Page 33 of The Earl's Heiress
“I would like to sit in the House of Lords.” A teasing smile lit up her face.
Temple chuckled. “As you can imagine any such suggestion would not be well received.”
Arabella scoffed. “Only because women are put in a neat box and in some cases diminished. We are we are accused of being interfering when we wish to be involved in ventures outside the home.”
Temple paused for a moment as he considered what Arabella said. “Women have an important role in our society, Arabella. They bear the heirs to our future and run their households.”
“But we could be so much more.”
“Yet, what could be more important than the line of succession?”
“Now that you mentioned it, don’t you see how the current laws disadvantage women? Everything passes to the eldest son, if he is no longer living, to his heir, then to a brother, then to another male direct descendant of the original title-holder, … no matter how distant. It is anyone but the women. Why shouldn’t I inherit my father's estate if there’s no male heir? Why should I marry just to give my husband control of my family fortune? My rights and property should not cease to remain my own.” Arabella was buoyed by the conversation, her voice an excited whisper.
A shadow crossed over Temple’s handsome features, and she wondered if she had gone too far. She gave his hand a fleeting, reassuring squeeze. “I do not wish to offend you. This issue was close to my heart long before we met.”
“There is no need to apologize when you express yourself with me, Arabella. This is how you truly feel, and while I may understand it, it doesn’t change the world we live in. I do not envision a change to the inheritance laws in the foreseeable future.”
“More’s the pity.”
“There are other noble causes that you could champion.”
“You mean ones that are befitting a countess? Then, I can’t push the boundaries and make something more of my position. There are far too many restrictions in this society.”
“Arabella …”
“Very well. I would like to advocate passionately for a charity that conduces to the well-being of the poor. I need to visit a workhouse to see what it's like.”
“There are ladies that support these endeavors, and my mother will be sure to introduce you to them.”
All too soon, the music ended, and she had to leave Temple’s arm. Arabella regretted when his hands fell away, and he led her back to her parents. He bowed gracefully, and once again, he was lost in the crowd. Once again, the countess approached and took Arabella and her family to be introduced. The evening progressed in a blur of making acquaintances, dancing and polite conversation. Arabella was relieved to be left alone to find refreshments. She had lost sight of Temple, but she was patiently waiting for him to seek her out again. She got a glass of wine and took a sip, appreciating the sweet, fruity taste. Just then, Arabella looked up and saw Temple's broad physique coming through the doors that led out into the garden.
Moving cautiously, he ran his hand through his wavy, dark hair, which appeared disheveled. He was immediately stopped by one of the lords, who engaged him in a lively conversation, but Temple seemed keen to extricate himself. She wondered why Temple was so keen to make a hasty retreat. Her eyes shifted from Temple to the door as a tall, graceful and pretty lady stepped through it. The lady glanced over at Temple and quickly looked away. Something passed between them in the simple gesture. How disconcerting. Arabella searched through her memory for the lady’s name, and then it came to her … Lady Helena.
They had entered the room mere seconds apart but didn’t seem to garner much attention. Had Temple not been stopped, she may not have noticed, and she didn’t think it was by chance. The hand through his hair did nothing to make his hair less unruly, and that was not how it looked when they danced earlier.
Arabella gazed at Lady Helena and asked herself if this was the woman who was fated to marry Temple if she hadn’t come along. If they were both held up, Lady Helena was certain to be thehaut ton’schoice. The pale-skinned, delicate beauty was the quintessential English rose, something Arabella could neverbe. She floated across the room, smiling and engaging with such finesse in comparison to Arabella’s rough edges. She was unique, but Lady Helena could be perfect.
Jealousy is not a word that she would normally associate with herself. She had never felt this strong emotion.
Arabella felt a rush of anxiety. Perhaps Temple had second thoughts about her after seeing Lady Helena again. The comments from the ladies of thehaut tonabout her unsuitability to be Temple’s wife came rushing back to her, “flashy, vulgar, outrageous, uncouth, inferior breeding and commoner.” None of these would ever be associated with Lady Helena. She knew these words did not characterize yet; self-doubt raised its head.
One of her gloved hands drummed against the other. In just a few minutes, her usual confidence had vaporized while uncertainty crept in. Everything between Temple and her had changed, or so she believed, before seeing him walk through the door. They were getting closer, the start of a burgeoning relationship. She had gone from being reluctant to marry to anticipating her future with him. Perhaps he didn’t share these sentiments. What was she to do?
CHAPTER 16
In the weeks following the ball, Arabella decided she needed to stop feeling defensive. She sat in the small room adjacent to her bedchamber with a book propped on the best in front of her. The words on the page had long since lost their focus. The more she thought about it, the more it became clear to her. She was good enough to be Temple’s wife and that is what she would be in the next few weeks. The ladies of thehaut tonwere not better than her, even though they thought they were. These ladies were different because the societies they were raised had their unique customs and peculiarities. Arabella thought better of asking Temple if what she suspected was true. Had he spent time alone with Lady Helena? She would never know for certain.
In the week after the ball, Temple had been very attentive. He called upon her and had afternoon tea with her family. He took her for a stroll in Hyde Park and danced with her at all the other balls they attended. So why wasn’t Arabella happy? They hadn’t managed to spend any time alone, not even to steal a kiss. It left her feeling deprived of intimacy. She needed him.
Just as Arabella had derived a scheme to sneak into the Mayfair townhouse, she overheard her father say that Templehad returned to his country estate. It was not customary to return to the country until the season had ended, and furthermore, they were soon to marry. She had received numerous invitations to social events, and she attended as many as she could. She enjoyed them far less than the ones where Temple was present. His absence was keenly felt, but there wasn’t much that she could do about it. She could hardly chase after him, so she decided to do the next best thing.
She put the book aside and rummaged around in the desk until she found paper, ink and a pen.
Dear Temple,
I understand that you have returned toStanford Hall, and I trust nothing untoward transpired to prompt your hurried departure. According to your customs, it is rare to return to one's estate while the season is in full swing. I wish that you had spoken to me before you left so I could better understand why you’re not by my side.
The season is not the same without you. I’m surrounded by people, yet I feel alone. The festive occasions are happy ones, but I feel sad. I believe the skies are cloudier, and even the birds have been silent. The birds have somehow forgotten they were given wings to fly, restless by nature, and now they are tranquil in peace. I gazed at the moon last night, and even though it was shining, it did not smile. I wondered, could the reason be because it was so alone in the sky?
