whose background might reflect ill on you?”
“I don’t see how it could have. Your father I knew to be an admirable man; your friends accepted you without reservation. If other gentlemen who knew you far better than I were desirous to marry you, then they must not believe any the worse of you. Had our engagement continued, I might have taxed you for some information, but only so that I would be aware of our strengths and weaknesses.”
“Do you always see life in terms of a naval battle, Lord Pontley?” she asked curiously.
His grin was infectious. “I am a practical man, Miss Forbes. What needs to be done, I do. It would be foolish of me to put myself at a disadvantage through false delicacy, don’t you think?”
“No doubt.” Glenna rose and walked to a small mahogany secretaire from which she extracted a yellowing letter. “If you will read this, you will understand the whole of your aunt’s insinuations.”
Pontley refused the proffered item. “Thank you, no, Miss Forbes. I have no right to do so now, and I have no wish to further upset you.”
“It can only comfort me for you to read it, my lord, for it vindicates my mother most effectively, I believe.”
“I will accept your word for that, ma'am."
“I don’t want you to accept my word, sir; I want you to read the letter.” She continued to hold it out to him until he was forced to take it.
Before doing so he studied her determined face, made a gesture of resignation and walked to the window where he could better discern the faded writing. The letter was dated 23 June 1797, and it was from Lady Garth.
My dear Miss Forbes [it began], It is with a great deal of sorrow that I write you, and I would not do so were it not essential. I have watched with trepidation the growth of affection between you and my son Peter for some months now, and have not found the courage to speak with you. For myself, I would welcome you as a daughter into my family with great warmth were it not for some circumstances in the past of which I cannot believe you are cognizant. When your mother (dear Lady Harriet) married your father it was to the disappointment of my husband, who had courted her assiduously. He had been convinced that his consequence was so much greater than your father’s that she would not throw away such an opportunity. You must understand, dear Miss Forbes, that I am well aware of the ancient lineage of your father’s family, and by no means regard it lightly. Nonetheless, Lord Garth felt that his title, wealth and person were such as your mother could not refuse. He was sadly disillusioned and did not marry me until some years afterward.
Your parents seldom came to town, being quite content, I suppose, with life in Hastings. However, when your aunt, Lady Mary, was to be married, they came to London for the season in ‘78. Although I had then been married to Lord Garth for some years, and had produced three sons for him, he made an utter fool of himself by pursuing your mother quite relentlessly during their stay, much as Sheridan does Lady B. now, but with much less success. There would have been no gossip, and in fact was none at the time because your mother was so obviously devoted to your father, and was consistently cold to Lord Garth. However, your parents had been married for many years by this time without any offspring, and the following winter your mother gave birth to you.
Now, I know for a fact that my husband had no success with your mother (for he is wont to proclaim his triumphs to me), and that the timing of your birth was a matter of coincidence. But it was an unfortunate coincidence, and such as made lovely on dit for months in London. So you see, child, there is a rumor abroad that Lord Garth is your father, and it is the greatest ill luck that you and my son should form an attachment. (Not that for yourself it should cause any hindrance in any case, my dear, for Lord Garth is positively not Peter’s father.)
At this
“I don’t see how it could have. Your father I knew to be an admirable man; your friends accepted you without reservation. If other gentlemen who knew you far better than I were desirous to marry you, then they must not believe any the worse of you. Had our engagement continued, I might have taxed you for some information, but only so that I would be aware of our strengths and weaknesses.”
“Do you always see life in terms of a naval battle, Lord Pontley?” she asked curiously.
His grin was infectious. “I am a practical man, Miss Forbes. What needs to be done, I do. It would be foolish of me to put myself at a disadvantage through false delicacy, don’t you think?”
“No doubt.” Glenna rose and walked to a small mahogany secretaire from which she extracted a yellowing letter. “If you will read this, you will understand the whole of your aunt’s insinuations.”
Pontley refused the proffered item. “Thank you, no, Miss Forbes. I have no right to do so now, and I have no wish to further upset you.”
“It can only comfort me for you to read it, my lord, for it vindicates my mother most effectively, I believe.”
“I will accept your word for that, ma'am."
“I don’t want you to accept my word, sir; I want you to read the letter.” She continued to hold it out to him until he was forced to take it.
Before doing so he studied her determined face, made a gesture of resignation and walked to the window where he could better discern the faded writing. The letter was dated 23 June 1797, and it was from Lady Garth.
My dear Miss Forbes [it began], It is with a great deal of sorrow that I write you, and I would not do so were it not essential. I have watched with trepidation the growth of affection between you and my son Peter for some months now, and have not found the courage to speak with you. For myself, I would welcome you as a daughter into my family with great warmth were it not for some circumstances in the past of which I cannot believe you are cognizant. When your mother (dear Lady Harriet) married your father it was to the disappointment of my husband, who had courted her assiduously. He had been convinced that his consequence was so much greater than your father’s that she would not throw away such an opportunity. You must understand, dear Miss Forbes, that I am well aware of the ancient lineage of your father’s family, and by no means regard it lightly. Nonetheless, Lord Garth felt that his title, wealth and person were such as your mother could not refuse. He was sadly disillusioned and did not marry me until some years afterward.
Your parents seldom came to town, being quite content, I suppose, with life in Hastings. However, when your aunt, Lady Mary, was to be married, they came to London for the season in ‘78. Although I had then been married to Lord Garth for some years, and had produced three sons for him, he made an utter fool of himself by pursuing your mother quite relentlessly during their stay, much as Sheridan does Lady B. now, but with much less success. There would have been no gossip, and in fact was none at the time because your mother was so obviously devoted to your father, and was consistently cold to Lord Garth. However, your parents had been married for many years by this time without any offspring, and the following winter your mother gave birth to you.
Now, I know for a fact that my husband had no success with your mother (for he is wont to proclaim his triumphs to me), and that the timing of your birth was a matter of coincidence. But it was an unfortunate coincidence, and such as made lovely on dit for months in London. So you see, child, there is a rumor abroad that Lord Garth is your father, and it is the greatest ill luck that you and my son should form an attachment. (Not that for yourself it should cause any hindrance in any case, my dear, for Lord Garth is positively not Peter’s father.)
At this
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