Read Marriage Under Siege for Free Online Page B

tone, but his ear was quick to pick up an
underlying thread of—what? Hurt? Humiliation? His heart was again touched, the
merest brush of compassion, by her calm acceptance of her experiences.
    'That could not have been
pleasant for you.'
    'It is the lot of
heiresses, I believe. I cannot complain.'
    'Forgive me for touching on
a personal subject, but surely your guardian could have found you a more
suitable husband?' Mansell resorted to the direct. 'Lord Edward must have been
nearer sixty than twenty. And, with respect, I would have expected you to have
been married before now.'
    'Before my advanced age?'
Her hazel eyes met and held his. 'I am twenty-three, my lord.'
    A slight flush touched his
lean cheeks and a spark of anger, of guilt, glinted in his eye: he might have
broached the subject head on, but he had not expected her to be so outspoken.
'It was not my intention to be so insensitive, my lady. It is simply that, in
general, heiresses have no lack of suitors. There must have been others
more...appealing, shall we say, than my cousin Edward.'
    'You read the situation
correctly, my lord. I am not offended. There was no lack of suitors.' She was
cold now, as if reciting the contents of a recipe. 'When I was very young I was
betrothed to George Manners, the heir to the Stafford estates. I only met him
once. He was very young—still a child, in fact, even younger than I was—and
very sweet. I remember that he wanted to climb the trees in the park...he died
from a contagious fever within a year of our betrothal.'
    'I am sorry.'
    She lifted her shoulders
again dispassionately, turning her face to the fire. 'And then I was betrothed
to Sir Henry Blackmore, cousin to the Earl of Sunderland. He had very powerful
connections and had his eye to my estates. We met on a number of occasions. We
would seem to have been compatible. He died from a bullet in the head last year
at Edgehill .'
    'I see. And then there was
Edward.'
    'And then there was
Edward.' A mere whisper.
    He could think of nothing
to say about the sad little catalogue of events.
    'So you see,' she
continued, her voice stronger now, 'as long as Lord Edward was willing to pay
the price, my guardian was more than pleased to accept his offer.'
    'Were they kind to you?'
    'Sir Robert? Of course. I
was given every attention and consideration by Sir Robert and his wife. It was
his duty to do so and he took his obligations very seriously. As a Baron of the
Exchequer, he could afford to live in considerable style and I was brought up
with his daughters as one of the family. I lacked for nothing. My education was
exemplary. I have all the skills deemed necessary for an eligible bride. But a
guardianship cannot go on for ever . I believe that
the outbreak of the war spurred my guardian to push for the marriage. And I
believe that he wanted the money to donate to the Royal cause.'
    But
they did not care for you, did not love you, did they? Did she realise that she had spoken only of duty and obligation?
    Mansell felt a sudden
inclination to ask if Lord Edward had also been kind and considerate to her but
knew that he must not. It was too private a matter. And after Croft's comments,
the answer was in doubt. Whatever the truth of the matter, she was now' free of
her obligation and might achieve a happier future.
    'What will you do now, my
lady? I presume that you will not wish to return to the household of your
guardian.'
    'No. I have no further
claim on them. The legal obligation is complete. But I have made plans. You
need not fear that I shall be a burden on you, my lord. As an heiress I have an excellent jointure. It will all be clarified
at the reading of the will, but I am aware of the terms of the settlement that
was negotiated with Sir Robert on my marriage. I know that Lord Edward made a
new will on our return here and my jointure is secure. I need nothing from
you.'
    'That was not what I
meant.' He tried to quell the sudden leap of annoyance at her resistance.
'Where