return to London for the Christmas Season with the expectation of being wed within a month or two.”
Joseph did not know what frustrated him the most, whether it was the fact that his sister believed that she could speak so candidly, or that she knew him so well as to be correct.
He had decided to think of his own future, once his responsibility to Emily was at a end.
He had determined to go to London and he had thought to be married within a few months.
Running one hand over his chin, he thought of how to respond to this, only for Emily to laugh.
“I can tell that you are displeased at my knowledge of you and your motivations,” she said, as Joseph ran one hand over his eyes.
“Come now, brother, you cannot be so very upset, can you? After all, we have lived in this house together since we were babies, and you have been my guardian for some six or seven years now! It is quite right that a sister should know her brother so well.”
“Perhaps.” Joseph sniffed and shifted in his chair.
“Then am I correct in all I have thought?”
Joseph’s jaw flexed, but he nodded. “Yes, you are.”
“Then might I offer you some advice?”
He shifted in his chair, trying to keep a hold of his temper, which was slowly becoming thinner and thinner. “Emily, as I have already said, I do not need your encouragement. Nor do I need your advice. I am very well able to return to society and find myself a bride, all without your guidance.”
She snorted in a most unladylike fashion. “I highly doubt that.”
“Is that so?” Leaning forward, he sent her an angry look. “Emily, you have no right to speak to me in such a way. You might mean well, but –”
“You are too particular, brother!” Ignoring him, Emily matched his loud voice easily, her cheeks now red. “You have demonstrated that to me at this very moment, stating that Lady Miriam had a nose that was a little too long when everyone else in society considered her a diamond!”
Joseph opened his mouth to defend himself, but his sister was not yet finished.
“You told me that Lady Gwendoline had too long a name for you to be contented with – something that was quite ridiculous, I must say – and that Miss Stephenson was too tall, even though she did not reach the same height as you!” Beginning to tick a list of ladies off on her fingers, Emily continued.
“You told me that Lady Prudence laughed too loudly, that Miss Jennings had a freckle or two on her face which could not be borne, and that Miss Cartwright’s brother was too disagreeable for you! ”
“That was perfectly fair,” Joseph stated, ignoring the flush of heat that was threatening to climb up his chest and into his neck. “If I am to marry a lady, then her family must be suitable also. That gentleman was rude and much too arrogant.”
“And you are not?”
That question stopped Joseph short. Blinking quickly, he frowned at his sister, but again, that steady gaze held him without relenting. He had never considered himself arrogant and, truth be told, was surprised to hear such a word directed at him.
“You think that you are not proud?” Emily smiled, but it was with gentleness, not with teasing or laughter. “There is no part of you that thinks yourself a little better than other gentlemen?”
Joseph held her gaze. “No, absolutely not.”
“Then why do you always criticize?” she asked, her voice very soft indeed.
“Why must there always be something about someone that is wrong? Some fault that they have that you must center your thoughts on? Something that is out of place at a ball or the like? A whisper of censure about the ratafia or the orchestra or the chalked floor?”
The sting in her words bit at him, but Joseph set aside the pain, refusing to let it take hold of him. “You are mistaken, Emily. That is not arrogance or pride. It is simply the expectation that the ton should hold to correct standards.”
At this, Emily closed her eyes and let out a long and pained sigh. “You will not listen to reason, will you?”
“There is no reason in your words!”
“Yes, there is!” She threw up her hands, fire burning in her eyes.
“There is nothing wrong with any of the ladies that I mentioned, nothing at all! You speak ill of their appearance, of their character, of their family, and say nothing of their beauty, their qualities or their family’s high standing.
Do you truly believe that you are somehow the epitome of all that is good and right?
That the standards society expects you can hold to without difficulty? That you never once fail?”
“I have never said anything of the sort.” Joseph looked away from her, his temper now so frayed, it was very close to ripping apart into furious anger.
“This conversation must cease, Emily. It will do neither of us any good. I understand that you mean well, but I will be able to find a bride without any further aid. I thank you.”
To his astonishment, Emily flung herself to her feet, her eyes ablaze with the very same anger and frustration he himself felt. Seemingly, she too had been holding back her emotions, all without his realization.
“You are unwilling to listen to me still, it seems!” She threw up her hands, then tossed her head and marched to the door.
“I was doing my best to help you, but no doubt, you do not think you need any help. Well, I do wish you success this Season, brother, but I shall await your letter informing me that you have found it very difficult indeed and should very much like some advice. Although when you do send that letter, do not expect me to be particularly forthcoming!”
“I have no intention of writing such a letter,” Joseph answered hotly. “The only communication you will receive from me is news of my engagement.”
The laugh that came from Emily set his teeth on edge. Without another word to him, she yanked open the door and strode out, leaving it to fall closed behind her.
Joseph winced. The heat of their conversation quickly began to fade, and he was now left feeling a little shamefaced.
He had spoken quickly – too quickly – and now his sister had left in anger.
She had, as he had said to her, been doing her best to encourage and support him in his search for a bride, and he had not responded well.
But I do not need her help.
Taking in a deep breath, Joseph rose from his chair, walked to the window, and stood there with his hands clasped behind his back.
There was a carriage waiting and, as he watched, Emily climbed into it.
Joseph did not move, did not rush down to her to apologize.
That would do no good, for then, no doubt, she would think it her place to return to join him so the discussion might continue – and he did not want that.
No, he would write her a note, apologizing for the harsh way he had spoken, but for nothing more than that.
Every sentiment he had expressed was perfectly fair, as far as he was concerned.
He did not want or need her guidance and was more than able to proceed through society without her beside him.
After all, he had been her guardian, her chaperone and her guide through the London Season and that had ended very well for her.
So why did she think that he required her assistance in return?
He did not agree for a moment that he was arrogant or proud!
He held himself and those around him to the standards set by society, and while she might be irritated with his complaints about particular ladies, Joseph knew he would not be happy with someone who did not quite reach the expectation he had for his wife.
“I will be perfectly able to find a bride,” he said aloud, as if she were still in the room to hear him. “And soon, there will be both a Marquess and a Marchioness living in this house. I shall not be alone for much longer, I am quite sure of that.”
I hope Joseph can find someone who meets his high standards!