“Will you live in his London home when you are married?”
“Mother told you to not ask anything more.”
“Yes, but you never mind what Mama says. Well?”
“I do not know. I do not know that I will even marry him. It is only a courtship, Poppy.”
“But that is what happens to many courtships. Surely you have not accepted such a proposal without expecting an engagement eventually.”
“Perhaps I have not.”
“You would not do that. I may not be the most intelligent, I know, but I know my sister. You have a plan for every plan, five in fact. If you do something, it is because you expect the best outcome. Why else would you not yet be married?”
Margaret laughed nervously. It was, she had to admit, almost a perfect understanding of the situation, and she did not dare allow her to come to the right conclusion. Poppy was right, she had done something that had the best possible outcome, but she did not know quite what it was and she never would.
Her sisters did not know that their dowries needed to be restored, and so they would not learn of it. They did not know they were struggling, and so they never would. All would be well, as long as Margaret kept to her end and accepted the courtship. It was the easiest deal that she had ever made.
And, she told herself, she could do it all without falling for him.
“Very well,” Margaret nodded. “Though you are more intelligent than you think. You simply do not enjoy lessons.”
“I hated them. That was why I was so desperate to debut. At least Mama allowed you to tutor me. Had it been one of those awfultutors my friends tell me of, I would have gone mad. I am most fortunate, they all think so.”
“Are you referring to Lady Dorothy? She has one of the most expensive tutors money can buy. I do doubt that she is awful.”
“She is! Dorothy always says that she wishes her sister was good enough to teach her instead.”
Margaret laughed properly at that.
“What of His Grace? Did he have a tutor?”
“I assume so, but I do not know. You should ask him that yourself tomorrow.”
“But I cannot speak to him! What if he is frightening?”
“He is not, I can assure you, and if he is, then I shall pass an enjoyable dinner without any questions. It shall be a blessing.”
Poppy made a mocking face before laughing and embracing her tightly.
“I may not know how this came to be, and I may not understand what made you change your mind about everything, but I am so pleased for you, Maggie. We do notice everything that you do for us.”
“I hardly–”
“I see the pin pricks on your hands. I know that you help the maids so that they have less to do, and that you mend our clothing, mine more than anyone’s. I am trying to be more ladylike, I promise.”
“I know. Poppy, I– I do not want you to grow up. I never have, not you or Emily. I wish you had always stayed small. Mama might be desperate for you to be a mature and upstanding member of society, but I am happy for you to remain a girl for as long as it pleases you.”
And it was true. Lady Fairleigh was often furious that Poppy was as girlish as she was, but it hardly made a difference to Margaret. Sometimes, when she heard her youngest sister crash through the household, she forgot that she was no longer an eleven year old girl dreaming of parties and gowns. She was a lady, one that donned gowns and attended said parties, or at least one that could now that their finances would be intact.
“I would love to be a girl forever,” Poppy sighed, “but Mama is right. I wanted to debut early, and that means I have to act accordingly. Perhaps I should have had my lessons for longer?”
“I will always be here to help you, Poppy.”
Her sister withdrew into herself at that, something she rarely did. It caught Margaret by surprise, for she was not the sort of young lady to ever be serious.
“When you are a duchess, you shall be too busy for me, and that is how it should be. I will do my best tomorrow, and make a good impression on the Duke. You will see.”
“You need not change yourself!”
