Page 18 of A Lady's Propitious Match
“Oh, Clara. Is everything alright?”
The moment Imogen spotted her, she seemed to sense that Clara was swirling. Sinking.
“I… I have just had a very interesting talk with my cousin.” Imogen stiffened at the mention of Elliot, but this was not about them. Not yet anyway. “He has had an idea. One to help me get out of the prospect of a loveless marriage with Lord Caldwell.”
“He has?” Imogen looked pleased for her friend. “What is the plan?”
Clara let out a deep, weary feeling sigh. “His friend, Mr. Fitzhugh, is in a similar position to me. He is also being pressured into a relationship that he does not want. So, Elliot believes that we should feign a courtship between the pair of us. Act like we are interested in one another, to redirect the attentions of our parents.”
“Oh!” Imogen clapped her hand to her mouth in surprise. “So you would deceive them?”
“I suppose so, yes.” She shrugged a little. “But then once we call off our ‘arrangement’, then we will be free to choose someone that we would like to wed.”
Imogen paused on this for a moment, taking it all in. Once she had really thought things through, she turned her attention back to Clara.
“It is a little scary, I am sure. But I do think it is something you should consider. I mean, you do not want to be trapped in a life long loveless marriage with Lord Caldwell, do you? I know that is something you wish to avoid. This might be the way to do it.”
Clara was not expecting encouragement from her friend. She thought that Imogen would rectify the situation and gently counsel her to acquiesce to her parents’ desires.
But that was not what had happened.
“Maybe we should head back inside,” Clara eventually replied, recognizing that she needed to comprehend this matter comprehensively before making a decision. “So we can start painting. I still wish to get your portrait started this morning.”
Imogen nodded, but Clara was quite sure this conversation was not over with yet. Much as Elliot had given her time to thinkthis through, she knew she did not have forever. She would have to make a choice sooner rather than later.
