Page 51 of A Maid's Fateful Courtship
“I can help you, Josephine," Lady Cynthia offered. "I will enquire with friends and seek out a good position for you. Though I am loathed to see you go. That was why I had hoped you would come with me as my private maid because I value your company, but it was not to be.”
“You are very kind, Lady Cynthia, but my time here is to come to an end," Josephine said, apprehension in her mind but she would overcome it eventually. "I was lucky enough that the marquess took me in as a child. Now that I am an adult, I must make my own destiny.”
“There you go with your old wise head,” Lady Cynthia said, smiling at her childhood companion. “I will ask around though, and we will make sure that you move on to somewhere where you can be happy.”
With that promise, Lady Cynthia got up to leave. “Forgive my brother for what he has done. He does only what is best for the estate, but not what is best for his heart, dear Josephine.”
As Lady Cynthia disappeared through the door, Josephine lay back down with her thoughts. She too had a heavy heart but there were to be no more tears. At least she was getting help to move on, but there was no help to be had for her broken heart.
Chapter 40
Ethan battled with his emotions. His head screamed out that this was not how it was meant to be. He did not want to marry Lady Matilda, yet here he was, on his wedding day, marrying a woman he did not love. This was the day when all hopes of being with the woman he truly loved would end. It may well be the end of any chance of happiness.
Father Prescot was standing by Ethan's side in the main drawing room of Sarandale Manor. This was a day of endings and not of beginnings, for without Josephine there was nothing.
Ethan knew that the priest was unaware of how sour the marriage he was about to perform was going to be. Should he tell him? But what could that achieve other than chaos and scandal for both families? Not that he cared about disgrace or dishonour for himself, but he did care about his family.
There was nothing for it, he must go through with this farce of a ceremony. Yet did not Lady Matilda realise that he had no love for her?How could she be so blind?He could only think that she was marrying him for status, for there were no signs that she loved him either.
He was desperate to shift his thoughts away from what was about to happen, or he would go mad with despair. An image of Josephine came to mind; her petite figure compared to his tall stature.
He envisaged her strawberry blond hair blowing about her face in a meadow of red poppies. The sparkle in her emerald green eyes as they looked upon one another. The feel of her warm, cherry lips as he pressed his mouth over hers—
Pushing away his churning thoughts, he started to feel uneasy. Not that it was possible to be any more agitated, yet something prickled against his senses. Looking up, he glanced around the room, for the first-time paying attention to his surroundings. The room was filled with his family members, but there seemed to be none from Lady Matilda's side.
His eyes were drawn to a particular corner of the room, and there he noticed Lord Thomas glaring back at him. Ethan's hands clenched into tight fists by his sides, at the very sight of the man who had insisted on this wedding. Nothing would give him more pleasure than to punch the cretin in his face.
He had never liked the man. The only reason he had endured his presence was for the sake of his own brother, Anthony, who had befriended him in childhood. Lord Thomas was the main one pushing for this marriage, and Ethan had allowed his manipulations to affect his decision. Yet… something about Lady Matilda's brother caused alarm bells to ring in his head.
Pushing the thought aside, Ethan pondered over how his father still believed that he had chosen Lady Matilda as his wife-to-be. The marquess had deduced that on that fateful day in the library, his oldest son had simply bungled his proposal. That he had gone about it in the wrong manner, and that his accident had been all down to love.
As he thought of his father, the marquess appeared in the open doorway and smiled over at him.Father thinks me nervous over my marriage day, but no, Father, it is anger that I suffer from and not nerves. Ethan's thoughts were not good ones but nonetheless, he smiled back at the marquess.
Marcus was followed by Ethan’s siblings, Anthony, Cedric, and his sister, Cynthia all entered the room to ready themselves for the ceremony. They did not show the signs of misery that Ethan felt.
If anything, they chatted over some amusing conversation, looking as if they were happy over the upcoming nuptials. It seemed to Ethan that everyone was smiling, except for him.I wear a downtrodden expression, and I will wear it for the rest of his life.
And then his wife-to-be entered the room. His stomach churned as if it was knotting itself inside and out. Granted, she looked beautiful in her marriage gown and would make an amazing bride—if only for someone else. Her brother stepped over and took his place by her side.
Ethan noted that Lord Thomas did not greet his sister with fondness. Instead, he loomed over her as if attempting to keep her under his control.At least she will be free of you.Ethan smirked that something good thing might come out of this joining. Lord Thomas had always been one to domineer his sister, but Ethan would allow it no more.Let us see how you like that, you bullying cad.
The priest cleared his throat with a light cough, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. The buzz of chatter died down and everyone turned to face the priest. As the priest began to drone on, reading from the Common Book of Prayers, Ethan paid no heed.
He caught snippets of words that the priest repeated, but for most of the time, he stood with a frozen stature and looked at no one in particular.
“Dearly beloved—” and so it began.
His wife-to-be had moved to stand by his side. It caused him to feel even more ill at ease because as far as Ethan was concerned, she did not belong there. That place belonged to another. The woman he truly loved should be standing there, but there was nothing he could do to change that.
“First, it was ordained for the procreation of children—” Ethan caught the priest’s words.Children?he pondered, and it caused him to wonder whether he wanted any children in this world, other than Josephine’s.
“Second, it was ordained as a remedy against sin, and to avoid fornication—” Ethan heard. At that moment, he realised that he had no desire for his bride, none whatsoever.
He shuffled in his stance and shifted his glance around the room. His eyes locked on to those of his brother's, Cedric, who seemed to be glaring at him with an intense stare. Cedric wore a look of torment and worry, but Ethan had no idea why, and nor did he care. He had enough of his own worries without musing on the concerns of others.
“Therefore, if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak…”
Is this priest ever going to get the end of this laborious ceremony?Ethan brooded, knowing this was only the beginning of the whole long-drawn-out affair.
