Page 88 of Her Lion of a Duke
“Surely you do not want to marry him?”
Cecilia was at her wits’ end with her cousin, who, despite her discomfort, had decided to listen to her mother.
She did not understand, nor did she know how to change her cousin’s mind, when Clara had never disobeyed.
“He is not… too bad,” Clara said quietly over breakfast. “There are worse gentlemen.”
“But Renshaw? Clara, he is Leonard’s cousin, and believe me, he is not the sort of man you want to spend the rest of your life with.”
“I have yet to find a gentleman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Mother says that he is a good man and that she has known him for years.”
“That in itself should be enough. He is at least twice your age!”
“The age gap is not necessarily a bad thing. Your husband is only a few years your senior, and yet your marriage has… Well, you will not tell me what has happened, but one would think that he would have been responsible enough to keep you at home, with him.”
“It is my choice to be here.”
Cecilia was taken aback by her cousin’s retort. She had never spoken ill of others, especially not those she liked, and she liked Leonard well enough.
Clara herself seemed surprised by her own words, as she fell quiet and looked down at her plate.
“You are frightened, aren’t you?” Cecilia asked gently.
Clara nodded.
“Clara, I understand that this is not what you envisioned. It is certainly not what I had planned for you, but there is no reason why you must do what Aunt Margaret thinks is best for you. You have seen how many gentlemen are vying for your hand.”
“I… I apologize, Cecilia. I should not have said such unkind things. You are right; there are many gentlemen showing interest, but I don't know any of them. If Renshaw is liked?—”
“He is not! Believe me, Clara, he is not the kind, respected man Aunt Margaret believes him to be. He isvile. The way he speaks about ladies makes me feel unwell, and he has made it clear that he is only in search of a pretty little fool he can bend to his will.”
“That does not matter.”
“It does,” Cecilia insisted, growing exasperated. “How you are treated is what I care about more than anything. I do not understand why you are so easily accepting all of this when you have every reason not to. You deserve to take your time in choosing a husband and to enjoy a courtship before getting engaged. Why will you not do anything to help yourself?”
“Because I do not have a choice! Mother has already told me last night that—” Clara broke off, looking around frantically before rising from her seat and crossing the room.“I must go.”
“Stay,” Cecilia implored.
“I cannot. Lord Renshaw wishes to see me. We are to promenade.”
Clara bolted out of the room, and though Cecilia followed after her, she was stopped by her aunt, who appeared in the doorway with crossed arms and a stern expression.
“Do not think about ruining this match,” she warned. “This is the perfect match for Clara, and I will not have you ruin it simply because you do not believe in such arrangements.”
“Aunt Margaret, this cannot be what you want for your daughter. You have always wanted to secure the best match for her. You and I both know that Clara could find much better.”
“She could, but that is not what is happening right now. As it stands, the only real offer she has received has been from Lord Renshaw, and I do not like how you are speaking about my friend.”
Cecilia did not know how else to speak about the man. She did not like him, and she had never been able to pretend to think highly of someone when she did not.
“Aunt Margaret,” she tried once more, “was Lord Thompson not what you had in mind? He is wealthy, and Clara appears to hold him in high regard. She would want for nothing. What objections could you possibly have to that?”
Her aunt sighed, softening.“It is not that I object. I know that many gentlemen are showing interest in Clara. But Society is a very fickle thing. One wrong step, and she would be ruined. Accepting Renshaw’s proposal would prevent that.”
“Proposal?” Cecilia squeaked. “Is that what Clara was going to say?”
“Indeed. Cecilia, you may not like any of this, but she is your cousin. She is my daughter, and I know what is best for her. I do not need you to tell me what is best for her.”
