brute
with gold rings in his ears, a cutlass clenched between his teeth.
"Oh, Emma!" she burst out."You can't! You
mustn't."
"Of course she must." Lucy shot Chloe a look of
deep scorn. "It is a very good match. The captain is exceedingly wealthy
and of good family. Of course, there is no title, but, this is so much better
than I ever hoped for you, Emma."
"Thank you, my dear," Emma said in dull tones.
"My heartiest congratulations, Em." Lucy rustled
over to plant a kiss on Emma's cheek.
"Mine, too," Agnes said.Even at sixteen, she was
still mystified as to why one would be eager to be married. But she followed
Lucy's example and went to give Emma a hug. But it seemed to Chloe that it was
mostly to her that Emma's soft brown eyes appealed, looking for approval. An
approval Chloe couldn't give.
What was the matter with all of them—accepting Emma's
dreadful decision as though it were something to rejoice in? Lucy lost no
opportunity in racing back upstairs. She had to write her fashionable London friends,
boast that she was about to acquire a brother-in-law of wealth and distinction.
Agnes yawned and returned to her book.
But Chloe remained rooted upon the settee, unable to move.
Any misery, any calamity that came upon the family, Emma was always the
comforter. She had cradled Chloe all night long when the news of Papa had come.
But Emma made no move to either seek or give solace now. She tried to skirt
past Chloe, murmuring about something that needed her attention in the
kitchens.
Chloe could not let her escape so easily. She clutched at
her older sister's sleeve. "Oh, Emmy, why? Why are you doing this?"
"Well, as Lucy says, it is an excellent match."
"As if you care for such stuff. This isn't right. You know
it isn't. You are not in love with the captain."
"I am sure that, given time, I will learn to esteem
him."
"No, you won't. Not when you are already in love with
someone else."
Emma paled. "Chloe, please."
But Chloe continued relentlessly. "You are in love with
Mr. Henry. And he is in love with you."
"No, Chloe. You must never speak of such a thing
again."
"Why not, when it is true?"
Emma looked stricken. "Have I been so terribly obvious,
then, going about with my heart on my sleeve?"
"No, Emma, if anything, you conceal your feelings far
too well. But I can hear it in the way you say his name, the way he speaks of
you. And it was predicted, remember? That last Christmas Eve we spent with
Papa, when I read your fortune in the lead. It said you would wed a
clergyman."
"A silly children's game, Chloe."
"Perhaps it was, but being in love is not. I have been
expecting Mr. Henry to offer for you, oh, for ages."
A sad smile tipped Emma's lips. "Then you have little
understanding of his character, my dear. He is a poor man, but very proud.
While he can offer me so little and he is already burdened with the
responsibility of his mother and younger brothers, he will never ask me to be
his wife."
"Then you must wait. Surely something will happen.
Perhaps he will get a better living or a rich uncle will die and leave him a
fortune."
"We are a little too old to believe in fairy-tale
endings, Chloe."
"Perhaps so, but that is still no reason for you to
rush into marriage with a stranger."
"I fear there is, Chloe. We are all under a deep
obligation to Captain Trent. Not only did he permit us to continue living in
his house, but I strongly suspect he has done more for us. Papa was returned to
government service for only a few months. It is foolish to suppose he would
have been paid such a handsome settlement. I suspect, nay, I am certain the
captain has been supporting us with his own money."
"Oh, Emma. No!" Chloe exclaimed, much shocked.
"Yes, and even you must fully perceive how improper
that is. He is not even that close a relative. It places us quite deeply in his
debt. Since he has done me the honor of asking for my hand, it is clearly my
duty to accept him."
Duty. Chloe winced. That was one of those
with gold rings in his ears, a cutlass clenched between his teeth.
"Oh, Emma!" she burst out."You can't! You
mustn't."
"Of course she must." Lucy shot Chloe a look of
deep scorn. "It is a very good match. The captain is exceedingly wealthy
and of good family. Of course, there is no title, but, this is so much better
than I ever hoped for you, Emma."
"Thank you, my dear," Emma said in dull tones.
"My heartiest congratulations, Em." Lucy rustled
over to plant a kiss on Emma's cheek.
"Mine, too," Agnes said.Even at sixteen, she was
still mystified as to why one would be eager to be married. But she followed
Lucy's example and went to give Emma a hug. But it seemed to Chloe that it was
mostly to her that Emma's soft brown eyes appealed, looking for approval. An
approval Chloe couldn't give.
What was the matter with all of them—accepting Emma's
dreadful decision as though it were something to rejoice in? Lucy lost no
opportunity in racing back upstairs. She had to write her fashionable London friends,
boast that she was about to acquire a brother-in-law of wealth and distinction.
Agnes yawned and returned to her book.
But Chloe remained rooted upon the settee, unable to move.
Any misery, any calamity that came upon the family, Emma was always the
comforter. She had cradled Chloe all night long when the news of Papa had come.
But Emma made no move to either seek or give solace now. She tried to skirt
past Chloe, murmuring about something that needed her attention in the
kitchens.
Chloe could not let her escape so easily. She clutched at
her older sister's sleeve. "Oh, Emmy, why? Why are you doing this?"
"Well, as Lucy says, it is an excellent match."
"As if you care for such stuff. This isn't right. You know
it isn't. You are not in love with the captain."
"I am sure that, given time, I will learn to esteem
him."
"No, you won't. Not when you are already in love with
someone else."
Emma paled. "Chloe, please."
But Chloe continued relentlessly. "You are in love with
Mr. Henry. And he is in love with you."
"No, Chloe. You must never speak of such a thing
again."
"Why not, when it is true?"
Emma looked stricken. "Have I been so terribly obvious,
then, going about with my heart on my sleeve?"
"No, Emma, if anything, you conceal your feelings far
too well. But I can hear it in the way you say his name, the way he speaks of
you. And it was predicted, remember? That last Christmas Eve we spent with
Papa, when I read your fortune in the lead. It said you would wed a
clergyman."
"A silly children's game, Chloe."
"Perhaps it was, but being in love is not. I have been
expecting Mr. Henry to offer for you, oh, for ages."
A sad smile tipped Emma's lips. "Then you have little
understanding of his character, my dear. He is a poor man, but very proud.
While he can offer me so little and he is already burdened with the
responsibility of his mother and younger brothers, he will never ask me to be
his wife."
"Then you must wait. Surely something will happen.
Perhaps he will get a better living or a rich uncle will die and leave him a
fortune."
"We are a little too old to believe in fairy-tale
endings, Chloe."
"Perhaps so, but that is still no reason for you to
rush into marriage with a stranger."
"I fear there is, Chloe. We are all under a deep
obligation to Captain Trent. Not only did he permit us to continue living in
his house, but I strongly suspect he has done more for us. Papa was returned to
government service for only a few months. It is foolish to suppose he would
have been paid such a handsome settlement. I suspect, nay, I am certain the
captain has been supporting us with his own money."
"Oh, Emma. No!" Chloe exclaimed, much shocked.
"Yes, and even you must fully perceive how improper
that is. He is not even that close a relative. It places us quite deeply in his
debt. Since he has done me the honor of asking for my hand, it is clearly my
duty to accept him."
Duty. Chloe winced. That was one of those
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