“Emma is not the one who needs to.”
“But I do?” Alice tried to tamper the frustration growing in her as she looked at her father. “Why don’t you simply come out and say what your true plan is, Father? You know I dislike having to beat around the bush.”
“I have no other plans but to strengthen the good relations between the Marquess’ family and ours.”
“Strengthen through good hospitality, Father? Or through marriage?”
The Duke tightened his lips and looked away. “You know it is what’s best for you, Alice. I simply cannot understand why you are so against it.”
Her cheeks flushed with heat as her frustration that began to mount to anger. Of course, her father would not understand. He had not been in the position of a thirteen-year-old girl watching as sadness overtook her father following the passing of his wife. He did not watch as dark clouds crowded the hallways of Warington Manor nor saw how she’d been forced to step in as mother to a young Emma who could barely process her mother’s death. He had not watched helpless as he tried to piece himself back together, but still suffered constantly even years following the late Duchess’ death.
Alice had seen it all. Sometimes, it felt as if she’d suffered the most. In those years, she’d lost both parents. One had been buried and the other roamed the hallways like a forlorn ghost who could not find its place to rest. She’d tried to pretend she was fine, to make sure that Emma did not have to suffer as much as she had, and it had left her with a cynical view of love and marriage. But underneath it all, Alice knew she was simply too afraid to give her heart to someone and open herself up to that kind of pain.
All those words rushed to the tip of her tongue and in the heat of the moment, she nearly said it all. She swallowed them instead, tampering the unreasonable anger until she felt more like herself again. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked at her father.
He only wanted the best for her. She knew that. After he’d come back to himself, he’d worked tirelessly to ensure that he was the father they needed him to be and Alice had learned to forgive him for his time of neglect. Right now, she tried to remind herself that it was simply because he loved her that he was pushing her like this.
“I have told you before, Father, and I shall say it again. I do not wish to be married and every proposal that comes my way shall be turned down. So you do not need to hope for me to accept the Marquess or Lord Christopher as a suitor. It won’t happen.”
Now it was the Duke’s frustration that grew to anger. “Alice—”
“However,” she continued. “I shall try my utmost best to be as cordial a host to our guest as I can be. I hope you can be content with that.”
With that said, Alice rose and respectfully bowed her head to her father before turning to leave. She knew she might regret those words later, that letting her disgruntlement get the best of her was likely not her best moment. But she’d already spoken her piece and now it was up to her father to decide whether to listen to it.
Before she reached the door, the Duke said, “Your mother would have wanted differently, Alice.”
Pain lanced through her at the memory of her dear mother. With a beauty that knew no bounds, and a heart that was large enough to accept anyone she met. Her father was right. Her mother, as kind as she was, would have wanted Alice to find the love she herself had found in the Duke.
“Perhaps,” Alice agreed, keeping her blurring eyes on the door ahead of her, “but I have never been as strong as Mother was.”
With that said, Alice left the room, leaving her father staring after her.
Chapter 3
Alas, Alice didn’t get to wallow in her room for as long as she’d hoped. Only an hour since she’d gone to her chambers, hoping to distract herself from the sad memories of her deceased mother with a copy of one of Lord Byron’s publications, Nancy came to inform her of her father’s request that she join them for lunch.
And by them, Alice knew that would inevitably include their new guests.
The fact that she would have to be in the presence of Lord Erlington soon made her reluctant to go. So reluctant in fact that when she arrived at the dining room, she found that they were all present and waiting for her.
Even though she’d told her father that she’d try to be as cordial as she possibly could, irritation mounted in her the moment she laid eyes on the Marquess. He claimed his seat with such a laidback posture, looking right at home, that her irritation threatened to rise and choke her. He didn’t look away when he caught her eyes, only lifted the side of his lips into a small smirk.
He must think me to be quite smitten by his looks. Heavens, rakes are most certainly the most infuriating of all English gentlemen.
Alice tried to maintain her composure as she made her way to her seat next to Emma. “Pardon me for being late,” she murmured, mostly to her father and sister.
The Duke slid into the silence instantly. “Lord Erlington, Lord Christopher, I pray you settled in well?”
“Yes, everything went quite well by way of unpacking,” Christopher said with a nod. Alice watched him as he spoke. He was far tamer than his brother, certainly not as arrogant. Perhaps, had there not been any pressure from her father, she might not be so turned against him.
“And you, My Lord?” the Duke probed, looking at William.
Alice didn’t dare to look at him, not wanting to chance meeting his eyes. She focused instead on the cucumber sandwich before her, cutting into it with her knife.
“Though I’d thought to retire to my chambers for a short rest,” Lord Erlington said, his low baritone trembling throughout the room. Or perhaps it was trembling throughout Alice alone. She couldn’t be certain, “I was far too excited to actually fall asleep. You have quite an impressive estate, Your Grace, I must say.”
“Are you interested in landscapes, My Lord?” Emma asked by Alice’s side.
