Chapter 2
Iris brusheddown the green silk of her dress while running her fingers over the embroidered flowers as she moved her hands downwards. Iris did not enjoy the way that the clothing felt on her one bit. With the stays holding her waist in place, and her hair tied up so tightly it pulled on the skin of her face, Iris felt like she was playing a character. Also, a bit like she was being proppedup.
It was ironic for her to feel that way on one of the only occasions when she was dressed like the lady she was always supposed to be, but Iris could only be herself in her simple dresses, locked away in her room. This was another personentirely.
“Do I look like a lady?” she asked Daisy nervously. “My father doesn’t like me to look any other way, even if it’s only a visit to his office.” With Robert, she was always in a role. “Is my hair right? Ithurts.”
“If it hurts, then you know that it’s right,” Daisy replied wryly. “I remember when I first got Olivia dressed for a social occasion, it must have been during her season... she sure did complain.” Daisy laughed loudly. “But I’m sure you can imagine that. She moaned and screamed at me for hours. If I did not work for her, I might have slapped the hysteria right out ofher.”
“She always was a moaner,” Iris nodded with a brief ghost of a smile playing on her lips as she recalled a time when this large house was filled with voices and laughter. Before she was totally alone within its walls... well, almost alone. “And the shameful thing is now she has all the reasons in the world to complain.” It did not matter to Iris that their father undoubtedly helped Olivia to keep her financially afloat, it was the shame that upsether.
“Right,” Daisy tactfully stood in front of her to stop Iris from brooding. When the black cloud clung to her head it was challenging to keep her upright. It did not happen very often anymore, but this would be the worst time for it to come on. Her father would not like it at all, he had little patience for these things, which was why he did not see his daughter often. “Let’s get going now. You wouldn’t want to keep your fatherwaiting.”
Iris clung to her arm and allowed her friend to lead her from the room. As they made their way through the grand hallways of the house, towards the spiral staircase, Iris did not want to let go. She knew that Daisy would not be allowed in her father’s office with her because it wasn’t polite for servants to enter private quarters of the house except during the rare times that they were permitted, but she couldn’t help wishing that she could keep her support blanket with her at alltimes.
“You will be fine,” Daisy whispered quietly to her as she sensed how Iris was feeling. “This might not be what you suspect it tobe.”
Iris did not answer Daisy because she was so busy trying to calm her breathing down. She sounded erratic and panicked, and those were two things that her father certainly didn’t approve of. He loved the grace and poise of her mother, her sisters too, to a slightly lesser extent, and Iris felt like it shamed him that she was so different. She had the makings of a lady within her, but not the naturalgrace.
There were hard, wooden chairs against the white washed wall outside of Robert’s office, so as soon as they arrived there Iris sat down in one of them. She folded her legs at the ankles, and she crossed her arms in her lap, but that was where her ladylike look ended. Iris couldn’t stop her face from screwing up in concern, she had absolutely no control over the tears in the corners of her eyes, and the anxious fidgeting just would notstop.
“I have to leave you now,” Daisy told her regretfully. “But I will come back to you once your meeting isdone.”
“Yes, that should be lovely,” Iris replied formally. “I will see you in awhile.”
As her heartbeat caused an uncouth level of noise, Iris fixed her gaze on the painting that hung above the door to her father’s room. It showed a bird flying high, soaring above the tiny world below it. The brown of the wings contrasted well with the bright blue sky, and the perspective was incredible. Every time she looked at it, Iris noticed something new to discover in that tiny world. To Iris, the bird represented freedom, the sort of carefree life that she would never be allowed herself. She loved staring at it, her imagination ran wild, but she didn’t get to look at it much because of where itwas.
Maybe today would be the day the image represented the loss of her freedom, and she would never be able to look at itagain.
“Iris,” her father’s voice boomed through the wall, making her jump. “I already know that you are out there. You might be four minutes early, but you might as well comeinside.”
She leapt from her seat and took tiny rapid steps towards the door. It was almost as if her feet were moving in such a strange way because they wanted to scurry off in another direction entirely. Not that she would ever follow through on that urge. She always did what was needed of her, if not what was wanted ofher.
Iris pushed the large, heavy door open, and she peeked her head around the door. Her father's office was always dark because he liked to work only by the small lamp on his desk. Against the mahogany wood that seemed to fill most of the room, including the oversized bookcase that filled one of the walls, there was an orangey-red tint to thelight.
“Hello, father, shall I come inside?” Her feet danced back and forth while she waited for him toanswer.
“That is why I called for you.” He always sounded exasperated by her, so this answer was hardly surprising. “Come in, Iris, sitdown.”
She moved rapidly and took a seat. Robert continued to write for a while, almost as if he was doing it on purpose to make her feel uncomfortable. Iris knew that it was expected of her to keep still and silent, but as always her body had other ideas forher.
“I’m afraid it is not good news, Iris.” Finally, his eyes came up to meet hers, and she jolted under the shock of his intense look. “I have been to the doctor today, and I have learned that I amsick.”
“S... sick?” Iris’s brain did somersaults, as did her stomach. She couldn’t quite process what this meant. As she stared at her father she could see some subtle differences, but nothing so dramatic that she would’ve noticed right away. His hair had fallen out in patches, his skin looked yellow and sallow, he had lost a little weight... but she never would’ve guessed that he was seriouslyill.
“Yes, fever. I will not live long.” There was absolutely no emotion in his voice as he declared this. It seemed Robert intended to die exactly as he’d lived his whole life – in a business like fashion. Iris would have preferred a moment to digest this, but she wasn’t getting the chance. “I know you won’t like this, but I have to ensure that you are wed to a good man before I pass.” Iris’s heart sunk, she should’ve known it would still come down to this. It always came down to this in the end. “I know you have had your... troubles in your life, but it is time to grow up Iris. You need a husband if I am no longer around to protect you. This is a man’s world and you need to find your place withinit.”
Iris bit down on her lip so hard that she feared she might draw blood. One of the tears finally made its way out of her eye and spilt down onto her cheek. She nodded vigorously because she didn't trust herself to speak justyet.
“I have some prospects foryou...”
A bubble burst in Iris’s mind. Along with the flow of tears came a flurry of unexpected words. “Prospects already? But people do not know me, I cannot marry someone I do notknow.”
Robert’s eyes narrowed. He hated being challenged, especially on a topic that he did not consider anyone else having an opinion on. “Iris, I have been very patient with you over the years. I have allowed you your space while you recovered from your mother, but now it is time to move on. You have to behave in a way that’s expected of you, and this is the next logical step. It is already almost too late; a lot of suitors will consider you tooold.”
“I don’t want to get married, can I not just stayhere?”
Robert slammed his hands down hard on his desk and he rose to his feet in temper. “Donotbe so selfish, Iris. This inheritance is not yours alone. What about Olivia and her children? Do you not think that they deserve more? And Elizabeth, she might be set up well but we need to consider her,too.”
