“Yes,” she answered.
Her father nodded once as if to himself, answering that unspoken question, and then he smiled. “I’ll be home in the afternoon.”
“I’ll come by then,” Collin replied, then after saying a final goodbye, quit the room.
Footsteps behind him caused him to pause. Turning, he waited for Professor Essex to catch up. “I requested the hack wait, thus you’ll have a ride home.”
“Thank you for your consideration,” Collin replied.
“And, best of luck,” the professor said as he turned back to his parlor. “You’ll likely need it.”
“Of this, we are in utter agreement,” Collin replied, then started toward the door. The hack was indeed waiting for him, a much-appreciated help, and he was soon on his way to the duke’s residence that was temporarily his own.
It had been an eventful night, one he wouldn’t forget anytime soon. He’d been beaten up; he’d almost destroyed a friendship, mended said friendship, and earned the honor of courting Elizabeth. In fact, he decided, he might have lost several battles this evening. But somehow, he’d won the war. And it turned out the battlefield was his own heart.
Nineteen
All is for the best in the best of possible worlds.
—Voltaire,Candide
“Well?” Elizabeth’s father took a seat across from her in the parlor. “Care to tell me the news?”
Elizabeth’s cheeks heated as she thought over recent events. “Lord Penderdale and I are courting.”
“Splendid! I will say I am not surprised. But I am curious…” Her father regarded her. “It seems you’ve been in each other’s company more often than I realized.”
Elizabeth understood the weight of the question and answered with caution. “Lord Penderdale is working in cooperation with Mr. Finch, Patricia’s brother.”
Her father nodded. “So, he’s been present at the Finches’ residence, and often?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth admitted. “Which has allowed us to get to know one another”—she nearly saidto fight with each other—“on several occasions.”
“I see. Well, though we are not in London, you must take care with your reputation, my dear.Society has rules, and they, for better or worse, must be honored,” he admonished. “And I know you would like to rationalize your actions, but others won’t be as generous with their logic.”
“I understand, Papa,” she answered, and it was the truth. For years, hadn’t she tried to rationalize and use logic to argue for her place in Cambridge and then with her studies? But no argument, no logic, no sound debate would revolutionize what society had deemed right. It didn’t matter if someone proved it wrong; if the majority of the people agreed, then it was as good as law.
The mind of the public had to be altered, and that was a much harder task. After all, humanity resisted change. So the rules of society applied to her as much as to anyone else, regardless of her ability to argue against their rationality.
It was frustrating, but it didn’t change anything.
“I’ll be cautious.”
“Take Molly if you go out in his company,” her father directed.
“I did today when—” She paused, earning a gently scolding expression from her father. Heat flooded her face. “Today when he stopped by to…bring something I left behind,” she admitted.
She’d never been a good liar. In fact, she was terrible. He father nodded once. “Molly is a good chaperone, but he mustn’t come into the house unless I’m present, understood?”
“Yes, Papa.” Elizabeth nodded her obedience, chafing at the truth that though she was of age, she still was under her father’s authority for the foreseeable future, and then if she were to marry, she’d be under her husband’s.
In this case, possibly Collin.
The thought gave her pause, and as much as she assumed she’d resist the idea, she believed she’d still be her own person. Collin was a lot of things, but overbearing and harsh weren’t among them, at least in her experience. Since her experience with him was limited, she’d need to understand him before she could accept a proposal, if indeed he thought to give her one.
“I’m trying to help you protect yourself,” her father added after a moment.
“I know, Papa. Thank you.” She reached over and patted his hand. “It’s getting late, and it’s been quite the day. I think I’ll retire.” She stood, and when her father stood as well, she gave him a kiss on his whiskery cheek. “Good night.”
