Chapter Sixteen – Trapped into Marriage?
Although the earl had been insistent on sending Beth from his house that very night, her grandmother had interfered. Drawing herself up straight, she had met her son’s narrowed eyes and had unflinchingly declared that she would not see her valued companion sent out into the night.
Despite his anger, the earl had eventually relented, stalking off and mumbling curses under his breath. However, since the matter did not concern him any further, he seemed to have forgotten about the whole affair the next day.
“Why?” Beth asked, shaking her head as she paced up and down her grandmother’s chamber. “Why did you insist we marry? I’d thought you’d help, but then−”
“I did help you, my sweet Beth.” Reaching for her granddaughter’s hand, the dowager countess stilled her granddaughter’s pacing feet. “You do like him, do you not?”
Once more shaking her head, Beth stared at her grandmother. “I met him only last night. I know nothing about him.”
“That is not true,” her grandmother objected, a soft smile lighting up her features. “I saw the way you two spoke to each other. I may be an old woman, but I’ve watched people pair up my whole life for many different reasons. What I saw in both of your faces was beyond even respect and admiration.”
“Are you saying I love him?” Beth demanded, feeling a bit unsettled under her grandmother’s scrutiny. Although she knew that Lord Elton had affected her deeply, she had thus far refused to dwell on the issue. After all, there was a more pressing matter to deal with!
She was to be married soon!
An indulgent smile on her face, the dowager countess shook her head. “Of course not, my dear. Love takes time. However, everything starts small, with a little spark.” Gently, she squeezed Beth’s hands. “Last night, I saw that spark. Did you not feel it?”
Closing her eyes, Beth sunk her teeth into her lower lip, unable to keep the smile that forced its way to the surface off her face.
“There you have it.” A touch of triumph in her voice, the dowager drew Beth onto the settee.
Sighing, Beth met her grandmother’s eyes. “Is that the only reason you urged him to propose?”
“What do you mean?”
Beth took a deep breath. In the short few days since she had learnt the truth about herself, Beth had grown quite attached to her new-found grandmother, and the thought that her grandmother did not think of her the same way pained her deeply. “Is my marrying Lord Elton simply a solution to the problem I present?”
Aghast, her grandmother stared at her. “Oh, Beth, of course, you’re not a problem. What made you think that?”
Folding her hands in her lap, Beth took a deep breath, trying to organise her thoughts. “Is no one ever to find out who I am? Will I never speak to my sister and have her know that we share the same father? Will my father forever see the maid when he looks at me? Do I not have the right to confront them?”
A troubled look had come to her grandmother’s face at Beth’s questions, and Beth’s heart sank. “I do represent a problem,” she insisted, knowing without a doubt that her grandmother never intended for her to claim her old life, “and now, you’ve found a solution.”
Swallowing, her grandmother turned to her, her pale eyes determined, and yet, full of compassion. “Listen, my dear sweet Beth. I can see how much this troubles you, and I wish with all my heart that there was a way for you to claim your rightful place. I truly do. Believe me.” A sad smile came to her lips. “But would you do so at the cost of someone else’s happiness?”
Beth closed her eyes, knowing full well that she would never have revealed her identity. Of course, she understood the repercussions. And yet, she could not help but feel as though her life did not matter as much as her sister’s. All she wanted was for her grandmother to care about her as much as she cared about Adelaide.
“I love you both,” her grandmother said, her eyes misted with tears as she searched Beth’s face, “as well as my grandson−although he does take too much after his father for my liking.” A low chuckle escaped her, and Beth felt herself relax. “I’m not choosing them over you. This is an impossible situation, and, of course, you deserve everything you were born to. However, I did not urge Lord Elton to propose to protect Adelaide. I did it because I believe that you two can make each other very happy. He is a good man. You saw that, didn’t you?”
Beth nodded, remembering the delight she’d seen in his eyes at her utter honesty.
“However, he’s not had it easy,” her grandmother continued, her hands still wrapped around Beth’s. “His father was a wastrel, and people have a low opinion of Lord Elton merely for being his father’s son. I do believe he is quite misunderstood, and despite the disappointment he suffered last night, he proved to be an honourable man.”
Beth sighed. “That is precisely it, Grandmother. He did not propose because he wanted to marry me, but because you made him. And then, the way he looked at me when he learnt that−”
“He was taken aback,” her grandmother interrupted. “Please, do not be disheartened. I’m certain that he will look at you differently before long. Give him some time and allow him to get to know you. I tell you, before the year is out, you’ll thank me for my interference.”
“I hope you’re right,” Beth said, unable to forget the disappointment she’d seen on his face. Would he ever forgive her for deceiving him? “I only hope he does not believe I intentionally trapped him into marrying me.”
“Even if he does,” her grandmother counselled, “I’m certain you’ll be able to convince him of your true character without much trouble. After all, was it not he who followed you?”
Drawing in a deep breath, Beth nodded, wondering what tomorrow would bring.
***
Dressing for his wedding, Tristan stared at his countenance in the mirror.
