Page 14 of The Earl's Heiress
“How insensitive of me. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to resurrect painful memories.” She was sincere.
“It’s quite all right. I will tell you now because you will hear it. I supposedly killed my father. Murdered him to gain the title, having been too impatient to wait for it to happen naturally.” Temple didn’t know what possessed him to be so open about something he would much rather forget. Somehow, he felt that he could tell her anything.
“What a horrid thing to say.”
“By the time I found him, he was no longer alive. The person I most wanted to please was no more, and I would never receive the approval I craved. The vile rumors were just a twist of the knife.”
Whenever Temple thought of his father’s death, he imagined how things might have unfolded differently. He played their last conversation over and over in his mind and came to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, he could have done something that would have changed the outcome. He ought to have apologized for his harsh words or been there with his father when it happened. Perhaps he could have saved him if he had gotten to him sooner. He hadn’t killed his father in the way thehaut tonbelieved, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about the ‘what if’. He couldn’t hide from the guilt and the feeling that he bore some responsibility.
There was a flash of annoyance in her eyes. “I’m sure you don’t pay any attention to the slander and sensationalism. Exaggerations and distortions are far more titillating than the truth. I have a mind of my own, and I’m quite capable of using it. I’ve always been reluctant to believe every piece of idle chatter I hear. I will form my own opinion about you.”
“I am a man of integrity and principle, but that doesn’t seem to count for much. Some of these tales are preposterous, yet many so easily believe them. I’m afraid it is hard to ignore the little bird that flutters throughout thehaut tonbecause idle chatter is just as damaging as a full-blown scandal. One could be ostracized even if there is no evidence of immoral conduct.”
“That is why you sought to protect me.”
“Indeed. You would never have achieved your goal of being a part of society. You would have been ruined.”
“It’s rather unfortunate to live this way, wouldn't you say?”
“Yes. Sadly, it is the world that we live in.”
“So, I should thank you for not only saving my life but also my reputation.”
“No thanks are necessary. We know what society expects of us, but I want to know how you feel. We don’t know each other and I would like to rectify that. We can announce our engagement but not rush the wedding. It would give us the time we need.”
“I would be pleased with such an arrangement.”
“Then it is settled.”
“Yes, but there is something else.”
“What is it?”
“The Americans and British tend to largely adopt the same social standards. We dress alike, invest alike, spend our moneyalike and, in general, think alike. Nevertheless, I don’t wish for my husband to take a mistress.”
Temple was taken aback by the sudden change in the direction of the conversation. Her boldness had no limit. Temple coughed. “A gentleman does not discuss taking a mistress with his intended or his wife.”
“There is nothing to discuss. I was merely making my position clear.”
The audacity of the woman!
“I’m not sure how you do things in America, but here, wives don’t dictate to their husbands. The duty of a wife is to obey her husband. You do know the vows, don’t you? To love, honor, andobey.”
“So, you believe marriage is to subjugate your wife.”
“Iam not the one who wrote the law. It is what guides –”
“A husband should always be ready to sacrifice his personal pleasure for the future well-being of those who have the first and best claim to his regard. Do you not think this should be his wife and later his children?”
“Your way of thinking will put you at odds with the very society you strive to gain your place in.”
“Have you considered that I’m leaving my father’s house and my friends, giving up the society that endeared me from birth? In doing so, I’m entrusting my husband with my heart and my happiness.”
“Your heart?”
“Yes. My heart because I always wanted to marry the man I loved.”
“Love? That is incredulous! Our families have a say in our marriage. You know very well that people of our station don’t marry for love. In this marriage, you bring a generous dowery, which is an enticement for the marriage.”
