disrespectful way.
“ You shall never have my blessing. I shall not allow my daughter to marry into such a family of terrible blackguards. Come now, Caroline.”
Right now, she dearly wished her father to Jericho. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening. Was her father not in jest? H e couldn’t be refusing the duke, could he? He was throwing a rub in the way and making a muddle of everything! Oh, how horrible this day had turned out!
“No,” she said flatly.
Her life was in ruins. She only had once chance to fix this, and she couldn’t allow her father’s pride to get in the way again. She didn’t know why he’d insulted Edward’s family but he had no right to make such a fuss and bother! No right at all. She had complacently sat idly by while he married that harridan and she would not stay silent while he dashed her dreams on the rocks once again.
Her father started to sputter. He couldn’t string his words together coherently. He seemed put out by her firm reply, this was the first time she’d ever stood up to him and he was not used to this side of her—at least not when it came to him.
Edward, for his own part, also looked exceedingly perplexed, and he remained disturbingly silent. Would he not fight for her?
Summoning her courage, she crossed the distance that laid between her and them.
“This is not the time to let your stubbornness rear its ugly head, Caroline,” her father said angrily.
“I disagree, Papa. You always told me I was just like Mama, and I do think you’re quite right. Mama had pluck to her backbone like none other I’ve ever known and if she were here she would be quite vexed with you. She would tell you that you were completely off course, she would tell you to be happy for me!”
“Your mother would indeed want to secure your happiness. However, I do not agree that she would bless this particular un ion. She had her dreams dashed. No, she had them absolutely devastated by this man’s father. He almost ruined your mother’s life and nearly destroyed her reputation. Had her father not set everything to rights who knows how the ton would have viewed your mother, God rest her sweet soul! True, enough, the late duke attempted to mend ways with your mother, and he did all that he could to make certain no blame fell on your mother’s shoulders. Indeed, he told everyone she was a veritable angel. Of which, I can tell you she was. Despite her hotheadedness and her stubbornness, she had the heart and soul of a seraphim, and that is why I fell so madly love with her, and why I pray she felt the same way about me.”
“But…but…yours was a true love match.”
“Indeed, she loved me in her own way, and I for my part, I was desperately in love with her—but perhaps she loved another more. I never could tell, she treated me with such tenderness and we had a contented life. Understand that, Caroline. We had a joyous life living at Banbury House and you and I can thank the Duke’s father for their kindness in allowing us to trespass on their hospitality all of these years. You see, I inherited precious little off my Father’s estate. He did leave me a house in Wales upon his death but that doesn’t matter right now, as he passed after you were born. I never went into the Clergy or into the Military as my father wished me to. I wanted to live the life of a gentleman without having the vast resources most gentlemen have at their disposal.
Your mother was afforded a sufficient dowry from her blunt strapped parents but nothing like she should have been lavished with as the daughter of an earl. The Old Duke promised we could live at Banbury House until mine and your mother’s death, and I had hoped that they would allow you and Gertrude to remain on there should I die anytime soon. You, I wasn’t too worried about. You can always count on your Aunt Georgia. She would never allow you to be out in the cold. Now, however, I see we shall have to move. We shall have
“ You shall never have my blessing. I shall not allow my daughter to marry into such a family of terrible blackguards. Come now, Caroline.”
Right now, she dearly wished her father to Jericho. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening. Was her father not in jest? H e couldn’t be refusing the duke, could he? He was throwing a rub in the way and making a muddle of everything! Oh, how horrible this day had turned out!
“No,” she said flatly.
Her life was in ruins. She only had once chance to fix this, and she couldn’t allow her father’s pride to get in the way again. She didn’t know why he’d insulted Edward’s family but he had no right to make such a fuss and bother! No right at all. She had complacently sat idly by while he married that harridan and she would not stay silent while he dashed her dreams on the rocks once again.
Her father started to sputter. He couldn’t string his words together coherently. He seemed put out by her firm reply, this was the first time she’d ever stood up to him and he was not used to this side of her—at least not when it came to him.
Edward, for his own part, also looked exceedingly perplexed, and he remained disturbingly silent. Would he not fight for her?
Summoning her courage, she crossed the distance that laid between her and them.
“This is not the time to let your stubbornness rear its ugly head, Caroline,” her father said angrily.
“I disagree, Papa. You always told me I was just like Mama, and I do think you’re quite right. Mama had pluck to her backbone like none other I’ve ever known and if she were here she would be quite vexed with you. She would tell you that you were completely off course, she would tell you to be happy for me!”
“Your mother would indeed want to secure your happiness. However, I do not agree that she would bless this particular un ion. She had her dreams dashed. No, she had them absolutely devastated by this man’s father. He almost ruined your mother’s life and nearly destroyed her reputation. Had her father not set everything to rights who knows how the ton would have viewed your mother, God rest her sweet soul! True, enough, the late duke attempted to mend ways with your mother, and he did all that he could to make certain no blame fell on your mother’s shoulders. Indeed, he told everyone she was a veritable angel. Of which, I can tell you she was. Despite her hotheadedness and her stubbornness, she had the heart and soul of a seraphim, and that is why I fell so madly love with her, and why I pray she felt the same way about me.”
“But…but…yours was a true love match.”
“Indeed, she loved me in her own way, and I for my part, I was desperately in love with her—but perhaps she loved another more. I never could tell, she treated me with such tenderness and we had a contented life. Understand that, Caroline. We had a joyous life living at Banbury House and you and I can thank the Duke’s father for their kindness in allowing us to trespass on their hospitality all of these years. You see, I inherited precious little off my Father’s estate. He did leave me a house in Wales upon his death but that doesn’t matter right now, as he passed after you were born. I never went into the Clergy or into the Military as my father wished me to. I wanted to live the life of a gentleman without having the vast resources most gentlemen have at their disposal.
Your mother was afforded a sufficient dowry from her blunt strapped parents but nothing like she should have been lavished with as the daughter of an earl. The Old Duke promised we could live at Banbury House until mine and your mother’s death, and I had hoped that they would allow you and Gertrude to remain on there should I die anytime soon. You, I wasn’t too worried about. You can always count on your Aunt Georgia. She would never allow you to be out in the cold. Now, however, I see we shall have to move. We shall have
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