Page 121 of The Curious Story of the Missing Lady
“I suppose you think yourselves ill-used?” said Papa.
“Ill-used?”
“Of course. I am quite the charlatan in your eyes, am I not?”
“I would hardly use that word.”
“What word, then? Rake? Deceiver? I needed my own wife to tell me to confess to my deceit. What kind of morals are those to impart to one’s daughter?”
“Papa, I won’t have you going on like this. Now, Lord Peter has an idea that may help.”
“My Lord,” said Peter, “any man with intelligence can see that you are not at fault. You were blinded by a fear of hurting those whom you love. That fear is an admirable trait, and I would take it as a moral any day over any of the empty platitudes offered by the dead philosophers on these shelves.”
“Peter,” Madeline rebuked. “That is most disrespectful.”
“No, it’s true,” said Ambrose. “A man is nothing if he does not fear to hurt his beloveds. It is what keeps him upright as a man.”
“Hear, hear,” said Peter.
“What is it you wanted to tell me, dear boy?”
“Lord Stamford, after my father passed, I was made aware that he had purchased several pieces of forfeited land shortly before he died. They are very good plots, ripe for planting and building on. Dare I say, each is a miniature estate on its own.” He leaned forward, his face intent. “M’Lord, these lands were a surprise to me. I counted them as providence after the tragedy of my father’s passing. I am prepared to offer them to you at a reduced price. The law will allow it. You may even be able to offer them as part of your fine. They may even cover the fine entirely.”
“Say you will accept this gift, Papa.”
“You’re speaking of charity, sir,” said Ambrose. He felt as though he was being pushed into his seat by an unseen hand and unable to move. “I will not have you insult me in this manner. Not in my home or anywhere else.”
“Oh, Papa,” said Madeline, burying her face in her hands.
It broke his heart to see her weep so. It heaped shame upon him where there was naught but shame already overflowing.
“Lord Stamford,” said Peter, “I respect you more than any other man save my own dear father, and to show this respect, I am going to speak honestly to you without fear of transgression. It is sheer folly to be so prideful. I would say it is a sin, but it is not within my providence to do so. And I believe if you were to clear the fog of unreason from your brain, you would see that it is not charity that I am offering, but a business partnership. Purchase my land, Lord Stamford, at the price which you name, and we will be entering into business together managing it. To the Devil with dowries! The cool head for business you offer to me is suitable enough. What say you, M’Lord?”
“Papa,” Madeline said gently, “please.”
She said the words he realised he needed to hear all along.
“For the stars, Papa. I want the stars.”
At this, he broke down, feeling all the pride, shame, greed, and complacency wash away in the cleansing tide of love that flowed over him.
“Yes,” he said through his tears. “Of course, heart of my heart, you shall have the stars at last!”
He took her in his arms and did not think of letting her go.
#
It was the hardest speech he’d ever had to make in his life. Brevity, said the traitor Benjamin Franklin, is the soul of wit. And while he’d go to the Devil before paying homage to the treasonous American, he had to admit there was some wisdom in the sentiment. He must use as few words as possible.
What shall they be?he thought.Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a slight change in plans. My daughter has decided to marry another man. Enjoy the festivities.
He chuckled to himself. It was the very absurdity of the whole affair that humbled him to the point where he could only accept it with an open heart. Itwasabsurd, but what did that matter? He was happy.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, “and most distinguished guests. You do Aspendale honour with your very presence. The fact that you are here to celebrate a most joyous occasion only sweetens the affair. But, before we begin the ceremony, I want you to know that you may all experience something of a shock. My friends, life is rich with reward for those who do not close their eyes while living it. You must pay attention, rapt attention, always. Attention is the thing that allows us to know that we are indeed alive, for it is then that opportunities arise, and we catch them, and we profit by them. I ask you, is there anything richer? Is there anything that affords us the opportunity to use our hearts for the good of our fellow men more than living life in this manner? Take me, for instance, I was so wrapped up in my own affairs that I failed to see that there was a plot brewing beneath my very nose!”
To this, several gasps sounded throughout the room.
“Oh, there is no cause for worry, I assure you. The plot of which I speak is a marvellous one and is sure to tickle you to no end. To understand it fully, however, I suppose you all had to have been here from the very beginning and watch it unfold. And you had to watch it with eyes open, not eyes closed, like I did. I speak, ladies and gentlemen, of a love that grows with care and condition, like a rare flower. I speak of a love that must be nurtured carefully, but once nurtured, will in turn bestow its beauty as an example of God’s love and grace upon those who are lucky enough to behold it. This is a love that grows stronger with time until it overtakes the garden with its loveliness. My friends, Lord Oliver Hartwell is a great man. He is kind, generous, and intelligent. And he is the man that I want as my son-in-law for all the years to come. And I will have him as my son-in-law, but as husband to my daughter Emily.”
