Joanna took a seat, her eyes darting between her parents. Once, when she was a young girl, she admired her parents and strived to be like them—elegant and patient like her mother, strong and determined like her father. They had seemed the perfect wonderfully matched, certainly happy couple. Although, that illusion had been shattered when she’d discovered her father’s dark secret three years ago and everything—including her outlook on life and love—had been irrevocably altered.
The Earl leaned back, his fingers steepled in thought, while the Countess wore a solemn expression that gave Joanna pause.
“Why have I been summoned?” Joanna asked, not content with waiting like a sheep for slaughter. She slid to the edge of her seat and cocked her head, fixing her blue eyes on her father’s.
She’d heard that she resembled him more than she did her mother, and she could see it now. They shared the same bright eyes and full lips, while she got her elegant if slightly sloped nose and high cheekbones from her mother.
“Joanna,” the Earl began, his tone measured. “I shall not keep you waiting. The reason I wanted you to come here is this. You are to be married.”
Joanna’s eyes widened in disbelief. Marriage? She’d hardly courted anyone yet, despite having been out for two years.
“Married? Father, I’m only nineteen! Surely, you can’t be serious. Sally is not even wed yet!”
Her father shook his head. “The decision has been made, Joanna. The Marquess of Worcester has expressed his desire for your hand in marriage, and I am inclined to give him my permission. He is a widower, wealthy, and he wishes to marry you.”
Outrage sparked within Joanna. How dare her father make this decision for her? And a man who was more than twice her age? Had her father lost his mind entirely?
“The Marquess of Worcester? Why would I marry a man old enough to be my father, and a widower with two children? This is absurd!” Her eyes grew wide when she thought of Judith. “His eldest daughter is my age!”
The Earl, typically stoic, leaned forward in his seat. “Joanna, the Marquess is a respectable man, and this union will be advantageous for our family. He is willing to provide security and stability. He does not even require a dowry. It is a stroke of genius. And you should know, he has agreed to make a yearly donation to the orphanage.”
Joanna’s nostrils flared at his attempt to manipulate her. Her father and several of his peers had founded a charitable organization called Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Orphanage, and she had taken a keen interest in it. She often spent her time volunteering or helping raise funds. Her father knew this. And he was attempting to use her love for the children to his advantage.
She would not have it. If anything, it only made her madder.
“Father, surely any man who might wish to marry would show an interest in the things I care about. And security and stability? I did not know we were in need of either. Are we not financially secure?” She stared at her father, wondering if perhaps he had somehow mismanaged his funds. She’d heard stories of men who made poor investments and ruined their families as a result. “Are we ruined? Has our fortune been depleted?’ she asked with bated breath.
“It is not up to you to question me, Joanna. You are my daughter, and as such, you will do as I say. This is a good match. The Marquess requested it, and you will marry him,” the Earl snapped.
“No!” Joanna retorted, her voice rising. She had always been the most outspoken among her sisters, and while she knew it was wilful, she had no desire to rein in her temper now. “I will not be forced into a marriage I did not choose! I am not some pawn in your games!”
The Countess sighed, reaching for her, “My dear, it’s a sacrifice for the greater good. You’ll come to appreciate?—”
“No! I won’t!” Joanna exclaimed, leaning away. “I refuse to be trapped into a loveless marriage. I deserve the right to choose my own path, to find a love that is genuine and true.”
The Earl, usually composed, struggled to maintain his calm. “Joanna, we have considered all aspects. This is not a matter of choice. As your father, it is up to me to decide who you will marry, and I have chosen a husband for you. It is your duty to comply.”
“Duty?” Joanna scoffed, anger flashing in her eyes. “Duty should not come at the expense of one’s happiness and freedom. I won’t accept this, Father. I won’t!”
The room fell into a tense silence as Joanna’s impassioned words lingered in the air. Defiance hung between them, a storm brewing on the horizon.
The Earl of Carlisle, his face etched with a mix of determination and regret, met Joanna’s defiant gaze. “Joanna, I understand your reservations, but the Marquess of Worcester is not only a friend but an ideal match for you. He values your intellect, your uniqueness.”
Her skepticism deepened, a furrow forming between her eyebrows. “Is this truly about my intellect, or is it something else? Sally is far more intelligent than I am. As for uniqueness, there is none more unique than Rosy.”
Joanna didn’t want to push either of her sisters into such a marriage, but she had to make her point.
The Earl glanced at the Countess, exchanging a subtle yet meaningful look. “Joanna, you are strong-willed and independent. The Marquess appreciates those qualities. You will make a fine match.”
The room seemed to close in on Joanna as frustration clawed at her insides. “I want the truth, Father. Why me?” But then, her breath caught in her throat, realization dawning on her. “This is about revenge, isn’t it? You want me out of the house. Because I know.”
“Know?” her mother echoed, her eyes narrowed in confusion.
The Earl looked at his wife and shook his head. “Do not trouble yourself with our daughter’s emotional outbursts. She is quite mistaken in her train of thought.” He turned to Joanna, his eyes harder than before. “Child, you will come to understand that I do this out of love for you, no other reasons. Now, please, your mother and I must talk about the wedding arrangements.”
At that very moment, Joanna realized that the resentment she’d held onto had begun to morph into something far deeper, far darker.
Hate. She was beginning to hate her father.
