Page 34 of A Lady’s Fairytale Come True
Yours Truly,
Nathaniel Norton, Earl of Glauston
He sealed the letter and called for one of the footmen who regularly ran simple errands for him.
“The coachman has an address on him from this morning. Please take it and go to the house. If you should see the father present, do not deliver the letter. If he is gone, you must hand it only to the eldest daughter, the one with the dark hair. If the father does not leave, you may return here and try again in the morning,” he instructed.
The footman nodded and left the study. Nathaniel leaned back in his chair and dreamt of the day when he might be able to learn more about Miss Digby. He could see her wit, her grace, and all of those things that made her the woman she was, so different from all the others.
That evening, when he was eating dinner, the footman returned with a letter in his own hand.
“My lord, I was able, after a short time of waiting, to deliver your letter. I have a reply here,” he said.
Nathaniel took the paper greedily, excited to see her response.
My lord,
I thank you for your sentiment. As my father is quite unhappy with what you and I have discussed, it is difficult for me to make any decision regarding this. While I confessed to you that I, too, wish to proceed, I should prefer to speak with the dowager, Lady Kirby, before I commit to any further correspondence with you. Please understand that I am not refusing you. I simply do not wish to anger my father when he has done such a great deal for me.
I shall write to your grandmother at once and arrange a meeting with her, after which I shall inform you of my intentions.
Sincerely,
Olivia Digby
It was not the response he had hoped for, but it was one he could accept. She was a wise young woman and Nathaniel appreciated the respect she was showing her father. Still, he hoped that his grandmother might be willing and able to convince her to move forward with the courtship.
All of this was extremely difficult to sort out when he knew that if only he had treated her well from the beginning, this might all have gone better.
Surely Mr. Digby only disapproved as a result of overhearing his poor actions. True, he seemed to have instructed Miss Digby not to meet with him in the first place, but he could easily have overcome those worries if only he had treated her better from the start.
Nevertheless, Nathaniel knew that he had to move forward. All would prove to be well in the end. He and Miss Digby would proceed with the courtship. His grandmother had urged him to, certainly she would urge Miss Digby in the same manner.
And if Miss Digby did not relent, he truly would live with regret.
Chapter 18
Olivia appeared again at the estate belonging to the dowager.
What was she doing here?she asked herself, thinking that she truly must be mad if she thought it a wise idea. Her father would be furious if he knew.
Nevertheless, she walked through those doors once more, hoping that her future would be one fit for a fairytale. She hoped her sisters would not have to suffer under their current circumstances. And she hoped that the Earl of Glauston might truly care for her as he had suddenly seemed to.
And while Olivia did not know if she ought to trust his sudden change of feelings, it seemed genuine to her and for that she wished to give him a chance.
“My dear,” greeted the dowager when Olivia entered the room.
“My lady,” she replied, curtseying before taking a seat when the dowager instructed.
“I was so pleased to receive your letter. Do tell me, are you well?” she asked.
“I am, Lady Kirby. Very well,” she replied. But Olivia knew that her face betrayed her emotions. She was not very well at all. She was quite confused.
“My dear, please be honest with me. I can see that there is something within you that is struggling,” she replied.
Olivia nodded and sighed.
“The Earl of Glauston has asked to pursue a courtship with me. I should like very much to accept. However, my father does not approve. I do not know what I am to do. Upon hearing of it, he was quite displeased with me. So much so that he refused to acknowledge me the entire evening,” Olivia admitted.
