Page 41 of Matters of a Duke’s Heart
The soft light of the afternoon sun flitted through the windows of the drawing room in the family estate. A modest yet elegant room, the home of Baron and Baroness of Wycliffe and their two daughters, Miss Miriam Everly and Miss Charlotte Everly, was warm and welcoming.
All around the room were works of literature from various parts of the continent as well as numerous small paintings by lesser-known artists. Miriam in particular had an appreciation for these pastimes and her parents had fostered that curiosity whenever possible.
Many days had been passed there by the sisters, reading, delving deep into conversation, debating their opposing views or developing new curiosities. Only three years apart they had been closest companions from a young age on. Now at twenty-three and twenty they were still nearly inseparable.
That particular afternoon the small noble family had gathered there with a rare guest. They had spent the last several hours listening to a slew of beguiling tales of faraway lands.
Miriam took a deep breath as she attempted for at least the twentieth time that hour not to roll her eyes.
Lounging in the armchair across from her, Edmond Pritchard droned on, boasting about his adventures.
The son of their close family friends, Edmund had just returned from traveling abroad and was no doubt hoping to impress the girls with his harrowing stories.
The way he tells this, you would think he was a knight fighting a dragon or some such nonsense. The hero of each story, Miriam thought to herself. Her patience had run out after their afternoon tea.
His nonsense was now running into her afternoon reading time, not to mention a dozen other things she would far prefer to be undertaking. After hours of listening to his exaggerated tales of the luxurious foreign lands he had visited that summer she’d had quite enough.
“Oh, and remember that grey mare that I took with me? The one that the Sampson’s bred and raised?
Well, the Maharaja himself bought that mare from me and for twice the amount I would have gotten here in England for her!
Said he wanted to add new bloodlines to his stable, see if he could add some speed onto the endurance of his horses. ”
Edmund went on gloating, his eyes elated with greed, “And let me tell you the women of that land. Well, they are something to behold. Quite the contrast to our pail English ladies, they were all transfixed by my presence. The exotic Englishman from a distant land. The way they vied for my attention, I half expected them to brawl with one another.”
Charlotte and her parents continued to politely entertain his stories, nodding or expelling a shocked gasp when appropriate.
Miriam wondered if they found the origins of these stories as suspect as she did.
For one, she wholly doubted the authenticity of half of what came from Edmund’s mouth, but she was required to sit there and listen quietly, nonetheless.
That did not, however, stop her from giving him a quiet disapproving look. Her sharp gaze fell upon Edmund as she internally scoffed at his ramblings.
Of all the self-centered, shallow and arrogant louts in England, why must this one be the one to visit us.
I surely hope that father does not consider him as a suitor for either Charlotte or I, neither of us would be able to stand him!
The grimace that appeared on her face at that thought must have given away her utter disregard for their guest.
“Such a dastardly hideous look for a face so beautiful as yours Miss Everly. What seems to have you all turned about?” Edmund asked haughtily as he smiled at her. “Something I said perhaps?”
“I simply find your stories of women feigning for your attention and all this boasting of accumulated wealth distasteful.” She said this quite blatantly, much to the displeasure of her family members.
“While I can surely see the benefit in accumulating new business relations it cannot be fruitful in the long run to make such exuberant demands upon first patronage. Why as soon as someone else comes along with less demands, what keeps them from jumping ship from your dealings?” she said bluntly, much to the displeasure of her family around them.
“Miriam.” Her father warned in a tense voice. “Do not disrespect our guests in that manner. Mind your manners. My apologies Edmund, Miriam must not be feeling well.”
The look he gave her as he made the excuse was a warning.
She was crossing a fine line between respectful disagreement and inhospitable nature.
Which would be just another in a long line of improprieties she had made.
Miriam was not known for her tactfulness, in fact quite the opposite.
Unlike her sister she was prone to have a quick temper, a sharp tongue and a razor-sharp sense of pridefulness.
These traits had embarrassed her father on numerous occasions. It was one thing to have strong willed daughters who knew their place, it was quite another to have one who was not afraid to speak her mind.
“It’s quite alright, I’m rather intrigued at the lady’s thoughts on the matter,” Edmund waved a hand for her to continue. “How is it distasteful?”
She looked at her sister for the briefest of moments, Charlotte was shaking her head silently pleading her older sister to stay her tongue. After a moment of deliberation however, Miriam decided she would not keep silent.
The man had asked for her opinion, and she was happy to give it to him, unencumbered. Charlotte saw the moment the decision was, a sigh escaping as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Her sister then opened her wrist fan and began fanning herself quickly, no doubt attempting to hide the blush.
“The way you tell it you did all these wonderfully gallant things all on your own. If I remember correctly you were on this trip by your father’s arrangement. Aren’t almost all of these holdings with which you made transactions from his?
Furthermore, telling women of society—especially youthful and unwed women who may have or may not have considered you as a suitor at one time or another—that you were surrounded by scantily clad women and could have your pick of them whenever you wanted is distasteful in the extreme.
All of which makes you sound arrogant, shallow, even disreputable. ”
She challenged, head held high, back straight.
Meanwhile, her mother had begun the same action as Charlotte, both women's cheeks reflecting a slight flush of embarrassment as Miriam spoke her mind without reservation. “Why, listening to you, it would seem that all there is to a man’s life is money and women. Which is quite narrow minded don’t you think? ”
“You have quite the sharp tongue, Miss Everly. I wonder if that’s why you remain unattached as of yet?” Edmund smirked.
With a raise of her brow she retorted, “Perhaps, Mr. Pritchard. Or perhaps I simply have standards.”
