“I will do whatever I can to make you proud, Father.”
Henry's icy demeanor cast a shadow over his daughters as he continued to berate her. "I don't know why it has taken you this long to do so anyway.”
Sarah's eyes fell to the floor, a silent submission to his harsh criticism, while Jane's simmering anger threatened to boil over.
Thankfully, just as tension reached its peak, Henry shifted gears. With an air of smugness, he declared, "I can at least take pride in knowing I raised a woman who attracted a high suitor."
Unimpressed by his self-congratulatory tone, Jane raised a skeptical brow, her silent dissent adding tension to the room.
Henry continued, “The Marquess had indeed been quite displeased at the broken engagement, but it’s understandable to all that it is essential I secure a Duke as a son-in-law, regardless of the fallout.”
Jane's eyes slightly rolled in exasperation at her father's materialistic values. "Now that I have settled this on every end, you must do your very best from now on to keep a good reputation, Jane.”
Once again, though every fiber of her being rebelled against his narrow-minded views, she managed to find restraint due to her sister's wide-eyed stare and silent plea for compliance.
So with a simple nod that masked her inner turmoil, she acquiesced to her father's demands.
“I shall do as you say, Father.”
