Read Online The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody by Isabella Hargreaves - Free Book Online
Authors: Isabella Hargreaves
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would be worse than being your wife. I would hold even less hope for esteem in society if I took that path. The outcome would be just the same – children to raise and no freedom, but with none of the benefits of status and wealth that would go with marriage.”
His anger seemed to simmer on. “You had the option to choose.”
“I don’t want either! I thank you for the honour of your marriage proposal and I thank you for consideration of me as a mistress; however, I must decline both!” She paused to catch her breath and tried to speak in her usual calm tone, her eyes not meeting his. “It would be better if we did not meet again in the near future.”
She crossed the office and opened the door indicating that he was to depart.
Numb, Jane watched Jonathan stand, bow stiffly and leave the room, the home and her life.
♥ ♥ ♥
Dazed, Jonathan exited the room. His anger drained away as he walked down the hall. He passed through the front door of the home with a preoccupied nod to Joe.
“Drive on!” he commanded as he entered the carriage.
He collapsed into the seat trying to make sense of the last few minutes. He felt the joy of having her in his arms again. He saw her heaving chest and flushed cheeks. He couldn’t be mistaken about her feelings. She had responded to him fully and passionately.
What had made her pull back into her usual reserve? What had he said?
Marry me.
Then came bewilderment.
Why would a marriage proposal, even an unplanned one, cause such a response? He knew a score of women who would have been silently whooping in triumph had he proposed to them.
But Jane wasn’t one of them. She wasn’t focused on catching the highest matrimonial prize possible. That was what intrigued him about her, he acknowledged with a grimace. But surely it could not just be explained by her championing of women’s rights. She was attracted to him. He knew it. He needed to get close enough to her to make her recognise that attraction. More than that; to make her act on it.
First he needed to know what really caused her panicked response.
Five
Jane closed the door softly, conscious of the finality of the act. It was over. That brief period of madness, excitement and attraction was ended. Leaning her forehead against the door she told herself that she had made the right decision, done the right thing for them both. Then, why was she crying? Tears were sliding from the corners of her closed eyes. She felt them tracking to her chin before they launched to the floor. Why did she feel so devastated when they had just a short acquaintance? She allowed herself a few minutes of silent sobbing before squaring her shoulders and ruthlessly wiping the evidence of tears from her face.
She walked around the solitary desk, sat down in the abandoned chair - where a few short minutes ago she had been lost in a world of sensual bliss - and adjusted it towards the waiting paperwork. Jane picked up the sheet on top of the pile and started reading. An hour later she was finished - the ledger up-to-date, a series of letters ready for the post and the desk tidied. There was nothing left to do except to speak with the supervisor, Mrs Green, before she departed.
She found Joe and sent him to bring a hackney carriage while she quickly spoke with Mrs Green. By the time the hackney arrived, she was waiting impatiently at the entrance. Joe stepped down and helped her in before giving the address and joining her inside.
Jane stopped briefly at a familiar address in Fleet Street to arrange the printing of her latest pamphlet. Within half an hour she was once again walking across the threshold of her home.
Instead of the usual quiet calm of a well-run household, a scene of upheaval and anguish greeted her. Anna ran to the door as it opened, looking stunned and blanched. “Oh Jane, at last you are home.”
“What’s happened?” Jane asked
Anna gulped. “It’s Papa. He has had a seizure. He was climbing the stairs
His anger seemed to simmer on. “You had the option to choose.”
“I don’t want either! I thank you for the honour of your marriage proposal and I thank you for consideration of me as a mistress; however, I must decline both!” She paused to catch her breath and tried to speak in her usual calm tone, her eyes not meeting his. “It would be better if we did not meet again in the near future.”
She crossed the office and opened the door indicating that he was to depart.
Numb, Jane watched Jonathan stand, bow stiffly and leave the room, the home and her life.
♥ ♥ ♥
Dazed, Jonathan exited the room. His anger drained away as he walked down the hall. He passed through the front door of the home with a preoccupied nod to Joe.
“Drive on!” he commanded as he entered the carriage.
He collapsed into the seat trying to make sense of the last few minutes. He felt the joy of having her in his arms again. He saw her heaving chest and flushed cheeks. He couldn’t be mistaken about her feelings. She had responded to him fully and passionately.
What had made her pull back into her usual reserve? What had he said?
Marry me.
Then came bewilderment.
Why would a marriage proposal, even an unplanned one, cause such a response? He knew a score of women who would have been silently whooping in triumph had he proposed to them.
But Jane wasn’t one of them. She wasn’t focused on catching the highest matrimonial prize possible. That was what intrigued him about her, he acknowledged with a grimace. But surely it could not just be explained by her championing of women’s rights. She was attracted to him. He knew it. He needed to get close enough to her to make her recognise that attraction. More than that; to make her act on it.
First he needed to know what really caused her panicked response.
Five
Jane closed the door softly, conscious of the finality of the act. It was over. That brief period of madness, excitement and attraction was ended. Leaning her forehead against the door she told herself that she had made the right decision, done the right thing for them both. Then, why was she crying? Tears were sliding from the corners of her closed eyes. She felt them tracking to her chin before they launched to the floor. Why did she feel so devastated when they had just a short acquaintance? She allowed herself a few minutes of silent sobbing before squaring her shoulders and ruthlessly wiping the evidence of tears from her face.
She walked around the solitary desk, sat down in the abandoned chair - where a few short minutes ago she had been lost in a world of sensual bliss - and adjusted it towards the waiting paperwork. Jane picked up the sheet on top of the pile and started reading. An hour later she was finished - the ledger up-to-date, a series of letters ready for the post and the desk tidied. There was nothing left to do except to speak with the supervisor, Mrs Green, before she departed.
She found Joe and sent him to bring a hackney carriage while she quickly spoke with Mrs Green. By the time the hackney arrived, she was waiting impatiently at the entrance. Joe stepped down and helped her in before giving the address and joining her inside.
Jane stopped briefly at a familiar address in Fleet Street to arrange the printing of her latest pamphlet. Within half an hour she was once again walking across the threshold of her home.
Instead of the usual quiet calm of a well-run household, a scene of upheaval and anguish greeted her. Anna ran to the door as it opened, looking stunned and blanched. “Oh Jane, at last you are home.”
“What’s happened?” Jane asked
Anna gulped. “It’s Papa. He has had a seizure. He was climbing the stairs
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