Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Clara was sitting at home one afternoon when she received a caller. Her heart spiked at the thought it might be Gerald, although she was dismayed when Sir Lionel Mercer was announced.
Alfred welcomed him in, beaming. Sir Lionel bowed his head and took Clara’s hand, pressing his lips to the back of her palm.
His silky hair fell across his cheeks. Clara almost wished her heart was swept away by him, but his sight provoked nothing of the kind, and again she could only see the absence of Gerald rather than the presence of Sir Lionel.
“Miss Sterling, I trust I find you well?” he asked.
“Well enough, Sir Lionel. And yourself?” she replied.
“I am in good spirits. It is a fine time of year. It was unfortunate that you could not attend the lecture with me. It was most fascinating. I hoped that we might be able to spend some time together and I could share all that I learned.”
“Do you have an event in mind?” Clara asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do. I am hosting a musicale next week, and I would be honored if you would join. I will ensure that you may choose when you play the pianoforte, if you so wish.”
Clara thought about the invitation, but when she didn’t offer a response, Alfred interrupted.
“Forgive me, Sir Lionel, but do you mind if I have a moment with my daughter?” Alfred said, reaching for Clara and taking her hand.
Sir Lionel inclined his head and directed his attention in another direction, while Alfred gently pulled Clara to the far side of the room, speaking low to prevent Sir Lionel from overhearing.
“Clara, before you respond, I think you should accept the invitation,” Alfred whispered.
“You do?” Clara responded at the same volume. “But I thought you were in favor of Gerald.”
“I was. I am. But a proposal has not been forthcoming. The man hasn’t even mentioned marriage!
For how long are you prepared to wait? I hoped that when he encountered Sir Lionel last time it might have spurred him into making a swifter decision.
Frankly, I don’t know why he’s dragging his heels.
If he has no intention of marrying you, then he should step aside.
Sir Lionel has made no secret of his desire, and I do not believe he should be rebuffed.
We have an opportunity here, Clara, an opportunity that will not remain forever. ”
Clara pressed her lips together and inclined her head.
“I appreciate your thoughts, Father, and I will keep them in mind,” she replied coolly, although she had already decided what her response would be. Clara returned to her seat and tilted her head to the said, wearing a polite smile.
“First of all I am flattered that you would seek my company again. At any other time I would be honored to accept, but unfortunately, I must decline. It has no bearing on you, Sir Lionel. You are a fine man, but I must be honest and state that my feelings are directed towards the Duke of Clemont. I must be true to them, and I would not seek to dishonor you by giving you a futile hope. Your time would be better served pursuing an available woman.”
“I see,” Sir Lionel straightened his tie and took a deep breath.
“I appreciate your honesty, Miss Sterling, and I wish you all the luck in the world. I look forward to our paths crossing again,” he said, bowing to her and then to Alfred.
He accepted the matter with good grace and left the room, leaving Alfred agog.
“Clara, did you not hear a word I said?”
“I heard everything, Father.”
“Then why did you not agree to the invitation?”
“Because I do not think it proper for me to accept an invitation from him when I am being courted by another gentleman. Besides, it is not fair to Sir Lionel for him to pursue a losing cause,” Clara said.
If Sir Lionel had inspired anything like the intensity Gerald caused, then things might well have been different. But three times she had encountered Sir Lionel now, and three times she had compared him unfavorably to Gerald.
Alfred sighed and clasped his hands together.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Clara.”
“You have always trusted my judgment before, father. I don’t know why you would doubt me now,” she said, the irony of the words tasting bitter on her tongue.
Alfred rarely lost his temper. In fact, she could count the number of the occasions on one hand. She was certain that he would lose control of it this time, though. Like everything else, Clara would simply have to bear it.
Later that afternoon, Gerald stopped by for a visit. Alfred showed him in and was still committed to the same agenda, that of getting Clara married.
“You should know that Sir Lionel called earlier today and invited Clara to join him at a musicale,” Alfred said, conveniently omitting the fact that Clara declined the invitation. There was a challenging tone to his voice.
“I declined the invitation,” Clara said.
Alfred puffed out his cheeks and was about to throw up his hands but stopped himself.
Instead, he turned and opened the liquor cabinet.
It was a little earlier than he usually drank, but it was every gentleman’s right to choose when he did so. Gerald moved closer to Clara.
“Sir Lionel must have been disappointed,” Gerald said.
“He was, but I felt that it was the right thing to do. I did not wish to mislead him, and of course I would not wish to give the ton any reason to doubt the sincerity of our courtship,” she replied, arching an eyebrow to emphasize the point she was trying to make.
Gerald licked his lips and ran his hand across his jaw.
“Thank you,” he said.
“I am only staying true to our arrangement,” she replied.
“Of course,” he said. Then, for a strange moment, she saw the same expression on Gerald’s face as had been evident on Sir Lionel’s when his invitation had been declined.
However, it did not linger on Gerald’s face, and by the time Clara blinked, he was back to his usual self, leaving her to wonder if she imagined it.
Gerald moved his hand across his mouth. As he did so, Clara noticed strange marks on the inside of his fingers, deep, dark lines.
“Have you injured yourself?” she asked, nodding towards his hand. Gerald looked at his palm, keeping it hidden from her, and then shoved his hand behind his back.
“Not at all,” he said. Clara narrowed her eyes, finding his behavior suspicious, but she could not imagine what he might have been hiding from her. She shrugged and let the matter rest. If he wanted to be secretive then so be it, she wasn’t going to play any game merely for the sake of playing it.
“You should be aware that my father is becoming rather impatient with your seeming indecision. He feels that a proposal should be forthcoming soon. I have told him that I have the matter well in hand, but if he is standoffish with you at any point, that is the reason.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for letting me know. How are the children getting on with Duke, by the way?”
“Just grand. He has settled in there and it is like he has been a part of their lives for years. He has also shown a fondness for grandmother’s hats, and a few have become casualties of his exuberance as she sometimes forgets to leave them out of reach.”
Gerald chuckled in response to this, and she found it pleasurable to speak about something other than marriage or courtship.
Alfred returned, and thankfully the drink he imbibed offered him a measure of calm.
Mary and Beatrice joined shortly afterwards, and for a while Clara could almost believe that everything was perfect.