Page 39 of The Wise Daughter
You cannot imagine how happy I am for you! We’ve always been such good friends, haven’t we? Which is why I think, considering your good fortune, you will not hesitate to assist me with the favor I ask.
Nora stopped reading. The letters were all about favors. The only letter she didn’t mind receiving was from Mrs. Westlake, whose warm congratulations didn’t come with an expressed hope of one day meeting the duke and seeing his castle and enjoying his wealth.
As Nora crumpled all the other letters and tossed them in the fire, she could still hear the voices of her old friends.Don’t judge us, darling. After all, you’re the one who only agreed to marry him once he promised you a dowry.
Whenever she remembered that she was more than a week into the engagement, which quickly turned to ten days, eleven, then twelve, she found it more and more difficult to think beyond the next day. How long could she smile at Aaron, watch him, think of him, and act the part of his betrothed without knowing what she would do when the time to decide was through?
Ever since their moment in the garden, he occupied his own dedicated corner of her thoughts. That was the power in a name.
Aaron.
Now that she had committed to using it, she had spoken it to herself at the most random times just to savor the taste of it.Aaron.She knew she could marry him. It was pointless to deny it, but the more she thought of it, the more she despised herself for the money he had promised her if she couldn’t go through with it. The thought of leaving the castle as a penniless beggar still filled her with dread, but she did not want that to be her motivation to marry.
For so long, she had doubted she would even find a man she could be happy with. Then she made that silly wish on the bridge, and she found Aaron, her perfect, handsome duke. But no one was perfect.Asthe days went on, she was eager to learn more of his flaws. A tiny dread that she would discover something awful about him crept in.
The only thing that helped her through the uncertainty was her determination to find the thieves, but she hadn’t made much progress in that endeavor. Things continued to go missing, a gilded mirror, a small table. No one seemed to know anything about how it happened.
That afternoon, Nora’s father appeared at her side, leaning over to see the pages of the book she was reading. “What have you there, Nora?”
She snapped it shut, smothering the most romantic sonnet she had ever read. When Aaron had refused to play the pianoforte for her, he tried to make amends by offering her a favorite book, which happened to be a collection of love poems. So far, she couldn’t read them without hearing them in Aaron’s voice.
“It’s a book. Just a bit of reading.” How long had her father been there watching her?
He was supposed to be finishing his tea with Aaron. Since she had finished hers quickly, she had left her father and Aaron to discuss their plans for Raven Manor while she read in a cozy corner of the study. She had tried to concentrate at first, but the ardent poems combined with the wind blowing the tree branches against the windowpanes made her restless.
Her father glanced over at Aaron, where her eyes continued to stray. She then took in her father's new waistcoat of silver silk. Apparently, Aaron was being very generous with him as well.
“Nora, dearest, I have been thinking a great deal about you and the duke these past few days.”
“Oh?” She protectively hugged her book, wondering what awful confession he was about to make.
“Are you…” He was having trouble meeting her eye. “Are you content with this new situation of ours?”
This was unexpected. There was no simple answer to his question. She chose her words carefully. “You know how I protested coming here, but now that we are here, I’m willing to see the good in it. The castle certainly has its charms.” She couldn’t quite confide in him the complexities of her feelings for Aaron.
He nodded as if he were satisfied, then muttered something about circumstances in the castle being different than what he had anticipated.
Behind him, Aaron glanced her way.
Nora was struck by an uncharacteristic attack of nerves. It was almost time for dinner, and Aaron had arranged for the rector and his wife to attend, a reminder that Aaron wanted to use their engagement as his excuse to meet the people of Ravenglass. Nora wanted to be offended, but she couldn’t justify the feeling, not when she had agreed to Aaron’s terms, not when she still had her own reasons for the engagement.
Though she had long ago shaken off the habit of caring what others thought about her, she couldn’t help asking,What will they think of me?
Having exhausted the former duchess’s grey and lavender gowns, Nora chose a muted forest green for dinner. Her mother’s miniature hung around her neck, and Aaron’s ring held its usual place on her thumb. Janie had outdone herself with Nora’s hair that night, arranging it in a mix of flattering blonde curls and tiny braids with a single pink rose tucked to the side. The overall effect made her feel composed and ready to make new acquaintances.
Nora needed Janie’s help finding the drawing room where she was to meet the rector and his wife before they dined. She hadn’t returned to that room since her first night in the castle, but even if she did know the way, the flutters in her belly made it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the fact that marriage between her and Aaron would most certainly be part of their dinner conversation.
Nora braced herself.
Inside the drawing room, instead of strange shadows, everything softened under the warm light of ample candles and a cheerful fire. Nora expected to meet an aged couple in stiff, outdated clothing, but the man and woman talking with Aaron couldn’t have been much older than he was and were dressed in elegant fashion.
Aaron noticed Nora right away and strode to her side. Lowering his lips to her ear, he whispered, “You look breathtaking, Nora.” To the couple, he said, “Mr. and Mrs. Hansley, I’m pleased to introduce Miss Honora Lacy. As you may have heard, we have recently become engaged.”
“Yes, we saw the announcement.” Mr. Hansley paused for a sweeping look over Nora. His face was expressionless, but his brown eyes held curiosity.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Nora lowered into a curtsey.
“Congratulations,” Mrs. Hansley added a touch more warmly than her husband as she curtsied in return. Nora liked the woman’s friendly features and choice of a plum-colored gown. “Though, I admit to being surprised by the news. I had rather thought, Your Grace, that you were to marry–”
