Page 16 of Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
“Yes, of course.” Josephine did know that. As her and Otto had grown together in marriage, they learned to love one another deeply. Maybe their marriage was not always ideal, but it was not as unsuccessful as what some of her friends experienced. At least they respected one another, even after all this time. “Thankyou.”
“Am I to assume that you are here to discuss the same subject again?” Otto raised his eyebrow knowingly. He knew his wife well, he understood her concerns, but as always, he knew best. He did not make these decisions lightly, which should have shown her that he knew exactly what he was doing. “Because I would think by now that you know my feelings on thematter.
“Oh, I do,” Josephine nodded. “But I still would like you to see things from my point of view.” She had a speech prepared, she had been planning it all night long, but the words had somehow become a little garbled in her mind. "I feel like this young Lord will destroy our family’s reputation, or at the very least Annabelle’s. She does not deserve to be married to a man who is brutish, bad tempered, and spends time with streetgirls.”
“Oh, Josephine, why are you listening to silly whispers? It is ridiculous. We have had this young man in our home and he comes across as a very articulate, smart, respectful gentleman. Maybe he has had his troubles in the past, maybe it has affected him from time to time, but now he has really pulled his life together. He came back from his father’s death spectacularly. Just likeme.”
Of course. Josephine should have guessed that Otto would identify with Watson in that way. It made a lot of sense... but it did not changeanything.
“Annabelle does not like him.” Josephine needed to try another tactic. “She has confided in me that he repulsesher.”
“I do not see that.” Otto shook his head. “I do not see that she does not like him. She seems to enjoy his company just as much as Ido.”
"Well, she does not. If you would look closer, you would be able to seethat.”
Otto chuckled mirthlessly. “If you remember rightly, you also told me that Beatrice did not like Abraham, but look at what has happened there. She is now pregnant with our firstgrandchild.”
Josephine knew that would be used against her, but she would not let Otto sway her so easily. Just because Beatrice had made it work, did not mean the same would happenagain.
“Annabelle is not like Beatrice, surely you can understand that? Beatrice is smart and resourceful, she is able to make the best of a situation that she might not like at first. Of course, I am happy that things worked out well for her, all I want is for both of my girls to be happy. That is why I am pursuing this. I do not believe that Annabelle will be happy with Watson. She is freer, more impulsive, she feels things much deeper. He will not make herhappy.”
“You are reading too much into it.” Otto disregarded his wife’s concerns with the flick of a hand. “Lord Ashdown is a wonderful man, he is very wealthy. He can take care of Annabelle forevermore. She needs someone to calm her down anyway, you are right. She is too high spirited. I believe that this will be the best thing forher.”
Josephine felt enraged. “You are sitting in front of me, telling me that our daughter needs to change who sheis?”
“I am telling you that she needs to be calmer. She is a Lady, she has a title and a reputation, she needs to work on behaving as such. The older she gets, the more society functions she will have to attend. She needs to learn how to act for the best. Surely you can understandthat?”
“I cannot believe you.” Josephine leapt up from her chair and she stared down at Otto with a fire in her eyes. “I am really hurt byyou.”
“That does not matter. You will soon see that I am correct.” Otto’s matter of fact tone sounded cold to Josephine’s emotional ears. “Soon you will be sitting back in that chair, telling me that you should have listened to mesooner.”
His confidence in himself bordered on arrogance. Josephine shook her head angrily at her husband who was acting like a stranger to her. “You act like you know everything about everyone. I do not think you understand your family at all. It is almost as if you do not care about yourgirls.”
Otto banged his fists down on his desk as rage burst out of him. “I am sick of hearing about this, I am tired of arguing with you about it. This is happening, it is already starting, you cannot stop it without making us all look stupid. I feel likeyouare trying to damage our family. You will stop this now, I do not want to hear another word aboutit.”
Josephine was stunned by this outburst, she had never seen Otto react like that to anything before. It made her see him in a whole new light. The seriousness of his tone scared her and caused her to step backwards. She felt claustrophobic in this office, she needed to escape. Clearly, trying to have a reasonable discussion with her husband was a bigmistake.
“Fine. The subject is closed,” she rasped while clutching onto her chest. “But I will not forget this, Otto.Ever.”
It was not closed though, not by a long shot. Josephine had no idea how, but she would find a way to help her daughter. Her conversation with Otto had only made her even moredetermined.
Somehow, she would help Annabelle, and someday it would be Otto coming to her telling that she was right. Josephine felt certain ofit.
