“I don’t want to be alone,” Lavinia admitted quietly. “But I would rather be on my own than to be shackled to a gentleman for whom I feel nothing, Father. I would rather be a spinster than the wife of a man I don’t love.”
“That’s the most foolish thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I think you’re just worried that people will think less of our family if I don’t marry.”
“Of course I’m worried about that,” her father snapped. “I don’t suppose you’ve given any thought to how this is going to affect your sister.”
For the first time, Lavinia did feel a touch of regret. “Edwina will be all right,” she murmured. “She’s so lovely and charming. Having an eccentric sister will do her no irreparable harm.”
“You had certainly better hope it doesn’t. If it does, you’ll be the one who will have to live with the guilt of it, Lavinia. You’ll be the one who will spend the rest of your life knowing that you damaged her prospects with your own stubbornness.”
Lavinia shook her head. “I don’t believe that will happen,” she said. “But I also don’t believe it’s something you really care about, Father.”
“What do you mean?”
“You want us married because it will reflect well on you if it happens, that’s all. You’re not concerned with what’s best for Edwina. You’re certainly not concerned with what’s best for me. You never have been. I can see that.”
“I don’t know how you can claim I don’t care about what’s best for you. I care more about it than you do, Lavinia. You are the one who has never taken your future seriously. I’m the one who has always pushed you to make decisions that would set you up for success.”
“You knew all along that what I wanted was to find love, and you never took that desire seriously,” Lavinia told him. “You pressured me constantly to accept a match to anyone at all. I see how it must make you furious to know that I’m unlikely to marry now. I see you can’t understand how it would be a relief to me to know that I’m not going to find myself stuck with someone for whom I feel nothing.”
“You’re going to regret this,” her father growled. “And when that day comes, when you find yourself alone and wish you had married while you were young enough to catch the eye of a gentleman—well, I won’t tell you that you should have listened to me. I don’t think I’ll need to tell you. I think you’ll know.”
“Perhaps I will,” Lavinia agreed. “But I tell you now, Father, that I don’t believe I’m going to regret any of my choices.”
“And I know you will,” her father scolded her. “But I’m done trying to help you, Lavinia. I’ve done all I can do. If you’re determined to throw away all your prospects and destroy your life, it’s yours to ruin.”
“Father?”
They both turned and looked at the doorway. Matthew was standing there. He had a shocked expression on his face, and for a moment Lavinia wondered if he was also here to scold her for having turned the viscount away.
“Not now, Matthew,” Lord Feverton said. “This isn’t a good time.”
“I know, Father, but it has to be now,” Matthew said. “We have a guest.”
Lord Feverton turned quickly. “Has Lord Hennington returned? Has he thought better of withdrawing his proposal?”
“No,” Matthew said. “It’s not him. It’s…it’s the Duke of Loxburgh.”
He glanced briefly at Lavinia, who felt her heart miss a beat.
The duke was here?
What could he possibly want?
A thousand ideas chased each other through her mind, each as unlikely as the next. She wished he hadn’t come. Seeing him again was only going to make all this harder than it already was.
“I suppose I’d better go and see what he wants,” Lavinia’s father said. “Lavinia—this isn’t over.”
“No, Father,” Matthew interrupted. “The duke wants to speak to Lavinia.”
“To Lavinia! Why?”
“I don’t know why,” Matthew said, though the look on his face made it clear that he had a guess. “But that’s what he said, so I think she had better go down there and see what he wants.”
Lavinia’s father looked at her. “You heard your brother,” he said. “Go downstairs and see to the duke. And for heaven’s sake, do try not to bring any further embarrassment upon this household.”
CHAPTER 37
