He didn’t let go of her hand and she was so grateful he didn’t ask questions. He didn’t need her to confirm that the baby was his. ‘Well, then we must get married,’ he said, instead.
‘No! It will ruin your life, Hugo! I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t want your life to be affectedby something that was just – I don’t know – an instinctive thing.’
‘My life won’t be ruined, but unless we get married, your life will be.’
Lizzie swallowed.
‘I know a little bit about this because of my legal training and bringing up a baby on your own would be very difficult, even though of course I’d support you as much as I could.’ He squeezed the hand he seemed to have forgotten he’d been holding. ‘Being married won’t be so bad, I promise.’
Lizzie bit her lip but didn’t dare speak.
‘I’ve got an afternoon off tomorrow. If you’re not doing anything urgent I think we should go and see your parents and tell them we’re getting married.’
‘Do we have to? They’ve been so horrible.’ At that moment Lizzie was ashamed of her parents and their social-climbing ways although she loved them very much. She was worried they might make Hugo feel more trapped than he must feel already.
‘We do have to. I must reassure them that I’m a suitable husband for their only, much-loved daughter. Besides, we have to get their permission to get married. You’re under twenty-one.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ Lizzie said. ‘What about your parents? Shouldn’t we see them, too? Although honestly, I think they’ll think you marrying me is so much worse than you giving up the law that ifyou don’t marry me, they’ll forgive you for everything.’
‘Except that I am going to marry you, whatever they say.’
He said it with such quiet resolution that Lizzie’s brief plan of going to Hugo’s parents and then declaring that she refused to marry their son melted. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to marry him, but she wanted his happiness more than she wanted her own. Discovering it was possible to love someone so much was a revelation.
She licked her lips, preparing to say something to indicate that he mustn’t marry her just because she was pregnant and he was honourable, but she couldn’t think of the words. She was certain that was his only reason but was there anything she could say that would stop him making this sacrifice? If there was, she didn’t know what it could be.
They arranged that he would collect her the following afternoon at four o’clock. He apologised for not being able to make it a bit earlier, but he said he had a lot to do. And so it was that the next day, Lizzie was ready. She was dressed in her most respectable clothes, enhanced by a bright yellow jacket from Alexandra that looked lovely with Lizzie’s simple summer dress, which was one of the ones her mother had chosen. She was determined to get on the right side of her own parents if she possibly could.
They drove to Lizzie’s home town in Hugo’s car and arrived at her parents’ house just before five. Her mother opened the door.
‘Elizabeth! You didn’t say you were coming!’
‘And who’s this?’ said her father, emerging from his study with a harrumph.
‘Can we come in?’ said Lizzie. ‘Perhaps we could talk?’
‘Fine words butter no parsnips,’ said her father enigmatically, but her mother held the door so they could enter.
They were ushered through to the sitting room and Lizzie sat down on the sofa. Her knees were feeling wobbly. She was already convinced that the meeting was not going to go well. But maybe Hugo could rescue it.
‘My name is Hugo Lennox-Stanley. And I—’
‘You’re the man who’s besmirched my daughter’s good name and made sure this family can never hold its head up again in polite society?’ said Lizzie’s father.
‘I really didn’t mean to—’ said Hugo.
‘It was your … your primitive passion that has ruined – I sayruinedmy daughter’s life!’ her father went on. ‘I know my little girl! I know she wouldn’t have dreamt of doing – anything – that would put her in this situation unless she was either forced or seduced! And I don’t know which is worse!’
‘Daddy! It wasn’t like that! Really it wasn’t. I told you.’
‘Elizabeth, I don’t wish to hear from you.’
Lizzie took some calming breaths. Any minute now her father would tell her it was none of her business, although she was the one who was pregnant. He was determined to get out every bit of his anger, disappointment and, possibly, fear and direct it at Hugo. It was easier for him to do this than to acknowledge that his daughter was capable of having passions of her own. Lizzie looked across to her mother and saw that she was crying. She wanted to go over and comfort her but realised she risked being pushed away.
‘I’m going to make some tea,’ she said to no one in particular and went into the kitchen.
Before she put the kettle on she had a drink of water. She was shaking and felt as if she was suffering from shock. She had once nearly been run over and afterwards she’d felt just as she did now. She had never seen her father so angry. Hugo had come to tell them that he was going to do what they must want – marry her – to save her from the disgrace of becoming an unmarried mother. And her father wouldn’t let him speak. She felt perspiration break out along her hairline.
She sat down on a stool, holding her water, trembling and wanting to cry. She was half hoping that her mother would come in and they could hug andweep together and get over it, as they had when she was growing up. But Lizzie had been a biddable daughter and it hadn’t often happened, which was probably why she felt so upset now.
