Page 80 of The Rules of Courtship
She did not expect him to allow her to remain. It was nothow things were done, of course, for her to be present. But still, she hoped.
Finally, Papa sighed, gesturing toward the open doorway. “That would be acceptable to me. If you will close the door, please.”
Oliver did as he was bid while Ruth stepped forward, standing in front of Papa’s desk, her knees wobbly. Oliver came to stand beside her. He did not reach for her hand, but she felt his sleeve brush her arm. He was not shying away.
“Is it safe to assume Ruth informed you about Mrs. Esther Rose and her daughters?” Oliver asked.
“She did.”
“Then I will spare you a repeated explanation. Their relationship has been verified and their claim valid. They will receive the bulk of my uncle’s inheritance. He has left me with a sum of four hundred pounds—enough to keep us steady for a couple of years, but not enough to save us if we suffer a terrible season or emergency befalls the estate. The house is still in danger of being lost to the bank, as you know.”
Disappointment fell over Papa’s face. “That was not what I had hoped to hear.”
“Understood.” Oliver remained steady. “I am still in need of two-thousand-six-hundred pounds to put us to rights again.”
Papa passed a hand over his face, sighing. “It has been a wish of mine for you to marry my daughter for some years now.”
Oliver went still. Ruth stared. Her stepmother had mentioned this, but she hadn’t allowed herself to believe it.
“I admire you, son,” Papa continued. “You did not deserve the debt your grandmother saddled you with. I wish it was within my power to settle additional funds upon Ruth, but at this moment, my hands are tied. If you were to marry her, could you provide for her, for your children, for the rest of your life?”
Silence rang loudly in the room. For a moment, Ruth began to wonder if Oliver was going to respond at all. She inhaled,chancing a glance up at him, and was surprised to find him looking down at her. His eyes were steady, infusing her with peace.
“I cannot guess at the future, sir,” he said calmly. “It is impossible to know what will happen with the estate.” He turned to face Papa, but his hand found Ruth’s and held it tightly. “What I do know is how deeply I love your daughter. I have done my best to find a way out of the financial mess I inherited last year, and with your guidance and wisdom, I plan to continue to climb my way out. My household lives in a state of retrenchment at present, as you are well aware. We have been economizing where we can, so I cannot promise lavish dinners or a surplus of gowns in our immediate future, but with careful planning, I think we can be comfortable. Furthermore, you can rest at ease knowing Ruth’s dowry will remain untouched, set aside to protect her in the case the house is taken by the bank.”
Papa nodded along, careful not to betray his feelings and keeping a blank expression. “Go on.”
“As far as my illegitimacy is concerned, I have little control. I can only promise to do my best to keep the information safely within the bounds of those I trust, but there will always be a potential for scandal. There is nothing I can do about that.”
Papa nodded.
“May I speak?” Ruth asked, eager to announce how little she cared for Oliver’s past or the circumstances of his birth, which were out of his control.
“Not yet,” Papa said, lifting his brow. “Allow Oliver to finish.”
She pressed her lips together impatiently.
“With your blessing, I will take care of Ruth in all the important ways. She will always have a roof over her head and a husband who adores her. When it comes to the things that matter, she will never be found wanting.”
A slow smile spread over Papa’s face. He rose from his seat,nodding. “That was the one thing Helena and I agreed on. You will do well if you both accept one another as you are, with the understanding that the only constant you will have from here on out is each other.”
“Papa,” Ruth said breathlessly. “You mean it?”
“Of course. We never meant to withhold approval. Did you not hear me? I’ve long hoped for this union.”
A smile spread widely over Ruth’s face. She released Oliver to hurry around the desk and pull her father in for a hug. “Thank you, Papa.”
“Of course.” He pressed her close, his voice dropping. “I only ever wanted you to be happy.”
She stepped back, wiping moisture from her eyes. “Then why did you shove so many men in my direction?”
Papa smiled impishly. “Because I was hoping they would drive Oliver to make a declaration. Stubborn man.”
Oliver let out a startled laugh. “You might have nudged me along, sir.”
“I wanted to lay a hint in your ear, but Lady Helena reminded me that young people like to come to their own conclusions. Not many take kindly to being told whom to marry. Ruth and her set of rules made it a little difficult, as well.”
“I thought you cared very little for my rules,” she said.
