Page 59 of A Feud with the Duke

According to their rules, I am a woman. I have been introduced to society, advertised as a potential wife. They cannot treat me as a child any longer. But, Ruth is a kind person. She does not deserve venom.

Indeed, the look on Ruth’s face was a stricken one. They sat together in the breakfast room, side by side at the table. Pale morning sunlight flooded in through the tall windows, and the street outside was showing the first signs of waking. Alice leaned forward, taking her sister’s hands in her own.

“I’m sorry, Ruth. That was uncalled for. Please, forgive me. I…I’m just angry at the thought that you and Simon both still see me as a child.”

Ruth extricated one of her hands to pat Alice’s.

“I do. And always will, I’m afraid. Since Mama was taken from us, I have taken it upon myself to act as surrogate mother to you. Though you were halfway to being an adult by that time. It's a hard habit to break.”

“But, I am all the way to being an adult now,” Alice said.

“Yes, you are. In some ways,” Ruth said.

“Well, I am not yet married or with child. That is an aspect of womanhood still ahead of me. But, I am more than capable of making my own decisions and choosing my own husband,” Alice put in firmly.

“Is that why you are here?” Ruth asked, color draining from her face. “Have you…chosen?”

Alice laughed at the absurdity of the notion. “I have known the man for all of a week!”

“That is enough. I knew Gordon for a fortnight, met him on half a dozen occasions, and knew I wanted to marry him.”

“I believe I have made my feelings clear on this tradition of early marriages in my family,” Alice said. “I want to experience some of life first. See something of the world before I am shackled to home and hearth.”

It was a long-practiced mantra that came from Alice almost without conscious thought. But was it still true? There was no doubt that she wanted to sample the world before settling down. But was the idea of marriage still that of a shackle? If the man to whom she was married was Harold Clauder.

A life with Harold would surely not be one of home and hearth. He would want to show me Egypt, Rome, India, the high seas. All those places he has seen. I just know it.

“There is a reason for it, Alice. Marriage means children. Children mean the continuation of our family. A long-lived family. That is a duty we have as Hathways. Papa drummed that into Simon and I the moment we left the nursery.”

“And Teddy too?”

“Of course. Teddy was the heir. He learned the duties of a nobleman with his letters.”

“What happened to Teddy?” Alice asked.

Ruth blinked and sat back, folding her hands in her lap. Her face was suddenly closed to Alice.

“We have told you often enough,” she said.

“You have told me that he died. That Eloise took her own life. But, nothing specific. It is this great black cloud that hangs over our family and I don’t know a thing about what went on.”

“You know all there is to know. The man whose house we sit in now destroyed our family,” Ruth insisted.

“Do you really, honestly, believe that?” Alice asked. “Deep down.”

Ruth looked affronted. “Of course I do. On the life of my unborn child. Harold Clauder brought about the death of Eloise and Teddy. Deliberately. Out of sheer malice. Does that convince you?”

Alice swallowed. Ruth was not a liar and she certainly was not the kind of person to throw oaths around. That she had chosen to swear on her child was as strong an oath as there could be.

So, Ruth believes that Harold was responsible. But I believe he was not.

“I will come home with you and Simon,” Alice said. “But I want the two of you to stop treating me like a child. Involve me in the family decisions. I know that Simon involves you. I have an equal right. That includes sharing with me the truth about our current…situation. Don’t tell me that everything is fine, Ruth. I know there is something wrong. Do me this one favor to show me that you see me as an adult, equal to you.”

Ruth nodded slowly. “I will not speak of Teddy. I have sworn to you the truth of it. There is nothing more to be said on that subject. But as to our current situation…it is dire. Father was devastated by the actions of the old Duke of Redwood. That…reptile had been a partner to Papa in business. And he betrayed him. When Papa died, Simon inherited more debts than assets. We may have to sell the house and even then, Simon may end up in prison as a debtor.”

Tears sprung to Ruth’s eyes as she spoke and Alice leaned over to hug her sister. She rubbed her back as Ruth wept into her shoulder. Alice felt regret that she had dragged this from Ruth. However, it had to be faced. The effort of keeping these facts from her must have been telling on both of them.

“Thank you, Ruth,” Alice said.

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