Page 72 of Lady of Fortune
“No,” she answered adamantly, shaking her head. “My father would never keep me with them by force, and nothing else he could do or say could ever make me leave you.”
“Very well,” he said, though he couldn’t help the nerves that were tossing around his stomach. “To your home we shall go.”
CHAPTER36
Perhaps this hadn’t been the best of ideas, Julia thought once they finally approached the house. But no, her mother had been clear on what she felt, and Julia was slightly buoyed by the fact that her father had, at the very least, offered Eddie the position of jockey for his horses. While for most men it would still be a far cry from offering his daughter’s hand in marriage, for Lord St. Albans, well, perhaps it wasn’tthatmuch different.
Eddie seemed a bit uncomfortable as Julia led him up the entrance to the front door. He had asked Julia if perhaps he should enter through the servant’s entrance instead, but she had fixed him with a look that told him she would not accept that.
“Although I actually did every time I was dressed in my male riding clothes,” she whispered in explanation, and he looked at her in astonishment.
She laughed a bit and nodded. “Yes, ’tis true. I think all the servants believe I have become rather eccentric. Which was much better than all knowing the truth, for it wouldn’t take long to spread.”
“Once we are married and properly settled, there is one other thing I must do,” Eddie said, glancing over at her, and she raised an eyebrow in question. “Properly race you.”
She was laughing when the door swung open, revealing the disapproving butler as well as Julia’s mother, who ran up behind him.
“Julia! I’m so glad you’ve returned. And oh, he came, how wonderful. I knew he would.”
Lady St. Albans reached a hand out around the butler, who eyed them with a look that noted his dismay at being shuffled aside, and pulled Eddie into the foyer to stand in front of her. She ran her eyes quickly over him, nodding her head as though she were inspecting him. Julia was mortified and stepped in to tell her mother to please stop at once, but Eddie ever so subtly waved her away. Very well then.
“Come in, then, come in,” Lady St. Albans finally said. ‘“I expect your father to arrive shortly, Julia.”
Her prediction was correct as the Earl arrived minutes later, surprise on his face when he saw Julia and Eddie sitting next to one another on the settee, his wife serenely seated upon the chair across from them, tea in hand.
“Francis,” he said, as Eddie stood to greet him with a nod. “Have you come to accept my offer then?”
“Your offer?” Lady St. Albans looked up, confused.
“Lord St. Albans offered me a position as a jockey,” Eddie explained, and Julia’s mother nodded and took a sip of her tea, clearly not overly concerned about their horse business. “But that, my lord, I hope we can discuss later.”
Julia’s father looked at him quizzically and seemed about to continue questioning him, but Julia’s mother placed her hand on his arm and drew him down to sit in the matching chair next to her, then nodded at Eddie to continue.
"Lord St. Albans,” Eddie said as he placed an arm around Julia now and she leaned back into it, “I would very much appreciate your permission to marry your daughter.”
Julia stared at her father imploringly as he stared back at Eddie, his shock evident. They all seemed to be in a stalemate of stillness until Lady St. Albans finally broke the silence.
“Well,” she said, placing her teacup on the table as she clasped her hands together. “If the two of you love one another as much as it appears that you do, I for one think it is wonderful you have found one another once more. What do you say, Garnet?” she prodded her husband, who opened and closed his mouth a few times, though no sound came out.
Eddie addressed him instead. “I know I am far from your first choice as the ideal match for Julia,” he said. “In fact, I did all I could to convince Julia that her life would be far better lived with a man such as the Duke. However,” he bestowed upon Julia a smile that warmed her from the tips of her fingers to the very center of her heart, “Your daughter is persistent, and I love her more than anything. I promise you the same that I promised her — she will always be the most important aspect of my life, and I will always love her beyond words.”
Julia’s father nodded slowly, but instead of responding to Eddie, he turned to Julia. “Have you thought this through, daughter? You know what you will be leaving for marriage to Francis here, marriage to a jockey? Are you willing to sacrifice all — your family, your dowry, your horse?”
“Garnet!” his wife cried, but he held up a hand to silence her words.
Julia felt the blood rush away from her face, but she nodded as her father studied her.
“Then that is a love worth the sacrifice,” he said softly, and Julia widened her eyes as his words registered.
“Does that mean… that you approve?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.
“I am not sure thatapprovewould be the proper choice of words,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “However, I will not stand in your way. And despite — actuallybecause of— your willingness to give it up, your dowry is yours to take. As is Orianna.”
“Orianna?” Julia shot up from her seat. “You cannot mean it!”
Her father smiled. “When I gave her to you to manage, I put my trust in you. You proved to be wise in her training and her management, and therefore I will make good on my promise to gift her to you. You must, however, do me one favor.”
“Of course.”
