“It is not the same.” Evelina broke off from their walk. She stood a little distance from Margaret, reminding her of when they were children together. It had hardly been unusual when they were very little for Evelina to stomp her feet in a tantrum, but that was many years ago now.
That was before Evelina had had to grow up fast and be mother to them all.
“Money cannot buy love. It cannot buy happiness, sister,” Evelina insisted, waving a hand at the beautiful garden. She nearly struck a state of a cherub in her distraction, waving at is absentmindedly. “All the beauties money can buy… what is it worth? If you have no one to share the smiles with.”
“We cannot all be so fortunate,” Margaret said placidly. “You must know, Evelina, I can’t complain, can I? A month ago, I was facing spinsterhood because of scandal. Now at least, I have a safe and secure future ahead of me. I should be grateful.”
“Grateful!?” Evelina spluttered, racing toward her. “Why did you not ask for help? I could have got you out of this marriage.”
“How could you have done that?”
“Oh, I don’t know!” She flung her hands up with impatience. “But I would have found a way. It is my job to protect you –”
“It is not.” Margaret stepped back. “Evelina, it is high time you stopped being mother to me. You have your own child to think of now.” She nodded toward the small baby bump that was growing by the day.
“What do you mean?” Evelina laid her hands on her stomach.
“I mean that our sisters and I are not going to be a burden on you anymore.” The guilt swelled inside her. “We have weighed too heavily on you for too long now.”
Evelina blinked rather rapidly.
“That is not how I see our world.”
“It is how I see it.” Margaret stepped forward. “Too much was asked of you at too young an age. I am grateful for everything you have done for me, for all of us, Evelina, but I will not ask anymore of you. You have given up so much for us. Pray, do not now torture yourself with thinking you could have done more when it was not your place to save me from this marriage.”
Evelina sniffed. Tears began to leak out of her eyes, then she threw herself at Margaret with so much effort that she nearly knocked the two of them over as she embraced her tightly.
Margaret giggled softly as she held her sister.
“I love you dearly, Evelina. I just want to protect you.”
“As I do you.”
“Theodore? Are you even concentrating on what I am saying?”
“Of course,” Theodore answered distractedly. He held tightly onto his cup of coffee as he looked out of the window and into the garden.
Margaret and Evelina were embracing rather tightly. Desperately, he wished to know what they were talking about.
“So?”
“So what?” Theodore said.
“I knew you weren’t concentrating. You haven’t even heard what question I was asking you.” Gabriel sighed.
Theodore tore his gaze from Margaret and Evelina and looked back at his friend. Gabriel sat in a chat nearby with his own cup of coffee, staring fixedly back.
“Has Evelina spoken much to you of their father?” Theodore asked.
“Ah, very well, let us change the subject.” Gabriel nodded. “Of course. We have talked extensively of her family.” He paused, taking a breath just to sigh. “I have also seen enough myself to know that the Viscount is driving the whole family into the ground with his gambling. And his drinking.”
“Hmm.” Theodore nodded. “I gave him money the night I proposed. I told him to buy a new wedding gown for her. Do you think he did it?”
“Ah. No, I do not.”
“Then you would be right.” Theodore glowered. “That man sat here for dinner, and rather than asking his daughter about married life. Rather than talking to any of his daughters at all about their lives, he asked me about money.Repeatedly.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised.” Gabriel shook his head. “He must have viewed you as quite the prize when you offered to marry Margaret. I was prize enough, but you? With your businesses?”
