Page 26 of A Baron's Disguised Lady
“And is that all that matters for a woman? An unmarried woman, possessed of fortune or not, must be in want of a husband. Is that what you think?” she asked, and Archie shook his head.
He had not meant to offend her, but it had seemed a reasonable thing to say. Most women—his sister included—desired a husband. Gwendolene had had suitors, albeit unsuitable ones. But Archie had hoped she might one day find a man to marry, a man to love her as he had…
“Well… not exactly…” he stammered, feeling well and truly put in his place.
“Did you reduce your sister to the same?” she asked.
Archie was taken aback by this question. No one had ever spoken to him so bluntly. Usually, the subject of his sister was treated with hushed reverence. Her name was sacred, and no one dared to question Archie’s behavior towards her. He had not treated her as such, and yet… he had assumed as much, that was true.
“No… not at all,” he said, caught off guard by her words, as now she glared at him.
“Well, don’t do the same to me. Perhaps I don’t want to get married. Perhaps I don’t care about getting married to a man who would treat me like that,” Lavinia said, and turning on her heels—her very muddied heels—she stormed off through the trees, leaving Archie speechless.
It was quite extraordinary, and for a moment, he could hardly believe what she had said to him, or rather, he could not believe she had responded to his own words as she had. There had been no holding back, no sense of reserve.
She had spoken from the heart, and her words had affected him deeply. For a few moments, he could do nothing but stand in the shadow of the oak tree, wondering if he really had treated his sister in such a way. It seemed extraordinary, and yet…
“Perhaps I did just assume… well, I didn’t mean to, and yet… perhaps she thought so…”he said to himself, wondering if his sister, too, might have resented him, just as Lavinia seemed now to resent him, too.
***
Archie returned to Sarum Lacy House pondering what had taken place. He felt guilt for having upset Lavinia, and wanted to make amends, even as he felt uncertain as to how to go about it. Gwendolene, too, was on his mind, and letting himself in through a side door, he went straight upstairs to the long gallery, where the portrait of himself and his sister hung on the wall.
Staring up at it, he feared for what Gwendolene might have felt. For what he might inadvertently have done to her by assuming she would marry, and by pushing for it, as well.
“I’m sorry, Gwendolene… truly I am,” he said, reaching up to touch his sister’s hand.
“For what?” a voice behind him said, and with a start, he turned to find his mother looking at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
“I… Mother, do you think I pressured Gwendolene to marry?” Archie said, and his mother laughed.
“Not at all,” she said, but Archie persisted.
“I mean… did I expect it of her, do you think?” he asked, and his mother sighed.
“You were her brother, Archie. You cared deeply about her. You loved her. You wanted what was best for her in all things. Perhaps that included marriage, too. She was your ward, and you had a responsibility towards her. Why are you asking these things?” his mother asked, and Archie shook his head.
“It doesn’t matter,” he replied, for he did not want his mother to think there was ill-feeling between him and Lavinia, even as he was expecting their next encounter to be cold at best.
Her words had surprised him, but on reflection, perhaps it was not so surprising after all. Those of his rank and class rarely displayed emotion of any sort. Grief was private, even as it was universal, too. Death brought sorrow, but for a man in his position—for any man—the expectation was of stoicism, rather than an outburst of emotion.
But Lavinia came from a different world, one where emotions were not withheld, and it was entirely natural to say what one thought and felt. Lavinia had done so, and her words had made such an impact on Archie as to be quite overwhelming.
“You know your sister wouldn’t want you to go on mourning like this, Archie,” his mother said, and Archie nodded.
“I know, mother,” he said, and she smiled at him.
“And that’s why I think it’ll do you good to attend the assembly ball in Salisbury this evening,” she said.
Archie had forgotten about his vague promise some weeks previously. The assembly ball hosted by the Lord Mayor was a highlight of the social calendar. He was the Baron Sarum, an important figure in the county, and his presence was expected.
“Ah, yes…” he said, and his mother raised her eyebrows.
“Come now, Archie. It’ll be fun. And Lavinia needs a partner to dance with… someone she trusts,” she said.
Archie was trying desperately to think of a reason to refuse, but he could find none. Besides, he had made a promise, and despite knowing what Lavinia would surely think of his escorting her, he had no choice but to agree.
Chapter 10
