Page 40 of Persuading Penny
He froze, his loaded fork midway to his mouth. “Seagram? Like intheSeagrams?”
“I don’t know, Dad. I didn’t ask for his pedigree.”
“But you just said that he’s from a banking family.”
“Yeah. So?”I said with a shrug.
“Ah. Yes. Yes,” he went on, a dreamy look in his eyes.“I’m sure it’s the Seagram family...with that huge Seagram fortune. If I remember correctly, they are not only a very wealthy family, but they have ties to German nobility...or perhaps it’s Austria...something like that. Well, my dear, I fully approve of this new gentleman. If this is the nice young man you wish to see, by all means, spend as much time with him as you can. Hell, why not invite him to dinner here?” He looked around at the modest dining room. “Or, on second thought, perhaps somewhere else...a posh restaurant in town.”
I shrugged. “I don’t even know if he will really move to Bath. He’s in the market for a home, a large well-appointed home.”
“Like Copperfield Corner? Yes. That would solve everything.”
“Dad!”I cried out. “Stop it. I will not offer him the possibility of buying my home...our home. How can you even say that? I thought you wanted to keep Copperfield Corner in the family.”
He smiled like I’d never seen him smile before. “I do. I do, my lovely daughter. Think of it; not only do we no longer face financial woes, not only do we no longer have to hide here in this wretched cottage, but as this young man acquires Copperfield Corner, you’ll acquire a husband...finally.”
“Dad!”
“Admit it, Penny. Your old dad is right. We need the money, and you need a husband.”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong,” I said with a firm tone I’d never used with him. “We don’tneedthe money. We’re doing quite well now with the rent that’s coming in and my new salary. And as forneedof a husband...I’ll be the one to decide if and when I marry, and I can assure you it will not be for convenience’s sake. It’ll be for love. I will find a man who loves and respects me, a man who’ll find me interesting to talk to, and a good man who is kind and generous. And, of course, I will be more than happy to reciprocate all that to the man that I will love.”
“Love? You’re being silly, Penny. A silly, silly girl,” he said with a wag of his finger. “And that’s where your problem lies, my girl. All of this fanciful romance crap.”
“Boris!”Mum cried.
“Well, Molly. You know I’m right. And someone has to set the girl straight.” He looked back to me. “You’re behaving like a silly schoolgirl who thinks that love conquers all. Well, it doesn’t.”
“Really?”I said, shooting a glance at my red-faced mother. “And is that how you feel about Mum?”
Surprised, he was silent a moment, then, “No. That’s not the same thing. Well...that was a different time.”
“Admit it, Boris,” Mum said. “We didn’t exactly have a whirlwind romance. You knew very well that I came from a good family, a family that would uphold your status in Bath.”
“Indeed, but...”
“You were not in love with me at the time of our wedding.”
“Oh. All right. So, I wasn’t in love...but admit it, my darling. I grew to love you, and I’ve loved you well.”
She reluctantly nodded.
“You see,” he said, pointing his knife at me. “You marry, you spend time together...in that nice big house...and you learn to love one another.”
“I do not want tolearnto love,Father,” I said sternly. “I want to simply love. And I do not need a man for the reasons that you claim.”
“Whatever. Never mind,” he said as he resumed eating. “I’ll take care of this myself. If I have to take the bull by the horns, then that’s precisely what I’ll do.”
“You most certainly will not,” I said, my tone rising. “I don’t know what you mean by that, but you will not take matters into your own hands. You will not meddle in my life again, Dad.”
“Penny,” Mum said gently. “Don’t speak to your father like that.”
“And this is the thanks I get for working two jobs to try to save us from ruin; to try to save us from losing our family home.”
“Dear,” Mum tried again.
“I’m sorry, Mum.” I set my fork heavily to the table and stood. “But I’ve heard enough from...from...him.”
