Page 34 of From the Ashes
"Why would she snub you?"
"Nobody likes to be on the lower rungs, and at the time, she was still firmly attempting to climb out of the mire of her birth. By being the first to ostracize me, she made herself more popular with that waspish set. They simply love to dip their forked tongues into malicious gossip. She proved to have the cruelest tongue of all and quickly became their leader. I have no sympathy for women of that ilk. None at all. Sadly, society is riddled with them, from top to bottom."
"Does Seth know how she treated you?" Surely not, considering Lady Harcourt had been one of his mistresses up until very recently. He even seemed fond of her, before he'd learned how cruel she'd been to me.
"I doubt it. He's a man and men have no use for gossip. Their world doesn't revolve around it like ours, my dear." She gave me a severe look over the newspaper. "Society madams are like sharks in the water, just waiting for their pray to swim past. They can smell vulnerability, and when they do, they attack. You must remember that, Charlie. Remember to never show fear or weakness to them, even if you feel like curling into a ball in the corner of the room." She suddenly patted my knee and grinned. "That's why Julia hates me still. She loathes my defiance, my unwillingness to play her games. If you follow my guidance, I'll steer you through the treacherous waters safely. I don't particularly care for myself. My dash is done and I will lie in the bed I made for myself, but I still know which way the sharks are swimming and I can help you."
"I don't particularly care for swimming in their ocean," I said. "But thank you."
"You may not care for it, but you will find yourself there."
"Why would I?"
"You want a good husband, don't you? Your first marriage is very important, and has nothing at all do with love. Set yourself up first, and worry about finding love elsewhere later."
I stared at her, not quite able to believe what I was hearing. Her thoughts on marriage couldn't be further from mine. "I have no interest in marriage at the moment."
She scoffed. "You will."
"And when I am interested, I won't be hiding my past from my husband, or from those around me." I could have said more but there seemed no point explaining it to her. Her opinion was unlikely to change.
She lowered the newspaper altogether, and took my hands in both of hers. Her look of sympathy forced me to sway back and dread what she might say. "If you're waiting for Mr. Fitzroy, then I must warn you not to get your hopes up. He will be quickly snapped up now, mark my words."
"I'm sure he will be," I said tightly. "If he makes it known that he wants a wife, they'll beat down his door to be first in line. He's handsome and rich." But not at all good marriage material. I'd known that all along, and yet I'd wanted to marry him anyway.
Before.
"Good." She let my hands go. "I'm pleased to see you accepting the situation. You're an understanding girl with a good head on your shoulders. You'll make an excellent wife one day. When you're ready," she added with a wink. "But it doesn't mean we can't scope out potential candidates in the mean time."
I groaned.
"You'll thank me, one day," she said. "This is my gift to you, Charlie, for your birthday tomorrow. I cannot afford more."
"Oh. I don't expect anything from you."
"Nevertheless, I'm offering it. Please, accept it."
I nodded, not at all sure what I had just accepted.
She picked up the newspaper again but did not read. Her jaw set hard. "Now, just to remind you again, Seth is not an option for you."
I laughed. "So you've stated several times already. To repeat my answer—I'm not interested in your son."
"So you say, but I've seen the two of you together. You get along well."
"Like a brother and sister, not paramours."
She considered this a moment. "Seth always wanted siblings. I suppose you and Gus have taken on that role for him in a way." She returned to her newspaper and I headed back to the chair by the window. "The interesting question is," she said from behind the paper, "who informed the newspaper of Julia's past at The Alhambra?"
I'd wager it was Miss Redding. Her jealousy of Lady Harcourt had been obvious.
The crunch of wheels on gravel had me leaping off the chair. "They're back!"
"Good. I need to speak with Seth. There are a number of invitations to consider. I must write a list of the ones he and Mr. Fitzroy plan to attend."
It was going to be a very short list.
I left her in the parlor and made my way to the kitchen to greet them and have a discussion out of Lady Vickers' hearing. Lincoln and Seth came in through the door that led to the courtyard. Gus must have remained in the coach house to tend to the carriage and horses, but with Seth wearing clean, well-cut gentleman's suit, he didn't have to help.
