Page 11 of A Lady's Passion Knows No Distance
Caroline finally felt like she could breathe once more as she stood inside her bedchamber, the door locked and secured. She was comfortable with the idea that no one could bother her at this time, even though she expected to be summoned at some point in the evening by her parents. They would demand to have an explanation, and unless she finally told them who she was in love with, she wasn’t certain if her parents would force her to marry or not.
Eventually, once Caroline’s nerves had settled, she took her time changing into a simple day gown. There was no need to be wearing one of her silk dinner gowns; she would eventually face her parents wearing something a little more comfortable. It was still too early for her nightgown, and depending if her parents would make her face Lord Canton once more, she wouldn’t want to appear so scandalous dressed in barely anything.
“Oh, William. If only there was some way for us to truly be together,” Caroline mumbled to herself as she changed. “If we married, I’d be able to love you openly and no one would be able to keep us apart.”
A knock on the door pulled Caroline from her musings. She was nervous as she finished dressing and slowly made it over to the door. Once she did turn the lock and open it, she found her mother standing on the other side, a sad smile on her face.
“How are you faring, my dear?” Lady Goldman asked.
“I am well enough,” Caroline admitted. “What about you and Father?”
“Well, he was a bit surprised. But once all the guests had gone, I explained that you were actually in love with another.” Caroline’s heart clenched in her chest, a deep fear passing through her body that seemed to grip her with a cold hand. She shivered, thinking this night couldn’t go well.
“I’m sure Father is waiting for an explanation,” Caroline reasoned.
“As am I, Caroline,” her mother was quick to add.
“Very well. I will come down,” Caroline said, raising her head. She and William knew that the day would one day come where she would be forced to confess her feelings. Her parents would need to understand why she’d refused such a good offer, despite the words in which she’d replied with. Perhaps, somehow, she could use the excuse that she simply didn’t know Lord Canton well enough? But with her mother already telling her father that her heart belonged to another, she knew that she had to speak of someone’s name. As she walked out of her bedchamber with her mother leading her back downstairs, Caroline knew that the only way to move forward was to finally be honest with her parents.
All manner of thoughts coursed through her mind as she followed her mother. She pictured her parents understanding and even allowing her to marry William. Then, the more realistic side of her mind showed her scenes of her father growing angry and doing all sorts of terrible things.
She dreadfully feared her parents’ reaction to the truth and said a silent prayer before she stepped into the sitting room with her mother. There, her father stood by one of the windows looking out over the garden, simply staring into the darkness.
Lord Goldman turned upon hearing others enter the room. Caroline looked into his dark brown eyes, so much similar to hers. As an only child, she had often wondered if he longed for a son instead of a daughter, yet if he did, he had never shown her such thoughts or yearnings.
“Caroline, I’ll get straight to the point. Why did you refuse Lord Canton? And is it true that there is another gentleman that has caught your attention?” Lord Goldman said, coming and standing in front of Caroline. His eyes were stern even though his voice was soft and almost gentle.
“In all honesty, I refused Lord Canton because I simply do not know him. I can’t reasonably marry a man I feel nothing towards, neither like nor dislike,” Caroline admitted. “And that may be because my heart does belong to another.”
“Then pray tell, child. Who is this gentleman that you do love?” Lady Goldman asked with a smile upon her face. If William had been a viscount or even a marquess, her parents would have accepted him. Caroline willed herself to be strong and to have courage. After all, she was finally declaring her love for a man she knew she would never be able to live happily without.
“I’ve fallen in love with Mr William Randel,” Caroline said with her chin held high. Both her parents looked at her for a moment with blank expressions on their faces. A moment or two passed by and she waited painstakingly for their reaction. Eventually, they looked at each other, and then the realization seemed to come to her mother first.
“Please tell me you are not referring to William, my favourite footmen?” she asked, grief and pain seeming to overcome her as she quickly sat down in the closest chair.
“Yes, I am referring to that William. Mr Randel and I have grown quite fond—”
“That’s enough,” Lord Goldman quickly said, raising his hand to silence her before she could begin really expressing her love for William. Her father’s eyes looked down at the carpet before he raised them again, eyes of almost obsidian looking at her now as his anger seemed to grow rapidly.
“Have you been intimate with him?” he asked.
“No, Father. I would not do such a thing,” she replied, tears coming to her eyes as her fingers formed fists at her side.
“Have you two kissed, then?”
Caroline nodded her head before saying, “I love him, Father.”
“You are the daughter of an Earl. He is a servant. In what world did you ever expect to be able to marry so below your station? Do you expect me to grant the Earldom to such a lowly person?”
“Why is that so hard for me to imagine when I so dearly love him?” Tears were now falling freely from her eyes and she quickly tried to wipe them away, to show that she was courageous and willing to stand up for William.
“You obviously don’t have any idea what love is,” he said, his voice growing louder as he pointed a finger at her. “I can’t comprehend how you developed feelings for a footman or what type of company you two have been spending together, but all of that stops now. From this day forward, I forbid you from seeing Mr Randel ever again.”
“No, Father!” Caroline cried out, her hands reaching out to him as though to beg for his mercy. “Please don’t do this. Why don’t you believe that I love him and want to marry only him?”
“It’s not what I believe or don’t believe,” Lord Goldman said, taking his daughter’s hands and steadying her body. “It’s simply the fact that I won’t let you do this to yourself. You are obviously still very childlike and don’t understand what a life married to a man like Mr Randel would mean for you. You’d work the rest of your days, and I won’t do that to do. You deserve a husband like Lord Canton, who can provide for you.”
Even though her father’s voice had grown soft and he held her like he was comforting her more than shattering her world, Caroline didn’t give in to the comfort he was trying to provide. Her anger only seemed to grow, and she began to shake.
