braiding her hair when she heard a sudden commotion outside her bedroom door. Leaving the waist-length braid hanging over one shoulder, Jenny quickly went to find the source of the commotion.
Meg, with tears streaming down her cheeks, fell into Jenny’s arms the moment the door was opened. “Oh, Jenny, Mama says I can never see Robert again!”
Lady Ross, one step behind her, said sternly, “Jenny, Meg tells me that you were aware of this disgraceful situation. It was very improper of you not to have come to me. I am surprised at you. That any daughter of mine could condone anything so improper.”
Jenny felt a headache coming on. Making no attempt to halt Meg’s sobs, she said to her mother, “Mama, they love each other. It would be heartless to forbid them to see each other. I know I should have told you, but I was hoping to find some way of gaining Sir George’s permission for them to marry.”
“Marry! Jenny, Meg is little more than a child. And I have no very high opinion of a man who would meet a girl of Meg’s age in so clandestine a fashion. This Robert is obviously a cad with no proper feelings at all. I will not allow it.”
“On the contrary, Mama, Robert is every inch the gentleman. He is strongly averse to seeing Meg in such a manner, but what more can he do? Sir George would have him thrown from the house.”
“Because he is penniless. I will not allow Meg to throw herself away by marrying a man who has not even the means to support her.”
Deciding that the time for tact was long past, Jenny said brutally, “Then you will be condemning her to a loveless marriage. Would you like to see her sold to the highest bidder? You know very well that Sir George intends to do so. Just as he tried to force me to marry that horrible Lord Stoven.”
Lady Ross said firmly, “Meg is too young to marry anyone at present. She is barely out of the schoolroom. And she will not be forced to marry anyone against her will. I will not allow it.”
Continuing to employ brutal tactics, Jenny said, “Mama, you have never stood up to Sir George. He intends to line his pockets with marriage settlements, and now that I have refused to comply, he will be twice as determined to marry Meg to a fortune. How do you mean to stop him?”
Lady Ross felt a sharp pain somewhere inside her as she saw the scorn in her daughter’s eyes. She realized then the damage she had done by bowing meekly to Sir George’s autocratic demands. She had destroyed any respect that her daughter may have felt for her.
Meg lifted tearstained eyes from Jenny’s shoulder and stared pleadingly at her stepmother. “Mama, I love Robert. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I don’t care that he hasn’t got any money.”
A plan began to weave itself through Lady Ross’s mind, and she said rather sharply, “Don’t be foolish, Meg. Without the comforts that money can provide, this love of yours would be destroyed within a year.”
Quietly, Jenny said, “Money isn’t everything, Mama. And I can give Meg a sizable dowry; that will help them quite a lot.”
Slowly, Lady Ross said, “You won’t come into your fortune for another year, Jenny.”
“Yes.” Jenny gave her mother a meaningful look, and then smiled at her stepsister. Gently, she said, “You will wait a year, won’t you, Meg?”
Her eyes wide, Meg whispered, “But it’s such a long time.”
“I know, honey. But the wait will accomplish several things. It will give you the chance to grow up a little; it will give Robert a chance to make sure that he can provide for you; and it will prove to Mama that you are serious about Robert.”
“But—a whole year.” Meg’s tears started up afresh. “I don’t know if I can bear it!”
Jenny patted her back comfortingly and stared rather wryly at her mother. “It is a little much to expect her to kick her heels for a year. She needs something to occupy her mind.”
“Yes,” Lady Ross murmured softly. The plan in her
Meg, with tears streaming down her cheeks, fell into Jenny’s arms the moment the door was opened. “Oh, Jenny, Mama says I can never see Robert again!”
Lady Ross, one step behind her, said sternly, “Jenny, Meg tells me that you were aware of this disgraceful situation. It was very improper of you not to have come to me. I am surprised at you. That any daughter of mine could condone anything so improper.”
Jenny felt a headache coming on. Making no attempt to halt Meg’s sobs, she said to her mother, “Mama, they love each other. It would be heartless to forbid them to see each other. I know I should have told you, but I was hoping to find some way of gaining Sir George’s permission for them to marry.”
“Marry! Jenny, Meg is little more than a child. And I have no very high opinion of a man who would meet a girl of Meg’s age in so clandestine a fashion. This Robert is obviously a cad with no proper feelings at all. I will not allow it.”
“On the contrary, Mama, Robert is every inch the gentleman. He is strongly averse to seeing Meg in such a manner, but what more can he do? Sir George would have him thrown from the house.”
“Because he is penniless. I will not allow Meg to throw herself away by marrying a man who has not even the means to support her.”
Deciding that the time for tact was long past, Jenny said brutally, “Then you will be condemning her to a loveless marriage. Would you like to see her sold to the highest bidder? You know very well that Sir George intends to do so. Just as he tried to force me to marry that horrible Lord Stoven.”
Lady Ross said firmly, “Meg is too young to marry anyone at present. She is barely out of the schoolroom. And she will not be forced to marry anyone against her will. I will not allow it.”
Continuing to employ brutal tactics, Jenny said, “Mama, you have never stood up to Sir George. He intends to line his pockets with marriage settlements, and now that I have refused to comply, he will be twice as determined to marry Meg to a fortune. How do you mean to stop him?”
Lady Ross felt a sharp pain somewhere inside her as she saw the scorn in her daughter’s eyes. She realized then the damage she had done by bowing meekly to Sir George’s autocratic demands. She had destroyed any respect that her daughter may have felt for her.
Meg lifted tearstained eyes from Jenny’s shoulder and stared pleadingly at her stepmother. “Mama, I love Robert. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I don’t care that he hasn’t got any money.”
A plan began to weave itself through Lady Ross’s mind, and she said rather sharply, “Don’t be foolish, Meg. Without the comforts that money can provide, this love of yours would be destroyed within a year.”
Quietly, Jenny said, “Money isn’t everything, Mama. And I can give Meg a sizable dowry; that will help them quite a lot.”
Slowly, Lady Ross said, “You won’t come into your fortune for another year, Jenny.”
“Yes.” Jenny gave her mother a meaningful look, and then smiled at her stepsister. Gently, she said, “You will wait a year, won’t you, Meg?”
Her eyes wide, Meg whispered, “But it’s such a long time.”
“I know, honey. But the wait will accomplish several things. It will give you the chance to grow up a little; it will give Robert a chance to make sure that he can provide for you; and it will prove to Mama that you are serious about Robert.”
“But—a whole year.” Meg’s tears started up afresh. “I don’t know if I can bear it!”
Jenny patted her back comfortingly and stared rather wryly at her mother. “It is a little much to expect her to kick her heels for a year. She needs something to occupy her mind.”
“Yes,” Lady Ross murmured softly. The plan in her
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