Page 10 of A Spinster's Unexpected Marriage
Lord Hampshire nodded slowly. “Then you were correct, my dear, though Lord Denley was at the other table,” he said, though Lady Hampshire immediately dropped her head in obvious dismay. “But there is nothing to be concerned about, I assure you. I had only a few coin and I went in the hope that it might, finally, be my turn to achieve some sort of success at the card table.”
Lady Hampshire shook her head. “How could you?” she whispered, her eyes shining with tears. “After everything that we have endured, after all that your previous debts have put us through, then – ”
“I went to try andredeemmyself a little!” Lord Hampshire exclaimed, breaking into his wife’s words. “I do not mean to upset you, that wasnevermy intention, but I thought that good fortune might finally favour me, given that I have endured so much. I swear to you, however, I willnevertouch the card table again. I will never sit down at it, I will never set out coin ready for gambling or betting. That is my solemn word to you, my dear, and I swear it to you with nothing but truth in my heart and determination in my soul.”
Martha felt her own heart squeeze as her mother sniffed, clearly still distraught over what her husband had just revealed. She looked away, not certain of her own emotions, struggling to understand why her father would be so reckless.
“But I have succeeded, my dear.” Lord Hampshire turned towards Martha and, reaching out, gripped one of her hands. “I have succeeded far beyond my wildest expectations!Thatis why I can make you such a promise.” He turned again to Lady Hampshire and, this time, took her hand in his own, releasing Martha. “Everything is taken care of. Martha has a future. Awonderfulfuture, I am sure! I have found her a husband.”
Martha’s stomach flew upwards and then dropped low again, leaving her staring at her father’s broad smile as ice rushed through her veins, freezing her in place. Her mother, on the other hand, let out a squeal of delight and took a step closer to her husband.
“You have?”
Lord Hampshire nodded. “I have,” he beamed, as he drew himself up to his full height. “I have found her anexcellenthusband, for not only is he well titled, he is wealthy,too! He will be more than able to care for Martha.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” Lady Hampshire cried, seemingly now completely forgetting all that had just gone before. “My dear husband, this is excellent news! I cannot believe that you have found someone so quickly! We have not been in London for long and now you say that you have secured her a match!”
Martha swallowed tightly, wishing that she too could feel even the smallest amount of exuberance rather than dread. She tried to speak but her lips trembled too much, her stomach lurching this way and that, making her fear she might cast up her accounts.
“His title, then?” Lady Hampshire asked, glancing at Martha as her expression quickly grew concerned. “Oh, Martha, you need not look so afraid. I am sure that your father has done exceedingly well in securing you a match. The gentleman is, as he has said, well titled and with a great fortune! That is wonderful, is it not?”
Martha managed a vague nod. “His title, Papa?” she asked, her voice quavering. “Who is he?”
“He is a Marquess,” her father beamed, seemingly only answering her first question. “A Marquess, Martha! You will be a Marchioness, which is an even higher title than that of your own mother! That is quite wonderful, is it not?”
Wondering why her father had not given her his name as yet, Martha tilted her head, her fingers twining together in front of her. “That is, yes,” she said slowly, as a flicker came into her father’s eyes. “A Marquess who has great wealth does sound like a very suitable match. I am surprised that he has not married himself as yet.” Seeing that flicker grow, a dreadful fear began to clutch at Martha’s heart. “Is there a reason he is unwed, Papa?”
Lord Hampshire looked away. “Well, there may be, but that is not important.”
“I do hope there is nothing wrong with him, my dear?” Lady Hampshire asked, looking to her husband with a frown beginning to draw itself across her face. “There is no cruelty in him?”
Lord Hampshire immediately shook his head, harrumphing as he did so. “Of course not, ofcoursenot, my dear! I would never engage my daughter to a cruel fellow.”
Lady Hampshire visibly relaxed. “Of course you would not. I should have trusted you.”
“Then what is his name, Papa?” Martha asked, her voice a little stronger now. “What is his title?”
Her father lifted his chin. “He is the Marquess of Granton.”
It was as though Martha had thrown herself into the icy water of the Thames on a cold winter’s day. She could not breathe, air sticking to her lungs, her whole body refusing to move even an inch. Her eyes flared wide as she saw her father smile, wondering how he could be pleased with such a match when he knew that he was marrying her to a scoundrel. She saw him in her mind’s eye, recalling how he had laughed at her, how his eyes had narrowed when her mother had come to her defence. The cruel way in which he had thought to come to her in the first place, determined only to mock, made her heart cry out with shock and fear, finding herself shaking her head fervently.
“I cannot marry him, Papa. Icannot!”
Lord Hampshire’s smile faded. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Do you know anything about this gentleman?” Lady Hampshire’s smile had also fallen flat as she took a step back from her husband. “Lord Granton is certainly not at all suitable for Martha!”
“I do not understand. He has wealth and an excellent title and – ”
“He is a rake!” Lady Hampshire’s explosion of feeling threw itself right across the room and Martha sagged lightly with relief. Clearly, her mother understood her concerns and was doing the very same as Martha desired – stepping back from the proposal. “Lord Granton is the sort of gentleman that I have told Martha to stay away from. In fact, not long ago, I had to speak to him myself, to warn him away from our daughter’s company! Why, then, would you encourage him towards her?”
Lord Hampshire frowned. “My dear, he is a Marquess.”
“I understand that, Hampshire, but his character is greatly lacking. I will not have her – ”
“I do not think that you have any right to tell me what I should or should not do as regards our daughter, Lady Hampshire.”
The booming voice of her father, one which very rarely came to either her mother or to herself in such a manner, threw away all of Martha’s hopes. She saw that her future was now settled and that her father, despite her own protestations, would not settle for anything but her marriage to Lord Granton. There was no chance of escape.
