Page 58 of A Lady's Beloved Novelist
“Do you not want to talk about what just happened?” her mother asked.
It was the first time that her mother was showing some sympathy for her situation. There was a kindness, a forgiveness, in her eyes that had not been there before.
“I suppose it is all a bit much,” Andrea admitted. “The rumours of sneaking around with maids, being a drunkard, a coward…”
“Not right now,” her father cut in, before abruptly standing and crossing the room to leave.
Chapter 25
“I am not going to marry someone like him.”
She could tell as soon as she had said the words that they were not what her father was wanting to hear.
“Nor should you have to.” Her mother nodded quickly.
Andrea was shocked to see that her mother was clearly having a change of heart when it came to whom she was going to subject her daughter to marry.
It was now evening, and a few hours had settled since the eventful meal with Bella, Abigail, and Cecil. Andrea was still in shock that such an expose had come about, but she was incredibly grateful to her aunt for helping her when it seemed that her parents were not going to.
“You heard the evidence that he is not a good man,” Andrea continued. “How do you expect me to be with someone with such a reputation? We will be linked forever with him and his actions.
Is that something you really want, Father?”
Her father was sitting in the ground floor room with his chin resting in one hand. It was clear that he was deep in thought, but her direct address seemed to put him back in the room.
“It has been difficult enough to get to this stage with you,” he pointed out. “You have not exactly made things easy with trying to find you a husband.”
“No,” Andrea answered slowly. Her father raised a good point, but she was also determined to prove to him that Cecil would still be a worse choice than becoming a spinster. “I do not think that marrying someone just for the sake of it will have the advantages that you may think.”
“But you would not be cast to the edges of society.”
“But she will be ridiculed!” Her mother stepped in, much to Andrea’s surprise. “You know that we cannot let someone like this ruin our family name, not when we have worked hard to create a good reputation.”
“As the young man said, that is all still speculation. They are rumours, I prefer to deal with facts.”
Andrea should have known that with her father being such a logical man, it was going to take more than just a few accusations to convince him that Cecil was not the right man for her to marry. But her aunt had done her best. She had shown the true colours of Cecil.
“And what of his outbursts?” Andrea asked. “What of the way he spoke to Aunt Bella?”
“I thought it firm, but still fair to some degree.”
Andrea could not quite believe that the baron was still trying to defend Cecil.
“I do not agree with the way that he stormed out of the room in such a rude manner,” he continued. But what your aunt was saying was clearly to upset him. She got her wish.”
Of all that he had witnessed at the table, it was the fact that Cecil had not thanked them before leaving the room that had stuck with him the most. Andrea was in disbelief as she shook her head.
Running a hand through her hair in frustration, she took a moment to at least be thankful that her mother appeared to be on her side. She was at leasttryingto reason with her father in the sense that they should investigate the allegations further.
“I have seen him talking with the maids here in a similar manner to the way that Aunt Bella said he has conducted himself elsewhere,” Andrea added. She did not want to sound desperate, but she was terrified of her father enforcing his opinion as he always did—especially if it was not going to be in her favour.
“I will not marry him. I cannot do so after learning about what he is really like,” Andrea added. She was not going to back down. Normally once her father had said no, she would cease with her argument and try to approach him with it another day. She was good at choosing her battles, but at that moment, she wanted nothing more than for him to agree with her.
“Are you refusing me?” he asked with narrowed eyes.
Andrea had to remain strong, even though everything in her being was telling her to shy away from the question. She glanced over to her mother for some support, but she knew that she had to answer the question.
“I am telling you that I refuse to marry the man who is not whom he first presented himself to be.”
