Page 52 of A Captain For Clarissa
“I do, Rafael. I love you more than I ever thought possible. But...” She hesitated, worry creasing her brow. “My parents will never approve of our match. They have their hearts set on me marrying Lord Weatherby.”
Rafael cupped her cheek, his thumb gently brushing away a stray tear. “I will overcome their objections, my love, however I must.I will prove to them that I am worthy of your hand, that my love for you is true and unshakable.”
Clarissa leaned into his touch, drawing strength from his conviction. “I believe in you, Rafael. Together, we can face anything.”
The Earl of Creighton sat rigidly behind his desk, his eyes narrowed as Rafael entered the study. “Captain de Silva,” he said coldly. “To what do I owe this… unexpected visit?”
Rafael met the Earl’s gaze unflinchingly, his posture straight and proud. “My lord, I have come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
The Earl’s face turned an alarming shade of red, his fists clenching at his sides. “You cannot be serious! Clarissa is meant for far greater things than a penniless Portuguese captain with a crumbling castle and a few measly vineyards to his name.”
Rafael’s jaw tightened, but he refused to rise to the bait. “I may not have wealth or titles, my lord, but I have something far more valuable - my love for your daughter. She is the very air I breathe, the light that guides me through the darkness. I would lay down my life for her without a moment’s hesitation.”
The Earl scoffed, his lip curling in disdain. “Pretty words, Captain, but they mean nothing in the face of cold, hard reality.Clarissa deserves a husband who can provide for her, who can give her the life she was born to lead. And that man is not you.”
Rafael’s heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of anger and frustration coursing through his veins. He had faced down corsairs and battled raging seas, but nothing could have prepared him for the Earl’s scathing dismissal. “You underestimate your daughter, my lord,” he said, his voice low and intense. “Clarissa is not some delicate flower to be coddled and sheltered. She is a woman of strength and courage, with a heart as vast as the ocean.”
The Earl’s eyes flashed with anger. “You presume too much, Captain. I will not stand here and listen to you speak of my daughter as if you know her better than I do. Now, I suggest you take your leave before I have you thrown out.”
Rafael’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, the urge to lash out nearly overwhelming. But he knew that violence would solve nothing. With a stiff bow, he turned on his heel and strode from the room, his boots echoing on the polished floor.
As he emerged into the crisp London air, Rafael’s mind raced with the implications of the Earl’s words. How could he possibly convince the man to see reason? To understand that his love for Clarissa was pure and true, untainted by concerns of wealth or status?
Lost in thought, Rafael barely noticed the carriage pulling up to the curb until a familiar voice called out to him. “Rafael?”
He looked up to see Marianne and Alex, their faces etched with concern. “I came to ask for Clarissa’s hand,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “But the Earl...he refused me outright. Said I was unworthy of her.”
Marianne’s eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh, Rafael...I am so sorry. But surely he must see reason! After all, Clarissa owes you her very life.”
Alex nodded in agreement, his brow furrowed in thought. “Indeed. And your character is beyond reproach. The Earl cannot possibly object on those grounds.”
Rafael shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “You underestimate the man’s stubbornness. He is determined to see Clarissa married to some wealthy lord, regardless of her own feelings on the matter.”
Marianne exchanged a glance with her husband, a determined glint in her eye. “We shall see about that. Come, Alex...we must speak with the Earl ourselves. Surely he will listen to reason if it comes from us.”
As they disappeared into the house, Rafael could only pray that their words would be enough to sway the Earl’s heart. For without Clarissa by his side, he knew that his own life would be nothing but an empty shell, devoid of all light and joy.
The Earl sat in his study, his expression stony as Marianne and Alex were shown in. He barely glanced up from his papers, his voice cold as he spoke. “I suppose you are here to plead the case of that… foreigner.”
Marianne bristled at the disdain in his tone, but kept her voice calm as she replied. “Rafael is a good man, my lord. Surely you must see that. He saved your daughter’s life, at great risk to his own. And his character is beyond reproach.”
The Earl snorted, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. “Character? What does character matter, when he has no title, no fortune to speak of? Clarissa deserves better than some penniless nobleman from a foreign land.”
Alex stepped forward, his own voice firm. “Rafael may not have wealth or a title, but he has something far more valuable - honour, and a heart that beats only for your daughter. Can you not see how much they love each other?”
But the Earl only shook his head, his jaw set stubbornly. “Love? What does love matter in the face of practicality? Clarissa will marry Lord Weatherby, and that is final. I will not hear any more arguments on the matter.”
Marianne exchanged a helpless glance with Alex, her heart sinking. It seemed that the Earl was determined to remain blind to the truth, no matter how plainly it was laid before him.
As they took their leave, Marianne could only hope that somehow, some way, Rafael and Clarissa would find a way to betogether. For she knew all too well the pain of a love denied, and she would not wish such a fate on anyone.
Chapter Nineteen
The hushed whispers followedRafael like a swarm of biting flies as he entered Lord Moncrieffe’s ballroom. Ornate chandeliers illuminated the sneers on powdered faces, the aristocratic noses turned up at his presence.
“A Portuguese sea captain, in our circles? The nerve!” Lady Dunmore tittered behind her fan.
“Practically a peasant, I hear. With no fortune to speak of,” Lord Talbot added with a contemptuous sniff.