How had this happened? Three days ago, he had not even met her, and now, thanks to a hastily procured special license, they were to be married within the hour.
“I’ve never seen such a deep scowl on your face,” Derek remarked from the door. “I had thought you would be pleased with this development. After all, was it not you who had me dance with her merely to keep your competition from laying a claim to her?”
Tristan shook his head in disbelief. “Things have changed since the ball.”
“It’s been three days,” Derek observed as he strode over, his watchful eyes taking in every line of tension on Tristan’s face. “Have you even spoken to her since then?”
“Why would I?” Tristan turned to face his friend. “Everything she said to me that night was a lie, and I cannot believe I fell for it. Everything that happened was an elaborate scheme to trap me into marriage. All she saw that night, all she was interested in were my title and fortune. After all, she’s a maid−”
“A companion,” Derek corrected.
“− and what she wanted was a better life for herself,” Tristan scoffed, shaking his head at his own stupidity. “I was merely the means to an end.” Cursing under his breath, Tristan yanked on his cravat, pulling the knot a little too tight for comfort. “In addition, my uncle is now furious with me for marrying far below my station. Not that he would have been any less furious had I refused to marry her. The scandal would have been exactly what he’d have expected of me.”
As his friend remained silent, Tristan glanced up into the mirror, his hands fumbling with his cravat.
Standing behind him like a stone column, Derek had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on the reflection of Tristan’s face. And yet, his gaze appeared distant, considering, calculating.
“What are you thinking?” Tristan asked, knowing that Derek’s observational skills by far exceeded his own.
Derek’s gaze moved and met Tristan’s before he stepped back. “Nothing of importance,” he remarked as he turned away.
“Say it!”
Glancing over his shoulder, Derek caught his eyes. “Are you certain? In the past, you were far from appreciative whenever I’ve broached this subject.”
Tristan sighed, “My uncle.”
“Yes, your uncle,” Derek insisted. “At the risk of deepening that scowl on your face, I feel compelled to ask why you allow that man to dominate your life.”
“What makes you think I do?” Tristan demanded, staring at his friend. “I make my own decisions. I’m not a child.”
“While that may be true, you still base all your decisions on his idea of right and wrong, not your own. You always fear to stir his anger or lose his respect.” Stepping closer, Derek met his eyes, his own full of meaning. “You fear to be abandoned by the only family you’ve ever known, and yet, you don’t realise that in their hearts, you’re not their family. Family doesn’t treat each other the way they treat you.”
Tristan gritted his teeth. “They’re merely concerned about−”
“Excuse their behaviour all you want,” Derek interrupted, “but in the end, it won’t change the truth. Your uncle will never love you as a father, not because of who you are, but because of who he is. And the sooner you come to realise that, the sooner you’ll be at peace.”
“At peace!” Tristan spat. “How can I ever be at peace again after what has happened? Now, all my hopes for a happy future lie shattered at my feet. Even if I one day find a woman I can love, I won’t be able to marry her, have the family I want. That dream will never be now.”
A look of exasperation in his eyes, Derek shook his head. “You haven’t heard a word I said.”
“Don’t act as though you’re wiser than me,” Tristan snapped, unable to hide his disappointment. “Have you ever loved anyone? Ever dreamt of a family of your own? You yourself are driven by the need to be in control. You want everything to be exactly the way you deem it right. You don’t accept any help or counsel because you generally deem those around you unworthy of your time and attention. What would you know of love?”
Lips pressed into a thin line, Derek stood before him, hands linked behind his back, shoulders squared. “Your anger will not serve you, misdirected as it is. What happened happened,” he counselled, his voice calm, a far cry from the disappointed rage that burned in Tristan’s heart. “With this attitude, the future you’ve always dreamed of will most certainly be lost.”
“It is already lost,” Tristan insisted.
Slowly, Derek shook his head. “You liked her that night at the ball.”
“Whatever happened at the ball wasn’t real,” Tristan objected. “Everything she said was a lie, and that alone speaks volumes about her character. She’s exactly the kind of woman I’ve always despised: deceitful, egotistical and without decency.”
Rolling his eyes, Derek shook his head yet again. Then he leant closer and held Tristan’s gaze. “Be that as it may, you’re forgetting one thing.”
“And what is that?”
“You were the one to follow her,” Derek said, each word carefully accentuated. “Not the other way around. Even if she wanted to trick you, you were the one who allowed himself to be tricked. Have you ever asked yourself why?” Raising his brows at him for a moment, Derek then turned around and left the room, his words hanging in the air like a cloud of dust that refused to settle.
Rubbing his hands over his face, Tristan drew in a deep breath. The last thing he needed on this wretched day was to argue with his friend. Was his heart not experiencing enough of a turmoil?
Stepping up to the window, he glanced outside. It was promising to be a beautiful day. If only he could marry the woman he had met on the dance floor that night, and not the one she had revealed herself to be in the earl’s study.
If only.
And yet, the curse had struck again.
Would it ever end?