The air was thick with tension as the room waited to see who would say what next. No one made a move to interject between the two locked in their battle of wills. Knowing it would do no good where Miriam was concerned.
With a chuckle Edmund stood, a perceptive smile crossing his face.
Turning to her mother and then her sister he acknowledged them both and then to her father he said, “It’s time I take my leave.
I believe I may have outworn my welcome this afternoon.
We shall speak more another time about the far-off wonders. ”
Her father rose from his seat to escort Edmund out. Giving her a disapproving look as he passed by.
As he withdrew from the room Miriam heard Edmund mutter something about how some women never learn their place.
He didn’t bother to acknowledge her and despite the blatant rudeness of the action she took no offense.
His was not the first male ego that she had harmed and surely it would not be the last. She felt no remorse for her words, a lout was a lout even when dressed in silk clothing from faraway places.
Once both men had retired from the room and were far from earshot Charlotte dropped her fan into her lap in a huff, turning to Miriam and exclaiming, “Why must you always challenge people like that? You never simply let things go. Perhaps his stories were far-fetched and not fully truthful. But was it hurting you to be quiet and polite as a lady is expected to be?”
“And why should I?” Miriam retorted, folding her arms across her chest, “Should I simply nod along while he sits here and spews that blasphemy to inflate his ego? I will not waste my time on men who think their wealth, travels and ‘experiences’ make them superior. Why on earth would you, Charlotte?”
Throwing her hands up in exasperation Charlotte groaned in frustration before storming from the room. Their father had returned to the study just in time to hear the sisters exchange and was now exchanging a tired look with their mother.
“Miriam,” he said with a sigh, “go make amends with your sister. It won’t do to have the two of you at odds. It’s been a long day as it is.”
She groaned, “Very well. But that’s not to say I was wrong in what I said!”
They didn’t bother to respond as she briskly left the room, pursuing her sister.
Miriam slowed as she walked up the hallway, then up the stairwell that led to Charlotte’s chamber.
Usually, the two of them were of similar mindsets when it came to the peacocking of the men around them.
Charlotte's reaction this evening was out of character and concerning.
Reaching the door, Miriam took a deep breath before knocking softly. For a moment she thought Charlotte would not grant her entrance, but finally she answered.
“Come in,” Charlotte’s voice was quiet and distant.
Opening the door slowly Miriam looked around the room for her.
Finally, her eyes fell on her seated in the windowsill, looking out the window.
As she approached she realized she had been crying.
Silent tears streaking down her cheeks. Her irritation softened replaced by a pain in her chest.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, dearest,” Miriam said as she knelt beside her, gently taking her hand.
“It’s not you.” She wiped the tears away with her other hand, “you just happened to catch me at the wrong time is all. I don’t know how else to put it.”
“What is it that really is troubling you, Charlotte?” Miriam asked with concern. It wasn’t like Charlotte to keep things from her, generally they told each other everything. “If it wasn’t me there must be something else deeply bothering you.”
She didn’t answer at first, still looking out the window, the look in her eyes distant. After a long pause, she began to tell Miriam all that she had been hiding in her heart.
“I met someone, sometime ago actually,” she divulged, “he is kind and respectable and he loves me. And Miriam, I love him.”
Her tone increased with excitement as she spoke.
“Where did you meet him? How? I have so many questions!” Miriam burst out excitedly.
She was both surprised and thrilled by her sister's revelations.
All she had ever wanted for Charlotte was to be happy and to be in love, especially with those affections returned.
Was there anything that could make one happier?
“We met last season at the Countess DeClare’s dinner party.
He was set beside me and was so kind even when I was so shy and unsure of myself.
Oh Miriam, he’s so charming and handsome.
Did I mention he is quite handsome?” Charlotte went on enthusiastically, “He is a Marquess, and Father would approve. I just know he would. We wish to be married.”
“So why doesn’t he court you properly then if Father would approve?” Mirriam forgot in her excitement that she herself was her sister's hold up. The look Charlotte gave her brought reality back to her. Tradition would not allow her younger sister to wed until she herself was married first. “Oh…”
“That’s why I’ve kept it a secret. I’m sorry Miriam,” her voice a near-whisper, “I know it’s unfair. And I shouldn’t pressure you. You have every right to choose your own path. I just… I admire how fearless you are.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Miriam was touched by her sister's thoughtfulness and pulled her into a warm embrace, “still you should have told me instead of bottling this all up inside. I would have shared in your excitement even before.”
Pulling away from one another they looked at one another with a new respect. Bound by more than blood, they were bound by their admiration of one another. Miriam had always stood up for Charlotte and despite being the youngest, Charlotte had always looked out for Miriam, in her own quieter way.
“Come, let’s walk in the garden. The fresh air will help us think.” Miriam pulled Charlotte to her feet, and they walked arm-in-arm down the stairs, and out the back door to the gardens.
“Do you truly love him?” Miriam finally asked when she was sure they would not be overheard. This far from the main house there would be no one, not even servants at this time of the evening. They would all be inside working to prepare to serve dinner.
“Yes, I truly do.”
“And you are sure that he feels the same?”
“Yes.” Charlotte assured her.
“Alright. Then I guess that settles it, I’d better start looking for a suitor of my own choosing.
Once I’m engaged, he can come forward to father and ask for your hand.
I am sure that will be acceptable. The wedding won’t be able to take place until after my own, of course.
But there’s plenty of time to plan all of that… ”
Her voice trailed off as she became lost in thought. She had always been independent, determined to go her own way and build her own future. But for Charlotte’s happiness, she wondered—could she sacrifice her own freedom?