Page 33 of A Lady’s Fairytale Come True
Could it be that he really was growing soft to the idea of being with this young woman? Did he like her more than he had ever thought he would and more than he could admit even to himself?
It certainly seemed so, and the elation that he felt at her acceptance of his courtship proved to be something else that he would not have expected before. Indeed, he was not the sort of man to get overly excited about any woman, for he had never before met someone who drew out this joy.
Perhaps that was why he was so taken aback by finally discovering it.
Upon reaching his grandmother’s, Nathaniel did not quite know what to tell her. Should he give her hope? Or ought he to tell her that the young woman’s father had forbade the match?
He decided that she should know the full story and advise him as to how he might proceed.
The butler opened the door for him and Nathaniel entered, making his way to the parlour where Lady Kirby always preferred to sit. When he entered, she was sipping tea, carelessly, as if she had been there the whole time he was gone.
“Oh dear,” she remarked, the moment she saw his face. “This cannot be good. You were gone only a couple of hours. What happened? Why have you returned so quickly?”
Nathaniel sighed in defeat, but sat across from her. Instantly, a maid appeared with a clean teacup.
“With Miss Digby, all is well. Not only has she chosen to forgive me, but she has accepted my request to formally enter into a courtship with her,” he said, opening with the good news.
He watched his grandmother’s face alight with surprise. “I thought the girl more stubborn than that,” she remarked.
“As did I. I might not have expected her forgiveness, but I told her plainly the reasons for my behaviour and she was gracious towards me in the end,” he said.
“Then what is the problem?” Lady Kirby asked.
“Her father. He does not approve. And we were unaware that he was listening to our conversation, ready to share his opinion the moment he had formed it. He waited only until we had finished our discussion before making his presence – and feelings – known to us,” he answered.
“Ah, I see. And what do you intend to do about this?” she asked him.
“Truly, I do not know. What can be done? How can I make things right with Miss Digby, to pursue this potential match, if he does not allow it?” he asked.
His grandmother set down her cup and leaned back in the grand chair she always sat in.
“Do you mean to tell me that you now wish for this?” she asked him, crossing her arms and eyeing him down her nose.
“I do, grandmother. Despite myself, I find that I am truly captivated with the young woman,” he confessed.
“Well, then, I would advise that you continue to pursue her anyway. There are those who will not understand it. There are those who will not approve of it. But if you and the young lady wish to pursue courtship, it must be pursued,” she told him decidedly.
“And how are we to do this if her father does not allow it?” he asked.
“You behave in a manner that she is able to hide the courtship for now. Is that not how it is generally done amongst those of your age? We elderly are not unwise to the fact that these things occur without our consent. But if he is unable to find the proof before his eyes, you may proceed,” she instructed.
Nathaniel was surprised by this. His grandmother truly wanted him to move forward even though it meant disrespecting the wishes of Mr. Digby. He felt that this could not go well, and yet he could not resist the possibility of it.
He still did not know if he and Miss Digby would make a good match, but his interest was certainly growing and that was enough to cause him to obey his grandmother’s words. He would do as she recommended. He would pursue the young woman, quietly.
With this in mind, and this plan decided, Nathaniel left his grandmother’s home and returned to his own estate.
“Good afternoon, my lord,” the maid greeted him, to which he replied in his typical polite manner.
He knew that there was a cheer in his step and it did not seem to go unnoticed by the staff. But he couldn’t allow his mood to slow him down. Nathaniel went to his study where he wrote a letter to Miss Digby.
Dear Miss Digby,
I do hope that this letter finds you well. I am sending it with as much stealth as I am able and would request that you guard it safely that no one might come across it.
As we discussed, it is my intention to court you, properly. However, as your father does not approve, I must ask you whether or not you are still willing to allow me this fortune. If so, please reply quickly that I might arrange a meeting for us. I do believe that my grandmother should also like to spend a great deal of time with you over the coming weeks.
If this is agreeable to you, I await your reply with eagerness and hope. If it is not, then I shall resign myself to having lost, forever, the chance of getting to know you better. And I shall take that shame with me throughout all the days of my life.
