Page 18 of Enamored with a Brooding Earl
“He haseschewedsociety in order to come and be in company with you!” The Duchess exclaimed, her eyes flaring wide, her hands flinging either side. “Do you not understand? He has given up a great deal in order to come to see you, simply to express his regret and his deep sadness over what he has done!”
With a heaviness in her heart, Temperance shook her head. “That makes no difference to me.”
“Well, it should!” her mother exclaimed, her eyes still wide. “He is amarquess! He is a gentleman who is eager to see you againdespitewhat happened to you!”
Temperance’s heart began to break all over again as her mother spoke. The lack of sympathy, of understanding and the clear push towards Lord Barlington made her want to either scream or cry, such was the pain within her. Her mother did not seem to care about what she thought. The only thing she wanted was for her daughter to become a married lady and the only way that she could do that was to press her back towards the very gentleman who had caused her an unspeakable amount of pain.
“I think that you should listen to your mother.”
Blinking back fresh tears, Temperance looked to her father who, having seemingly been asleep, now shifted in his chair and cracked open one eye to look at her.
“I have spoken to Lord Barlington at length and I understand that he is truly sorry for his actions. You must understand, my dear girl, that I was not at all inclined towards hearing a word he had to say but, after your mother came to me with her thoughts on the matter, I decided that I should listen to him. That is all we are asking of you at present, Temperance. We are not stating that youmustaccept his offer of courtship, when it is given, nor are we saying that you should begin to consider matrimony. All we are asking is that you let him speak to you. Is that truly so much to ask?”
“Yes,” Temperance whispered, only for her mother to interject.
“Then it is settled! Temperance, you know very well that it is expected of you to do as your father states. Therefore, I will send a note to Lord Barlington and tell him to come to call tomorrow afternoon – or at his earliest convenience.”
Yet again, tears sprang into Temperance’s eyes but rather than let them fall, rather than let them dash down to her cheeks and let her mother see her in such a state of upset, she simply rose to her feet, excused herself and quit the room.
Within a few minutes, she was outside, walking hurriedly along the path to the clifftops, her tears now flowing furiously and yet being whipped away by the wind. Her heart was so painful, it was almost too difficult to breathe, her hands curling into fists as she fought to keep ahold of herself.
I am going to have to see him again,she realized, her chest tight with sadness and anger.I am going to have to endure him speaking with me, hearing him telling me of his regret and his upset. I will have to look him in the eye and see my mother’s encouraging smile just behind him. And I will feel myself broken all over again.
“Lady Temperance?”
Temperance dashed her tears with the back of her hand, seeing two figures come towards her. The first she recognized as Lord Thurston, the gentleman calling her name, and the other with him was Lord Calverton. Her heart leapt suddenly though shequickly forced it quiet. Somehow, seeing him made her difficulty with Lord Barlington seem a little less.
“Good afternoon.” She offered a small smile but didn’t quite manage to meet their gaze, wondering if her eyes were a little red. “Are you enjoying your walk?”
Lord Calverton nodded. “Yes, we are.” There was a hint of concern in his voice as he took a small step closer. “Are you quite all right, Lady Temperance? Is something the matter?”
She did not know what to say. She looked up into his eyes, holding his gaze steadily. Dare she tell both Lord Thurston and himself the truth about her present feelings? Or would it be best to keep all of this to herself?
Chapter Twelve
To James’ mind, Lady Temperance looked rather distraught. Her bonnet was slightly askew, her eyes darting here and there and he could not help but notice how she squeezed her hands together and then released them over and over again.
“Are you quite all right, Lady Temperance? Is something the matter?”
He could tell from the way that she bit her lip that she was uncertain as to whether or not to share with him whatever had taken place. Lord Thurston glanced at him and James offered a slight shrug.
“I think I shall take a walk down to the shore,” Lord Thurston said, with a small smile in Lady Temperance’s direction. “Do excuse me.”
“Should you like to join us?” James asked, turning just a little to offer her his arm. “If you like, you would be very welcome to take a short walk and I can promise you I will not ask you any more questions, should you have no desire to speak.”
Lady Temperance took his arm with a small smile and James’ heart turned over on itself as he walked alongside her. Lord Thurston continued to walk a few steps ahead of them both and as they walked, James heard the long, sorrowful sigh which came from Lady Temperance. He had to clamp his mouth shut for fear that he would begin to do the very thing he had promised he would not do; namely to ask her what the trouble was.
“I want to thank you again for what you did in informing me of Lord Barlington’s arrival.” Lady Temperance glanced up at him as they approached the steps and the path which would take them down to the shore. “My mother and father are insisting that I speak with him. Indeed, my mother is insisting that I consider him, in fact.”
James’ eyebrows lifted. “Consider him?” he repeated, as Lady Temperance nodded. “You mean to say that – ” Embarrassed at his own lack of control, James clamped his mouth shut and gave her a slight shake of his head. “Forgive me.”
“It is quite all right. I would be telling Lady Thurston of it all and, no doubt, you would hear of it soon enough.” She sighedagain and looked away from him. “My mother is most insistent that I think about engaging myself to Lord Barlington again. She thinks that the best suggestion as regards my future would be to consider marrying the very gentleman who broke my heart by his rejection and betrayal.”
“I can imagine that the thought of that is a very displeasing one.”
She looked up at him, her face a little flushed, her eyes blinking rapidly. “It is. The reason you find me out walking at this time – and in something of a flustered state – is because my own considerations were not listened to. My mother and father both insist that I am to consider Lord Barlington again, that I have no other choice but to do so. I have protested, I have told them what I feel and why my inclination is set entirely against him but the choice has been taken from me.”
Anger began to lick up James’ heart but he kept himself steady rather than responding in any way. Why would any parent force such a thing upon their daughter? He himself did not know Lady Temperance very well as yet but evenhecould see how much she was troubled by this. He could not imagine the pain that she was enduring, having already dealt with a great deal.
