forced to marry against their will. It is one thing to forbid what is obviously an unsuitable match, quite another to force a girl to marry a man she abhors.”
“I’m the head of this family!” Sir George bellowed. “I make the decisions.”
Lady Ross glanced at the quiet figures of Meg and Jenny. “Jenny, you and Meg wait for me upstairs.”
“Yes, Mama.” Jenny immediately began shepherding her stepsister toward the door, feeling a new respect for her mother.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Sir George began his tirade. “What the hell is going on here? What do you mean by encouraging those girls to disobey me? I run this house and I’ll thank you to remember it.”
“I will thank you to remember,” Lady Ross replied calmly, “that while you may or may not be the head of this family—depending, I suppose, on your point of view—I control the purse strings. The girls will go to London.”
Sir George went beet-red with fury. “I am your husband! You will obey me!” he thundered.
“No,” she said very quietly. “I will not obey you—not this time. My obedience to you in the past has all but lost me my daughter’s respect.” She gave her head a tiny shake, as if to throw off unwelcome thoughts. “In any event, Jenny and Meg are young women now and cannot be treated as children. They will go to my old friend, Lady Beddington, who is Jenny’s godmother, and will make their come out this year.”
“I forbid it.”
“I am afraid you have no choice in the matter, George. You have several rather large outstanding gambling debts. Unless you agree to send the girls to London, those debts will not be paid. And since you sold your own estate and spent the proceeds long ago, you will find yourself at something of a stand.”
For the first time in their marriage, Sir George felt oddly unsure of himself. There was an expression in his wife’s eyes that he had never seen before—strongly resembling the glint of determination that he had seen in Jenny’s eyes on more than one occasion. He had no doubt that she meant exactly what she said. And she was right—he had no choice.
Lady Ross entered Jenny’s bedroom to find the girls waiting tensely. “Meg, Jenny, start packing—but only enough for two or three weeks. You will both need completely new wardrobes for your come out.”
“Mama—” Meg burst into tears. “Please don’t make me go. If you would only meet Robert . . .”
Lady Ross touched her cheek gently. “Meg, I’ll make you a promise. Go to London with Jenny, go to all the parties and balls, laugh and dance and flirt with the young men. And when you come home in the summer, if you are still of the same mind, I will meet this Robert and we will see what can be worked out.”
“But, Mama—”
“Meg. You will experience the pleasure of your come out only once in your lifetime. Enjoy it while you can—before you become tied to a home and family.”
Jenny, who had been thinking hard, stepped forward then. “Let me talk to her, Mama.” She smiled warmly at her mother.
Lady Ross smiled in return and quietly left the room. Jenny found a handkerchief and firmly dried Meg’s tears. “Meg, listen to me. Where does Robert live?”
Meg’s sobs died away and she stared at Jenny through suddenly hope-filled eyes. “In London!”
“Exactly. And the two of you will be able to see each other in a perfectly respectable fashion.”
Meg threw her arms around her stepsister. “Oh, Jenny, isn’t it wonderful? We’ll dance together and go riding and—” She broke off with a gasp. “Good heavens—I must go and pack!” She raced from the room.
Jenny sighed rather wearily and turned to her own packing. She felt no compunction in raising Meg’s hopes; if it was humanly possible, she meant to see the young couple wed within a year.
She straightened from her work and frowned slightly. She would send Robert a note and ask him not to make any attempt to see Meg for a few
“I’m the head of this family!” Sir George bellowed. “I make the decisions.”
Lady Ross glanced at the quiet figures of Meg and Jenny. “Jenny, you and Meg wait for me upstairs.”
“Yes, Mama.” Jenny immediately began shepherding her stepsister toward the door, feeling a new respect for her mother.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Sir George began his tirade. “What the hell is going on here? What do you mean by encouraging those girls to disobey me? I run this house and I’ll thank you to remember it.”
“I will thank you to remember,” Lady Ross replied calmly, “that while you may or may not be the head of this family—depending, I suppose, on your point of view—I control the purse strings. The girls will go to London.”
Sir George went beet-red with fury. “I am your husband! You will obey me!” he thundered.
“No,” she said very quietly. “I will not obey you—not this time. My obedience to you in the past has all but lost me my daughter’s respect.” She gave her head a tiny shake, as if to throw off unwelcome thoughts. “In any event, Jenny and Meg are young women now and cannot be treated as children. They will go to my old friend, Lady Beddington, who is Jenny’s godmother, and will make their come out this year.”
“I forbid it.”
“I am afraid you have no choice in the matter, George. You have several rather large outstanding gambling debts. Unless you agree to send the girls to London, those debts will not be paid. And since you sold your own estate and spent the proceeds long ago, you will find yourself at something of a stand.”
For the first time in their marriage, Sir George felt oddly unsure of himself. There was an expression in his wife’s eyes that he had never seen before—strongly resembling the glint of determination that he had seen in Jenny’s eyes on more than one occasion. He had no doubt that she meant exactly what she said. And she was right—he had no choice.
Lady Ross entered Jenny’s bedroom to find the girls waiting tensely. “Meg, Jenny, start packing—but only enough for two or three weeks. You will both need completely new wardrobes for your come out.”
“Mama—” Meg burst into tears. “Please don’t make me go. If you would only meet Robert . . .”
Lady Ross touched her cheek gently. “Meg, I’ll make you a promise. Go to London with Jenny, go to all the parties and balls, laugh and dance and flirt with the young men. And when you come home in the summer, if you are still of the same mind, I will meet this Robert and we will see what can be worked out.”
“But, Mama—”
“Meg. You will experience the pleasure of your come out only once in your lifetime. Enjoy it while you can—before you become tied to a home and family.”
Jenny, who had been thinking hard, stepped forward then. “Let me talk to her, Mama.” She smiled warmly at her mother.
Lady Ross smiled in return and quietly left the room. Jenny found a handkerchief and firmly dried Meg’s tears. “Meg, listen to me. Where does Robert live?”
Meg’s sobs died away and she stared at Jenny through suddenly hope-filled eyes. “In London!”
“Exactly. And the two of you will be able to see each other in a perfectly respectable fashion.”
Meg threw her arms around her stepsister. “Oh, Jenny, isn’t it wonderful? We’ll dance together and go riding and—” She broke off with a gasp. “Good heavens—I must go and pack!” She raced from the room.
Jenny sighed rather wearily and turned to her own packing. She felt no compunction in raising Meg’s hopes; if it was humanly possible, she meant to see the young couple wed within a year.
She straightened from her work and frowned slightly. She would send Robert a note and ask him not to make any attempt to see Meg for a few
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