Read Online Lord Loxley's Lover by Katherine Marlowe - Free Book Online

into a parlor where he might speak privately with Miss Sarah. It was strongly indicated by both younger sisters, and more subtly indicated by their father, that Lord Loxley no doubt had a Very Important Matter to discuss with the eldest Miss Meriwether. This had the effect of making Lord Loxley feel like a fraud and a cheat, and by the time he was shut into the room alone with Miss Sarah, for the purposes of imminent proposal, he was utterly flustered and beginning to stammer.
    “Miss Sarah,” he said. “I, um.” He cleared his throat.
    “Please, my lord Loxley,” she interrupted, having seated herself on a straight-backed chair near the center of the room, and showing a considerable amount more dignity and composure than Lord Loxley. “I must speak. I know why you have come, and I fear that the enthusiasm of my parents and Lady Loxley has quite misrepresented my situation.”
    Startled speechless by this unexpected development, Lord Loxley blinked at her.
    “I do not wish to marry,” Miss Sarah Meriwether told him. “I will not marry, my lord, and should I be forced to marry, I shall never willingly share my husband’s bed, nor do I ever intend to bear any man’s children, and so I must beg that you give up your suit, and I hope that you will forgive me for allowing things to get this far.”
    Feeling addled, Lord Loxley found the nearest chair and sat. He searched for words.
    When he produced none, Miss Sarah Meriwether got to her feet. “I pray you excuse me, Lord Loxley.”
    “Miss Meriwether,” Lord Loxley said quickly.
    She hesitated.
    “If you please,” he said, struggling to compose his thoughts, and then blurted: “I rather—that seems a highly desirable state of matrimony, to me.”
    Miss Sarah Meriwether sat back down, watching him uncertainly. “I hope you don’t—you don’t mean to imply, that is, that you would prefer a wife to be unwilling —”
    Lord Loxley nearly fell off his chair in horror. “No! No . I meant, rather, that I would prefer to have a wife, um, never in my bed and rather disinclined toward the act of procreation entirely.”
    Miss Sarah Meriwether continued to observe him.
    “I must marry,” Lord Loxley said, at length. His ears were burning, and he wished, as he often did, that Miles were here to tease him about it. “I had no idea that you were disinclined, and had I known I suspect I might not have come.” Sighing, he fidgeted and struggled to find words. “But if I were to assure you that I should never expect anything of you but sisterly companionship, would you be willing to consider—would you marry me, Miss Meriwether?”
    “Yes,” said Miss Sarah Meriwether. “I think I will.”
    Lord Loxley felt an immediate rush of both gratitude and dread. From what little acquaintance he had of Miss Sarah Meriwether, she seemed a very serious and reserved young lady, and he didn’t have any idea how she might react at his explanation of why he preferred a chaste marriage with a woman. Nor did he have any further knowledge of her reasons for dreading marriage.
    He very much wanted to discuss the matter and their individual preferences further, but they were promptly thereafter interrupted by Miss Lucy Meriwether, who brought them tea, and then dominated the conversation for half an hour regarding the wedding practices of faeries while the rest of the Meriwether household showered congratulations upon the newly betrothed couple.

    “ M r. Rochester ,” Lord Loxley said as he burst into the study, slightly breathless from his haste up the stairs.
    Mr. Rochester had been leaning against the desk, consulting one of Lord Loxley’s books, but at the sight of Lord Loxley’s urgency, he shut the book and came to him immediately.
    “Miss Sarah Meriwether,” said Lord Loxley, “has agreed to marry me.”
    Recoiling in shock, Mr. Rochester stared at him.
    Lord Loxley wasn’t at all certain how to interpret that expression, and decided that the best course of action