“I had been invited to Addison Hall it is true, along with my mother and sister,” she spoke flatly, glaring at him.
“But it was not for a simple afternoon tea, I am led to believe. It was all day long, was it not?”
“If I might ask, who exactly mentioned it to you?” She shrugged and tried to look unaffected by it all, despite her feelings of anger and concern. “I can hardly think that you would be interested in such things.”
“Your mother mentioned it, Emmeline. She no doubt had not realized that it was a secret.”
“And it is not a secret, Cousin. There is no need for it to be a secret.”
“Then why, might I ask, are you so guarded about it all?”
“I do not choose to speak about every aspect of my life. That does not make me secretive, Sir, just private.”
“But I do not understand why you would need to keep anything private from me.”
“We are not as well acquainted as your manner towards me would sometimes suggest. I realize that we are second cousins, but we are still newly acquainted. We do not have that closeness that families have when they have grown up in proximity, do you not think that is true?”
“But you must know that I do not enquire simply as a concerned family member.”
“I am afraid that I do not understand,” Emmeline said, feeling certain that she did understand.
Above all things, she hoped he was not about to make some declaration or other. She hoped that her conversation and her argumentative stance had not brought him to this point, the point at which she could avoid the issue no longer.
“You must have noted my regard of you these last weeks.” He gave her a wide smile, his bland face suddenly busy with excitement.
“I have noted nothing but our early acquaintanceship.”
“Even at Croston Hall?” He held out his hand towards the bench she had just vacated, indicating that she ought to sit again. “Please, do sit down for a moment.”
Emmeline took a deep breath and sat so far away from him that she was pressed into the wooden arm of the bench. She could see that he was regarding her curiously and had noted her determination to have some space between them. However, she was pleased to note that he did not immediately seek to close that gap. Instead, he remained where he was, still turning the Walter Scott book over and over in his hands. When Emmeline remained silent, her cousin began to speak again.
“At Croston Hall, I thought I detected a particular regard in you,” he began, and Emmeline’s head began to whirl. “You did not seem to mind then that we sat so closely side-by-side.” He smiled at her, and it was a knowing smile.
The smile angered her and made her feel frustrated all at once. He thought he knew her, and he had decided that she was as interested in him as he seemed to be in her. But he was a man who did not listen, a man who did not pay attention to what was around him. Unless, of course, the matter at hand was absolutely none of his business, then his attention could not be diverted by anything else on earth. He really was a dreadful little character, and she suddenly wished herself a hundred miles away.
“I was not comfortable, Sir. I had thought you might have detected that rather than any particular regard. But it seems you did not note my discomfort at all.”
“I do not see any need for you to have been uncomfortable with my presence.” He sounded a little insulted.
“I was not uncomfortable with your presence, Sir, just your proximity.” The truth was that she had been made uncomfortable by his presence and his proximity.
However, her cousin now looked so downcast and insulted that she felt it incumbent upon herself to make some reparation, if only in a small way.
“Perhaps you have simply not had enough time to get to know me.”
“Perhaps,” Emmeline said, getting the terrible sense that she was being manipulated.
“Tell me, have you had much time to get to know the Earl of Addison?”
“We have become better acquainted, yes.” Once again, Emmeline was furious.
She now wished that she had not tried to spare his feelings in any way, shape, or form. The truth of the matter was that he did not deserve such consideration, and she would very well remember that in future.
“I am surprised that you find yourself drawn to another gentleman so soon after your own bitter disappointment.” He spoke in such judgemental tones that she felt almost as if she were in the church on a Sunday morning.
“My feeling on that subject is not really any of your business. I do not wish to appear antagonistic, but I do not owe you any explanations. You are my cousin and nothing more. You are not my father, and you have no control over me as I have already said. I find your intrusion most unwelcome.”
“I do not mean to intrude; I only wish to assist and instruct where I can.
“I do not need your instruction, nor do I accept it,” Emmeline spoke angrily.
“But do you care nothing for your own reputation?”
“My reputation most certainly is not at stake, and neither is it a source of any gossip, Mr Fitzgerald.” She almost spat the last words, so keen was she for him to know that they were no longer on friendly terms.
“Not yet, but I do have the greatest of concerns. After all, there would be none in the county who would think it at all unusual if you were to accept a proposal of marriage from me.”
“From you, Sir?” Emmeline said with a face which told him most clearly how she felt about such a prospect.
“Everybody would understand the simplicity and practicality of such marriage. After all, I am sure that you would give almost anything to stay here at Tarlton Manor with your mother and sister. In truth, such an alliance would be most sensible and easily condoned by all.”
“That is hardly a reason to marry. And I do not need to go out of my way to please society. And as for a proposal of marriage from you, Cousin, I would beg that you do not make one. If I have in any way led you to believe that there is some sympathy between us, that a proposal of yours would be accepted, or even welcomed, then I am sorry. But I think it is true to say that I have not done or said anything which would lead you to suspect such a thing.”
“But the Earl of Addison has not yet made such a proposal, am I right?”
“No, the Earl has not made a proposal, but again, Sir, it is none of your business.” She rose angrily to her feet, fully determining to let him have the Walter Scott book rather than stay another moment in his company.
“And if he does not make his proposal, assuming that is his intention, before the end of these next three months, then you might be in a position to reconsider your hard opinions, young lady.”
“I can assure you now, Mr Fitzgerald, that regardless of any circumstance of my life, I would never, ever marry you.”
At that moment, as she turned to leave, he reached out as if to grab her arm. However, Emmeline had perceived his movement and turned on her heel, running away from him before he had a chance to grab her at all.
Chapter 16