Page 19 of The Scottish Duke Tames the Bluestocking
Her voice was terse and Hugh shot her a cheeky grin.
“Nothing, me lady,” he said, almost in a teasing manner. “I was just surprised to hear ye laugh so freely. I thought ye were always a bit of a firecracker.”
Harriet froze for just a minute, then rewarded him with a stiff smile. “You will be surprised, Your Grace,” was all she said and he laughed softly.
Perhaps, Harriet thought hesitantly, they would be able to not entirely kill one another.
CHAPTER10
The promenade turned out to be far less grating than she had expected. After bidding farewell to Hugh, Harriet quickly followed her mother to the drawing-room. Of course the weight of expectation still sat heavily upon Harriet’s shoulders. As civil as their promenade had been, it was still not enough to convince her entirely to marry the man. This, Harriet thought, was a lot to expect of her.
Jennifer, of course, soon noticed her daughter’s demeanor and she patted the space beside her - a silent invitation for Harriet to join her. Harriet sat down with a deep sigh, her brow furrowed.
“Well that was not so bad,” Jennifer started, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “His Grace seems like quite the man... and he is quite willing to listen to your little plans.”
Harriet glanced at her mother with a wry smile. “To be honest,” she admitted softly, “I can’t really think about it right now. I suppose I am making everything up as I go along. But it is a fair expectation, do you not agree? We must at least ensure that we get along well enough.”
Jennifer looked at her daughter sympathetically. “It would be ideal. A lot of women do not have that luxury. “
“I know,” Harriet admitted. It was a fact that far too many women were forced into marriages with men who were cruel and even abusive. She was indeed quite lucky that the Duke was at the very least willing to give them some time to see if they’d get along. Still, it was a lot to expect and she blinked some tears away.
“I cannot marry a man I do not love simply because society demands it of me, Mother. I cannot,” she insisted.
Jennifer reached out, clasping her daughter’s hand in her own in a manner that she was meant to be comforting. Harriet, though, was beyond the point where any comfort could be derived from a mere gesture.
“I know, sweetheart.” For a while, Jennifer looked at her daughter sympathetically. She knew why Harriet had these illusions about true love: it was the example she’d had as a youth.
“Your father and I were in a fortunate position, not only to find love but to be able to marry that person... And you know well it is all I ever wanted for you. But you are in a precarious position, my child.”
Harriet nodded and tears formed in her eyes. She turned her head away quickly, staring at the sun illuminating the gardens.
“The alternative...” She shuddered. Even the thought of living with Aunt Mildred on her dreary estate was too horrid to entertain, even for a second.
Jennifer smiled, though there was no humor in the wry turn of her lips. “Banishing you to that dreary estate is a thought that I find difficult to entertain,” she admitted. At this, Harriet laughed softly.
“Can you imagine? Me, surrounded by all those ghastly doilies and ceramic figurines? I’d go mad.”
Despite the concern in her tone, Jennifer could not help but laugh. “The horror!” she exclaimed and pressed a dramatic hand to her heart. “You’d be clawing at the walls within a fortnight - driven mad by the sheer volume of lace and potpourri!”
Though she struggled to see the humor in the horror of her circumstances, Harriet laughed softly. “It is a fate worse than death,” she quipped and she caught her mother’s eye. For a few seconds, the pair only looked at each other in worry.
When Harriet spoke again, her voice was vulnerable - a soft sound reminiscent of her childhood. “I need time to get to know him, Mother.”
As she made this admission, Harriet felt a sobering wave of reality wash over her. Her hands tightened over her mother’s.
“I want what you and Father had. I want... a man who allows me to be myself, rebellious and silly as I am. I do not want to be in a marriage where I am forced to change who I am, with a husband who demands that I become someone I am not.”
Jennifer sighed deeply. “You have my unwavering support - and whatever the future holds, I will be by your side. Even if it is on Aunt Mildred’s estate.” She winked at her daughter, a teasing grin appearing on her lips.
At this, tears jumped to Harriet’s eyes and she blinked them away furiously. “Thank you, Mother,” she whispered and moved to lean her head against her mother’s shoulder. “I truly do not know what I would do without you.”
Jennifer pressed a gentle kiss to her daughter’s hair at this. “Oh, I am sure that you would manage just fine. Though I believe life is certainly far more entertaining with me around, do you not agree?”
Harriet laughed softly at this and shook her head. Her mother always managed to find a way to add a little light to the darkness of any situation.
“That is very true, Mother,” she agreed and she pressed her cheek against her mother’s shoulder - a silent, grateful gesture.
“All will be well, my darling,” Jennifer promised - though the soft note of uncertainty did not escape her daughter’s attention. Harriet smiled bravely as she rose to her feet.
