Chapter Three #2
The morning room door burst opened to admit Lady Lucinda, already speaking in her forthright way. “Are you ready for our shopping expedition, Elizabeth?” She halted just inside the door on seeing Jane and said in her imperious way, “Miss Brody, is it not? You are very early for a morning call.”
Jane straightened her spine and replied calmly. “Yes, but I am early at the request of Lady Elizabeth.”
“Really? You surprise me.” Lady Mulgrave turned her gaze to her niece. “What is the nature of Miss Brody’s call, Elizabeth?”
“We share an interest in the same philanthropic causes, Aunt. Surely, I have mentioned that in the past?”
“Perhaps, but I don’t recall.”
“We are working to improve the community’s understanding and support of our causes. Jane is here to discuss with Jonathan how he may be able to assist.”
“I see,” said Lady Lucinda, giving Jane a speculative look. “Well, he is a busy man. Once he has a marchioness who will assist him with social duties, you may address such matters to her.”
Lady Lucinda thought it necessary to warn her off Lord Dalton.
Jane struggled to keep her laughter to herself and replied with copybook politeness.
“I wish him well for his future happiness with his chosen marchioness. I had not heard of the announcement yet, but look forward to seeing the notice in the paper.”
Lady Lucinda sniffed with displeasure and bid Jane good morning. “I expect you to be ready in ten minutes, Elizabeth,” she said before leaving the room.
No announcement then. And no engagement.
Elizabeth led Jane to the library. She knocked on the door and entered the room without waiting for a response. “Jonathan, may I interrupt and take Mr. Stevens from you while Miss Brody talks with you about an important matter concerning our women’s society?”
Standing in the hall at Elizabeth’s shoulder, Jane watched the Marquess look up from his papers, surprised by the interruption. He gave his assent, and Mr. Stevens picked up a pile of letters and followed Lady Elizabeth from the room.
Flights of butterflies skirmished in Jane’s stomach as she stepped forward to take the seat indicated by the Marquess.
Rising, Dalton prowled around his desk toward her.
She paused beside the chair, watching his approach, unwilling to have him stand over her, tall and intimidating.
He strode around her to the doorway. The heavy library door closed behind her with solid finality.
Her body stiffened. Should she protest the impropriety of this action?
Nonsense. I am not only a spinster, well and truly on the shelf, I am an empowered woman. He can do me no harm.
Dalton returned to where she stood like an insect fixed to a specimen board to bow in greeting and ask, “How may I help you, Miss Brody? I believe you have an important matter to discuss with me.”
Jane pressed her clammy hands together and launched into her request. “Indeed, I do. The Society for the Equal Rights of Women has asked me to meet with you to convince you to support our cause. You take your seat in the House of Lords in the coming session, and we need a speaker in parliament to champion our views if we are to achieve our objective. Our hope is that you will agree to support us.”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “I thought we discussed this fully yesterday.”
“But not in a way that would convince you that what the society wishes to achieve deserves your support.” She must hold her ground against this intimidating man.
His lips compressed into a disapproving line. “Tell me what you believe to be the equal rights that women should possess and how would you achieve that.”
She forged on with her attempt at persuasion. “I believe that women are equal to men but that society and its institutions, such as marriage, subjugate them.”
“Does it also follow that women should not marry because of this?”
“Some women feel that way, of course. Many widows do not remarry because they do not wish to be controlled by a man again, especially if they gain control of their lives through inheritance from their deceased husband,” Jane countered.
The Marquess looked thoughtful. “So you would not be any man’s wife because of your belief that marriage subjugates woman? That, by right of their equality, women should never allow themselves to be controlled through marriage or be subject to man’s power?”
Jane stiffened and looked up into his direct gaze.
“For me, that is so. I will not be any man’s wife. Not until our society recognizes woman’s equality to man.”
He looked at her speculatively, leaned forward, not touching her, and spoke quietly in her ear.
“Does that mean you would choose to be a man’s mistress and thereby free from his power through law?
By this means you would remain free and equal.
” He leaned so very close that his whispered words stirred the velvety curls on her nape, sending a shiver down her spine.
Jane stepped back in shock. She read teasing on his face.
Oh, how very aggravating he is! She had started to believe he was a man of principle.
How disappointing to find he regarded her only as a means of amusement.
“How can you ask that of me? To be your, or any other man’s, mistress would be to utterly place myself in that man’s power! ”