Page 161 of The Governess of My Heart
“Lord Ashton will change his mind; you must stay.”
“I have lost his trust, and I cannot imagine what I could do to make it right. As much as I want to stay here for the sake of Edmund and Emily, I do not want to complicate things and make life here unpleasant. I would have left without regret if you were to stay here, but you have a beautiful future with Mr. Darcy, and I am truly happy for you. At least you will be close to Ashton Park, and the children will be able to see you often.”
“You speak as though you will never return here.”
“I speak the reality, Elizabeth,” Lady Isabella said with sadness, and to her surprise, Elizabeth embraced her tightly, praying that the couple would reconcile their differences.
***
The next day, Elizabeth was busy with preparations for her travel. She tried her best to explain to the children why she was leaving and was pained to see them cry after they heard the news. She promised to return as soon as possible and tried to spend as much time with them as she was able to. She had asked Lady Martha to arrange for someone to help with the children’s studies and decided to pick some books from the library for their future lessons. When she entered the library, she felt a sense of sadness as she knew that her time in Ashton Park was limited, and she came to the conclusion she had stopped reading in the library in order to avoid the risk of being in the company of Lord Anderson.
She spent some time gathering the books and left them on the table. Then, she took a few books for her journey the next day. Suddenly, she heard the door open and saw Lord Anderson enter. Elizabeth was caught off guard by his appearance and wanted to leave immediately, but stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. It was evident to her that Lord Andersonwas equally surprised by her presence. However, he walked up to her and stood without saying a word. Elizabeth struggled to compose herself; she had not spoken with him since the night she saw him outside her room and had no intention of conversing with him in privacy.
“Good morning!” he finally said formally.
“Good morning,” Elizabeth replied without thinking.
“I assume you are prepared for our trip,” he said.
Elizabeth nodded.
“I know you do not want me to accompany you all, but I have reasons for being there. I want to know the truth as much as you do.”
“I do not want to have this discussion with you now,” she said and tried to walk past him.
To her horror, Lord Anderson held her arm and stopped her.
“Listen to me now,” he cried sternly.
“I know you hate me, and I do not want to defend my actions; I just want you to trust me.”
“Trust you? Pray tell me for what?” Elizabeth asked with rage.
“For the future. You must trust me that I would not forsake you, and I am concerned about your welfare.”
“Who are you to be concerned about my welfare? Until a week ago, we had nothing between us, and in my opinion, there has been no change in that. You cannot accuse my mother and try to show sympathy for me. By disrespecting her, you disrespect me; please understand that. Maybe she had no one to support her when she was alive, but now, she has me to defend her. Defend her from your slander, Lord Anderson.”
“Don’t you dare address me that way again,” he cried as he tightened his grip on her arm.
“Then how am I to address you? Please enlighten me, Lord Anderson.”
She could see his features tighten, and the anger on his face was evident, but she was not scared of him.
“You think you are getting your revenge by treating me with such spite?” he asked as he held her closer to him.
“You are mistaken, sir. If you think I am trying to insult or hurt you, you are wrong. Because I consider you a human being incapable of any feeling in his heart, and in such a case, nothing could be done to hurt you, and in my opinion, you are not worth even that.”
“Would you have felt the same way if you had not engaged Mr. Darcy?” he asked and immediately regretted his question.
“How dare you? Do you think if I did not have his support or a future with him, I would accept you as my father? Just for the sake of your money? Please do not assume everyone to be as unprincipled as you; it is clear that you judge everyone according to the standards you are accustomed to. Unfortunately, people may not have your wealth or status, but they have morals and values, and why I am sacrificing time explaining something you have no connection with. I warn you to…” before she could finish the sentence, they were interrupted by the arrival of Lady Anderson and her daughter.
They were shocked to see the state of affairs as Lord Anderson still held Elizabeth close.
“Mark, what is going on?” cried Lady Anderson, and Elizabeth immediately freed herself and moved away.
“What is she doing here with you, Papa? What is the meaning of this?” Miss Anderson fumed.
“Beatrice, watch your words,” cried Lord Anderson. Elizabeth wanted to leave the room immediately, but Miss Anderson blocked her way.
