Page 32 of An Offer for a Spinster
Katherine rolled her eyes. “I think a statue would have been a nicer companion than Lord Barwood.”
“Then why,” Elizabeth asked sensibly, “did you go with him?”
She flushed. “Mama thought it would be a good thing, and Will had the tickets, andhewanted me to go with Lord Barwood. I can’t exactly go unaccompanied, any more than Amelia and Rebecca could have done. Timothy is an old friend, remember?”
“I remember,” Elizabeth responded, taking a genteel sip of tea. “But if you go promenading with Lord Barwood today, you’ll be seen. People will assume you’re forming an understanding. Engagements happen soon afterunderstandingsare made public. And from what I’ve seen, Lord Barwood is entirely ready to offer for you, when the time is right. Have you considered what you are going to say?”
Elizabeth waited patiently for her friend to answer. She prided herself on her patience, on being able to sit still and assess a situation, to take her time in responding, to wait for others to give their answer. In Elizabeth’s humble opinion – which was, in fairness, not often asked – people rushed too quickly into saying things. Words could not, after all, be taken back after being spoken.
“I will cross that bridge when I come to it,” Katherine said firmly. A less than ideal answer.
Elizabeth sighed. “Oh, Kat. I wish you’d be a little more careful, that’s all. I don’t mean to make you feel silly, or unprepared, but it’s entirely clear to me that you’re not in love with Lord Barwood.”
“And what does love have to do with anything?” Katherine shot back. “I don’t have the leisure to think oflovethese days.My business is to make a match as soon as possible, for my family’s sake. For my own sake, I hope to choose a man I like well enough to marry, but that is a secondary consideration. I haven’t chosen this situation for myself, but I am in it, and there’s no sense in getting upset.”
She punctuated this comment with a slurp of tea. Elizabeth bit her lip, considering.
Her friend had a point. They’d talked and talked about the necessity of her marriage so many times that it seemed there was nothing more to discuss, nothing new to say. Katherine needed to marry to save her family from poverty, and that was that.
But was Lord Barwoodreallythe best choice? The man was as vain as a peacock and looked straight through Elizabeth to the point of rudeness. He only seemed to notice pretty ladies, and clearly did not count Elizabeth among their ranks.
What a loss for me,she thought, smiling wryly.
“May I ask a frank question?” Elizabeth said at last.
“You always do.”
“Do you have feelings for Timothy Rutherford?”
Katherine’s hand jumped, slopping some tea over the side of her cup and into the saucer. Blinking at her friend, shocked, she set the cup back down with aclack.
“I beg your pardon?”
Elizabeth sipped her own tea. “You heard me, Kat.”
More silence. Fortunately, Elizabeth was good at brazening out silence.
“Of course I don’t,” Katherine managed at last. “What a suggestion.”
“Are you sure? You talk about him a great deal. The two of you seem to have many things in common. You clearly enjoy his company – don’t pretend that you don’t – and you also prefer him to Lord Barwood. Money is not an object in your marriage, so if you prefer Timothy, why not say it?”
Katherine bit her lip, looking away. “May I remind you that Timothy is one of William’s oldest friends? No, heismy brother’s oldest friend. They are very close, and I know Timothy and his family well.”
“That,” Elizabeth said severely, “is not what I asked.”
“What I’m trying to say is that I have no doubt Timothy views me as a sister.”
“Hm. And do you see him as a brother?”
It could have been the light, but Elizabeth was sure she saw a blush creep over her friend’s face.
“I don’t want to discuss this, Elizabeth.”
“Why not?”
“Because Lord Barwood is clearly the better match. And he is the one who has shown interest in me. I’m a woman in a society that wants me to do nothing but sit and… and do needlepoint! I can’t go pursuing gentlemen. If Timothy does… does have feelings for me – which he does not – he has kept them well hidden.”
Elizabeth digested this information. Katherine did have a point. Timothy hadn’t asked Katherine to dance, or to promenade with him, or even paid any calls on them. Nothing a gentleman might do if he had interest in a lady had been done.
