Page 24 of The Misfortunate Miss Farthington
Hope stirred inside him. “If I can convince Tessa—er, Miss Farthington to marry me despite the fact that I likely no longer have any right to ask…”
He trailed off when the earl chuckled, but the other man sobered quickly. “Apologies, I’m not laughing at you, sir. I’m merely remembering the foibles that led up to my own wedding day.”
Richard smiled at the other man’s wry tone. “Yes, I hope one day Miss Farthington and I will be able to tell our children about what a fool I was to nearly let her slip away.”
“I hope so too,” the earl said. “I am nothing if not a romantic these days, thanks to my wonderful wife.”
Richard straightened as the other man gave him a knowing grin. “Does that mean…”
“You have a deal, Mr. Grant. We’d love to have you on board as part owner and full-time scholar at the School of Charm.”
Richard fell back in his seat with a sharp exhale of relief. “Thank you, my lord. And now…” He stood and stuck out a hand to shake on the matter. “Now I just have to convince the woman of my heart to be my wife.”
“Best of luck to you, Mr. Grant.” The Earl stood to see him out. “My wife and I will be holding out hope for our new scholar and our revered headmistress.”
9
The days ticked by in tedious torture for Miss Farthington.
Where was he? Didn’t he wish to continue their conversation?
Surely this wasn’t the end of the matter.
She was delighted for the distraction when her former students came to visit. Mary, Eloise, and Lydia gathered in the drawing room, as well as Marian who’d opted not to go shopping with Tessa’s mother and aunt. Only Daphne was absent from this gathering, but Tessa was certain her cousin would join them eventually.
Marian, for her part, seemed to enjoy the lively conversation of the School of Charm girls, who kept the drawing room filled with cheerful chatter and laughter. Tessa was gratified to see that shy Lydia participated in the conversation, though she was still quiet and much more timid than the others.
But it seemed her fiancé continued to be a good influence on her. His daring and brazen demeanor seemed to complement hers, just as Eloise’s dashing former rake of a husband brought out her best qualities, and as Mary’s childhood friend provided the perfect thoughtful partner to her oftentimes too-impulsive nature.
Even Charlotte, who’d only been with them for a short time before taking off to travel with her husband, had found the perfect partner for her particularly mischievous personality. It seemed each lady had found someone to both understand and challenge them. Someone to love them unconditionally.
The thought brought tears to her eyes and she was horrified when she couldn’t quite stop the trembling lips and the tell-tale sniff.
The girls looked at her in alarm, but Marian’s sympathetic wince was even worse.
“What is it, Miss Farthington?” Eloise asked, reaching for her hand.
“Yes, do tell us,” Mary said. “We’ll do everything we can to make it right.”
Tessa tried to smile. But it was Lydia who spoke next. “It’s Mr. Grant, isn’t it?”
Tessa’s eyes widened.
Lydia sighed. “If it’s any consolation, he does not seem to be faring well either.”
Tessa pursed her lips as she considered this. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.”
“Tell us what happened,” Eloise said.
Tessa drew in a deep breath and regarded her friends. It felt strange to be the one asking for comfort and advice rather than the one giving it. Eloise smiled. “Let us help you as you’ve helped us, Miss Farthington.”
“We owe you so much,” Mary agreed.
That did it. Tessa lost the battle with tears and burst out in a horrendous sob. “That’s just it. You don’t owe me anything. It’s I who am indebted to you all.”
With an absurd amount of blubbering, Tessa managed to tell them what had happened. What she’d realized about the sort of future she wanted for herself and how her father—and worse, Richard—had decided that it wasn’t good enough for her.
“I can understand my parents not seeing matters clearly. I never actually explained to them how much being a headmistress has meant to me. And it’s their duty as parents to try and secure the most advantageous match for me, but…”
