Page 19 of In Want of a Wife
“You can't be serious, Lily?”Kate dragged her upstairs to Charlotte's morning parlor. “You don't know that man. He could be perverse or a murderer. He could be... well, he could take advantage of you and leave you a ruined woman.”
“Not every man...” Lily stopped short of finishing her sentence. Kate did not need another reminder, and of those who stood in the room, she knew better than anyone what would happen because of a scandal with a devious man.
“We do not know him. Or his brother.” Charlotte sat down on the cream satin settee. “You cannot fault us for looking after your wellbeing. This was certainly a shock, and I believed we had put this past us after you first mentioned the idea. We love you, Lily.”
Kate paced by the large, arched window, angrily swatting a gold tassel holding back the long powder blue curtains. “Were you going to tell us? Or were you going to run away and leave nothing but a note?”
At that, Lily balked.
“I waited two years to be married at Felton’s request. I won’t…” Lily dragged in a breath, attempting to stem the panic sweeping up inside of her. “I won't ever have that time again. I am nearly twenty-five years old. If I am to marry, then I must do it soon before I am put firmly on the shelf and forced to waste my life away here with my family in Cumbria.”
She glanced up at the large crystal chandelier overhead, distracted by the swirling prisms dancing on the ceiling as the morning sun slipped through the curtains. Something about the happy, tangled mess of rainbows made her smile.
“That doesn't mean you should throw the time that is ahead of you at the feet of a stranger either.”
She met Charlotte’s steady stare. “I won't ever wait for another man. I will not put my life on hold. I…” Lily balled her fists. “I will decide what will become of my fate now.”
“I only ask that you consider waiting a few weeks for this fresh heartbreak to mend before jumping into a situation you may not be prepared for. Or worse, a situation that doesn’t suit you.” Charlotte reached out and plucked a drooping peony petal free, then tossed her hands to her side, exasperated. “Once married, it is near impossible to leave him.”
“The man asked for a wife, and I am more than capable of fulfilling that request.”
“That man isn’t here.” Kate placed one hand on her hip and used the other to gesture toward the door. “His brother is, and you do not know anything about the man. You should never trust a sailor.”
“He’s a naval officer.”
“They are all allowed offshore from time to time, and they all seek out the same vices.”
Charlotte came to stand behind Lily and braced her hands on her shoulders. “And do you truly wish to live on an island? And marry a man you never met?”
This was worse than after Felton jilted her and certainly worse than the kitchen incident. “Islands have the advantage of having fewer people, which I prefer. And I bet it has a magnificent view of the sky. Besides, people do it all the time.”
“But you do not have five-thousand pounds, and that is a matter that can’t be explained away. Does your soon-to-be husband knowyour father has squandered away your dowry?”
“It is a good match.” That was all she could say that would be considered polite. She did not feel much like bickering with Kate, and she certainly did not appreciate being made to feel as if her judgment was faulty or that she was naive in the way of men.
The man she had been corresponding with over the past month was a good man, one of solid character and, above all, sharp-tongued. She looked forward to evenings of shared conversations and verbal sparring matches over dinner. It would be nice to speak with someone who could keep up with her humor. Not many could.
“Have you informed your father of your decision to marry?” Leave it to Charlotte to be motherly in her inquiries.
“I have agreed to the arrangement, and I will not leave a man waiting for a wife who agreed to be such. I will not impart that shame on anyone after having experienced such myself.”
“You haven't told them?” Kate asked.
It wasn't that she hadn't told her father. Well, she hadn't, so that much was true. It was only she knew he would never agree, and she had grown tired of someone else holding responsibility over her head. She was capable of deciding life on her own. Especially given that her father had been confident about the last match. And that had worked out so well.
No, she had sought out to please her father and had been jilted twice. And as he was more concerned with avoiding her now than finding her a new husband, she would find one herself because marriage would save her.
She had no time for love. Or daydreams about elaborate weddings and happy-ever-afters.
This was a practical matter, far removed from anything to do with her heart. It was logical.
“I don’t like this, Lily. Not at all. Your father will only cause more trouble.”
“My father has barely spoken to me since Felton. I’m sure he wishes only to be rid of me.”
Charlotte nodded. “It would be wise to inform your parents if you are going to marry.”
“I would rather send a wedding announcement after the fact.”
