Rose suppressed the urge to groan.
She intended to help her sister with Julian, as promised. And she would help her sister with Julian, as she had promised. But there was a time and a place for it, and Rose would have liked to have been in a better state of mind before pressing the issue.
“Marianne…” She spoke slowly and carefully. “Perhaps we can speak of this later?”
“No,” Marianne folded her arms and scrunched her face into a tight ball. “I want to speak of it now. You promised that we would speak of it now.”
“I said we would speak of it when there was time.”
“But there is no time!” Marianne cried. “And by the time you get around to it, it will be too late.”
“Too late for what?” Their father stormed back in. “What is going on? Rose, what is your sister speaking of?”
“You know what I am speaking of.” Marianne stamped her foot. “I am in love with Julian, Father. I want to marry Julian.”
“Not this again…” He moaned and ran a hand through his greying hair. “Marianne, we have had this conversation, and we are not having it again.”
“We are!”
“No, we are not. It is not even a conversation! It is not to be discussed. I have made a decision, and I expect you to honor it. Dammit, I expect you to thank me for saving you from –”
“From what? From being happy!”
“From being destitute!”
“But I love him! And he loves me!”
“Love!” Their father laughed. “Foolish girl. Rose!” He turned to Rose. “Tell your sister that this is not an argument. You of all people should realize what marriage is for. Look at you and His Grace! What started in turmoil has blossomed beyond what anyone could have imagined. Tell your sister!”
“She is on my side,” Marianne declared. “Rose, tell him you are on my side! Tell him!”
“Tell your sister she is a fool,” their father cried out. “And you, Rose! I would have thought that you, of all people, would see reason. Again, I can’t help but bring His Grace back into the conversation. Were you not as certain your marriage would not work until it did? Were you not just as against such things? And now look at you! As happy as you like.”
“But I love Julian!”
“I don’t care who you love! You are not marrying him, and that is final!”
Rose sat silently as her father and her sister argued over her.
She stared ahead, desperate to ignore them both, praying that they ignored her, begging silently that they would forget about her, and that through some miracle they might walk out that door and solve their own problems without dragging her into it. That they would realize that her entire life did not involve saving them. To understand that she had her own problems and that, for once, just maybe, someone would help her rather than her always being the one who did the helping.
Just one time… just one time, it might be nice if my father, if my sister, helped me when I needed it. And not just help me, but recognize that I need help. Can they not see that I am hurting? Can they not see that I am breaking? Or do they just not care…
Her body was shaking as she tried to contain her anger.
The side of her lip was twitching as she tried to keep calm.
Marianne screamed. Her father shouted. And Rose sat there silently, feeling the ceiling collapse, sensing the walls close, knowing that things were going to get worse before they got better. Which was a tough realization to accept, as things right now were as bad as they had ever been.
“Rose?” Marianne said. “Tell him, Rose.”
“Ignore her,” her father snapped. “Keep your mind on work, and I will deal with your sister.”
“I am not a little girl.”
“You are my little girl!”
“Rose? Rose!”
