“I have no need to be polite to you, Phillip. We are already friends, and I’m not a lady for you to court!”
They laughed together.
“I will consider a dance with her,” Phillip said finally.
“That is wonderful. I’m sure she will be delighted.”
“Perhaps you will set it up for me? Find out when she is available?”
“I think it is more whether or not you are available, Phillip. You are the host. Is your schedule already full?”
Phillip pondered it for a moment. “I suppose it is for the night. And your Marie will need to be playing the piano anyway. I do believe she will be singing shortly as well. She does have a beautiful voice.”
“She does.” Cornelius nodded in agreement.
“I will have to dance with her next time. If she comes out from behind the piano.”
“We will just have to make sure she does.”
Phillip watched the three sisters, thinking that they were all very beautiful women. He could, by rights, have his choice. But he wasn’t about to imprison himself to a life of misery by choosing a woman for her looks. He desired respect and love. Not position and outer beauty. Many of the women he danced with were charming. But he could see through the fake behavior to what was underneath. They wanted to be a Duchess. That was clear to see. They didn’t care how he felt about them. And that was if they didn’t turn away in disgust because of the way he looked. He knew his facial scar made him look angry most of the time. But there was nothing he could do about that.
Marie laughed, looked over and caught his eye. They gazed at each other for a moment before both of them moved their eyes away. He wondered what she thought when she looked at him.
Most likely the same thing the rest of them thought. Something unpleasant.
But her eyes had lingered a little longer than the other women who looked at him. And there was something about her smile. It hadn’t slipped when he caught her eye.
He wondered…
A few days later, the door to Marie’s room burst open, and Jenny came running through, sobbing, her hands covering her face. Marie stood up from her place at the desk and ran to her.
“Jenny! What’s happened? What’s wrong?” Marie grabbed her sister and took her to her bed beside the desk, sitting on the edge with her arms still wrapped around her. She began to rock her and smooth her hair back from her forehead.
“Oh, Marie, it’s horrible! It’s horrible!”
“Sshhh. Tell me what’s wrong, my dear?”
She looked over when Lucinda and Caroline came through the open door, both shaking their heads and looking tragic.
“Wait till you hear, Marie. Oh my goodness!” Lucinda came straight over to the bed and sat on the opposite side of Jenny, facing her sister to comfort her like Marie. “It’s going to be okay, Jenny. It really will! Somehow it will change. Something has to change! Oh, my! Oh, my!” Lucinda was still shaking her head. She looked up at Marie.
“Will you tell me what’s happened?” Marie asked softly.
“Oh, that brute Duke Arlington has asked papa for Jenny’s hand in marriage and plans to begin courting her! They are to meet for a carriage ride and dinner tomorrow afternoon!”
Marie felt her heart fall into her stomach, and she was sure she became quite pale. “Phillip? I mean, Phillip Arlington? Duke Arlington?” She didn’t know why she kept repeating his name. She couldn’t seem to get it out correctly.
Lucinda narrowed her eyes. “Yes. You know, the ugly one with the scar.”
“He isn’t ugly, for goodness sake!” Marie said defensively.
Lucinda’s eyes went from narrow to wide open. She stared at Marie, still patting Jenny’s back. She didn’t say anything, and Marie was glad.
Marie turned her attention to Jenny. She leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Jenny, my dear, this is tragic news. What…what about Jonathan?”
Jenny lifted her head up, dropping her hands angrily in her lap and turned raging eyes to Marie, who pulled away a little in surprise. “Yes!” She snapped. “What about Jonathan! What about my Jonathan! What about me! What about what I want! I won’t do it! I won’t do it!” She stuffed one hand in her mouth and screamed into it.
“Calm yourself, sister,” Marie said, soothingly, moving back in to hug her sister and whisper in her ear. “I must beg you to calm yourself and think logically for a moment. We can figure something out. I promise you we can.”
Jenny’s anger abated enough for her to wrap one arm around Marie and push her face into her sister’s shoulder.
“Oh, Marie, I don’t see how. Papa has already given his consent.”
“Phi..Duke Arlington could change his mind. You never know.”