Chapter 20 #2
Harriet made a soft approving sound and gestured to the settee, which Jane sat on quietly. Across the room, she could see Thomas responding to her father's conversation with a single-word reply that her father appeared not to notice was barely a reply at all, forging ahead with his next point.
“How are you settling in?” her mother asked.
“Well,” Jane said.
“And the estate? I understand it's quite substantial. I trust that you are performing your duties to the best of your ability.”
“It is. And I am.”
Harriet tilted her head at her daughter's brevity and said, gently, “Jane.”
“I'm sorry,” Jane said, and she was – or she was sorry for the thing that made it difficult to be warm, which was not quite the same thing. “It truly is well. I am well. Thomas is – he is a good man.”
Her mother looked slightly relieved, which made Jane press her lips together.
Dinner time arrived quickly and Arthur ushered them to the dining room – which Jane quickly noticed had been set up to impress Thomas.
There was more silver in sight than was necessary, more candles than were required, a clear performance of wealth.
Thomas sat across from Jane and her father sat at the head of the table which put Jane closer to him than she preferred, with her mother on her other side.
Even during the meal, Arthur refused to relent with his talks. Jane ate and listened to him explain to Thomas the particular difficulties of maintaining wool estate yields when the northern tenants were prone to negotiating with unreasonable frequency.
Thomas chewed his food and responded curtly with things like “Mm,” and “Is that so,” looking visibly uninterested to anyone who was not obsessed with the sound of their own voice.
Then her father veered into another topic, his tone changing from certain to strongly suggestive as he said,
“Of course, the matter of an heir becomes pressing. Jane is young and healthy – so there's no reason to delay, particularly now that the match is made.” He gestured with his fork in a vague, proprietary way. “She should be with child within the year, I'd think, at least–”
“She shouldn't,” Jane quipped softly, but apparently loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
The table went quiet, and Thomas raised his eyes, a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips, showing that for the first time since the evening began, he was pleased.
“I beg your pardon?” her father carefully addressed, lowering his utensils.
Jane set her fork down as well. “We have only been married for two months. I am not prepared to–”
“These matters are not about preparedness,” her father stated, seemingly irritated over having to explain something so simple. “They are about duty. The duke requires an heir–”
“That is up to us!” Jane snapped, starting to feel angry “And what I am or am not prepared for is not–”
“Jane,” her mother said softly.
“–is not your concern,” Jane finished, looking at her mother.
Harriet glanced between her husband and daughter, leaning forward with a look of disapproval.
“We are saying this for your benefit, Jane. You should know what your duties are and be eager to perform them. Because you have been rather slow at things like these, we have had to interfere, and that is why you are happily married now,” Harriet pointed out.
Jane folded her arms defiantly, but more so because she needed to feel grounded, lest her rage run away with her.
“Your interference should have stopped there, then. What comes after does not concern you and it has not been your concern since you agreed to this arrangement without consulting me.”
“You will watch how you speak to us, you disrespectful little –” her father started.
“You would be wise to swallow those words, lest I feel inclined to cut your tongue out and feed it to you,” Thomas interjected calmly, his voice cutting through the air sharply.
Arthur fell silent immediately, his face turning pale. Thomas sat back, glancing between Jane’s parents.
“If anyone is being disrespectful here, it is you. After honouring your invitation, you proceed you question my wife – my duchess, as though she owes you any answers. How foolish of you, to value propriety and then forget your place so quickly. You have no right to dictate the progression of our marriage, nor is your input welcome. I already have an heir, in any case, so whatever desire you hold should be advised to perish.”
Thomas rose to his feet and walked around the table to where Jane was seated, holding his hand out to her.
“Come, my love. Let us return to our home.”
Jane easily slipped her hand into his as she stood, not evening glancing back at her parents as she left the dining room.
She stared at her hands in her lap during most of the ride back to their estate, eventually working up the courage to speak up.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“No one has the right to speak to you that way.” He stated simply. “Not while I am present.”
She nodded and shifted her gaze out the window, barely noticing the passing landscape as she thought about how strange it was – how deeply, inconveniently strange – to feel so thoroughly safe beside a man she had been prepared to spend three months tolerating.
She didn't want to feel safe. It made everything harder. It complicated the clean, manageable shape of their arrangement and bent it into something she didn't have a name for yet.
And worst of all, it frightened her considerably more than her father ever had.